Thursday game notes: “First team to score…”

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.

 

  • Hunh. Wood is hitless in 30 ABs, 21 strikeouts, and had never before lasted into the 8th. But he was let to bat in the top of the 8th after a leadoff double; and in the home half, he stayed in for the top of the order after a 2-out walk. Neither paid off.
  • Revere had two other hits, but he also was doubled off on a liner, got picked off while trying to steal, and bounced into a DP. His nice diving grab helped A.J. get through the 7th.
  • Braves have been blanked three times, split a pair of 2-1 games, and won twice by 1-0.

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Cardinals 8, @Nationals 0 — And then we have Adam Wainwright. His 100th win as a starter was his 7th career shutout and 4th two-hit affair, and he threw in two bingles for lagniappe. St. Louis had three on the board before Wainwright took off his jacket, and he cruised to his fourth straight win over Washington, while the Cards kept the carousel moving with 8 hits in 23(!) RISP chances.

  • We don’t worship pitcher wins here, but: Wainwright has 75 wins since 2009, tied for 4th in that time, despite missing a full year. He’s won 52.9% of his 189 starts, the best percentage of anyone with 100 GS since 1996.

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Royals 5, @Astros 1 — Not to mention James Shields. OK, he did let one score, on a 5th-inning fly. But the rest of the effort was worth his first win of the year, and his 100th while starting: 12 Ks in 8 innings, 4 singles. KC struck early, helped by George Springer’s first bobble, and were never taxed while sweeping up the 5-11 Astros.

  • Houston’s dropped 8 of 10, falling to 2.6 R/G and a .188 BA — with the DH in every game. Then again…
  • Might as well let the hurlers hit: Houston DHs are 9 for 55, with 3 ribbies. ‘Course, their outfield’s at .158.

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@Twins 7, Blue Jays 0 (day) — The April shutout caravan stopped in Target Field for the first time, as Kyle Gibson won his third start in a row with his first scoreless outing, a career-best 8 innings of ground & pound. Gibson allowed 4 singles and worked past two infield errors, each miscreant redeemed by starting a DP. R.A. Dickey was effective into the 5th, but he fell to pieces after a leadoff whiff, as the next six reached safely and five crossed the plate.

  • Gibson’s allowed 2 runs in 19.1 IP, backed by 7+ runs all three times. Pitching streak finder is busted right now, but the last Twin to win 3 starts in the team’s first 14 games was Livan Hernandez, 2008.
  • The incomprehensible waste of the #2 spot continued with Munenori Kawasaki taking the collar. MLB 2nd hitters started the day with a .322 OBP, .262 for the Jays.
  • ChiSox are the only team not involved in a shutout yet.

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Red Sox 3, @White Sox 1 — Jon Lester outlasted Chris Sale in this southpaw scrap, with safeties scarce ’til the shank of the evening. Adam Eaton brought back Big Papi’s bid, but no one was tall enough to bogart Xander’s blast that busted the no-no duet in the 6th. Sale rang up 10 Ks over seven, with no other hits, and left the game tied after a career-high 127 pitches. David Ross broke the tie in the 9th with a nice piece of 0-and-2 hitting, and Koji Uehara returned to action, yielding only a 2-out, streak-extending hit by Alexei Ramirez.

  • Boston salvaged a 3-4 road trip in which they hit .172, with Ortiz going 4-27 with no RBI. Last year’s top offense is 12th in the AL so far at 3.5 R/G; Mike Napoli’s the only regular with OPS .790 or better.
  • Did we forget to run for the Donkey?
  • Nobody expects the bases-full bunt! (“Uh-oh, only April, and he’s out of fresh lines already…”)

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@Tigers 7, Cleveland 5 — Danny Salazar led 3-1 in the 5th, but he issued his first walks to the #7-8 men, got behind Ian Kinsler 3-and-1, and paid the price. Kinsler’s 4-ribby day made a winner of Justin Verlander, who labored through five on 3 unearned runs. Active saves leader Joe Nathan earned #343 with his first 1-2-3 inning since Opening Day.

  • Michael Brantley plated four with two hits for Cleveland. DH and 9th hitter Lonnie Chisenhall logged the year’s first 4-0-4-0, thrice forced out by Michael Bourn.

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Dodgers 2, @Giants 1 — LA survived another shaky 9th by Kenley Jansen and claimed the last game of a series that saw 11 total runs. Hyun-Jin Ryu blanked the Jints over seven, earning his 17th career win in 35 starts. Madison Bumgarner fell to 9-4, 2.68 in 13 starts against LA. Seventh straight one-run game for SF, 9 of 16 overall.

  • Four of Ryu’s five starts this year have been scoreless, the other a slaughter by San Fran.
  • Puig, in a nutshell: Two misplays, two recoveries.

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@Rangers 8, Mariners 6 — Only five starters so far had failed to last 3 innings, but the pair in the wake of the Yu/Felix humdinger were ripe for the picking — combined 6.75 ERA in six starts — and boy, were they plucked. The hosts led 4-0 on Erasmo Ramirez after Shin-Soo Choo’s first Texas tater, but Robbie Cano’s first Seattle swat touched off a six-run 3rd against Tanner Scheppers. Six Ranger relievers stumped the M’s from there on, while the bats plugged away.

  • The tying and go-ahead runs were carbon copies, each on a groundout by 9th hitter J.P. Arencibia after Leonys Martin bunted Mitch Moreland and Donnie Murphy into scoring position. The free-swinging backstop is a career .209 hitter, 2 for 28 this year. But Wash loves his bunts; Texas owns 5 of the 17 sac tries by #8 hitters this year. And he likes to show confidence in a struggling hitter.

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@Twins 9, Blue Jays 5 (night)The Inning that Ate Toronto: Starting the 8th with a 5-3 lead, then: walk, walk, sac, walk, wild pitch, walk, steal, wild pitch, walk, steal, walk, walk, 2-run hit, walk, whiff, groundout. Eight walks, six runs, one ball out of the infield. It broke the play-by-play ticker.

  • Chris Colabello, everyone’s favorite ex-Worcester Tornado, puffed out his AL leads to 19 RBI and 9 doubles, now batting .357.
  • Way back there somewhere — and I know you’ll scarce believe this — Joey Bandit bombed his 6th of the year (11th in 13 games at Target), and Mike Pelfrey fell apart in the 5th. Bautista is 10th on the Target home run list. (Since you asked, yes, the top nine were Twins.) As for Pelf, I guess everyone laughed themselves hoarse when it happened, but I must have blocked it out: Minnesota re-signed him last winter, 2 years and $11 million — really?!? Don’t tell me about FIP; I have seen this man pitch, and there’s no way this will end well.

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Rockies 3, @Padres 1 — Ian Kennedy: perfect through four, no-hit through five, leading through six — lost.

  • Try a salad? Xavier Nady has 4 hits: 3 dongs and a double.
  • How to start a DP from the mound, by LaTroy Hawkins: Don’t sweat it, don’t fret it, just get it & let it go! It’s painful seeing so many pitchers panic on this play. It’s just baseball, guys. Look where you mean to throw, and then throw it there.

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Yankees 10, @Rays 2 — “¡Hola, mami! How’s everyone back in Valencia? … Me? Estoy bien, can’t complain. Si, si, they feed me well here. By the way, did you catch ESPN Deportes? I did pretty good tonight….”

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@Pirates 11, Brewers 2 — Josh Harrison pinch-hit a go-ahead homer after failing to sac bunt, and the Bucs blew it open with 9 runs in their last two raps, having their way with rookie Wei-Chung Wang. Edinson Volquez, signed in December for half of Pelfrey’s contract, turned in his third straight good start, and has walked only 4 in 21 IP.

  • I’ve never seen Wang, but he had 42 Ks and 4 walks last year in rookie ball. Might’ve have thrown too many strikes tonight, though.
  • I’m not gonna say it. No, I’m not gonna say it. I am NOT going to say it! (Ah, what’s the use?)

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Late Wednesday

Red Sox 6, @White Sox 4 (14 inn.) … sensible bullpen management, zero. Robin Ventura got 11 innings from his starter, long man and closer combined. But he couldn’t squeeze 9 more outs from his five other self-styled relievers, and that left infielder Leury Garcia to take the fall in his pro pitching debut. Playing follow the leader, Garcia gave two walks, bringing the pen’s game total to 11, and their season tab to 38 passes in 48 innings. His 3-2 pitch to Jackie Bradley could have been one more stroll, but Bradley had wearied of waiting.

  • Hawk stopped to smell the Flowers, but it
  • Last game where a team issued 15+ walks in 14 IP or less was this 2004 doozy, Detroit blowing a 10-run lead in one nightmare inning.
  • Chicago leads the majors in walks given, 50% over the league BB/9.

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@Giants 2, Dodgers 1 — Pablo Sandoval’s tiebreaking hit followed an intentional walk to Hunter Pence. Who’d rather face Panda than Pence? Both have a .287 career BA against southpaws. And the pass meant that if Sandoval did prolong the inning, Buster Posey would bat. It’s the 4th IBB to a #2 hitter this year; three have backfired.

  • Three hits for leadoff man Dee Gordon, including a triple, but no runs scored. He has a .453 OBP in 13 games, 10 steals and caught just once, but just 5 runs.
  • LA’s 5-0 vs. Arizona, 4-6 against others.
  • Bullpen vets: Jeremy Affeldt is off the DL, giving San Fran four active relievers in at least their 5th year together. Sergio Romo’s the baby, in just his 7th MLB season, but all with the Jints. Affeldt will start his 13th year, 6th with SF; Javier Lopez is in his 12th & 5th year, Santiago Casilla his 11th & 5th.

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@Padres 4, Rockies 2 — Andrew Cashner backed up his 1-hitter with 7.1 workman-like innings, joining three other Wednesday pitchers with his 4th quality start of the year. And each of his sac bunts helped a Pads rally.

  • Huston Street converted his 61st save in 64 tries for the Friars. He has the best success rate among all closers since 2012 (95.3%), and since 2009 (91.2%, one save ahead of Kimbrel).
  • Medica Leave.
  • “Domo arigato, Mister Arenado.”
  • Rule 6.05(l): No doing this.

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Royals 6, @Astros 4 (11 inn.) — It wasn’t really the first time Mike Moustakas helped his team this year — just the first homer, 2nd RBI and 5th hit for the beleaguered third-sacker.

  • Pop quiz: Greg Holland’s 72 saves for KC are about one-fourth the total of franchise leader ____ ________.

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Cleveland 3, @Tigers 2 — The Yan Gomes “Prove It Again” Tour rolled on with a go-ahead 2-run triple and a pretty peg that sent A-Jax to sulk in his tent. Detroit has scored 2 or less six times in 11 games, and gone 2-5 since their 4-0 start. Just one game separates the five AL central squads.

  • It’s a tough job for MLB.com to capture every big play of every game. John Axford whiffing Don Kelly, one out in the 9th and the tying run dancing off third, really should be in the report. But at least they got all the run-scoring groundouts.
  • When Zach McAllister walks one or none, he’s 10-4, 2.77. Two or more passes: 7-14, 5.19. (Yeah, but … he walked two in this win.)
  • Lot of folks said Gomes hit over his head last year. So far, it looks like he just raised his ceiling.
  • This just doesn’t look like our 3-time batting champ (see 0:48 for the 1-and-2 flail). Miggy has 10 hits, 11 Ks.
  • This year’s weirdest development? Al Alburquerque has faced 21 batters and still no walks, HBP or wild pitches, and just 3 strikeouts. His prior career rates: 16% BB, 34% SO.

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@Angels 5, Athletics 4 (12 inn.) — Chris Iannetta’s long drive eluded the uplifted Gentry, and L’Angelheim rallied to bag the finale in a series of blown saves and big homers. A’s went 3-for-4 with RISP in the 4th, scoring all of their runs, and 0-11 in the other innings. Yoenis Cespedes batted four times with men in scoring position, and made five outs.

  • … by committee: Oakland’s blown four saves in the 9th, by four different pitchers.
  • Jed Lowrie’s .477 OBP leads the AL — 14 hits, 15 walks. His career high in passes is 50.
  • Intentional elbow?

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Paul E
Paul E
10 years ago

” “Hunh. Wood is hitless in 30 ABs, 21 strikeouts, and had never before lasted into the 8th. But he was let to bat in the top of the 8th after a leadoff double; and in the home half, he stayed in for the top of the order after a 2-out walk. Neither paid off.” ” Not quite as mysterious as Freddie continuing to bat Heyward and BJ Upton at the top of the lineup with their sub-Mendoza batting averages. I understand the Heyward thing since he’s eventually going to go .265 /.350 /.450 or something like that. Bossman Junior?… Read more »

bstar
10 years ago
Reply to  Paul E

Well, the Braves have already beaten a healthy Nats squad five out of six games this year. They won 96 games last year. With two of their starters under the knife for TJ surgery and Mike Minor still in the minors rehabbing for the season, they sit at 10-5 and in first in the NL East.

I don’t see how the season could have started any better for Atlanta given the injuries to their starting staff.

Paul E
Paul E
10 years ago
Reply to  bstar

” “I don’t see how the season could have started any better for Atlanta given the injuries to their starting staff.” ”

Agreed/me, too – and make that *exponentially surprised when coupled with the sub-.200 batting averages of guys that play every day. It’s none of my concern how any of these teams spend their money; however, that was a lot of lettuce for Uggla and BJ Upton to hit .225 . But, I guess if 36 year old reclamation projects are going to pitch no hitters through 7 innings, they’ll win 120

brp
brp
10 years ago

Wei-Chung Wang is a rule 5 guy and wouldn’t otherwise be in the big leagues – as you said, last year he was pitching in Rookie ball, but the Brewers poached him from a division rival. I’ve been suspecting them to throw him on DL with a phantom injury at some point in the season, but not so far. He will turn 22 this season though so maybe he can handle the transition.

Hartvig
Hartvig
10 years ago

Nobody has named Jeff Montgomery yet?

Wow. I’m never first at these things.

Yippeeyappee
Yippeeyappee
10 years ago

At one point in the Twins’ 8th inning (nightcap), they had sent 10 batters to the plate and were 1/1. Their first 3 runs were scored on wild pitches. 3 runs on 0 hits, 0 errors and 0 RBIs. When was the last time THAT happened?

oneblankspace
oneblankspace
10 years ago

In the Twins game vs. knuckler Dickey, their switch hitters batted right-handed. When Dickey was relieved by a fastball right-hander, they turned around to bat left-handed.