Brewers 3, @Pirates 2 (14 inn.) — Deja blew all over again. For the second day in a row, Ryan Braun homered off Jason Grilli with one out in the 9th, this time sending the game to bonus rounds after the Bucs had scratched out a lead in the 8th. Khris Davis, who averaged one home run per 14 trips last year, finally khonnected on his first this year, in his 69th time up. And Francisco Rodriguez capped a strong bullpen showing with his MLB-high 7th save, fanning Starling Marte for the handshakes.

• By now, we’ve all seen the extracurriculars, and been reminded of last September. But will Carlos apologize for this one, too?
• Marte’s strikeout streak reached 14 games, and bumped his leading total to 31 Ks in 90 PAs. His OBP is still healthy, thanks to a .417 BAbip.
• Neil Walker hit his 6th home run. The franchise season record by a 2B is 19, by ____ ______.

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White Sox 16, @Rangers 2 — The Cubans rolled. Jose Abreu, Dayan Viciedo and Alexei Ramirez combined for 8 hits, six for extras, and Chicago socked 18 safeties, holding Texas to a pair of singles while setting a team record for scoring in the Lone Star State.

• Worst home loss for Texas this century. Last time they lost this big at home, Joe Girardi drove in 7, tying two records — most RBI with no runs scored, and most RBI for an AL 9th hitter. (And that’s with Brosius plating 6 at #8.)

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Giants 4, @Padres 3 — Tim Lincecum’s transformation to strike-thrower hit a snag, but he did just enough in 6 innings for the win. The Freak walked 3 and threw just 55% strikes, after ranking among the control leaders with one walk and 68% strikes over his first 3 starts. A tremendous relay and improbable swipe tag wiped out a Padres run in the 3rd, on the only hit they managed with a man in scoring position.

• SF’s last five games, by hits: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. I noticed it two days ago, but never dreamed they could string it out.
• Since 2012, the top seven WHIP figures belong to closers. Number eight is San Diego’s 5′ 11″ righty, Nick Vincent.

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@Tigers 2, Angels 1 — An unexpected outing by Rick Porcello and a tragedy of errors by Hank Conger and friends let Detroit take the rubber game. The Angels jumped out in the 1st, with a puzzling 2-out bunt hit by cleanup hitter Ian Stewart followed by Howie Kendrick’s RBI single. Detroit tied right back up, in fashion indescribable, and Nick Castellanos produced the lead run with 2 outs in the 6th after another errant throw by Conger, both runs tracing to 4-pitch walks from Hector Santiago.

• Seriously, 3 errors — on a walk? I wonder if that’s ever happened before at any level.
• Porcello was flogged from pillar to post in 9 prior starts against the Angels, with an 8.34 ERA and 1.76 WHIP, but today he yielded just 2 hits from the 2nd through 7th.
• Joe Nathan fought back from 3-0 to fan Raul Ibanez for the last out, with the tying run aboard.

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@Marlins 3, Mariners 2 — Miami rallied from a 2-0 hole, scoring twice in the 8th to go in front after a 1-out IBB to Giancarlo. Another walk filled the bases. Justin Smoak tried to get the out at home on a grounder, but he double-clutched, leaving everybody safe … eventually. Adeiny Hechevarria’s flyball brought the lead, and closer Steve Cishek stranded the tying run on 3rd by striking out the last two men.

• Cishek’s 95% conversion rate since the start of 2013 (37/39) trails only Huston Street, by a whisper.

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Reds 8, @Cubs 2 — Big games from two Reds who hadn’t done a lick all year. Zack Cozart doubled and homered, raising his BA all the way to .138, and Homer Bailey delivered the first quality start under his big new contract.

• Devin Mesoraco: 17 for 33, 6 doubles, 3 HRs, 1.523 OPS. He’s hit in all 9 games, six with two or more hits, with a run or RBI in all but one. Came in with a .225 career average. All-time leading home-run hitter from Punxsutawney, PA.
• Brandon Phillips: 8 games batting 3rd, zero runs, ribs and XBH.
• 6th straight series loss for Chicago.

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Twins 8, @Royals 3 — Minnesota’s averaging 5.4 runs per game. Kurt Suzuki has 14 RBI. Phil Hughes survived six innings. Some things defy explanation.

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@Nationals 3, Cardinals 2 — Four straight singles in the stretch frame overcame a 2-0 deficit, setting up the walk-off rally that Denard Span cashed in by flying out. All of Washington’s 11 hits were singles — first team this year with 10+ hits, no extras.

With all that’s swirled around the Nats these last few years — the Strasburg shutdown and blown playoff series in 2012, last year’s underachievement, yesterday’s public scolding of the wunderkind — it’s worth pausing to reflect that baseball’s thriving in our nation’s capital, which seemed a fantasy just 10 years ago. The two editions of the Senators touched a million in attendance just once in 71 seasons, ranking bottom-3 each of their final 25. The Nationals have averaged 2.2 million in their 9-year history, and last year ranked 6th of 15 NL teams.

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Phillies 10, @Rockies 9 —

• Ryan Howard’s last 4-hit game was in July 2011; his last with 3 runs was two weeks later.
• Jimmy Rollins has 98 career road HRs, 46 of those in his first at-bat.
• FWIW, despite his nothing numbers after 20 games, Domonic Brown is ahead of last year’s pace in slugging and RBI. His crazy streak started a few days later — 17 HRs in 39 games.

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@Cleveland 6, Blue Jays 4 — Three 2-out walks by Jays reliever Aaron Loup set up David Murphy’s 3-run double in the 6th. They built the lead to two next inning, from a leadoff walk, and Jon Axford just barely brought it home, getting Edwin Encarnacion to ground out on a full count with the bases loaded.

• Michael Brantley drove in 2 with a HR and a double. He and Murphy have combined for 31 of Cleveland’s 73 RBI.
• Blue Jay bullpen has walked 39 in 65 IP.

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@Mets 4, Braves 3 (14 inn.) — If Atlanta’s not the Mets’ outright “daddy,” they are at least Fonzie to our Potsie — stronger, wiser, cooler. A game with them elicits our most overeager blunders, like Curtis Granderson picking up a ball with no play to make and randomly heaving it into the dugout, sparking a 3-run inning that wiped out a 2-0 lead. But the Braves also bring out our scrappy side. Today, the Mets got stellar bullpen work, especially Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 3-inning, 5-K effort in his first-ever no-rest outing, and scraped together a no-hits winning “rally” that even managed redemption for the Grandy-man after an 0-6 day. His sac fly salvaged the series finale, and brought the Mets to 12-13 since the start of last year against the class of the division.

• It doesn’t hurt to have a secret weapon in this rivalry: When all else fails, hit it to Uggla.

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@Dodgers 4, D-backs 1 —

Resolved: This is a double with any other combo of arm and runner.

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@Athletics 4, Astros 1 — I know it’s only April, and this was only Houston. But is there a better random success story right now than Jesse Chavez? He’s pitched in the majors since 2008, compiling a 74 ERA+ — by far the worst of any reliever with 200 innings. He started two games before this year, giving up 10 runs in 8.2 IP. Even his minor-league stats are lousy for a reliever. He was drafted in the 42nd round, 12 years ago, at age 19; they don’t even have a 42nd round any more. How did he last this long? And how on earth has he strung together 4 strong starts totaling 6 runs and a 1.38 ERA, and a 28-5 SO/BB ratio?

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SATURDAY

Brewers 8, @Pirates 7 — Milwaukee trailed with one gone in the 9th when Jean Segura singled on an 0-2 pitch from Jason Grilli, and Ryan Braun drove the next one out to center field. Francisco Rodriguez stayed unmarred with his 6th save and 9th scoreless outing, ending on a 4-6-3 DP. The Brewers led 4-1 early, on two Jonathan Lucroy doubles and a solo by Michael Reynolds, but Pittsburgh roared back with a 5-run 4th off Matt Garza. Braun cut the lead to one with a blast off Tony Watson in the 7th, but Lucroy’s third double went for nought.

• Last year, at-bats that started 0-and-2 off Grilli ended 3 for 53 (31 Ks); this year, 2 for 5, one whiff.
• Ike Davis doubled, singled and walked in his Bucs debut.

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@Padres 3, Giants 1 — Alexi Amarista’s punch-bunt hit set up Everth Cabrera’s tiebreaking triple in the 5th, and Eric Stults tamed the shrinking Giants for his first win. A squeeze by Chris Denorfia bought late-game insurance and stopped SF’s one-run streak at 8 games. The Pads scrapped back to 9-9 after a 2-6 start, posting a 1.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in their last 11.

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@Dodgers 8, D-backs 6 — Back-to-back infield errors helped LA score 5 in the 5th, fighting from a 4-0 hole to deal the Snakes their 15th loss and 6th in 7 meetings this year.

• Arizona’s let in 7 runs or more 11 times in 20 games, averaging 6.3 RA/G. Their starters’ ERA is 7.50.
• LA’s #2-4 SPs are 9-1, 2.15.

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@Rockies 3, Phillies 1 — Jordan Lyles kept the scoreboard clean through seven, carrying the Rockies past .500 for the first time. Justin Morneau hit a 2-run shot, and LaTroy Hawkins earned his 5th save, all on leads of 2 or less.

• Phils had 1 run on 2 hits in the opener, 1 on 5 today. No team has ever gone three straight games in Coors with those maximums.
• Colorado still hasn’t had a CG shutout since Ubaldo Jimenez in June 2011.

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@Marlins 7, Mariners 0 — Ninety pitches were all that Henderson Alvarez needed to complete his third career shutout, a 2-hit taming of Seattle. The first hit led off the 6th, and quickly wiped out by a 5-4-3 DP. The second was a 1-out double in the 9th. No other Mariners reached base.

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Braves 7, @Mets 5 — Tack-on runs, pitchers’ errors and the Papa Grande Nightmare proved the difference, as New York’s last-ditch rally drove out the rusty Craig Kimbrel but came up one hit short. Valverde came in to start the 9th, trying to hold the line at 4-3 Braves, and promptly whiffed on Jordan Schafer’s bunt that came right to him. With 2 outs and a base open, a pass to “Three-Hit” Freeman was de rigueur, but the 2-2 pitch to Justin Upton came in thigh-high and landed safely past the CF wall, the 4th gopher in Papa’s last three games. Kimbrel gave up 3 hard hits for 2 runs, and left the bases loaded on a walk that started 0-and-2, but Jordan Walden got a grounder to deep short/shallow left that the sublime Andrelton Simmons ate up and spat out like he was only taking infield practice.

• Simmons saved another run in the 2nd, getting an out at home on a slow bouncer even though he was playing back.
• Two Braves runs scored on Bartolo Colon’s wild throw, one more on Dice-K’s wild pitch in the 8th.
• Just the 10th time in 238 career games that Kimbrel has been touched for 2 or more (high of 3, once).

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Blue Jays 5, @Cleveland 0 — Jose Reyes returned, but the story was the battery of Buehrle and Navarro leading the Jays back into 1st place. The veteran lefty stopped Cleveland on 4 singles over 7 innings to win his 4th straight start, and his backstop drove in 3 with a pair of 2-out hits.

• Steady as she goes: Only the 10-8 Jays have neither lost nor won 3 straight so far.

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Cardinals 4, @Nationals 3 — An infield error led to a big 2nd inning for St. Louis, when Jordan Zimmermann couldn’t close out the bottom of the order. Backup catcher Tony Cruz brought two with a flare, and pitcher Lance Lynn sliced a double down the RF line, making it 3-zip with his first-ever extra-bagger.

• “The inability to run 90 feet.” Naturally, his replacement came up in the 9th as the tying run.

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@Tigers 5, Angels 2 — His first pitch got Shucked, but Max Scherzer wasn’t shaken, striking out the side from there and keeping his accounts clear for the rest of his 7-inning stint. Nick Castellanos turned the score around next inning with a laser down the line, and Victor Martinez had a solo among his 4 times on base.

• Joe Nathan caught Mike Trout looking in the 9th, fitting the youngster with his first golden sombrero. But…
• Albert nailed number 498.
• Haloes and Ian Stewart were cosmically charmed to get this call overturned. Forget the merits of the ruling; what in heaven are you doing stealing 2nd with a man on 3rd and 2 outs, 2-and-1 count on the batter? Max made it moot by fanning Erick Aybar.
• Detroit has struggled with the Angels since 2012, but not Scherzer: 4 starts, 5 runs over 29 IP, exactly 9 Ks each time.
• Scherzer wasn’t the only one who had to get back on his feet after the leadoff homer.

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@Red Sox 4, Orioles 2 — Brock Holt sounds like an action hero, and maybe he is. Holt tripled for the lead in the home 7th, Boston’s first three-bagger, then slid home on a safety squeeze.

• A leadoff pass ended Koji Uehara’s walk-free streak at 28 games, 102 batters — or 41 G, 148 batters and 55 Ks, counting the postseason — but he came back and fanned the side. His career 8.79 SO/BB ratio is best by far with 200+ IP; #2 is 5.64. Second among relievers since 2012 is Koji’s teammate and countryman, Junichi Tazawa (7.06 SO/BB).
• Papi’s 376th for Boston, closing in on Dewey for the franchise #4 spot.

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@Cubs 8, Reds 4 — Chicago hit 3 homers for the first time, and tied their season high in runs, to stop a 5-game slide and drop the Reds to 7-10. Emilio Bonifacio, 1 for 16 during the skid, got back in gear with 3 hits, starting scoring rallies in his first two trips as the Cubs hung three quick singletons. Cincy pulled within two runs in the 7th. But that inning ended with Chris Heisey cut down trying for second on an overthrow, with a man ahead of him, and Welington Castillo quickly rebuilt the cushion with a bleacher reacher.

• Darwin Barney chipped in a 2-run shot for his first RBI, lifting his average to .136, but here’s why he still plays.

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@Rangers 6, White Sox 3 — Or, why you’re better off not writing up “the most improved year-over-year offense” after two weeks. Chicago hit .290 and slugged .468 in their first 11 games, but .209/.301 in their next seven, and a 4-game slide leaves them at 8-10.

Prince Fielder’s big fly started the Rangers’ 4-run 4th off Jose Quintana, while the last chance for Alexei Ramirez to extend his season-long hit streak (and maybe tie the game) ended in a 6-4-3 DP.

• Adam Dunn had 3 hits with no XBH for the first time in his 3+ years wearing Pale Hose.

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Royals 5, @Twins 4 — KC blew scoring chances in the first 3 innings, but they bundled 5 hits for 5 runs in the 4th to climb out of a 2-0 hole, and the bullpen set down 12 of 13 to hold a one-run lead over the last 4 innings. That’s 5 straight wins for KC, after getting swept in Minneapolis.

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@Athletics 4, Astros 3 — Chad Qualls had to get 3 outs before allowing 2 runs. Instead, he allowed 3 runs before getting 2 outs.

• Scott Kazmir went 8 innings for just the second time in his last 108 starts.

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@Rays 16, Yankees 1 — The rout that started in Friday’s 7th inning just rolled on, as Tampa slugged 4 HRs off Ivan Nova and scored in five straight innings for a 14-1 bulge after six, ending with their biggest margin ever over New York. Wil Myers mashed his first two of the year, Ryan Hanigan whacked a pair and drove in 6 (best for him and for any Rays 9th hitter), and Evan Longoria made his franchise-record clout a mighty one.

• Matt Daley, called up after Cesar Cabral plunked his way onto the waiver wire, let in 6 runs in his first outing.
• Infielder Dean Anna held the Rays to 2 runs in the 8th.

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Late Friday

Padres 2, @Giants 1 — After Tyson Ross matched his best effort with 8 scoreless innings, Yasmani Grandal batted for him and bumped the Pads up 2-0 heading for the 9th. The extra cushion came in handy when Brandon Belt launched #6 from down on Huston Street.

• Four of San Diego’s 10 HRs so far have come from PHs; all other MLB pinch-hitters have combined for 11 HRs.
• Matt Cain’s 16 starts in Petco: 2.29 ERA, 4-7 record.
• Belt v. Street: 4 for 6, HR, 2 doubles, walk.
• Rough night for Hector Sanchez: His passed ball was the difference for the first 8 innings; at the plate, 3 whiffs and a DP, three of those with RISP, including the last gasp.
• Won’t somebody please think of the children? Even a slimmed-down Panda is a heavy threat to young’uns. I love the protective touch from oblivious dad(?) long after junior almost lost a dimension.

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Orioles 8, @Red Sox 4 — 9th hitter Jonathan Schoop led the O’s with two 2-out ribby doubles among his 4 hits, as the Birds continued cozy in their borrowed nest. Baltimore is 16-7 in Fenway from Sept. 2011.

• A team with Nelson Cruz and Delmon Young among their outfielders has a role for David Lough. [Oh, sure, I write that, then he throws away the Sunday game.]