Two series into the new season, and the AL Central leads the way with two unbeaten clubs. A review of the weekend action in the junior circuit after the jump.

Tigers@Indians – Detroit juggernaut rolls on

• Three Tigers bagged three hits in game 1, two had four knocks in game 2, and there was a combined three SB with three HR in the finale, as Detroit started 6-0 for just the 3rd time since 1914 and first since doing so back-to-back in 1984-85. It’s also the first time Detroit has won while scoring 7+ runs in 5 of its first 6 games.
• Miguel Cabrera was on fire, going 11 for 14 in the series with a pair of homers, and matching his career long streak of 3 games with 3 hits and an RBI in each. This time, though, was his first with those three games all against the same opponent, and also his first time with consecutive 4 hit games with an RBI.
• Including the 2014 season finale, the Tigers have tied their franchise record streak of 7 wins by a 3 run margin, last accomplished in 1950.

Royals@Angels – KC keeps pace, spoiling the Halos home opener

• The Royals started 6-0 for just the second time, and the first with a two-run margin in each game. The 2003 club started 9-0 and 16-3, but was only 67-76 after that. On the flip side, it’s the second year in a row the Angels have been swept in their home-opening series.
• Kansas City had a home run and a hit batter in each game of the series, the 5th time the Royals have done so, including one occasion (in 1977) in a 4-game set.
• Paul Orlando, KC’s 29 year-old Brazilian-born rookie outfielder, is 3 for 8 after two games, with all of those hits going for 3 bases. Orlando becomes just the 5th player since 1914 with triples in the first two games of his career, the first since 1983 and the only one of those five with three 3-baggers in those two contests.

Blue Jays@Orioles – Buehrle joins double century club as Blue Jay bats blister

• Mark Buehrle got lots of help from his teammates to notch win no. 200 in his first start of the new season. Six Blue Jays recorded multi-hit games, and seven bagged a double as Toronto romped 12-5. It’s only the second time Toronto has had those two team markers in a game, the first coming at home against the Red Sox in 2003.
• In game 2, Blue Jay bats were quieted as Ubaldo Jimenez allowed just two baserunners over 7 innings en route to a 7-1 win punctuated by Jonathan Schoop‘s 5th inning grand slam. For the Orioles, it was their first searchable grannie in support of a 7 inning scoreless start allowing one hit or less. Previously, the longest such start supported by a grand slam was Ben McDonald‘s 6 shutout innings against the Tigers in 1995 with Brady Anderson providing the power shot.
• In the finale, the Blue Jays outslugged the home side by a 10-7 count. An early 7-2 lead for Toronto shrunk to an 8-7 advantage after 5 innings before Joey Bats restored the cushion with an 8th inning two run HR. Bautista’s shot came two pitches after Darren O’Day had flattened him with a pitch behind his head. Bautista now has four home runs (and two HBP) in 20 PA against O’Day.

Twins@White Sox – Both clubs hit the win column for the first time

• The Twins were first to get off the schneid, as Tommy Milone allowed just two hits over 7.2 IP leading Minnesota to a 6-0 whitewash in the opener. Congrats to new manager Paul Molitor on his first win as a skipper.
• The White Sox followed suit in game 2, staging a comeback from a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 win on J.B. Shuck‘s pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th. David Robertson struck out the side for his first save for his new club. For Robertson, it was just his second one inning save striking out each batter he faced, the first coming for the Yankees against Toronto in 2012.
• The home side took the rubber match by a 6-2 count as the Sox got a pair of hits from each of their number 2 thru 5 hitters to support a usual solid outing from Chris Sale.

Red Sox@Yankees – Long night’s journey into day as Boston takes two of three

• Boston’s 6-5 win in 19 innings in the series opener ended sometime around 2:30 the following morning, less than 11 hours before first pitch of game 2. It’s the second longest searchable game between these long-time rivals, an inning shorter than their tilt in the second game on Aug 29, 1967. This game is the first between these clubs with both using 8 or more pitchers. It is also the first game in 9 years with both teams finishing the game with a reliever going 4+ innings, something that has happened over 1200 times since 1914, but only 10 other times in the past 25 years.
• The Red Sox took the second game 8-4, getting to the Yankee bullpen for 6 runs to break open a what had been a tight pitcher’s duel. Brock Holt led the way for Boston with 4 hits and 3 RBI, the first such searchable game by a Red Sox centerfielder making his first start of the season.
• New York salvaged Sunday’s finale, getting to Clay Buchholz for 7 first inning runs en route to a 14-4 laugher. It was the first game in Yankee history with home runs from their starting catcher, second baseman and third baseman, each aged 30+.

Mariners@Athletics – Outscored by 10 runs in the series, Mariners still take two of three

• After a lights-out spring training, Taijuan Walker‘s season debut was a dud, yielding 9 runs, all earned, in 3.1 IP. Drew Pomeranz pitched 7 innings of two-hit ball as the As romped 12-0, posting their 3rd team shutout, only the 6th searchable team to do so in the first 5 games of a season and the first by the As.
• In the second game, Sonny Gray turned in a second fine outing but the As bullpen couldn’t protect a 2-1 lead. But, the Mariner bullpen also blew a save, leading to extra innings and a game-winning RBI double by Mariner shortstop Brad Miller. The two teams employed 5 pinch-hitters, the first AL game this season with that many. Last year, excluding September games, there were only 8 such AL games, 5 of them involving Oakland.
• In the rubber match, Fernando Rodney, pitching for the second day in a row, couldn’t protect a 4-run 9th inning lead. But, Seattle again prevailed in extra frames, this time on Nelson Cruz‘s second home run of the season. For Seattle, it was only their third time (and first since 1984) with wins in consecutive extra-inning road games. Similarly, it’s also the third time since 1977 that the As have lost consecutive extra-inning home games to the same opponent, and 9th time since 1914.
• Rodney made only 11 pitches for a save in game 2, so that might explain sending him out again the next day. But, with a four run lead, wouldn’t it have made more sense to give that opportunity to one of the lesser used arms in Seattle’s pen? Rodney’s Sunday outing was the first since 1938 in which a reliever got the win after allowing 4 runs, 4 hits and 2 walks in one inning or less.

Astros@Rangers – Houston takes the rubber match in first installment of the Battle of Texas

• In the opener, Collin McHugh allowed only a run over 6 innings, and the Astro bullpen only a hit after that, in a 5-1 win highlighted by Jake Marisnick‘s 3 for 3 game and Colby Rasmus‘s 9th inning homer. Marisnick is only the second Astro (and the first since 1963) with no runs scored when collecting 3 hits, a sac bunt and a stolen base.
• Texas took the second game 6-2, tallying four unearned runs on 3 Astro errors. Adrian Beltre collected a double and triple, his second such game as a Ranger. Quiz: who are the other two active players with two such games for 3 different franchises?
• In the finale, the Rangers fought back from a 4-0 deficit to force the game to extras, before the Astros prevailed on Hank Conger‘s 14th inning home run, his first extra-inning game-winning hit.
• Texas has now alternated wins and losses through 7 games.