Bienvenido a Míami
Trailing 1-0 on a Miguel Sano seeing-eye single, Yadier Molina's solo shot tied the game in the 6th, where it stayed for two more innings. Molina, amazingly, was the first Cardinal to homer in an ASG since Reggie Smith in 1974.
Kenley Jansen allowed a leadoff single to Yonder Alonso, who promptly stole second and was balked to third. Jansen's gaffe was the first balk in an All-Star Game since Derek Lowe committed one in 2002, and combined with a pair of wild pitches by Dellin Betances in the 3rd, it was the first ASG ever to feature two wild pitches and a balk. Partial credit to the 1986 edition, which-- thanks to knuckleballer Charlie Hough-- had the reverse (two balks and one wild pitch). Betances also chunked a wild pitch in last year's ASG, just the second pitcher to do it in consecutive years. Ewell Blackwell of the Reds had one in both 1946 and 1947; the only others to do it twice at all were Robin Roberts (Phillies) in 1950 and 1955, and Montreal's Steve Rogers in 1978 and 1982.
Craig Kimbrel escaped two walks and a passed ball in the bottom of the 9th, and just when it looked like we might be headed for another Bud Selig Tie Snafu (not the neckwear, that infamous 2002 game), Robinson Cano of the Mariners delivered a solo home run in the top of the 10th to give the AL its fifth straight victory.
Cano was the fourth player in ASG history-- and the first AL participant-- to hit an extra-inning home run, and the others are a nice list. It had been a half-century to the day since Tony Perez of the Reds hit the previous one, in the 15th inning of the 1967 affair in Anaheim. The first two were both hit by Cardinals: Stan Musial in 1955 and Red Schoendienst in 1950.
When the season resumed on Friday in Chicago, Cano smashed another home run off James Shields. Bizarrely, of those four players to hit extra-inning homers in the All-Star Game, three of them homered in the next regular-season game after the break. Schoendienst was the one left out of this club; Musial homered off Brooklyn's Johnny Podres, and Perez went deep against the Mets in the opener of a Thursday doubleheader. (Musial had also homered in the three games prior to his extra-inning tater in the ASG.)
In Sunday's series finale, Cano would go 0-for-5, but Nelson Cruz picked things up with a solo shot in the top of the 10th for a 7-6 Mariners win. Given that Cano's ASG homer doesn't technically count, it was the first extra-inning homer by Seattle this season, leaving seven teams still without one. And the only other one the Mariners have ever hit in Chicago was by Ken Griffey Jr. on September 27, 1991, the first year of the new (and current) Comiskey Park. It's the third of Cruz's career, trailing only Griffey (four) in Mariners lore, although several others have three.
East Coast Bias
It had been 36 whole days since certain media outlets obsessed over a Yankees/Red Sox series, so what better way to come out of the break than with some late-inning heroics? After holding a tenuous 4-3 lead for four innings, the Yankees summoned Aroldis Chapman to start the 9th. Chapman also ended the 9th inning, and not in desirable fashion (for him). Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia beat out infield singles, Xander Bogaerts reached on an error, and Hanley Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Chapman then issued a five-pitch walk to Andrew Benintendi for Boston's first "shrimp" (game-ending bases-loaded walk) since Trot Nixon drew one against the Orioles on September 23, 2000. That was the longest drought in the majors by over 2½ years; that honor now passes to the Reds who haven't done it since April 26, 2003 (Ruben Mateo).
Chapman became the second Yankee since 1969 (when saves became official) to enter the game in a save situation, face at least five batters, and get none of them out. Dave Righetti pulled that off on May 19, 1990, against the Royals, though the Yankees still walked off in that game in the 11th.
Although Benintendi didn't have to do much except not swing, his part in the game goes alongside a Red Sox legend. The last Bostonian to draw a game-winning walk against the Yankees was none other than Ted Williams (from Tommy Byrne) on August 7, 1956.
The Yanks and Sawx were scheduled to play two games on Sunday to make up an April 25 rainout, but someone missed a memo. Holding a 1-0 lead going to the top of the 9th, Craig Kimbrel gave up a leadoff homer to Matt Holliday and, in addition to their 18 innings Sunday, the squads would end up playing 16 just on Saturday. Holliday's shot was the Yankees' first game-tying (not go-ahead) dinger in the 9th inning at Fenway since Dan Pasqua took Calvin Schiraldi deep on June 19, 1987. (Pasqua also had a two-run double in the 13th in that game, though it wasn't the game-winner.)
Didi Gregorius finally broke Saturday's tie in the 16th with the third consecutive hit off Doug Fister who was in his third inning of relief. It was the first go-ahead single for the Yankees in the 16th or later since Paul O'Neill brought home Chuck Knoblauch in a 17-inning game in Toronto on April 19, 2001. Austin Romine followed with another RBI single, and a Gary Sanchez sac fly marked the first time the Yankees had scored 3 or more runs in an inning numbered 16 or higher since May 18, 1976, when they won an 11-6 game in Cleveland.
Although the AL East rivals played a 19-inning game in the Bronx two years ago, it was their longest contest at Fenway Park since June 4, 1966, when Jim Gosger's walkoff homer won it in the bottom of the 16th. And combined with that famous Sunday-night game at Wrigley from May 7 (the one that set the strikeout records), it's the first season in Yankees history where they've won two road games of 16 innings or longer.
Chris Sale recorded yet another 13-strikeout game, but his effort was lost in the extra-inning drama. Sale also had 13 K and 0 runs allowed on April 20 in Toronto, and also got a no-decision in that one when Jason Grilli gave up three runs in the top of the 10th. He's the first pitcher in (at least) the live-ball era to have two such "non-wins" in a season. Combined with the one he had for the White Sox two years ago, he joins Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to do it three times in a career.
And as for that Sunday doubleheader, the Yankees won the day game by a 3-0 count and held Boston to four hits. They'd also shut out the Sawx on three hits back on April 26 (after the rainout), making 2017 just their third season ever with a pair of four-hit shutouts at Fenway Park. The others were 1979 and 1915. In the nightcap, the reverse happened; although the Yankees did manage eight hits, it was the Red Sox who took the 3-0 victory. Only once before in their long history had the rivals traded identical scores in a doubleheader; that was a 4-2 swap on September 1, 1958.
Intermission
Inspiration for the title of this post from the Baltimore Orioles, who played this song occasionally in the middle of the 9th if the game was close. (Other teams probably did too, but that's where we first heard it.)
You Can Ring My Bell
Seung-Hwan Oh of the Cardinals entered Friday's game in the 9th inning after Matt Bowman, Brett Cecil, and Trevor Rosenthal had kept it at a 2-2 tie for the previous three frames. Once again, it wasn't tied for long. After a leadoff double by Adam Frazier and an intentional walk, Josh Bell blasted a three-run walkoff homer to give Pittsburgh the 5-2 win and Oh his fifth loss of the season.
It was the Pirates' first 3- or 4-run walkoff homer since Pedro Alvarez beat the Rockies on August 7, 2010. Remarkably, the Brewers (September 25, 2008) were the only team to go longer without a walkoff hit of that variety. Pittsburgh hadn't hit one against St. Louis since Curt Wilkerson's walkoff grand slam off Lee Smith on September 19, 1991.
Frazier then added his own walkoff single in Sunday's series finale with the Cards; other than Bell on Friday he's the youngest Pirate to hit a walkoff since Gregory Polanco also beat St. Louis on July 12, 2015.
Going Back To (The Clubhouse In) Cali
Saturday's slate of night action included three west-coast games, and two of those shared the common theme of being won 5-3 on a two-run walkoff homer. Hector Sanchez hit one for the Padres to beat San Francisco, the Padres' first multi-run walkoff against the division-rival Giants since Johnny Jeter (no relation to Derek) went deep on April 19, 1972-- against Juan Marichal.
Meanwhile, 8 minutes later in Oakland, Khris Davis cranked his own 2-run shot to beat Cleveland 5-3. The A's hadn't walked off against the Indians since Jack Cust hit a three-run dinger on May 13, 2007.
And combined, it marked the first time two of the five California teams had hit walkoff homers on the same day since August 29, 2004. (Rarely are more than three of them home at the same time, so asterisk.) But on that occasion, Adam Kennedy of the Angels went deep to beat the Twins 4-2, while Oakland's Billy McMillon hit a three-run shot against Tampa Bay.
Puigging Out
With Friday's game tied 1-1, Yasiel Puig gave the Dodgers the advantage with a leadoff homer in the top of the 5th. Corey Seager also hit a solo shot, but the Marlins answered with three runs in B5 and took a 4-3 edge into the top of the 9th. A.J. Ramos got the first two outs, but then gave up a single to Joc Pederson and a walk to Yasmani Grandal before Puig came to bat again. And promptly gave the Dodgers the lead again with a three-run homer that would prove to be the final margin. Puig thus became the first Dodger in over 20 years to have a multi-homer game where the second one was a go-ahead shot with the team down to its final out. Raul Mondesi (Sr.) did that at Coors Field in a wild 16-15 game on June 30, 1996.
Enrique Hernandez did have two go-ahead home runs in the same game for the Dodgers last April 15, and Andre Ethier did it in the 8th and the 10th innings on August 2, 2015 (the latter a walkoff). But Puig is the first Dodger to have two go-ahead homers in the 5th or later of a road game since Todd Hollandsworth went deep in the 5th and 7th in St. Louis on May 11, 1996 (both off Andy Benes).
Sugar Cain So Sweet
Lorenzo Cain began Sunday's game with two strikeouts and a pair of grounders to third. So of course guess who comes to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and the bases loaded. The game was tied, so Cain wasn't technically the Royals' last hope, but he was certainly the best one they'd had in a few innings. Cain lifted a fly ball to right, and Sunday afternoon games will be Sunday afternoon games. Shin-Soo Choo lost the ball in the sun and it fell in front of him for a walkoff single. Cain's final line was thus 1-for-5 with the one being the game-winner.
He's the first Royal for whom a walkoff hit was his only time on base in the game since... Lorenzo Cain did it against the White Sox last August 10. (He went 1-for-7 in the 14-inning affair, but his lone single scored Christian Colón with the game-winner.) The last Royal to pull that trick twice was Michael Tucker, whose two games both game in the 2002 season.
Tiger Shrimp
(This is a real thing. We're shocked too.)
Andrew Benintendi wasn't the only one passing through the seafood aisle this weekend. On Sunday the Tigers got a gift "shrimp" when Josh Donaldson booted a Nick Castellanos grounder that would have ended the 11th inning and kept the game going. Instead Lucas Harrell then issued two more walks, including the game-loser to Miguel Cabrera. It was the first time the Tigers had received a game-winning pass in extras since Ramon Santiago drew one against the Red Sox on May 15, 2010. But it was already the second one issued by the Jays this season; Casey Lawrence passed the Rays' Brad Miller in the 11th inning back on April 8. The Royals are the only other pitching staff to do it twice this year, and the only other seasons where the Jays issued two were 1997 and 1986.
As for the "unearned" part, the last time the Tigers got a shrimp that forced in a UR was on April 11, 1985, against Cleveland. And the only other one ever issued by Toronto happened in their ninth game as a franchise; Pete Vuckovich gave one to pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston of the White Sox to score Oscar Gamble on April 16, 1977.
Bottom Of The Bag
⋅ Braves, Saturday: First game where two pinch hitters had an RBI extra-base hit since Sep 2 2008 (Ruben Gotay sighting!).
⋅ Seth Lugo, Saturday: Second pitcher in Mets history to homer with the team already up by 7 or more runs. Dwight Gooden hit a 7th-inning shot against the Cubs on June 5, 1988, to turn a 7-0 lead into a 9-0 lead (it scored Dave Magadan).
⋅ Carlos Carrasco, Friday: Third Indians pitcher this year to strike out 10 in a loss (also Corey Kluber & Danny Salazar). First season where three different Clevelanders did it since 1968 (Sam McDowell, Sonny Siebert, Luis Tiant).
⋅ Nick Williams, Sunday: First grand slam ever hit by the Phillies in Milwaukee (either stadium and either team, including the Braves years). Thanks to the Brewers having been in both leagues, there's only one remaining team that's never hit one there, the probably-guessable Tampa Bay Rays (who entered the AL in 1998 just as the Brewers switched to the NL).
⋅ Cody Bellinger, Saturday: Youngest batter to hit for the cycle out of the cleanup spot since 21-year-old Al Kaline against Kansas City (that's the Athletics, not the Royals) on June 30, 1956.
⋅ Michael Conforto, Friday: First Mets leadoff batter to reach base four times and also drive in four runs since... Michael Conforto against the Padres on May 23. First Met ever to do it twice in the same season.
⋅ Willson Contreras, Sunday: First Cubs catcher to have a 4-hit game out of the cleanup spot since Bob Scheffing did it against the Giants on August 26, 1947.
Did You Know?
A "chukar" is a game bird, related to the pheasant. It's native to the Middle East (and is the national bird of both Iraq and Pakistan!) but has also thrived in arid regions of the American west. This message brought to you by the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League, near whose ballpark (on the banks of the Snake River) most of this post was composed.
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