Fireworks Night at the ol’ ballpark!

@Brewers 13, Marlins 12 (10): They had it all the way. After blowing a 9-2 lead, the Crew fell behind in the 10th on a Jose Reyes HR, Miami’s 5th of the game. But they came back and rang the Bell: After a leadoff 5-pitch walk to Carlos Gomez (how could you?), the struggling-again closer got the next 2 men before Aramis Ramirez mushroomed an 0-1 pitch way out to CF for his first game-ending hit as a Brewer.

• It was the first walk-off HR against Bell since 2009 and the first ever of the come-from-behind flavor — but his 3rd walk-off loss this year. Ramirez had one prior come-from-behind game-winning hit, 5 years ago against the Brewers. He’s now 5 for 8 with a walk and no Ks vs. Bell.
• 5 different Brewers allowed a HR, a franchise first, and the first in MLB this year. Here’s the last time a team had 6 pitchers serve up a HR: 1987, Cincinnati 21, Atlanta 6 in the Launching Pad.
• 5 different Marlins hit a HR, tying the club record done twice before.

@Pirates 8, Astros 7: Remember when being 4 runs down was as good as 6 feet under for the Buccos? The team that hit .231 while scoring 3.5 R/G in their first 73 contests overcame a 6-2 deficit, then blew the lead in the 9th, but walked off happy on Drew Sutton‘s first HR and first-ever game-winning hit.

• Pittsburgh has won 6 of 7, averaging 8.6 runs and 13 hits and lifting the team BA by 11 points. They’re 19-11 since June began, reaching 8 games over .500 for the first time since 1992.
• All good things must end, so say goodbye to A.J. Burnett‘s 8-start winning streak.
• Sutton (5-2-3-1) is 11 for 27 with 7 runs in 8 games since coming up from AAA.

@White Sox 19, Rangers 2: Roy Oswalt allowed 3 HRs among the first 5 batters (including Youk‘s first in his new hosiery), and 7 runs on 9 hits (6 XBH) in the first 2 innings. When his book was closed, Oswalt had been charged with 11 runs, a new career high, and had become the first pitcher since 2008 (Livan Hernandez) to allow at least 13 hits in consecutive outings.

• But I applaud Ron Washington for leaving Oswalt in for 112 pitches. Letting him work it out now may pay off down the stretch and beyond … and when you’re down 7-0 to Chris Sale after 2 innings, what are the odds of a comeback, anyway?
• Sale departed after 7.1 scoreless innings as the new MLB leader with a 2.10 ERA — but the bequeathed runner came around and kicked him back 3 spots to 2.19.

@Nationals 9, Giants 3: Washington is 28-20 against winning teams. Jordan Zimmermann (6 IP, 2 R, 7 Ks, no walks) has gone 6+ IP on 4 runs or less in all 16 starts, the longest streak in MLB this year. Ian Desmond (4-2-2-2, HR, 2B) is 13 for 29 in his last 7 games with 9 Runs and 9 RBI; he leads all MLB shortstops with 41 extra-base hits and .494 slugging.

What’s the worst season ever by a 2-time Cy Young Award winner? After he was raked for 8 runs (7 ER) on 9 hits in 3.1 IP, Tim Lincecum has a 6.07 ERA in 17 starts, with an ERA+ below 60. Here are the worst ERA+ marks by multi-CYA winners, in a season with at least 15 starts and ERA+ below 80:

• Tom Seaver, 1982, 67 ERA+ in 21 starts.
• Pedro Martinez, 2008, 75 ERA+ in 20 starts.
• Greg Maddux, 1987, 76 ERA+ in 27 starts.
• Denny McLain, 1971, 77 ERA+ in 32 starts.
• Steve Carlton, 1986, 79 ERA+ in 32 starts, and 1987, 79 ERA+ in 21 starts.

@Mets 11, Phillies 1: New York’s biggest margin over their turnpike neighbors since 2005. Jon Niese went 8 innings for the first time since his 1-hitter more than 2 years ago, and added a 2-run single, a walk, 2 runs and a sacrifice. His last 6 starts: 1.74 ERA, 6 walks in 41.1 IP.

• Last 5 starts for Daniel Murphy: 14 RBI, 12 hits and 9 XBH, reversing a free-fall and raising his BA/SLG by 20 and 68 points, respectively. He’s the first Met this year with three games of 4+ RBI.
• Ruben Tejada (5-2-3-1) is 15 for 39 since a 6-week DL stint, now hitting .327 with a .377 OBP in 36 games.
• David Wright‘s 10th HR was just his 3rd with someone on and his first with a man in scoring position.

@Braves 10, Cubs 3: After falling a season-high 5 games off the division pace, Atlanta needed a spark, and Michael Bourn supplied it: a go-ahead 3-run triple in the 5th, touching off a 9-run explosion over 2 innings.

• Chipper added a 3-run double in his 7th career game of at least 4 hits and 4 RBI, leaving him 1 RBI behind Mike Schmidt and 2 shy of George Brett for the all-time lead among third basemen. (He didn’t dent the dish, but he already has that 3B record.)
• Chicago had won 4 straight while scoring 4 or less, matching the MLB season high and the Cubs’ longest such streak since 1989.

Orioles 4, Mariners 0 (7th): Wei-Yin Chen has retired the first 18 batters, with a career-best 8 Ks, and 53 strikes out of 72 pitches. The last no-hitter by an Oriole/Brown was in 1969; they’ve never had a perfecto.

Twins 8, @Tigers 6 (9th): Minnesota’s 5-run 3rd was capped by Trevor Plouffe‘s 19th HR, his 18th in his last 39 games (147 ABs) but just his 3rd with anyone aboard. Only Jose Bautista (18) has more solo HRs this year.

• If Plouffe maintains his current ratios (19 HRs, 35 RBI, 235 PAs), he’ll be the second player ever with 30+ HRs and a RBI/HR ratio less than 2.  He’d also have the highest HR% in franchise history for anyone with 2 or more HRs.