Who’s up for a Bucs-Rays World Series? I foresee great entertainment for real baseball fans, and weak ratings to frustrate the network — a win-win!

@Pirates 2, Cardinals 1 (1st game, 11 inn.) — After two Bucs got free passes, Alex Presley singled to win it, pushing the Pirates atop the NL Central with the nightcap pending. Presley’s hit came on a full count and glanced off the glove of rookie southpaw Kevin Siegrist, who’d allowed just 4 hits and a run in his first 14 innings and might have escaped with a DP had he let it go through. It was Pittsburgh’s 6th game-ending hit, each by a different player, and gave them the majors’ best record at 63-42.

The starters were shaky at first, then grew stingy, with just 3 hits apiece off A.J. Burnett (7 IP, 9 Ks) and Lance Lynn (6, 7). First-inning doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez got the Bucs on the board. St. Louis threatened in their 1st, then started the 3rd by loading ’em up, but they could only level the score on Matt Holliday’s groundout. Presley struck out with 2 on, ending the 4th, and Alvarez left 2 on in the 8th, grounding out on a 3-1 pitch. Jon Jay wound up on 2nd base starting the 6th, as strike three got away, but Burnett left him there.

With the winning run 90 feet away in the 10th, Bryan Morris induced Matt Holliday’s 24th GDP, tops in both leagues and 5 shy of the franchise record. Holliday’s hitting .352 with RISP, but he’s been doubled up in 6 of 10 chances with men on the corners and less than 2 out. He was doubled off 1st base in the opening frame, on McCutchen’s great play with 2 aboard.

• The left-handed Presley has only faced southpaws 8 times this year, but he’s 3-for-8 with a HR and double.
• Mark Melancon has 50.1 IP and an 0.89 ERA (5 runs, all earned). There have been only 8 modern seasons of 50+ IP and ERA 0.90 or less, and 2 in the live-ball era with 60+ IP. But many of those had unearned runs. There’s just one season ever with 50+ IP and IP>10*runs: Rob Murphy, 1986 (4 R in 50.1 IP).
• A winless July followed A.J. Burnett’s month on the D.L., but he trimmed his ERA to 2.86 while raising his K rate to 9.9 SO/9, a career best and 2nd in the NL. In 3 starts against this division rival, A.J.’s allowed 3 runs in 20 innings, with 9 hits and 23 strikeouts.

And in the nightcap….

@Pirates 6, Cardinals 0 — Brandon Cumpton carved up the ice-cold Cardinals on 3 singles in 7 innings for his first win, sending them to a 6th straight loss on 2 runs or less. The losing streak is their longest since 2011; the runs mark alone matches their one worst streak since 1979; and combining the two makes for their worst in the expansion era, tying one other streak since 1919.

Andrew McCutchen doubled the lead with a 2-run shot in the 5th, and Starling Marte hit his 9th triple (tied for the MLB lead) and absorbed his 18th plunking (2nd). The Bucs had 3 triples for the 2nd time this year; five other teams have done it once.

• Pittsburgh is 6-2 vs. St. Louis, winning the last five and allowing 6 runs in the process.
• Yadier Molina left in the 4th with recurring knee pain. His 2nd passed ball of the year let in the first Pirates run.
• The Cardinals went 1-15 with RISP in the doubleheader.

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@Rays 5, D-backs 2 — Even a 2nd-inning power failure could only slow the Rays’ roll for a little while. They reached 21-4 in July, their second 21-win month ever despite the 4-day All-Star break and a game left to play. Roberto Hernandez got a 2-on DP in the 1st from Paul Goldschmidt and another from Martin Prado to end the 4th, the only times he was threatened until a home run spoiled his shutout with one out left. His first CG since 2010 (and Tampa’s MLB-high 7th) was achieved on just 102 pitches. Ben Zobrist doubled twice and drove in a pair, and 9th hitter Yunel Escobar reached 3 times, with a HR and sac fly.

I like Joe Maddon’s ever-in-flux batting order, because really, why should professional hitters only feel comfortable in certain spots? Just one spot is truly set: the catcher hits 8th. Everything else is a game-day decision. Desmond Jennings usually leads off, but Matthew Joyce and others have 34 starts there. At both 2nd and 6th, five different Rays have started from 10 to 24 games. At #3, Zobrist has 65 starts, 42 for others. Longoria’s hit cleanup 86 times, others 21. James Loney’s hit 5th just over half the time, same for Escobar 9th, and seven Rays have from 6 to 23 starts batting 7th. There’s not so much hit-and-run or take-pitches-for-base-stealers in today’s AL game. When they call your name, go get a hit. No Ray has 60 RBI, but six have 40+ (tops in MLB), and Tampa is 5th in AL scoring, 2nd in OPS+.

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@Tigers 5, Nationals 1 — Anibal Sanchez locked in after a 1st-inning run, and his catcher, Alex Avila, hit a grand slam with 2 outs in the 6th, the first ever for Avila and against Stephen Strasburg. Sanchez allowed 3 hits in the 1st, but just 2 more in his 7 innings, cutting his ERA to 2.59 with his longest outing since a June DL stint. Jose Veras debuted for Detroit with a quick 8th, as the Tigers won their 4th in a row to keep pace with the streaking Indians.

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@Indians 7, White Sox 4 — Alexei Ramirez’s 18th error opened the gates on a game-tying rally, as Cleveland scrapped back from 3-0 and 4-3 for their 6th consecutive win, reaching 10 games over .500 for the first time since June 2011. The Sox got a strong debut from Andre Rienzo, the second Brazilian to play in the majors (7 IP, 3 unearned runs), but he walked his countryman Yan Gomes on 4 pitches to force in the first run, and Lonnie Chisenhall sped home from second on a 2-run groundout. Chicago went back in front, but the Tribe plated 4 with 2 outs in the 8th. Pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn came through with a 2-run single after Drew Stubbs stole 2nd, and Gomes doubled in 2 more.

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@Braves 11, Rockies 3 — Freddie Freeman hit 2 of Atlanta’s 3 HRs, and Alex Wood steadied from early woes for his first win in the majors, as the Braves built the season’s first 10-game lead with their 5th straight win. Juan Nicasio had allowed 1 run over his last 3 starts, but Atlanta touched him for 8, scoring 6 after 2 outs in the 4th. Evan Gattis followed a Freeman IBB with a tiebreaking 2-run hit, and Brian McCann hit a back-breaking 3-run shot. Wood’s 3rd start was his best by far, with 7 Ks and 1 walk, hitting his stride after a 2nd-inning HR by getting 14 outs from the next 14 batters.

• Jason Heyward had his first 3-hit game of the year (5-3-3-1), and was part of a relay that threw out a shocked Michael Cuddyer at home in the 7th, with the Rox down 8-3 and 1 out.
• Atlanta’s Todd Cunningham debuted with a pinch-hit.

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@Orioles 4, Astros 3 — Chris Davis crushed his first since the All-Star Break, a 2-run shot to left that edged the O’s in front after they’d trailed 3-0 early. Wei-Yin Chen’s not a strikeout pitcher, but these are the Astros, and he fanned 9 over 7.1 innings, his 4th straight good start since missing 2 months. Houston’s 3 in the 3rd was capped by a straight steal of home by Jonathan Villar, in his 8th big-league game. Baltimore came in last in AL walks, but accepted 6 passes, 5 from starter Lucas Harrell.

• Davis went 8 for 39 with 20 Ks in the first 10 games after the Break.
• Houston rookie Robbie Grossman had his first 3-hit game.

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Mets 4, @Marlins 2 (10 inn.) — The 4th extra-inning affair in this series was settled by John Buck’s bases-full single, cashing leadoff hits by David Wright and Marlon Byrd in Steve Cishek’s 2nd inning of work. Juan Lagares tripled for their other 2 runs, scoring Wright and Buck with one of his 3 hits.

Zack Wheeler no-hit Miami for six-and-a-third with the sharpest command he’s displayed so far, but a walk broke the spell and 3 straight hits tied up the ballgame. A DP got him out of that jam, and Marlon Byrd opened the 8th with a triple, but Ike Davis whiffed at the end of a 10-pitch, 6-foul battle, and they couldn’t bring Byrd in, giving Wheeler a no-decision.

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@Red Sox 8, Mariners 2 — Dustin Pedroia broke a 2-for-35 slump with a HR and RBI single, Shane Victorino had 3 hits and scored each time, and Brandon Workman’s eponymous effort earned his first career win.

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Royals 7, @Twins 2 — Mike Moustakas spoiled Mike Pelfrey’s night with a tiebreaking with a 3-run HR, his first of two bombs on the night, and the Royals stayed relevant with their 7th straight win, matching their best streak in 10 years. Ervin Santana notched his 16th quality start (7 IP, 8 Ks), beating the Twins in a 5th straight outing.

• Santana’s gone at least 7 innings in 15 of 21 starts, tops in the AL.
• Moustakas came in with 20 RBI and an incredible RISP record of 6 for 72, one double. He has 3 career HRs worth 3+ runs, and has just 49 RBI on 34 career taters.

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Brewers 6, @Cubs 5 (1st game) — Milwaukee rallied for their 7th win in 10 tries vs. the Cubs, reaching .500 for the month. Down 5-2 in the 7th, Khris Davis spanked James Russell’s first pitch for a tying 3-run homer, and Jean Segura doubled in the lead run later that inning. Russell came in with a 2.65 ERA, but righties had racked up a .945 OPS this year (.849 career).

• When Yovani Gallardo’s hamstring flared up with 2 outs in the 5th, John Axford inherited a full house, and he dealt 4 straight scoring hits, good for 5 runs.

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@Dodgers 3, Yankees 2 (10 inn.) — Andre Ethier singled with 1 out off Shawn Kelley, stole 2nd with 2 outs, and scored on Mark Ellis’s full-count flare, giving L.A. another 4-game win streak and a 3.5-game lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers nicked Andy Pettitte in the 1st (Puig double, Hanley single) and the 2nd (Uribe HR), but Lyle Overbay answered each time — first with a HR, then a groundout that scored Alfonso Soriano after a double and Zack Greinke’s wild pitch. Ichiro gunned down Hanley at home to end the 3rd, and Andy retired 12 of his last 14, finishing with 7 IP and his 2nd straight 2-run QS after a long stretch of meh.

• Greinke whiffed 7 sans walk, and went 1 for 2 at bat, reaching an even .400 (14-35) with 4 walks and 5 Ks.

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@Rangers 11, Angels 11 (10th) — With the lead changing hands with each tip of the cap, no one was truly shocked when Texas struck for the tying run in their last gasp against closer Ernesto Frieri, as Ian Kinsler walked and stole, and Adrian Beltre singled him home.

• Mike Trout reached 6 times in a row, jacking his BA and OBP to season highs of .331 and .412.
• Tanner Scheppers had allowed 10 runs all year, but suffered 4 in the 8th on 5 hits, his own error, a walk and a wild pitch.

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Late Monday … completing the Night of the Walk-Offs

@Padres 2, Reds 1 — Chris Denorfia‘s short stroke met a first-pitch fastball from Aroldis Chapman, producing his own Cuban Missile that flipped a 1-0 deficit into the Pads’ 3rd straight win, on the 3rd anniversary of their previous game-winning pinch-hit. It the first home run ever on a first pitch from Chapman, and the 3rd game-winning hit in Denorfia’s career, with the last two coming off Chapman (including the big lefty’s first ever). Chapman had mussed his own bed with a leadoff walk to Yonder Alonso, who has no homers and 2 extra-base hits in his last 25 games. Cincinnati has lost 4 in a row for just the 2nd time this year, by scores of 1-2, 0-1, 1-4 and 1-2.

• It was San Diego’s first pinch-hit game-winning blast since 2006, and their first since 1988 when trailing at the time. (That last game is worth a look.)
• It’s the 8th come-from-behind game-ending HR this year. Only the Padres have both hit one and surrendered one.
• It’s this year’s first come-from-behind pinch-hit walk-off home run,and the second such base hit overall.
• San Diego pinch-hitters are batting just .188 (MLB average is .222) — but they’re tied for the lead with 6 homers and 24 RBI.
• Pads starter Sean O’Sullivan was the 2nd in two days with 1 run in 6 IP, 5 walks and 1 strikeout — a line previously seen on 2010-07-30.
• Both Cesar Izturis and his half-brother, Maicer, have played 10 or more years in the majors. Seems like a lot of brothers have had long careers, but maybe that’s only the ones we notice.
• Luke Gregerson picked up his 5th win with a scoreless 9th. Among all active pitchers, he’s faced the most batters (1,325) without allowing a first-pitch HR.

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@Athletics 9, Blue Jays 4 — Home runs don’t seem to bother A.J. Griffin. He won for the 4th time in 5 starts, a stretch that includes 10 of his MLB-high 26 HRs allowed. In this case, Griffin led 5-zip before the Jays took his measure with 3 taters for 4 runs, but they never got closer than grand-slam distance. Yoenis Cespedes had a home run, triple and single. He’s the 3rd player ever with 2 such games in whatever they’re calling the Oakland Coliseum nowadays, joining Rickey Henderson (1982 and ’90) and Mark Ellis (2005 and ’07, including one of the two cycles ever hit there).

• Griffin’s allowed precisely 3 HRs three times this year, winning twice, with exactly 4 runs in each game.
• Toronto’s hit exactly 3 home runs in a game 13 times this year, going 7-6. All other teams are 160-42 in such games.
• Oakland is 34-16 at home.