Whoops! I did it again, for the Battle of the Justins. We’ll make it the last one for this series (the outcome took the edge off), and get back to regular Game Notes next post. Once again, this is working from ESPN’s printed play-by-play, as it happened, with the video links added later. (Oh, and a few oldies tacked on at the end. I hope you’re suitably giddy if you get to the Sunday Leftovers.)
Two of the AL’s hottest teams kicked off a 4-game set on Monday. I didn’t get to see the game — where are you, MLB Network? — but I thought I’d try a running diary from the printed play-by-play, as it happened. With condolences to my Tribe-fan friends, who probably won’t read this anyway:
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1st/Top — Corey Kluber on the hill. He’s faced the Tigers three times this year, with mixed results (two quality starts, one crowning). Just his luck, Miguel Cabrera‘s in the lineup after 4 games out; Miggy’s 7 for 14 with 3 HRs in this matchup. But another tormentor, Jhonny Peralta (5-13, 2 doubles), will miss this game and many more.
@Tigers 3, White Sox 2 (12 inn.) — Miguel Cabrera sat out his 4th straight start, but his pinch-hit started the winning rally. Austin Jackson bunted the pinch-runner to 2nd, and Torii Hunter singled him home, then was showered with affection. Detroit has won 8 in a row, their best in 2 seasons, with a quality start each game, totaling 56 IP with a 1.12 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Chicago’s free-fall reached 10 straight losses, as bad as any one-season streak they’ve had since 1956. (The ChiSox had 10-game skids in 1976 and 1968.)
@Rays 2, Giants 1 (10 inn.) — The first meeting of these Cy Young winners did not disappoint, only that neither David Price nor Tim Lincecum was there at the end. Reliever Jean Machi, an old rookie who’s shown great control this year, cooked his own goose with 3 walks (one intentional), putting the game on a tee with no outs for Wil Myers. The youngster delivered, lashing one past the drawn-in outfield for his first game-winning hit. Now, that’s something to celebrate.
@Marlins 10, Indians 0 — Unstoppable force, meet No-Way Jose Fernandez. Miami’s precocious ace prolonged his coming-of-age party — his 21st game was his first at age 21 — with a gem more brilliant than the last one, throwing a 14-K roadblock in front of Cleveland’s 8-win streak.
Royals 7, @Twins 2 — Justin Maxwell left a team that went 11-29 in games he played this year and lent an instant hand to the hottest club around, with a hit, a walk, a run and a ribby. Two sac flies and three RBI groundouts punctuated K.C.’s 9th straight win, matching their best since 1994. This streak and that one both began on July 23, with a labor-management cloud hanging over baseball.
@Indians 6, White Sox 5 (10 inn.) — Carlos Santana led off the home 10th with a full-count home run, and after a game such as this, even the hard-bitten Cleveland fans should be able to read this without feeling doomed: The Indians have taken over a wild-card spot.
Who’s up for a Bucs-Rays World Series? I foresee great entertainment for real baseball fans, and weak ratings to frustrate the network — a win-win!
@Pirates 2, Cardinals 1 (1st game, 11 inn.) — After two Bucs got free passes, Alex Presley singled to win it, pushing the Pirates atop the NL Central with the nightcap pending. Presley’s hit came on a full count and glanced off the glove of rookie southpaw Kevin Siegrist, who’d allowed just 4 hits and a run in his first 14 innings and might have escaped with a DP had he let it go through. It was Pittsburgh’s 6th game-ending hit, each by a different player, and gave them the majors’ best record at 63-42.
Rays 2, @Red Sox 1 — In a game rescheduled by rain, 8th-inning showers stalled David Price’s bid for the first 5-win July in Tampa history, and twice his relief nearly blew the lead. But Fernando Rodney escaped his self-imposed jam by striking out Mike Napoli, and the Rays nipped back into 1st place by a half-game.
@Yankees 6, Rays 5 — GTFOOH! The Captain homered on the first pitch he saw from Matt Moore, and Alfonso Soriano’s 4th hit of the game won it in walk-off style, turning Hideki Matsui Bobblehead Day into an Old-Timers’ shindig.