It feels like I've said this a few times this season, but man, what a day. We saw Bryce Harper become the first teenager to steal home since the Johnson administration, a ridiculously epic 17-inning game that ended with DHs on the pitchers mound, a walk-off walk that followed a hit-by-pitch of an opposing pitcher-as-pinch-hitter and Albert Pujols finally homered for the first time as a non-Cardinal. And much, much more.
Full Sunday scoreboard, with recaps and box scores for all 15 games
3 UP
Chris Davis The Pitcher, Orioles. The Orioles' DH/1B took the hill in the 16th inning of Sunday's Boston Marathon, and he looked the part for a bit. He was hitting 90 on the radar gun and pulled the string on a changeup to strike Jarrod Saltalamacchia out. He would have gone 1-2-3 in the 16th, but Wilson Betemit committed an error. A Mike Aviles double could have buried Davis and the Orioles, but Marlon Byrd was cut down at the plate. And then in the 17th inning, Davis was facing Adrian Gonzalez with two on and no outs -- this time the Orioles had a three-run lead, thanks to an Adam Jones three-run homer. Davis struck out Gonzalez. And then induced a game-ending double play. So he got the victory in an insane 17-inning game and has a K-rate of a batter per inning. Not too shabby.
Ubaldo Jimenez, Indians. I actually had him written down in the "up" column of my notebook already, but this persuaded me even further to include him.
You got it, kid. Anyway, Jimenez threw seven shutout innings against the Rangers and only allowed two hits. That's pretty much always going to land someone here. Kipnis himself contributed a home run in the Indians' 4-2 win.Tired of hearing from reporters ?'s about Darvish... Here's my answer: Ubaldo won the game, not him. Give the guy/tribe props for once
— Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) May 6, 2012
Ricky Nolasco, Marlins. Going to San Diego and holding the Padres' offense to five hits and two earned runs isn't exactly akin to what Jimenez did, but we're going to mention Nolasco here for three reasons. First of all, he's having a sneaky-good season, as he's now 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA -- after a 6-3 win. Secondly, the victory means he's now tied with Dontrelle Willis for the franchise record in wins. Finally, the Marlins have now won six in a row and are now .500 (14-14) on the season.
3 DOWN
Chris Davis The Hitter, Orioles. Good thing he pitched. At the plate, Davis was 0-for-8 (dropping his batting average 27 points) with five strikeouts and five men left on base. Teaming a line like this with what he did on the mound is one of the greatest baseball oddities I can remember.
Matt Moore, Rays. The heavily-hyped rookie was spotted four runs in the first inning by his teammates and couldn't make it hold up against the A's. In all, Moore coughed up seven hits, eight earned runs and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He wasn't efficient either, needing 105 pitches in the effort. The Rays lost 9-5.
Jamey Wright/Javy Guerra, Dodgers. Guerra blew his third save of the season, allowing an RBI double by Tony Campana to send the game to extra innings. And then in the 11th innning, Jamey Wright lost it. But it's how he lost this thing that landed this duo here in the "down" section. Darwin Barney doubled to lead off the inning and then the Dodgers elected to issue an intentional walk. The Cubs then sent up starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija as a pinch-hitter, with the intention of having him bunt the runners over. But Wright's first pitch hit Samardzija, loading the bases with no outs. And then Wright walked David DeJesus to lose the game, 4-3.
Going streaking. Don't look now, but the Marlins have won six in a row. They'll look to extend that streak to seven Monday night against the Astros. The Astros had actually won five in a row of their own before losing Sunday, so they're playing well, too. Carlos Zambrano (0-2, 2.53) gets the ball for the Marlins while Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 1.64) pitches for Houston. 8:05 p.m. ET/7:05 p.m. CT
Fister's return. Doug Fister was lights out for the Tigers after being traded to Detroit late last July, so losing him during his first start of the year was a big blow. The Tigers lost all three of Adam Wilk's starts in Fister's absence, so it's possible 14-13 (Detroit's record) would look more like 17-10 without the injury. But he's back now, as Fister takes the ball Monday against the Mariners return. Considering Fister pitched for the Mariners before the trade last season, this is a return in more ways than one. Blake Beaven (1-3, 4.45) will start for Seattle. 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT
Lefty-lefty in La-La land. Rivals square off in Los Angeles, as the Giants will face the Dodgers. A pair of left-handers off to a good start this year will take the hill: Ted Lilly (3-0, 1.38) vs. Barry Zito (1-0, 1.76). Despite the hot start for the Dodgers, a Giants sweep here would trim the division lead to one game. On the flip-side, a Dodgers sweep would leave the Giants seven back. So, as much as one can be this early in the season, this is a big series. 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT
Full Monday schedule, with probable pitchers
• Leave him alone! The venom from St. Louis fans in general toward Albert Pujols isn't too surprising. That's what happens in sports when a once-beloved player leaves to play for more money. I'm certain more than 99 percent of the haters would leave their current company for one that offered significantly more money, but hey, it is what it is. Anyway, columnist Brian Burwell for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Pujols deserves better from the former hometown fans. I do feel like there's a chance things change a long time from now -- like decades from now -- but there's a long healing process before that happens.
• Loser alert. If you've ever been in a fight at a sporting event, it's a pretty good bet you are a loser. Sure enough, two women threw down at the Angels-Blue Jays game Saturday night and someone caught it on video. Hop on over to The Big Lead to watch the loserdom, if so inclined.
• Autism Awareness! The previous entry here had an example of no class, so let's even it out. The Mets showed great class by having their 10th annual Autism Awareness Day Sunday (MLB.com). As the father of a child with autism, I'd like to personally thank the Mets organization for this type of commitment. Well done.
• Great read: Remember Jim Abbott? He was born without a right hand yet still found his way to the majors -- even throwing a no-hitter during his 10-year career. Well, mlive.com has a story about him returning to his hometown, Flint, Michigan, for a youth baseball clinic.
• Down to three. I'm unsure how many people this interests other than me, considering it's not really a real competition, but over on Uni Watch, the "rename the Indians" competition is down to three. The Spiders, Municipals and Bulldogs. Of those, I'd go Spiders. That was my favorite from the start due to the history. For those unaware, the Cleveland Spiders were a major-league franchise from 1889-1899. Their 20-134 record (no typo ... and yikes) in 1899 was the worst single season in major-league history.
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