Still 26 hours before Counting down to the next pitch that really matters (Friday 1:20pm CDT). Some empty calories will help pass the time….

2012-04-18 — Only game this year where both starters went 9+ scoreless innings. Also the only game in 7 years where one starter went 10+ scoreless frames. Here’s the last time both starters went 10+ scoreless.

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Twice this year, both starters had 10 or more strikeouts. In two other games, both starters had Game Scores of 80+. Chris Sale started one of each kind. (Oddly, none of those four dueling 80+ Game Scores had more than 7 Ks, and they averaged 5.5.)

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2012-05-11 — Only game with 4 blown saves this year. If you want to see 5, you have to drift back 12 years, and (of course) head for the mountains. (The other 5-BS game since 1918 was also in the land of high anxiety. There was scoring in 14 of the 18 half-innings, with the Rox tallying in their last 8 tries.)

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2012-05-15 — First K-free shutout in 10 years, and one of four since 1958 that also had 4+ walks. Here’s the last time both starters got a decision without a strikeout. (Josh Johnson, really? That’s his only starting win with no Ks.)

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Here’s the first time in 4 years that a pitcher allowed 13+ hits in consecutive starts. But if you want to see a guy get really hammered, set your watch to Lima Time. Jose was dealt away the following June, made expendable in part by the emergence of … young Roy Oswalt.

By the way, if the late, lamented Lima isn’t the worst modern pitcher to have a 20-win season — and let’s face it, he’s a candidate for worst performance in a long career, period — it’s a pretty good bet that he got the most mileage out of his one big year. He’s the only 20-game winner who wound up with at least 1,000 IP and an ERA+ less than 88, finishing with 1,568 and 85, respectively. After going 21-10 in 1999, he logged another 860 IP with a 6.00 ERA and 75 ERA+, easily the least effective of any pitcher with a steady job in 2000-06. But give Jose his due — he brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces.

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Rockies 18, Mets 9 (2012-04-27)

• The biggest inning by one team this year: Rockies scored 11 runs in the home 5th. (Mets had scored 4 in the top half.)
• Both teams had 17+ hits, the highest mutual total since 2008-09-19. One of 3 such games this year.
• 3 players with 4+ hits, a total not surpassed since 2008-07-30. One of 3 such games this year.
• 2 Mets had 4+ hits, 4th time since 2000; 2 of those 4 in Coors field. Their last 6 such games were on the road. (Not a big surprise if you think about it; 2/3 of all such team games in the past 5 years came on the road.)
• Scott Hairston completed his cycle in the top of the 6th (after Colorado’s eruption). One of 3 cycles this year.
• No other Met had an extra-base hit; they combined for 13 singles.

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Four no-hitters in 7 weeks, with perfect bookends: 2012-04-21, 2012-05-02, 2012-06-01, 2012-06-13.

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First-Half Streaks, etc.:

Longest hitting streak: 22, Michael Brantley.

Consecutive games reaching base safely: 32, Elvis Andrus.

Consecutive games with both a hit and a walk: 7, Chase Headley. David Ortiz has an active 6-gamer, and Kevin Youkilis an active 5-gamer.

Consecutive games with a Run: 9, Austin Jackson (active) and 9, Dexter Fowler.

… with an RBI: 9, Robinson Cano and 9, Carlos Beltran.

… with a Run and an RBI: 5, by 5 players; the over-all best 5 was by Mike Napoli. (We’ll see why in a moment.)

… with a HR: 5, Mike Napoli.

… with a Triple: 2, by 16 players (including Napoli!); the latest 2 was by Austin Jackson.

… with a Double: 5, Joey Votto. (You weren’t expecting Napoli again!)

… with any extra-base hit: 7, Paul Goldschmidt.

… with a SB: 4, by 6 players; Alejandro De Aza had the best composite, 5 SB with no CS.

… with a SO: 32 (one guess). Next longest is 21 (who’s your other guess?).

Most ABs in a hitless-game streak: 36, Luke Scott.

Game-ending HRs: 34 different players have 1 each.

Team game-ending HRs hit: 4, Oakland.

Team game-ending HRs allowed: 3 each by Oakland, Washington and Houston.

Consecutive CG shutouts: 2, Johan Santana.

Consecutive scoreless starts: 4, Ryan Dempster.

Consecutive team shutouts: 4, Giants. (Longest streak of shutouts against is in there, too.)

Consecutive games allowing 2 runs or less: 6, Seattle. (They split.)

… allowing 3 or less: 9, St. Louis.

… scoring 5 or more: 9 … Washington? (Put a silver bullet next to that one.)

Consecutive wins: 10, Yankees.

Consecutive losses: 12, Cubs, and 12, Royals.

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