Game Notes is out sick from his day job, so we’re going for full coverage. Don’t miss the “sub-busted no-no’s” at the bottom.

@Red Sox 6, Rangers 3: It can’t be easy for a manager when the assuredly right move means you choose to face the man with the most game-winning hits this century. The pass to Pedroia was logical, but David Ortiz sent the next pitch to the bullpen, his 11th game-ending HR and 19th walk-off RBI. Both are tops in the bigs since 2000, but the first for Papi since 2009 and ’10, respectively.

• Ortiz has 53 late-and-close HRs, 5th since 2000 (Albert, Alex, Adam & Aramis).
• Another right move might have been having someone other than Michael Kirkman (both left-handed and bad) start the inning against Jonny Gomes and Pedey. But Ron Washington doesn’t need any help to win pennants.
• Through May 1, Adrian Beltre was hitting .214/.699. Now, .311/.902. During his 11-game hitting streak, 20 for 46 with 4 HRs … but only 8 RBI, since Texas #2 men don’t get on base (.299 OBP).

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Yankees 6, @Mariners 1: Another “squall” game. New York exploded with 8 hits in the 3rd inning, 7 consecutive, scoring 6 and knocking out Aaron Harang. They had 1 hit the rest of the game, a single in the 8th that was immediately erased. Their other baserunner was a HBP in the 2nd.

• Blake Beavan‘s relief stint was the first since 2004 (and 20th since 1916) with at least 20 batters faced and outs=batters. (My favorite of those … check out McDaniel, then check out Hiller.)
• Hard to believe: Harang is in his 12th MLB season (his 3rd in the AL), and this was his 302nd start –but his first game against the Yankees. He’s now faced all 30 teams. The Reds played just 6 games with the Yankees during his 8-year tenure, and his turn never came up.
• Phil Hughes has mediocre stats this year, but no mediocre games. Seven times he’s allowed 2 runs or less in 6+ innings, while the other five saw at least 1 run per inning.

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@Dodgers 5, Braves 0: The real story of this game was Zack Greinke getting well against the … oh, why fight it. The young man has a sense of the moment, no? First time up with bases full, first pitch.

• “Cool. Yasiel Puig just hit me a granny. What can your leadoff man do?” [Montage of all other NL leadoff men still in the bigs, none with a slam this year.] “… Nuthin’.“
• First slam off Gearrin, first HR on the first pitch.
• Puig has hit the first pitch twice so far, producing 8 bags and 7 runs.

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@Cardinals 12, D-backs 8: Losing 2 games in a row put St. Louis in danger of their 4th series loss this year, and 2nd to Arizona. They wanted this one … and, with an 8-run, 2-HR 4th against Ian Kennedy, they got it. Shelby Miller got bailed out of a 2-run 1st by Jon Jay’s long running catch and DP, and got a Goldschmidt GDP with 2 on in the 3rd. Then he whiffed 7 of his last 8 batters, and also hit his first HR in that stretch.

• Kennedy, who’s not fared well vs. STL, ended the 4th with his 50th pitch of the inning, 99th of the game. Then he batted in the top of the 5th (he’s a .138 career hitter), and finally left the game. Did he irk Kirk?
• Miller is 6 for 67 with 38 Ks as a pro hitter. But he’s yet to allow more than 3 runs in his 13 MLB starts.
• The Cards have lost 3 in a row once.

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@Tigers 5, Rays 2: Max Scherzer matched Detroit’s postwar best by winning his 8th straight starting decision to open the year. He also won the staff’s 100-K sprint, fanning his last 2 batters to nose out Anibal Sanchez (98 Ks). Scherzer and Sanchez are #2-3 in the majors, with 3-time MLB titleist Verlander 10th. Detroit leads the majors with 9.9 strikeouts per game.

Victor Martinez fanned with Cabrera and Fielder on to end the 1st, adding to his RISP woes. But he broke a scoreless tie in the 4th with a 2-run shot after Fielder’s single, and padded the lead in the 7th with a 2-out, 2-strike knock that plated Cabrera (4-1-3-1), who had stolen 2nd.

• Their searchable record is 9 straight, shared by Vern Kennedy in 1938 (he won 9 starts in a row and then crashed, finishing 12-9, 5.06) and George Uhle, 1929 (his first year with Detroit after many big ones in Cleveland; he won his first 9 starts with a 1.86 ERA, but finished 15-11, 4.17). Jeremy Bonderman won his first 8 decisions in 2007, in a very odd year; no decision in his first 6 starts (3.18 ERA), then won 8 starts in a row with a 4.59 ERA; he bombed after the Break and wound up 11-9, 5.01.
• Doyle Alexander won his first 9 decisions with Detroit in 1987, after an August trade.

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Padres 6, @Rockies 5 (12): Who said two wrongs don’t make a right? When Chase Headley tried to turn two on a chopper behind the bag by PH Yasmani Grandal, the respective umps missed both calls — ruling out at 3rd, safe at 1st, when it should have been the other way ’round. But the net result was the go-ahead run for San Diego, and Brad Boxberger (a former 1st-rounder) earned his first career save on behalf of Luke Gregerson (4 wins 0.94 ERA). The Pads had once led 4-0, but were tied in the 8th on a 2-out, 2-run HR by Wilin Rosario. (Tip to Dale Thayer: The impact of “never even turned his head to watch the ball go out” is reversed if you sneak a peek at the last moment.)

• It’s the 2nd game in a row for Grandal with what we once called the GWRBI. But he’s only 3 for 28 this year, after missing the first 50 games as a PED suspension.
• He’s doing it again: Last year, Rosario became the 25th player to hit more than 25 HRs with no more than 25 walks. This year, he’s on track for 27 and 19. Only 7 have hit more than 25 HRs with fewer than 20 walks.
• Coming home after their fireworks show in Cincinnati, CarGo and Tulo went a combined 0-for-11. Gonzalez had his worst game of the year by WPA (-0.330), going 0-3 with RISP (4 runners) and making the 2nd out of the home 12th.
• A scoreless inning by Rex Brothers ran his streak to 23.1 IP over 25 games, the longest this year by either measure, one tick ahead of Jesse Crain (also an active streak).

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Orioles 3, @Astros 1: J.J. Hardy has 10 HRs and a 1.037 OPS in his last 30 games, but it was a simple ground single to right in the 4th — the 2nd of his 4 hits — that scored Adam Jones, giving Baltimore the lead for good. Bud Norris yielded all 3 runs in that 4th and took the loss that squared him at 5-5, with his usual run support; 10 of his 13 starts were backed by 3 runs or less, and his RS average is 4th-worst in the AL.

• Still hard to believe Darren O’Day was waived by the Rangers after 2011. At least the Mets can say they didn’t really know what he was capable of; Texas had seen him post a 1.94 ERA over 120 IP in 2009-10, but after one injured year, they cut him loose. O’Day has a 2.11 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 94 Oriole innings, stranding 46 of 56 inherited runners. And while few may have noticed, O’Day tossed 7 scoreless IP in last year’s playoffs, allowing 2 baserunners and stranding all 5 inherited.
• Miguel Gonzalez, another post-2011 freebie, got the win with 6 strong innings. In 25 starts for Baltimore, he’s 12-6 with a 3.63 ERA and 6+ IP per game — no Iwakuma, perhaps, but the BoSox sure could have used someone like that.
• I confess: I truly thought Jim Johnson‘s spell had been broken. He’d been plucked from obscurity to become first a great setup man in 2011, then a great closer last year. But his K rate has always been sketchy, and those ugly 2 weeks this May — 4 blown saves, 12 runs on 13 hits in 5 innings, 2 whiffs in 30 batters — hinted that the magical run might be over. Johnson’s converted 5 straight since then, 2 hits and 5 Ks in 5 IP, no walks. Those losses still count, and who knows what the future will bring; but if it turns out to have been just a slump, better to come in May than September.
• This was the leading clip under “More from this game.” Must’ve been the throwback ‘Stros jersey.

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Phillies 5, @Brewers 1: Shutout ball for 6.2 innings produced Tyler Cloyd‘s 4th quality start in 5 outings. But which was the biggest surprise: (a) Domonic Brown did not hit a homer; (b) Brown did draw a clearly unintentional walk; (c) Brown swiped 2 bags for the first time ever; or (d) the Phils climbed over .500?

• So what — and this is not tongue-in-cheek — if the Phils are 14-5 against the Marlins & Mets, 17-25 against all others? Beating up on the bad teams is the first step to contending. If they can stay in it for another month, 16 of their last 76 games are against the Braves — and while I doubt Atlanta’s still haunted by the 2011 season-ending sweep that knocked them out of the playoffs, you never know. At least Philly’s recent resurgence gives the Braves a “second front” to fret about.
• Some may be tempted to view Milwaukee’s poor start as the shadow of Ryan Braun’s failed drug test that was voided on appeal, and of their star’s alleged dealings with Biogenesis. But Braun’s doing fine; not up to his superstar standard lately, but when the thumb heals, he’ll hit. There just aren’t enough hitters in the lineup to overcome a 5.67 ERA from their rotation, the worst in baseball this year and the worst in the NL in 10 years (outside of one Rockies season). They average over 2 runs allowed in the first 3 innings (also worst), which means they’re usually playing catch-up, and that wears out a lineup.
• July 22-25: Our only hope for a late-game duel between Brad Boxberger and Burke Badenhop. (Suppose the famous Cubs DP combo had been named Boxberger and Badenhop, rather than Tinker and Evers. Do they still make the Hall?)

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Athletics 5, @White Sox 4 (10): Chicago native Adam Rosales has enjoyed his visits to the Cell, none so much as this go-ahead HR that helped push the A’s to a season-high 12 games over .500 and a half-game behind in the AL West, with a 4-game set looming 10 days off. Rosales also had a 2-out RBI double in the 5th, Oakland’s only run besides 4 solo HRs. The A’s went walkless for just the 3rd time this year, winning 2 of those.

• LHRP Jerry Blevins worked the home 9th and got his 5th win, tied for the relief lead. No LOOGY he, Blevins has held righties to 10 for 61 this year, with 1 HR. (But I still can’t say his name without picturing a toady for C. Montgomery Burns.)
• 0-for-5 for Dunn, making the last out on a deep fly when any single would have tied it. He’s 3-for-37 in late-and-close moments.
• I dunno, every time I see the Rosales home-run dash, I hear Robin Wright drawling, “Ruuun, Forrest, ruuun!” One of these days he’ll get tangled with the 3B coach on the handshake, and one of them will get his shoulder dislocated.

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@Royals 7, Twins 3: KC struck for 4 in the tiebreaking 8th — as many runs as in any of their past 14 games — and went on to win back-to-back for the first time in over a month. Eric Hosmer, starting in the #2 slot for the 2nd game in a row, cashed in Alex Gordon‘s leadoff double for his 18th RBI this year, just his 2nd that put the Royals in front. The game began ugly for Kansas City, with a Moustakas 2-base throwing error setting up the first run to score on a 3rd-strike/WP, with that runner trotting in on Ryan Doumit‘s 2-out HR. But Wade Davis got a little revenge, dunking Doumit with the bags full in the 3rd, and at least keeping his club close until the bullpen could start living up to their reputation. Tim Collins earned the win with 2 scoreless, part of a 10-out skein by KC relievers.

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Wednesday weirdlies

Oh, you know all about the crazy one by now. Here’s some other stuff:

The Phillies had exactly 1 hit from each spot in the batting order. There’s one other game this year where every spot in the order had exactly 1 hit: April 6, Rangers. (All 9 started; Texas lost, 4-8.)

• Phils also have the only game in the last 4 seasons where 10+ hitters had exactly 1 hit and none had more than one.

Both the Mariners (in 14 innings) and the Orioles got at least one hit from every starter, and lost the game. Baltimore’s the only team to lose 2 such games this year.

• Seattle used the same 9 hitters all game. They’re the first since 2001 to get 7+ PAs for all starters and none for anyone else; first since 1992 with 7+ PAs for all starters and no substitutes in the batting order.
• Astros had a HR from 6 different players — 2nd time in club history, 2nd time this year by any team.
• Freddy Garcia is the 2nd to allow 4+ HRs in less than 4 innings this year. (And who knew that our old friend Dave Bush had appeared in the majors this year?)

Carlos Gonzalez had his second 3-HR game, the 14th by a Rocky, and their first since he did it in May of last year. Six of the 14 were on the road, including all three of Larry Walker‘s trifectas.

• Troy Tulowitzki was the 4th Rocky with a 5-hit, 2-HR game. CarGo did that last month, in Wrigley.
• Which feat is more rare? Tulo’s, by a factor of three: Since 1916, there have been 519 three-HR games, and 174 games of 2+ HRs and 5+ hits. (Twenty-nine games meet both criteria.)

Bartolo Colon walked just 4 in his first 11 starts. But he walked Juan Francisco, one of the few batters with a SO/BB ratio in Colon’s range — and Scooter Gennett?

OK, Dodgers, we get it — Clayton Kershaw is a lot like Koufax. You don’t have to stop at 2 runs every time he pitches. That’s 8 of 13 starts with 2 runs or less, and an average of 2.8 per game.

Which was the dumber baserunning play from the 3rd inning of Tampa’s win at Detroit, each with men on the corners and 1 out? Yunel Escobar dashing right into a bizarre rundown DP … or Avisail Garcia’s brain-cramp steal attempt on the first pitch to Andy Dirks?

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Besides Julio Teheran, other games since 1990 where no starting player got a hit:

• 2012-07-31, A.J. Burnett: 7.2 hitless, busted by PH Adrian Cardenas, who had 11 hits for the year. Burnett had a no-hitter 11 years earlier.
• 2010-06-13, Ted Lilly: 8 hitless, for the Cubs hosting the White Sox, busted by PH Juan Pierre. No no-hitter for Lilly.
• 2007-08-31, Scott Baker: 8.1 hitless, busted by PH Mike Sweeney. No.
• 2006-09-22, Chris Young: 8.1 hitless, busted with a HR by PH Joe Randa, Padres won 5-2 allowing 1 hit. Young never got a no-hitter.
• 2003-09-28, Esteban Loaiza: Season finale and not a near-no-hitter. Royals made wholesale changes after 3 innings. Loaiza went 6.2 hitless, then gave up 2 in the 7th and another to open the 8th, all to substitutes. He left then, but earned his 21st win. He never got a no-hitter.
• 2001-09-02, Mike Mussina: Sunday night ESPN classic in Fenway. Scoreless to the 9th, Yanks broke through with an UER against David Cone, one of his last great games. Moose reached the very cusp of perfection, 1-and-2 to PH Carl Everett, but a single to left. He finished the 1-0 one-hitter, and would come close other times, but never got the magic out.
• 2001-08-19, Tony Armas, Jr.: Busted with 2 outs to go by PH Tony Gwynn in a 2-0 game. Armas fanned Rickey, but walked Darin Jackson & left. Another PH produced a run, but Scott Strickland fanned Phil Nevin to save Armas’s signature game.
• 1998-09-27, Roy Halladay: In the season finale and his 2nd career game, the future Doc retired a PH for the 26th out, but PH Bobby Higginson spoiled it with a first-pitch HR, before Roy closed out the 2-1 win. Halladay waited almost 12 years to get his.
• 1997-04-10, Alex Fernandez: The Marlins were off to a 6-1 start, while the Cubs were 0-7. Fernandez, the big offseason signee, fanned PH Dave Clark for the 1st out of the 9th with a 1-0 lead, but the no-no was foiled by Dave Hansen, who double-switched in one inning before. The bases got full on errors by Bonilla and Renteria, but Alex whiffed Ryno to seal the one-hitter. Chicago would reach 0-14 before finally beating the Mets. Fernandez never got one.
• 1993-09-29, Tim Pugh: Yes, Tim Pugh. He came into his last start of the year at 9-15, 5.56, but he he was 2 outs away when PH Bill Bean broke it up. Pugh walked the bags full, but completed the 1-hitter, his only shutout.
• 1990-08-03, Doug Drabek: In his Cy Young season, Drabek got one out away, but lost it to Sil Campusano, who replaced Dykstra in the 6th with the Bucs leading, 11-0. Drabek never got one.
• 1990-04-20, Brian Holman: M’s fans will never forget … In 1990, Seattle was still without a winning year and a no-hitter. The latter would come soon enough, but Holman’s bid for perfection was marred at the last instant by a first-pitch HR from PH Ken Phelps, the ex-Mariner slugger; it wound up the last of his career. Losing pitcher Bob Welch fell to 2-1; he’d drop one more in May, then won 10 straight decisions (and 9 starts in a row) en route to 27-6 and the CYA. Alas, Holman never got a no-hitter, and his career was snuffed out by injury the following year.