(Some notes on a few Tuesday games, with a focus on the west coast games that often get left out of these reports.)

Brewers 2, @Dodgers 1: Playing without their 2nd-best hitter (Jonathan Lucroy’s broken hand will sideline him some weeks), the Crew beat baseball’s best record for the 2nd day in a row. Ryan Braun’s 2-run HR in the 1st stood up all the way home, and Michael Fiers became the first Brewer to win his big-league starting debut since Yovani Gallardo in 2007.

• It’s the sixth time that the 32-17 Dodgers have lost 2 in a row, but they’ve yet to slide any farther than that.
• The WPA “Bad Day at the Office” Award goes to LA’s Jerry Hairston, whose 0 for 4 included 2 chances to bring in the tying run from 2nd base, the latter a 9th-inning GIDP. His WPA of -0.475 is the worst of the day and 6th-worst of the season to date.

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[Just in time for Tuesday night’s slate, here are a few notes on Monday games.]

White Sox 2, @Rays 1: To put it very mildly, ChiSox history is not replete with strikeout artists. From 1955 until yesterday, a pitcher had fanned 15+ in a game 210 times, but none of them were White Sox. Chris Sale ended that drought by posting just the 2nd ChiSox game of 15+ Ks in searchable history.

• Matt Moore whiffed 10, making it the first game this year in which both SPs reached double figures, and the first since 2007 involving 2 AL teams.
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Rays 4, @Red Sox 3: Back at ya, BoSox — The day after Salty‘s come-from-behind 2-run walk-off that broke up Fernando Rodney‘s perfect record, Sean Rodriguez returned the favor (more or less), with a Monster mash in the top of the 9th off Alfredo Aceves, on a 3-1 pitch after a leadoff walk by Ben Zobrist (who’s 2nd in the league in that area). Aceves had converted 9 straight save opps after his rocky start, and hadn’t allowed a HR since the opening series. Rodney then got back in the saddle, protecting the 1-run lead with 3 straight outs, starting with a little hair o’ the dog, and finishing with his club back in a first-place tie.

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Sorry, West Coast fans, but I won’t get to those games tonight as well as some others.

Nationals 7, @Braves 4: First meeting of the year between Washington and host Atlanta, and the series winner will take away at least a share of first place. The Braves had fallen off the perch by losing 5 of 6, averaging 2 runs and 5.5 hits per game while going 2 for 22 with RISP. Tonight, the visitors jumped out with 4 in the 1st, but Tim Hudson tightened and Atlanta chipped it down to 1. Then with 2 gone in the top of the 7th, it all went south for the Braves.

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Angels 3, @Mariners: Dan Haren‘s 4-start losing streak (5.79 ERA therein) was no match for Seattle’s .232 BA/.291 OBP. Haren bested his previous high by 2 with 14 strikeouts in a 4-hit, no-walk shutout. His 126 pitches were the 3rd-highest total in MLB this year.

• Haren is 11-5, 2.43 in 20 starts against the M’s.
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The evening’s theme was dominant starters:

@Cardinals 4, Padres 0: Adam Wainwright went the distance just like old times, racking up 9 Ks mainly with the curveball that’s been known as one of the best around ever since he froze Carlos Beltran to clinch the 2006 NLCS. Beltran was his benefactor Tuesday, driving in the game’s first 2 runs in the 1st and 6th innings.

• In 25 times up, San Diego’s #1-7 hitters had a single and a walk, both by Yonder.
• St. Louis pitching leads the majors with 13 games allowing exactly one run — but this was their first shutout.
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The ISP ate my homework last night. I’m posting this in whatever form it was saved — apologies for any errors and omissions.

Royals 6, @Yankees 0: Mike Moustakas gave KC an early lead, drawing iron with a 2-run shot — the 10th HR off Kuroda in 53 IP. Felipe Paulino took over from there and held NYY scoreless through 6.2 IP, slicing his ERA to 1.42 with his 3rd scoreless start in 4 outings this year. (Then again, two of those are against the AL East cellar-dwellers.)

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Out of 63 players who’ve had the chance to do a certain thing this year, only these four have succeeded:

• Albert Pujols
• David Ortiz
• Mark Trumbo
• Jeff Keppinger

What mountain have those four climbed? Each has had exactly two chances to do it, and succeeded exactly once.

(By the way, it’s a little-known fact that I have a photograph of all four of them eating clam chowder in Cliff Clavin’s kitchen, so that answer is out.)

Okay … everybody to your stations!

One late note from Saturday before we move on:

@Giants 4, Athletics 0: A combined one-hitter by Ryan Vogelsong (7), Javier Lopez and Clay Hensley.

• Since 2010, the Giants had lost two of their four one-hitters. Among the 40 other one-hitters in that span, there was just one loss.
• Vogelsong’s 2011 doesn’t look so flukey now, right?

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I knew I wouldn’t be able to do a Saturday recap, so just for the hell of it, here’s the rest of Friday’s action:

@Phillies 6, Red Sox 4: Carlos Ruiz (.371) is now batting higher than any qualified catcher ever has for a season, and his 1.036 OPS is within hailing distance of Mike Piazza’s record (1.070). His 2-run single in the 1st (the biggest Win Probability event of the game) lifted him to .400 with RISP and 4 for 9 with the bases loaded (10 RBI).

• Cole Hamels (6-1, 2.48, 5.8 SO/BB) should be able to expand his library of old-school baseball histories after he signs his next contract.

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