@Dodgers 8, Rockies 0 — Clayton Kershaw had all his breaking pitches dancing to their master’s tune. The perfecto died on Hanley’s throwing error in the 7th, but two whiffs and a nice play by Miguel Rojas, deep behind third base, kept the no-no going. Two more strikeouts in the 8th made fourteen, a new career high, and seven of the last ten Rockies.
In the 9th, D.J. LeMahieu chopped the first pitch wide of first base. Adrian Gonzalez ranged over, and Kershaw raced to the bag to take the shovel pass. Charlie Culberson floated the next one out to Yasiel Puig in shallow right. Now Corey Dickerson. A lefty. What chance did he have?
An echo drifted back from long ago — Vin Scully’s call when Jack Morris put away Ron Kittle, on national TV in April ’84: “Got him swinging! And he has his no-hitter.” As if we all expected that a pitcher of such stature would get one, sooner or later. As if it somehow already belonged to him, but he just hadn’t claimed it yet.
Thirty years later, Dickerson swung through Kershaw’s 104th pitch. Then a foul tip, and the brink of history. He fought off Kershaw’s lollipop curve; A.J. Ellis chased the pop-up to the rail, but he ran out of real estate. Yet there was no doubting the outcome: Slider, down. Got him swinging. And he has his no-hitter. The one we’ve all expected. Or maybe, just the first one.
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@Red Sox 2, Twins 1 (10 inn.) — The kind of finish home fans dream of. So much the better when it caps a 3-game sweep of one-run wins, and gets your star closer off the hook.
- Kyle Gibson’s scoreless string stayed alive at 22 innings, as he permitted just three runners through seven (two by error).
- John Lackey took the first 9-scoreless no-decision since Matt Harvey’s near-perfecto last May.
- It just takes one … Mike Napoli’s day went whiff, whiff, double play, hero.
- First case of tying and walk-off home runs in the same inning since last July 29 (A.J. Pierzynski & Geovany Soto off Ernesto Frieri).
- For tying and walk-off back-to-back, last May 19 — Erik Kratz & Freddy Galvis, against (you may recall) Aroldis Chapman. And for the Red Sox? June 14, 1999, same foe as today; the heroes, Darren Lewis & Jeff Frye, combined for three home runs that year.
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Royals 2, @Tigers 1 — The Royals’ red-hot bats were cooled a bit by Drew Smyly, but KC still surged to their 10th straight win. A fluke run in the 1st came when Alex Gordon’s 2-out grounder up the middle hit the bag and veered away from the awaiting shortstop, rewarding Eric Hosmer’s surprise steal of second just a moment earlier. Omar Infante haunted his ex-mates for a third straight day, yanking a hanger for a 2-out solo in the 5th; he’s 5-12 with 8 RBI in the series, which wraps Thursday. Jeremy Guthrie blanked the bewildered Bengals until J.D. Martinez homered in the 7th, fanning nine for the second straight time, and even cutting two “V-Mart” notches on his belt. Greg Holland got past Miggy’s leadoff single to cash his 13th straight save chance, six of them one-run margins.
- At 39-32, the Royals are two games above any other start since 1989.
- From 27-12 (best start in MLB), Detroit’s gone 9-20 (worst in that span), outscored by a flat 6 to 4 per game.
- Don’t mean to startle anyone, but the last time KC won at least 10 straight, the season short-circuited one week later.
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Mets 3, @Cardinals 2 — No one who saw it could believe it, either: Bartolo Colon, author of more side-splitting swings than anyone since Al Schacht wore the jester’s cap, not only pulled a screamer down the line, he legged out … okay, he hoofed out a two-bagger. Colon’s first hit since 2005 (first ever extra-base hit) started New York’s comeback win, with Eric Young’s two ribby doubles lifting the Mets’ offense from moribund to mediocre. In his day job, Colon clamped down after Matt Carpenter’s leadoff blast, collecting DPs after two of the other three hits he yielded. Working ahead relentlessly, he polished off eight stanzas on just 86 pitches (22 batters, 22 balls), winning the 5th of his last six outings (1.66 ERA).
- First 8-inning stint on one strikeout or less since last June 29.
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@Athletics 4, Rangers 2 — Oakland trumped the Texas tying rally in the 5th with two of their own, and reclaimed the top record in baseball. Sonny Gray clocked seven innings for his 7th win. In 25 career starts, his ERA is 2.89, with 20 quality starts.
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Cubs 6, @Marlins 1 — Jake Arrieta took control after Giancarlo’s 20th HR in the 1st. He stopped Miami in the next six stanzas, and set a new career high with 11 whiffs, including four of five Fish with ducks on the pond. Starlin Castro doubled home the Cubs’ first run, and broke a tie the same way in the 6th, ahead of the game-breaking blast by Nate Schierholtz.
- Arrieta’s last three starts: one run in 20 IP, 10 hits, 2 walks, 27 Ks.
- Castro’s having his best offensive year so far, especially in terms of power: On pace for 76 extra-base hits, prior high is 55.
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@White Sox 7, Giants 6 — Jose Abreu’s 2-run homer in the 1st began Tim Hudson’s troubles, the first non-solo shot the righty had allowed this year, and Adam Dunn crunched one with two on in the 5th, first bomb worth three or more since 2012 off Hudson. Chris Sale suffered a season-high 8 hits in six-plus stanzas, but the 7-2 lead he handed over was just enough for Chi’s shaky bullpen. The Jints have dropped five straight, and 8 of 9.
- Abreu’s 20th came in his 58th game, third-fastest ever to that round number. Wally Berger hit 20 in 51 games, Mark McGwire in 56. Albert’s 4th, 20 in 63 games; then Braun at 64, Rudy York at 66, and McCovey 67. Wally Joyner and Dunn had 19 HRs in their first 61 and 62 games, respectively, but each needed at least 15 more games for #20.
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@Yankees 7, Blue Jays 3 — Brian McCann turned it around in the 4th, launching a 2-run shot on the 10th pitch from Mark Buehrle for a 3-2 lead, after fouling five with two strikes. That matched the pair Toronto tallied in the top half, and the slumping backstop (dropped to 7th in the order) plated three more in the 7th with a 2-out triple. The Jays’ Bronx hex ran to a 15th straight loss since 2012.
- McCann had gone 658 games since his last triple, in 2009. Only Russell Martin has a longer streak in the last nine years, 820 games and counting. (Martin hit 7 triples in his first two years, none in his last seven.)
- Yanks Adam Warren, Dellin Betances and David Robertson have fanned 153 in 104.1 IP, or 37% of all batters.
- Buehrle allowed 2 HRs while starting off 10-1, one each in dropping his last three.
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@Nationals 6, Astros 5 — Washington rallied to sweep this mini-series by identical scores. All three NL East contenders have stumbled in the last week. Now the first-place Nats welcome Atlanta for a 4-game tilt; they last met before Tax Day, when the hot Georgians won 5 of 6. Gio Gonzalez got some early breaks in his first start since May 18, but a 4-run 4th wiped out his 2-0 lead, after Jose Altuve worked him for 11 pitches and a leadoff walk. But Anthony Rendon’s leadoff homer in the 7th sparked the go-ahead uprising.
- George Springer’s slumped since his 7-HR spree in late May: 11 for 58, 25 Ks.
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Reds 11, @Pirates 4 — Every Red had hit safely by the 4th inning, seven of them in a 7-run 2nd against Edinson Volquez that saw Alfredo Simon’s first-ever RBI. Simon let in just one run before the 7th, and his 10th win was secure by then.
- Gregory Polanco has hit in all 8 games so far, tying the post-1914 franchise record (1923, Spencer Adams). His 15 hits tie the most in a Pirate’s first 8 games (Jack Merson, 15 in 1951). Adams and Merson combined for 227 career hits.
- It still counts: Billy Hamilton’s double off erstwhile outfielder Travis Snider gave him his first 3-RBI game. Snider fanned Joey Votto with a change to end the inning.
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Phillies 10, @Atlanta 5 — Philly finally topped their 17-hit output of Opening Day, roping 18 safeties and routing Aaron Harang to seal a sweep — their first in Turner Field since crushing Atlanta’s 2011 playoff hopes.
- Atlanta’s ERA was 2.04 during their 17-7 start, 4.12 in going 19-28 since then.
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Orioles 2, @Rays 0 — Three straight well-pitched wins for Kevin Gausman, the first two against high-octane offenses. Nelson Cruz lifted #22, in the 8th off Kirby Yates, and Zach Britton brought it home.
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@Padres 2, Mariners 1 — The Padres built their runs on infield hits and sac bunts, getting the tying run on a King Felix wild pitch with two outs in the 6th, and the tie-breaker off his relief in the 8th. Hernandez stiffed the Pads on one hit through five, but neither he nor Andrew Cashner figured in the decision, as Seattle squandered several chances, including man on 3rd with no outs in their 6th.
- San Diego’s .274 OBP would be the worst since at least 1914 (tipped by MLB Network). They’ve been blanked in four of Cashner’s six losses; in his four no-decisions, he’s yielded 3 runs in 26 IP.
- Felix’s last three starts: two runs in 22.1 IP, 31 Ks, 3 walks, 0-1 record. His ERA is 2.26 in 8 wins, 2.19 in 8 other games.
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Tuesday
Royals 11, @Tigers 4 — This time, I have no sassy quips for KC’s wood-shed whuppin’ of our second ace. Nine straight wins ties their best in 20 years. Five straight games scoring 6 or more, first time since 2002.
When you’re going bad … Tigers down 10-3 in the 5th, two outs and Victor Martinez at bat. After walking Miggy on four pitches to force in a run, Yordano Ventura uncorked a really wild one. It boinged off the backstop straight to Sal Perez, who nailed Eugenio Suarez straying off third.
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@Yankees 3, Blue Jays 1 — Jose Reyes rocked Masahiro Tanaka’s first pitch into the seats. But this guy is sooo cool. He just rubbed up a new one, and fanned 10 of the next 21 Jays, nine of them swinging. Brett Gardner wiped out the deficit with a 2-run shot in the 3rd, and Tanaka carried the ball to the late men, who fanned five in three nearly pristine innings.
- With 14 quality starts to open his MLB career, Tanaka is closing in on the known record of 16, by Steve Rogers in 1973. No one else 10, since 1914.
- Eleven wins in his first 14 games does tie a known record, shared by four others — Tiny Bonham, Dave “Boo” Ferriss, Cal Eldred and Kaz Ishii. Ferriss got as far as 15 of his first 18 — plus a save.
- Tanaka has had solid run support. But he’s also won four times with 3 runs or less, six times with 4 runs or less.
- It’s the fourth time Tanaka’s given up a blast in the 1st, and the second time to the leadoff batter. And he’s won them all.
- With bases empty, he’s fanned 30% of batters. With men in scoring position, 40%. In 31 PAs with 2 or more aboard, he’s allowed 3 hits, a walk and a sac fly. With RISP, 10 for 64, 3 walks and 29 Ks.
- Get him early, or forget it. Four batters hit his first pitch tonight, producing a HR and a double, and bringing his season totals to 17 for 45, 5 HRs, 5 doubles on the first pitch. On all other counts, they’re hitting .193 and slugging .280.
- For the AL overall, the walk rate goes up with men in scoring position: 7.6% with bases empty, 10.2% with RISP. Tanaka’s walk rate is 4.2% in both splits.
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@Dodgers 4, Rockies 2 — LA got homers from both Hanley Ramirez and his replacement, Carlos Triunfel — a franchise first, two shortstops going deep in one game. The last two such games in MLB were both by Cleveland, in 2012 and 2011.
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Reds 6, @Pirates 5 — The Cincy bullpen blew Johnny Cueto’s 5-2 lead in the 7th, but Todd Frazier slugged his 16th homer leading off the 9th, off Jason Grilli. Billy Hamilton reached four times, pilfered three bags, and pegged out Andrew McCutchen at the plate (with a great tag by Brayan Pena). Clint Barmes came up just short in a bid to crack Aroldis Chapman, who escaped with his 13th straight scoreless game, and 12th save in just over one month’s play.
Joey Votto drove in three for the first time this year.
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I can’t keep up … Are we still fretting about Mike Trout’s K rate, or how he’s missing at high fastballs? Dude was already flying a .747 SLG in his last 20 games, then come Tuesday’s two bombs and a double. He leads the AL in total bases, slugging, OPS and OPS+, the three rates all career highs. Leads the majors in Win Probability Added. His 52 RBI from the #2-hole are 20 more than the next guy, 12 more than any AL team. In 156 career games batting 2nd, he has 114 RBI and 87 extra-base hits — both would be top marks for a player-season in that spot — and a 1.003 OPS.
Trout’s total bases per hit are up from 1.73 the past two years to 1.96
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Jose Altuve’s still on pace for over 50 in doubles and steals, which only Tris Speaker and Craig Biggio have done. Altuve’s pace is a near perfect match for Biggio in 1998: 51 doubles (same), 54-7 in SB (Biggio 50-8), 211 hits (210), .326 BA (.325).
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Phil Hughes has walked none in 9 of his last 10 starts.
Starters working exactly 8 IP and 2 runs won 57% of those starts over 2009-13; this year, 43% (10/23).
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As he works on a 1-1 tie in the 5th, Jon Niese already has four straight no-decisions, allowing 7 runs in 28.1 IP.
Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t start a 40-year-old outfielder seven days in a row. Shoot, Abreu hadn’t even started five days in a row since May 2012, his last year in the bigs.
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Of his 5-RBI performance off the bench — the first in MLB since last June — Derek Norris said, “Ultimately, the credit goes to the team for getting on base. I don’t get any more or less aggressive whether someone is on or no one is on. I just try to put the barrel of the bat on the ball.”
Yu Darvish against all but Oakland: 35-13, 2.94 ERA,
