Reds 4, @Giants 0 — It had to be “Buster,” right? With two out in the 8th seventh, Buster Posey’s clean line-drive to right broke up Homer Bailey’s bid for a third no-hitter, and second against the Giants. Now, Homer had to focus on his 1-0 lead.

The Panda followed with a hit that pushed Posey to third, but Bailey brushed aside Mike Morse on three straight strikes, and went on to polish off a 3-hitter. The shutout trimmed his ERA to 4.39, a season low.

Tim Hudson yielded just 5 hits into the 9th, and no walks, but he left trailing, 1-0, on Billy Hamilton’s 2-out double. Jeremy Affeldt tried to clean up the runner Hudson left behind, but made an utter mess instead — balk, single, wild pitch, hit by pitch, two infield hits. Santiago Casilla came in a booted a ground ball, before the nightmare finally ended on a replay overturn. When you’re going bad, you’re going baaaaad. The Jints are in a 4-15 spin, and fell into a first-place tie with LA. The Reds’ 14-4 spree has pulled them to a tie for second, and level with idle(?) Washington for the second wild card.

• One full turn through the Reds’ rotation: 5 runs in 39.1 IP, 1.14 RA/9. They’ve gotten 18 starts of 8+ innings, six more than any other team, and lead the majors with 6.5 IP per start.
• Last time the Reds swept four in San Francisco was 1972, when SF went 69-86 and Cincy went to the Series.
• Affeldt’s outing was the 4th ever to pack a balk, wild pitch and HBP into a stint of 5 batters or less.
• Posey was 1 for 16 off Bailey up to that fateful moment, with 6 Ks.
• It’s just about a year since Homer’s second no-no; Posey was one of two starters Bailey didn’t whiff that day.
• It’s been 40 years since someone tossed a third no-hitter. Nolan Ryan’s career record was 91-86 after that one, his final start of 1974 and 193rd of his career. Sandy Koufax was 99-69 after his third (start #215), and Bob Feller 219-125 (start #377). Bailey is now 57-49 after 160 starts.

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@Dodgers 6, Cardinals 0 — Some know-it-all said recently that Clayton Kershaw had never strung three scoreless outings in a row. The shaggy ace checked off that box on Sunday, punching the clock with seven rather routine stanzas. Matt Carpenter had the best swings off Kershaw, and collected three of the five hits, but his first swing-and-miss was Clayton’s final pitch and 13th whiff — the most since 2001 against St. Louis. Andre Ethier’s first homer in a month capped a 4-run 5th off Shelby Miller that ended all speculation on the outcome.

• By my count, Carpenter is the first lefthanded batter ever to get 3 hits in a game off Kershaw.
• No other pitcher in the last two years has topped 10 Ks against the Cards.
• Kershaw’s rolled out 28 straight bagels, and won his last six starts, with 4 total runs, 61 Ks and 4 walks in 44 innings. His ERA is 2.19 … in the last four seasons.

Best 4-year ERA in the live-ball era (600+ IP, limit one listing per contiguous period):

• 1.86, Sandy Koufax (1963-66) — 172 ERA+
• 1.98, Greg Maddux* (1992-95) — 202 ERA+
• 2.08, Bob Gibson (1966-69) — 161 ERA+
• 2.16, Pedro Martinez* (1997-2000) — 219 ERA+
• 2.17, Hal Newhouser (1943-46) — 164 ERA+
• 2.19, Clayton Kershaw (2011-14, in progress) — 167 ERA+
• 2.23, Wilbur Wood** (1968-71) — 161 ERA+
• 2.25, Tom Seaver (1968-71) — 157 ERA+
  2.25, Mort Cooper (1942-45) — 155 ERA+
  2.25, Carl Hubbell (1931-34) — 160 ERA+

* Maddux had a 7-year run of 2.15 ERA, 190 ERA+ (1992-98). Pedro had a 7-year run of 2.20 ERA, 213 ERA+ (1997-2003).
** Wood’s 4-year run included three in relief, but still a healthy 734 total innings.

Best 4-year ERA+ in the live-ball era (same rules):

• 233, Pedro Martinez* (1999-2002)
• 206, Greg Maddux* (1994-97)
• 187, Randy Johnson* (1999-2002)
• 175, Lefty Grove (1929-32)
• 174, Randy Johnson (1994-97)
• 173, Lefty Grove (1936-39)
• 172, Sandy Koufax (1963-66)
• 167, Clayton Kershaw (2011-14, in progress)

* Only Pedro, Maddux and Big Unit had live-ball 10-year runs of at least 170 ERA+ and 1,500+ IP.

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@Seattle 3, Cleveland 0 — Felix Hernandez put the clamps on Cleveland, yielding one hit through eight before Fernando Rodney sealed it airtight. Robinson Cano’s 2-run homer off T.J. House broke the scoreless duel in the 6th, and he scored the other run.

• King Felix has 26 scoreless starts of 8+ innings, second to Tim Hudson (28) among active pitchers.
• After three not-quite-prime-Felix seasons, he now sports career-bests in ERA (2.10), FIP, WHIP, K/9 and W/9.
• Approaching 2,000 IP by age 28; he’d be the first since Gooden. Among the 15 to cross that threshold in the expansion era, Felix’s 129 ERA+ would trail only Bert Blyleven (130).

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Athletics 4, @Marlins 3 — 6′ 8″ Nate Freiman made his season debut at 1B for Oakland, and slugged a 3-run homer. Well, sure: That lineup needs another masher. Freiman broke in last year, and tied Tony Clark as the tallest position player in MLB history.

• A 4-game skid ended Miami’s month at 11-16, and they fell four games below .500 for the first time.

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Atlanta 3, @Philadelphia 2 — Philly got the winning runs to scoring position with two out against Craig Kimbrel, but he got Chase Utley to fly out. The other turning point was Atlanta’s 2nd, when Aaron Harang (career .090 BA) singled with two outs, and B.J. Upton banged the next pitch for a 2-run triple; B.J. was 3 for 25 with RISP and 2 outs.

• Marlon Byrd hit two solo shots off Harang, but Philly’s other 13 baserunners amounted to nothing.
• Tommy La Stella had 3 extra-base hits in his first 26 starts, now 5 XBH in his last 3 games.

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@Royals 5, Angels 4 — “Whether Jason Grilli returns to the ninth inning will have to be determined by Jason Grilli,” said Angels GM Jerry Dipoto after the trade. Pitches like this won’t help his case.

Dubious IBB of the Day: Trying to end a long 4th inning where the Royals had scored three to tie the game — including a walk, a HBP on 3-1 and a lineout on 3-0, making 31 pitches in the frame by C.J. Wilson — he intentionally walked Billy Butler to fill the sacks for Alex Gordon … and then walked him on four pitches, scoring the lead run. Butler’s a decent hitter, but he has 2 home runs this year. You’re so fearful of a 2-run hit that you put a wearied pitcher into such a pressure spot?

• Oh, Albert; it hurts to see you so.

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@Astros 6, Tigers 4 — Slumping Jon Singleton twice drove in a run after George Springer was IBB’d with two out — once by a walk, then with a single on a 2-0 count. Three Ks today made 36 in Singleton’s first 100 PAs, but he was patient in those last two trips. Detroit mounted a rally in the 8th, but Tony Sipp fanned pinch-hitting Ian Kinsler on three pitches to strand the tying run on third, then put them down in order for the save, and Houston’s first series win in their last five.

• Jose Altuve is 26 for his last 51, with 12 SB in 12 games, raising his season average to .347. Only Moises Alou (.355) ever hit higher for the Astros in a full schedule.
• Miguel Cabrera went 0-13 in the series: First time this year with back-to-back 0-4’s; first time in the last two years with three straight, and just the fourth time in his 12-year career. He’s never had four straight 0-4’s.

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@Pirates 5, Mets 2 — Space and time were New York’s enemies: Too little space between Pittsburgh’s 8 hits, and no well-timed knocks to make more of their own 13 safeties. The first big hit came in the 1st from Ike Davis (his first against his former team), a 2-run single on a 1-2 count — one of six straight rockets off Bartolo Colon that made a 3-run escape seem lucky. Pedro Alvarez doubled home a run in that frame, and smoked a 2-run shot his next time up. Three Mets chances with a man on third and one out all ended with a whiff, and Curtis Granderson’s last flyout (as the tying run) put a sour cherry on their 2-15 RISP performance. Grandy came into Steeltown swinging well in June, but he went 0-17 as the Bucs took three of four.

• When Colon has nothing, that’s a whole lotta nothing.
• 2.60 ERA, 197 Ks in 198 innings — The relief stats of the eight Mets relievers currently on the roster (including Dice-K). The team’s relief ERA is under 2.90 in the last two months. It’s been a long time coming, but the Mets might finally have a decent bullpen.

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White Sox 4, @Blue Jays 0 — Jose Quintana’s first scoreless start this year. Mark Buehrle’s 5th failed bid for win #11, without a truly bad game among them — this one, 2 runs in 8 IP.

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Rockies 10, @Brewers 4 —Little League home run!

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Rays 12, @Orioles 7 — Matt Joyce’s big day — 2 HRs, 2 singles and a double — tied the Tampa records of 5 hits and 12 total bases. They’ve had four 3-HR games (two by Evan Longoria), but no other hits in any of them. Joyce hadn’t homered in 39 games since May 11. He got a 6th at-bat, needing a triple for the cycle, but grounded out. B.J. Upton owns the Rays’ only cycle.

• Tired of the see-saw: Kevin Kiermaier’s homer in the 6th made the fourth straight half-inning that the lead was altered. Then Tampa tacked on six more with two out, for their biggest inning of the year. Brian Matusz came in and yielded three straight extra-base hits, capped by Logan Forsythe’s second homer in two days.
• Kiermaier’s also homered in two straight, raising his slugging mark to .583 in 118 PAs. The only Rays first- or second-year player to slug .500+ in 250+ PAs was Evan Longoria, who did it both years.

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@Padres 2, Diamondbacks 1 — The second start by Odrisamer Despaigne saw his first run allowed and his first walks, but plenty more to like. Despaigne worked free of a one-out, third-and-first jam after that run scored in the 1st inning, then picked up three double plays to clear off most of the other Snakes that crossed his paths before giving way with two out in the 7th. Cameron Maybin keyed the Friars’ 2-run 4th with a double (the game’s lone extra-base hit), and once the lead found “Benoit Street,” it knew the way home.

• Despaigne is the second player this year to start and win his first two games, and the first Padre to do so allowing one run or less in each.
• Looking ahead … Only three pitchers since 1914 have started and won their first three games yielding one run or less: Andy Rincon (1980 Cardinals), Wayne Simpson (’70 Reds) and Stu Miller (’52 Cards). Career wins: 8, 31, 105.
• Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street still have yet to blow a lead, and the Pads are 24-0 leading after seven, 28-0 after eight. Street has 10 straight scoreless outings, Benoit 16. Of course, the duo’s in no danger of being overused….

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Red Sox 8, @Yankees 5 — Big Papi’s 450th home run left him one extra-base hit shy of 1,000. Ortiz has 41 HRs in 202 career games against the Yanks, a rate of 33 HRs per 162 games. Only five players have more HRs and a better rate — Jimmie Foxx, Manny Ramirez, Hank Greenberg, Rafael Palmeiro and Rocky Colavito. (Ted Williams trails only Foxx with 62 HRs against the Yanks, but “only” 32 HRs per 162 G.)

“Moooo-kieeee!” Mookie Betts — second baseman, center fielder and shortstop — made his MLB debut in right, the 8th to start out there for Boston this year. The speedy fireplug rapped into a DP in his first trip, then singled and was caught stealing. Betts went 88-13 in steals down on the farm, averaging about 50 thefts per 150 games. He’s had at least a .414 OBP in his last four stops, with way more walks than strikeouts.

• Boston might not turn things around in the second half, but with the versatile Betts and Brock Holt, they’ll field some entertaining lineups.
• Joe Girardi’s comments about Masahiro Tanaka’s workload, made before Saturday’s game, add mystery to how he managed that 9th inning.
• 160 OPS+, 16 HRs, 59 RBI: That’s a grade-A first half, for one player. Not so much when it’s the sum of Yankee imports Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann, through Saturday. Despite the reinvestments, the Yankee offense is farther below average this year (-0.24 R/G) than last year (-0.15).

Here’s an odd Yankee batting split that covers 381 PAs, a bit more than one spot in the order: .301 BA, .371 OBP, .814 OPS. All three numbers are the best, by far, of any team with at least 210 such PAs. So, what is it? It’s Yankees batting left-handed against lefty pitching. And measured by the ratio of that split to the team’s overall numbers, each number would rank in the top 11 of all searchable teams. Three players comprise the bulk of those PAs: McCann’s been awful against RHPs, but .292/.888 vs. southpaws. Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner are also hitting better on the “off” side.