Royals 10, @Rays 1: Ervin Santana has given his team a chance in every one of his 13 starts this year, and he faced one over the minimum through 5 innings. But so did Jeremy Hellickson, giving him 11 straight zeroes over 2 starts. And then, the deluge: 8 hits and 8 runs in the 6th, the blitz begun by ex-Ray Elliot Johnson and emphatically capped by him on Hellickson’s 37th pitch of the frame.

• 12 straight games yielding 3 runs or less for the Royals: a franchise record, and tied for the longest in MLB since 2010 (18 by SF). Santana also was part of last year’s 12-game streak by the Angels.
• KC got a hit from all 9 starting players, their 3rd such game this year — all against Tampa.
• Santana is one of 8 starters averaging 7+ IP/G this year, including teammate James Shields. He has a 1.00 WHIP, a trick turned by just one Royal with 20+ starts.
• Eric Hosmer snapped the 3rd-longest homerless streak by a first baseman this year at 32 games. He also has the #5 streak this year, 26 games. At their current rates, Hosmer and Morneau would be the first qualifying 1Bs since 1996 to with 5 HRs or less.

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Phillies 3, @Twins 2: Was ever a one-sided game so close? Cliff Lee faced the minimum through 6 innings, the lone hit erased on a DP, while the Phils put 14 men aboard but plated just one, with another cut down at the dish. So when Lee’s 0-and-2 fastball to Justin Morneau caught way too much plate with 2 outs, 2 on in the 7th, and Ben Revere’s all-out try fell just short, Philly’s ace suddenly faced his first loss since May 1.

But there was redemption on tap. Kevin Frandsen led off the 8th with a pinch-double (6 for 20, .391 OBP in that role), and Ben Revere, who hit liners all day, deadened his “everyone knows it’s coming” sac bunt so adroitly that he beat the throw, notching his first 4-hit game for the Phils. With men the corners, Young turned the first-pitch fastball inside-out, and his liner to the RF line tied the game and put Revere in position to score on a Baltimore chop of Jimmy Rollins‘s bat. Jonathan Papelbon blew down the Twins in the 9th, still perfect in a meager 12 save chances. (I know a team that could find Pap some work….)

• The Phils left 16 on base — the most since last August for a team scoring 3 runs or less in a 9-inning game.
• Revere had 6 ABs. No one since 2010 had 6 PAs in a regulation game with his team scoring less than 5 runs.
• Dear Michael Young: Looking at the right fielder while rounding third base will only slow you down. Something to consider after being thrown out at home for the 3rd time this year.
• Check your scouting report, Twins: Young is 16 for 32 on the first pitch, with 5 doubles and a HR (out of 8 and 2 total). He’s hitting .211 otherwise.
• Rollins has just 4 RBI in 17 starts in the #3 slot. The Phillies are last with 4 HRs and 24 RBI from #3 hitters.
• Minnesota’s leadoff man has failed to reach safely in 18 of 63 games. Only the Mets are worse (21); the Phillies are 3rd-worst (16).

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Blue Jays 3, @Rangers 1: Esmil Rogers continued his recent good work for Toronto, matching Yu Darvish‘s bottom line (1 run in 7 IP) if not his dazzle (1 K vs. 9). Tanner Scheppers had been rock-solid for Texas this year — out of 30 prior appearances, just one small negative WPA — but when tasked with the power righties this time, he couldn’t preserve the tie in the 8th, walking Jose Bautista ahead of Edwin Encarnacion‘s gapper that just eluded the fleet-footed Leonys Martin. Three Rangers fanned in their 8th against Steve Delabar, and Casey Janssen zipped through the heart of the order for his 14th save in 15 tries. Nelson Cruz homered in the 2nd for the Texas tally, but Toronto answered quickly: Emilio Bonifacio singled and stole against Darvish/Pierzynski (28 SB/5 CS career, and 24/2 this year, respectively). Then Darvish delivered to Melky while his second baseman was breaking to the bag for a pickoff, turning Cabrera’s grounder straight to the 4 spot into a tying knock.

• Scheppers is still #3 in reliever WAR.
• Toronto’s played 47 games against teams .500 or better (21-26) — 25 more than Texas (13-9).
• Rangers are 4-8 this month, outscored 60-36. They’ve been held to 3 runs or less in 14 of their last 22 games, going 9-13 in that stretch.
• It’s been Yu Arvish in his last 4 starts, averaging 7 IP, 2 runs and 9 Ks, but no D.
• If Darvish holds his pace over 33 starts, he’d fall 2 short of Nolan Ryan‘s club-record 301 Ks (1989, age 42). The #2 spot is an easier shot — 232 by Ryan in ’90.
• At his current pace, Encarnacion would finish with 45 HRs and 89 strikeouts, joining Pujols (6), Beltre and Helton as the only actives with a 40-HR season with <90 Ks. Double-E had 42 and 94 last year.

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@Athletics 3, Yankees 2 (18): In his first and possibly last time up against the Yankee great, Nate Freiman took ball one, then muscled a soft liner into left for his first game-winning hit, ending the longest searchable game between these two original AL clubs.

The match had been scoreless since the 3rd, when Oakland tied it with 2 runs. Starters Hiroki Kuroda and Jarrod Parker both went 8, the latter matching his career high, and each team used 6 relievers. Adam Warren blanked the A’s from the 11th through 16th, but Jesse Chavez was the relief star, coming on with 2 strikeouts to get out of the 13th with 2 aboard, then finishing the game with 7 Ks in 5.1 IP for his first win as an Athletic. Preston Claiborne took the loss, his first MLB decision, leaving a man on 1st with 1 out for Mariano Rivera, who allowed 2 hits without retiring a batter.

Freiman came in for defense in the 16th and had a chance to win it in the bottom half, but lined out with 2 on. Adam Rosales pinch-hit in the 10th and struck out in all 4 trips, his first-ever golden sombrero. He’s the 11th in searchable history (5th position player, first Athletic) with all-Ks in 4+ PAs as a substitute.

The A’s swept the trio, and have won 7 straight against the Yanks in Oakland. They’re 5-1 against New York this year, 6-2 in extra innings, and 14-7 in one-run games. The Yankees have lost 3 straight for just the 2nd time this year.

New York’s best chance off Chavez came in the 14th, loading the bags with 2 out when Robinson Cano was given an intentional ball 4 with men on 1st and 2nd, but Mark Teixeira popped out. Their only hit in 13 tries with RISP was Cano’s HR in the 1st. Cano and Ichiro had 3 hits apiece, while slumpers Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells each went 0 for 8. The Yanks’ #4-7 hitters went 0 for 28 (0-8 with RISP), with 12 strikeouts.

After Cano’s 1-out double in the 6th, 20 straight batters made out for the two sides before John Jaso singled to start the home 9th. He got to 3rd with 1 out, but David Robertson struck out Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss.

• New York’s last 18-inning game was in 1988: Claudell Washington’s 2-run HR off Willie Hernandez scored Rickey Henderson and overcame an unearned run in the top half on Mattingly’s error.
• Mariano’s been so comfortable in the Coliseum, he’s been charged with a run in just 3 of 33 outings; of his 28 games finished there, this was just the 3rd loss. Rivera earned his first career win there 18 years ago as a starter, his 2nd career game. In game 3 of the 2001 ALDS — a game better remembered for what happened the inning before Mo’s arrival — he pitched the 8th and 9th with a 1-0 lead as the Yanks began their comeback from a 2-0 deficit.
• Cano has received 5 IBBs with 1st base occupied, leading all Yankees in the DH era.

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@Cubs 6, Reds 5 (14): After an intentional walk to Nate Schierholtz, Julio Borbon slashed a low liner off Jonathan Broxton past the third baseman for his first game-winning hit. Starlin Castro‘s single started the winning rally, making his second 3-hit game this year; he stole 2nd as Anthony Rizzo struck out.

Hector Rondon earned a win in his first career decision, fanning 4 with 1 hit in the last 2 innings. Cincinnati got all 5 runs off Jeff Samardzija, with 10 hits and 4 walks, but had one single and a walk off 6 Cubs relievers, who fanned 13 in 8 frames. Carlos Marmol whiffed 3 with 1 hit in the 9th, his 3rd straight game without a walk or a run.

• Schierholtz tripled twice, lifting his slugging average to .558, and scored 3 runs, including the leveler with 2 outs in the 8th after a 1-out walk. Six Reds relievers saw action, but no Aroldis Chapman, whose 8 pitches the night before were his only action this week.
• Castro had 35 three-hit games in 2011-12.
• Rizzo went 0-5 and has gone 22 games since his last HR.
• Curtis Partch, who won our sympathy Sunday when he suffered a slam on the first batter he ever faced, worked the 10th through 13th and retired his last 11 men.

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Red Sox @Orioles (13): The second 2-out RBI hit by Chris Davis capped Baltimore’s late rally to win the opener of this 4-game set, in just the 4th game between these division rivals. A 2-out walk proved fatal in Alex Wilson‘s first career loss. Seven O’s pitchers gave no passes against the MLB walk leaders.

• Jacoby Ellsbury swiped #30, but was also caught for the first time since April, ending an 18-steal streak, and went 0-5 with no runs.
• DH Danny Valencia homered to start Baltimore’s 3-run 3rd and added a double, making 9 XBH out of 11 safeties. He was slugging .600 at Norfolk when called up, now slugging .659 in 13 games. At the DH spot, the O’s are last in BA (.181), OBP and OPS.

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Nationals 5, @Rockies 4: With a man on 2nd and 2 outs in the 7th, Washington tied on two balks during one at-bat, both called against Wilton Lopez by Balkin’ Bob Davidson, and the second so hotly disputed that both pitcher and manager were rung up. Ryan Zimmerman‘s double in the 8th put the Nats ahead to stay, adding to his 2-out go-ahead HR in the 3rd that cashed a rare hit by SP Ross Detwiler (now 6 for 106).

Colorado lost 3 leading hitters during the game. CarGo was hit by a foul while on deck in the 1st and left immediately. Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch on the hand in his second time up, and was lifted 2 innings later. And Tulo injured his ribs diving for a grounder in the 8th and left in the bottom half. Their replacements had 2 singled and an RBI in 8 trips.

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Giants 10, Pirates 0: Matt Cain breezed through 6 innings and his mates rapped 17 hits, while the Bucs matched hits and errors at 3 and took their worst home loss of the year. SF is 13-20 away, the Pirates 23-12 at home.

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Cardinals 2, @Mets 1: Adam Wainwright shut out one of the NL’s worst teams over 7 innings for his 10th win. Matt Harvey was just one run worse in his 7 stanzas against the NL’s best and took his first loss of the year. Wainwright walked 2 (one intentional), his most in 8 starts and matching his season high, but surrendered just 4 singles and was rarely threatened.

St. Louis insured their slim lead in the 8th. The faded 40-year-old LaTroy Hawkins was tasked with the last out with a man on first, but he gave 2 hits to righties on 3 pitches for the Cards’ second run. The Mets rallied in the 9th with a solo HR and a 1-out double, putting Edward Mujica in danger of his first blown save. But Matt Carpenter (whose tripled plated the first run) ranged far to his right and maybe took a hit away from Kirk Nieuwenhuis, then the fresh call-up Josh Satin struck out on 3-2 to end it.

• It’s the 5th time Harvey’s allowed 1 run or less without winning. He’s 1-1 in his last 10 starts, with a 2.51 RA/9. His 2.04 ERA in 97 IP (no unearned runs) has produced a 5-1 record for him and 8-6 for the Mets. Wainwright’s 2.18 ERA in 103 IP (2 UER) have made him 10-3 and the Cards 11-3.
• Looks good when it works: In the Mets’ 7th, Mike Matheny called for an IBB to Nieuwenhuis, 0 for his last 20 or so, putting the lead run on base but getting Harvey out for a pinch-hitter. Harvey threw 97 pitches and was set to pitch the 8th. Justin Turner‘s roller toward 3B was handled nicely by Daniel Descalso, his second such play of the inning. The Cards’ 8th-inning run proved crucial.