Games Notes just wants to stay within itself this year. It’s a long season, and we do this every day….
Mariners 8, @Angels 3 — Seattle’s Joe Beimel earned the year’s first no-pitch Hold. Summoned for Raul Ibanez, Beimel instead picked off David Freese to end the 8th with a 3-run lead. (If only Freese had ever been eyewitness to such basepath blundering….)
- Beimel still hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011. This was his 568th mound appearance, and first without facing a batter.
- Brad Miller now has 10 career HRs, and four 2-HR games — tied for 2nd in multi-HR games in 2013-14. The three others with two or more all hit 28+ last year.
- “42” — Ibanez is the 42nd player to homer at seasonal age 42 or older. Only Barry Bonds had 20 in a season at such advanced age.
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@Astros 6, Yankees 2 — Half a billion bucks just doesn’t buy what it used to. With a payroll less than any two of New York’s four top salaries, Houston used their own new pricey performers, Scott Feldman ($12M) and Dexter Fowler ($7.3), to throttle the Yanks and throw six runs up on CC Sabathia within the first two frames. Fowler doubled during both outbursts, Jesus Guzman sent his first-seen pitch on a one-way train ride, and Feldman let no Bomber past the midway station until just before he left with seven outs remaining.
- Last time the ‘Stros were 2-0, Brad Lidge was a rookie setup man.
- The half-full view for Bronxites: Cap’n Jetes and his craggy crew all made it through the game and to the clubhouse in one piece. CC settled down and lasted six, and the suspect setup men looked sharp. Dellin Betances threw strikes on nine of ten pitches; the 6′ 8″ Brooklyn boy has walked too many in the minors, but if can repeat that delivery, he’ll be good.
- Sabathia’s 6th straight O.D. start matched the pinstripe record of Lefty Gomez, but CC’s 0-3, 7.71 in those openers.
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Blue Jays 4, @Rays 2 — If the pitcher’s best friend is a GDP, then a 3-run lead before he toes the slab for the first time in almost two years must be a friend with benefits. Adam Lind played the sexy Swedish au pair, applying a sensual curve to Alex Cobb’s straight-down-the-middle offer on 3-1, and Drew Hutchison tamped the Rays into the 6th for his first win since 2012, not far from his native Lakeland.
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Dodgers 3, @Padres 2 — Puig pego un largo cuadrangular, and Kenley Jansen’s 3-pitch punchout cleaned up his own mess with the winning run on second. The Curacaoan cutter connoisseur faced bases full just once in 2013. Chase Headley’s two late-inning DPs gave him the young season’s lowest WPA, just nosing out his teammate Chris Denorfia in this same contest (0-4 stranding 5 runners).
- Zack Greinke’s given 2 runs or less in 16 straight starts, counting 3 playoff games.
- L.A. is 3-1 despite 2-for-28 from their #3-4 men. They’re now 47-46 in Petco Park.
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@Diamondbacks 5, Giants 4 — Wade Miley threw 29 pitches in a 4-run 1st, but only 63 in six more innings. Kirk Gibson showed his confidence by letting Miley bat in the home 6th, lead run two sacks away, and Miley validated it by singling to set up Gerardo Parra’s sac fly, then working through a muddle in the 7th. Addison Reed gave up a bloop double but was otherwise in control, helping the Snakes break into the W column with his first NL save. A.J. Pollock snapped an 0-13 start with three knocks, including the key double in that come-from-behind 6th.
- Brandon Belt has a higher HR rate and OPS against southpaws.
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@Rangers 3, Phillies 2 — Adrian Beltre delivered Shin-Soo Choo with the tying and the go-home runs, and Martin Perez picked Ben Revere off second in the middle of the Phillies’ 2-run 6th, as Texas avoided its first 0-2 start since Ron Washington’s managerial bow in 2007.
- It’s come to this: Marlon Byrd was intentionally walked to bring up Ryan Howard in the 8th, lead run on second and two outs. And Neal Cotts got his man.
- Most sac bunts batting 2nd since 2012: Elvis Andrus, 33; next two combined, 31.
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@Marlins 4, Rockies 3 — The 2-0 Fish moved nine games up on last year’s pace, bundling their 5 hits into two 2-run rallies and withstanding Colorado’s three cracks at tying in the 8th. The key run was set up when D.J. LeMahieu’s no-chance relay trickled to the dugout. That’s one to put into your pocket, son.
- Justin Morneau tried to make Giancarlo pay for his lack of urgency, but the RF made a perfect peg without even raising his heartbeat.
- Carlos Marmol faced 4 batters without a strikeout, walk, HBP or wild pitch. OK, but please don’t let me hear he’s “pitching to contact.”
- Steve Cishek just gets the job done.
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Braves 5, @Brewers 2 — Pitching and three-run three homers.
- Most games whiffing all of 3 or more batters faced, since 2011: 18, Craig Kimbrel; 12, Aroldis Chapman; two tied with 9.
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Not too much depth this time, but that’s eight-for-eight in game coverage. Don’t look for many more like this. Game Notes plans to heed The Babe’s advice to Biscuit Pants: “The guy ought to sit on the bench and rest…. When his legs go, they’ll go in a hurry.”