The weekend started wild and woolly — very, very wild….

Red Sox 7, @Blue Jays 6  — Arizona staged the promotion Friday, but lately every game is “Zombie Day” at Rogers Centre. Brandon Morrow did not allow a hit, but he bit off his own leg and wrote his epitaph with four straight passes after two outs in the 3rd, his eight walks on the day matching the number of outs recorded. A.J. Pierzynski greeted Chad Jenkins with his eighth career slam, on a fastball right down Broadway, to wipe out the remains of Toronto’s 3-0 lead. When Jenkins tried his breaking stuff, Will Middlebrooks found it just as amiable, and Boston was on top, 6-3.

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As play began on Friday, 25 teams stood within two games of a playoff berth, including all 10 clubs in the East divisions. Let’s list the early games in order of the winner’s record:

@Brewers 5, Cubs 2 — What’s not to like? Matt Garza turned in Milwaukee’s 18th quality start, tied for the MLB lead. Three quick hits to start the 1st built a 2-0 Brewers lead, and they never looked back in racing to a 17-6 record. Their top three batters reached eight times, and each swiped a bag against Welington Castillo, who’s caught just one of 19 thieves. Three hits by Carlos Gomez gave the Crew five regulars over .300, a correct challenge led to an extra run, Khris Davis made a breathtaking grab, and K-Rod stayed doubly perfect with his 10th save and 13th scoreless outing (5 hits, 3 walks, 20 Ks).

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Yankees 14, @Red Sox 5 — “Mike Carp now pitching for Boston” wasn’t on John Farrell’s chalkboard as he mapped out the rubber game, but sometimes you just have to get through the night. Carp almost went unscathed, with a DP after a leadoff walk, and a full count to Brett Gardner. But that payoff missed, and three more passes ensued before Kelly Johnson fouled out on a 3-2 pitch. That brought Boston’s totals to a very un-2014 12 walks, 2 strikeouts, a standard not seen since 2000, and not by the BoSox since 1950. (Now, that’s the right era.)

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Diamondbacks 7, @Cubs 5 — In a performance sadly apt for the occasion, Chicago blew a 5-2 lead in the 9th, contributing two walks and an error to their own demise on the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field. Miguel Montero slipped the 2-out tying hit in front of RF Justin Ruggiano, who then played Aaron Hill’s high fly into a go-ahead triple, adding injury to insult. It was a tough ending for Ruggiano, whose first Wrigley wallop had built the 5-2 bulge.

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Angels 7, @Nationals 2 — There would be no long wait at the doorstep for Albert Pujols. In the 1st inning, first time seeing Taylor Jordan, he watched a ball and a strike, then focused all eyes on the 3-run moonbeam that put him on the hill. Jordan won the next battle on strikes, and he got ahead 1-and-2 in Albert’s third trip. Kid, this ain’t yer night. The historic wallop was all that you’d want it to be.

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@Pirates 6, Reds 5 — A game dotted with dramatic drives and puzzling bullpen picks was settled by spin. With two outs in the 9th and two on by walk, Neil Walker’s fister flummoxed Brandon Phillips at second, and Jay Bruce’s spot-on peg to the plate grew legs on the bounce, leaping clean over the ready-set catcher as Russell Martin slid home for the win.

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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.

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A recent SweetSpot post by David Schoenfield informally named Jeff Reboulet as “The best utility infielder of all time!” I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be a scientific choice, but since I questioned part of the premise, I set out to waste a little time on it myself.

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Good night to revisit the concept of “Mulligan ERA”….

@Rangers 12, White Sox 0 — Slightly contrasting starts: Seven in the 2nd off Felipe Paulino, all with two outs; 10 runs, 13 hits in 3.2 IP, his third straight disaster (13 IP, 28 hits, 22 ER, 10 walks, 8 whiffs, 6 HRs). Meanwhile, Martin Perez: first career CG, a 3-hitter. His last go was 8 scoreless in a 1-0 win.

• Was it just yesterday I said Chicago was the last team not involved in a shutout yet?

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Just the facts tonight.

@Phillies 1, Braves 0 —  Revenge is a dish best served cold, so the brisk chill in Philly was perfect for A.J. Burnett to return serve. After Julio Teheran stoned them in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss, the Phils had no better luck with Alex Wood through seven. But Burnett, who came in 5-12 lifetime against Atlanta, held the Braves to 3 singles in that span, letting just one man past first base. And with two gone in the 8th, Ben Revere capped his up-and-down day by waiting on Wood’s hook and chipping an RBI hit into center.

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