All's Well That Ends Well

There's sort of a running joke about basketball, especially the NBA, that you only need to watch the last 2 minutes of a game to find out what happened. Some people would say 30 seconds. Because if the game's a blowout then a lot of it wasn't worth watching anyway, and if it's close, then those final 2 minutes will take like a half-hour and you'll still know how it ends. Quite a few MLB games this week got us thinking along those same lines, not because of the clock factor, but because all the good stuff was at the end.


Slammed On Monday

But first a sidebar. Every couple of weeks it feels like we write about something happening on Saturday or Sunday and then a couple teams read the post on Monday and think, hey, let's do that. This time it was Saturday's grand-slam outburst (four of them) which then carried over into Monday's short slate.

We begin in Washington, where Anthony Rendon hit on both of our themes with a 6th-inning grand slam off Chad Sobotka, who had just walked the bases full after Dallas Keuchel left with two runners on. Those runs gave the Nationals the lead on their way to a 6-3 victory, and as luck would have it, Rendon also hit a go-ahead grand slam against the Braves back on September 6, 2016. That was only in the 3rd inning, but the runs still count, and it makes Rendon the second batter in Nats/Expos history with two grand slams against the Braves; the other is Bryce Harper. The only other players with multiple go-ahead slams at Nationals Park are Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos. Charlie Culberson homered for the Braves' final run, his third pinch-hit homer in the 9th or later since the start of last season to lead the majors. The only player in Atlanta Braves history (1966) to hit more of them is Chris Chambliss.


Spreading The Workload

If one grand slam is good, then two must be better. The Reds on Monday did not actually hit two slams, which you might suspect from seeing their 10-run 2nd inning against the Pirates. That was their first double-digit frame since August 24, 2015, against the Tigers, but no, only Jose Iglesias went yard, redeeming himself for being the only Reds batter to not get either a hit or a walk earlier in the inning. Iglesias also hit a grand slam against the Pirates back on May 27, and is the first Reds batter to hit two against the same opponent in the same season since Eric Davis did it against the Giants in 1996.

That second slam, however, would come off the bat of the Pirates' Colin Moran, and it turned an 11-2 blowout in the 6th into an 11-6 final that was still pretty much a blowout but doesn't look as bad. The Pirates have hit two grand slams this season when trailing by at least 9 runs, after not hitting one at all since Jay Bell in San Diego on May 31, 1994. That other slam this season was by Kevin Newman on May 28-- and was also at Great American Ball Park. The Pirates haven't hit two slams in Cincinnati in the same season since Bob Skinner and Roberto Clemente did it in 1960.

And between Moran and Iglesias, it was the first game in GABP history (2003) where multiple grand slams were hit. The last time it happened at Riverfront was on August 21, 1999, when the Reds hit both of them (Aaron Boone and Ed Taubensee).


Ejection Seats

You might be aware that wasn't the only "slamming" going on in Cincinnati this week. On Tuesday the Pirates already held an 8-3 lead behind two Corey Dickerson homers, just the second Pittsburgh batter with a 2-HR, 5-RBI game at GABP. The other was Reggie Sanders in the first series ever played at the park, on April 3, 2003. So going to the 9th, in a rivalry that's already seen several altercations this season, it wasn't going to be healthy for Jared Hughes to hit Starling Marte with the first pitch of the 9th inning. He's immediately ejected and replaced by Amir Garrett, and isn't hindsight always 20/20. Because Garrett would give up a 3-run pinch-hit homer to Jose Osuna, the first such dinger for the Pirates in Cincinnati since Jesse Gonder hit one at Crosley Field on May 5, 1966. It also made Hughes the second Reds pitcher in the live-ball era to face one batter, hit him, and have him come around to score, joining Manny Parra in Milwaukee on September 15, 2013.

It also made the Pirates bench delight in Garrett's frustrations, which then made Garrett want to get closer, so he could better hear what they were yelling. Yeah, that's it. By the time this is all done, the game has nine ejections and eight suspensions, which we believe to be the most since the White Sox and Tigers went at it three times, including with 2 outs in the 9th, on April 22, 2000. Two seasons ago, Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine became friends, but that game only had eight people tossed.

And we did not actually expect to find this, but Yasiel Puig had already been traded up I-71 to Cleveland by the time the fisticuffs began, becoming the first player to get ejected from his last game with the Reds since pitcher Manny Aybar on July 1, 2000.


Austin City Limits

Speaking of Austin Romine, he joined our group of late-inning heroics on Wednesday afternoon with a 2-run homer in the 7th inning against the Diamondbacks. It was the third lead-flipping homer for the Yankees in the 7th or later of a home game this season, their most since the 2010 season. Yoshihisa Hirano gave up said homer, retired Aaron Hicks to end the inning, but then allowed back-to-back singles and two more runs to start the 8th; he would become the first pitcher in Diamondbacks history to give up 3 runs, blow a save, and take a loss in an interleague game while recording only 1 out.

That loss wasn't quite guaranteed yet, however. Nestor Cortes took over the 7-3 lead in the 9th and gave up a solo homer to Tim Locastro. That turns out to be the first homer the Diamondbacks have ever hit at the current Yankee Stadium while trailing (by any score in any inning); their last at the old place was by Conor Jackson off Mike Mussina on June 13, 2007. Locastro had also doubled earlier in the game, joining Carson Kelly (May 7 at Tampa Bay) and Royce Clayton (June 17, 2005, at Cleveland) as the only Arizona players to homer and double in an American League park. All of them lost, but in Locastro's case, it wasn't before Aroldis Chapman, now in a save situation at 7-4, gave up two walks and a double for the final of 7-5. Tyler Clippard (April 2017 vs Cardinals) and Jason Grimsley (July 1999 vs Braves) are the only other Yankees to allow three baserunners, at least one run, and still get a save against an NL opponent.


Out Of The Loop

A trip to Chicago is not terribly unusual for the Mets, but the unusual part this week was which direction they turned after reaching the Loop. Only twice before-- in 2002 and 2013-- had they headed south to face the White Sox on 35th Street instead of going north to Wrigley, but that was their destination again this week now that MLB is rotating through all divisions on a 6-year cycle.

While Noah Syndergaard was mowing down 11 batters and allowing just 1 run that was unearned, the Mets pieced together 2 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks against Reynaldo Lopez, eventually turning the ball over to Edwin Diaz to attempt his 24th save of the season. Attempt, that is. To be fair, Diaz didn't give up a base hit. He did, however, walk Ryan Goins, throw two wild pitches, plunk James McCann for good measure, and then give up a game-tying sacrifice fly to Tim Anderson. That gave Syndergaard his second game (the other was April 15, 2018, against Milwaukee) where he struck out 11, allowed 0 earned runs, and didn't get a win. Two other Mets have done that multiple times, and amazingly one of them isn't Jacob deGrom. But one is Matt Harvey, and the other is Jerry Koosman in the 1970s.

So off to extras we go, and finally Amed Rosario leads off the 11th with a single for his fourth hit of the game. Timo Perez, in the 2002 trip, was the only other Mets batter to have a 4-hit game on the South Side, and only Juan Lagares (2017) and Ted Martinez (1973) have ever had 4 hits and a stolen base while batting 8th or 9th for the Mets (in any game). Two batters later, Jeff McNeil became the first Mets batter with an extra-inning homer in an American League park since Anthony Recker hit one in Anaheim on April 12, 2014. And two pitches later, Michael Conforto became the first one since McNeil. Only once before in Mets history had they hit multiple extra-inning homers in a road game, and those weren't back-to-back. Joel Youngblood and Lee Mazzilli did it at Wrigley on June 30, 1979. And Josh Osich, who took the loss, became the first White Sox pitcher to give up multiple extra-inning homers in the same game since Neil Cotts against the Tigers on September 18, 2004.

On Wednesday the teams were locked up 1-1 going to the 9th when the Sox turned the ball over to Alex Colome. Wilson Ramos smoked his second pitch right to Anderson, who promptly got smoked by it. E6. And nothing leads to a bunch of unearned runs quite like a leadoff error. J.D. Davis and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back singles to give the Mets the lead, and after two strikeouts-- which should have ended the inning had Anderson made the first play-- Conforto adds a 2-run single that would end up as the game-winner when Leury Garcia hit a solo homer in the bottom half. Frazier's hit was the Mets' first go-ahead single in the 9th or later in an AL park since Wilmer Flores hit one at Tropicana on August 7, 2015, and their first ever against the White Sox. Conforto's insurance hit was the Mets' first-ever multi-run single in the 9th inning on the South Side, leaving four parks (BOS, CLE, MIN, OAK) where they haven't hit one.

And with the 1-1 tie decided by the bullpens, it's back to the common refrain of Jacob deGrom striking out 11 batters and not getting a win. Wednesday was the ninth game of his career where deGrom did that, creating a three-way tie for the most in the regular season in Mets history. Sid Fernandez and Tom Seaver also had nine such regular-season games, though Seaver had two others in the postseason so we can keep this leaderboard going for a little while longer. Meanwhile, Sox starter Lucas Giolito allowed 1 run on 3 hits, struck out 9, and also didn't get a win. Hector Santiago (July 2013) and Gavin Floyd (twice in three starts in 2010) are the only other White Sox pitchers to do that in an interleague game.


You'll Not See Nothing

Even after their midweek visit from the Mets, the White Sox weren't done with their interleague escapades. Actually both teams headed east to Pennsylvania for the weekend, the Mets to Pittsburgh and the White Sox to Philadelphia, just their fifth visit ever to the City of Brotherly Love. And since we don't get here very often, we might as well spend some extra time.

We of course hint at Friday's affair which the Phillies led 3-2 in the 7th after, well, an Aaron Bummer. Roman Quinn-- who will come up again repeatedly-- beat out a bunt single and scored the go-ahead run, only to be matched with two outs in the 9th when Eloy Jimenez doubled and pinch-hitter Matt Skole bought us six more innings with a 2-out single to make it 3-3. The White Sox hadn't had a game-tying pinch hit when down to their final out since Adam Dunn singled off Mariano Rivera on August 7, 2013.

As we always say about extra innings, if you're not going to score, then at least make it quick. And this game complied, breezing through innings 10 through 12 with only one baserunner. Roman Quinn would single again in the 13th but get stranded. Then it got weird. Pitcher Vince Velasquez, used as a pinch runner, stayed in the game in the 14th-- not to pitch, but to hang out in left field and try not to screw up. Meanwhile, Quinn-- who really is an outfielder-- got sent to the mound to pitch. And wouldn't you know it, after Quinn walked Jose Abreu and he went to second on an error, James McCann dumps a liner in front of Velasquez... who throws a perfect strike to cut down Abreu at the plate and preserve the tie.

Velasquez nearly made another tie-saving play in the 15th when Leury Garcia attempted to score from second and the tag at the plate had to be reviewed. Instead, Abreu, who started that play, recorded the first go-ahead hit for the White Sox in the 15th or later of a road game since Alejandro De Aza had one in Seattle on June 5, 2013. And when Roman Quinn the batter struck out to end the game in B15, it was the second-longest interleague loss in Phillies history, behind a 16-inning game against Baltimore on July 2, 2004.

As for the mighty Quinn, he became the second Phillies position player in the past 60 seasons to end up taking a loss. Casper Wells ended up on the mound in an 18-inning game with Arizona on August 24, 2013. He's also the first player for any team in (at least) the live-ball era to homer, steal 2 bases, and pitch in the same game. (This includes actual pitchers.) And no #9 batter in Phils history had ever homered and stolen 2 bases, whether a pitcher or not.


Buffalo Stance

While the White Sox headed to Philadelphia after that midweek series, the Mets were close behind, stopping on the other side of Pennsylvania for three games with the Pirates. And if trailing 3-1 going to the 7th looks familiar, well, here we are again before Jeff McNeil unloads a solo homer off Michael Feliz to get within 1. It was just the second pinch-hit homer ever hit by the Mets at PNC Park; Scott Hairston had the other against Daniel McCutchen on June 12, 2011. But from there on it would be the Wilson Ramos show, as Kyle Crick entered for the Pirates in the 8th and Ramos exited a 2-run lead-flipping homer. The only other Mets batter to hit a go-ahead homer in the 8th or later at PNC is Mike Piazza on September 18, 2001.

At first glance it then seems like 3 more runs in the 9th is just piling on, but Ramos didn't seem to mind. Because those came off his bat as well, in the form of a bases-loaded double after Chris Stratton gave up two infield singles and an intentional walk. That would finish off Ramos's line of 4 hits and 6 RBIs, the seventh such game in Mets history. Yoenis Cespedes had the previous one, August 21, 2015, in Colorado, shortly after joining the Mets. The others are quite a list: David Wright (2005), Robin Ventura (1999), Jeromy Burnitz (1993), Dave Magadan (1990), and Kevin McReynolds (1989). Those final 3 runs would end up being needed when Starling Marte tacked on his own 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, becoming the first Pirates batter to homer and steal two bases in a loss since Brian Giles in Cincinnati on September 2, 2001.



You Gen-X'ers probably remember, before the Internet, trying to figure out all the lyrics and obscure references to two big hit songs when they came out. One was, of course, "We Didn't Start The Fire". The other was Michael Stipe's fast-paced stream-of-consciousness ramblings that really had nothing to do with the end of the world. As for this post, this is not the end. This is only Intermission!



Walk(off) On The Beach

In another unusual matchup of AL Central at NL East, the Twins paid a visit to Miami this week, just their third to South Florida and their second to Marlins Park. Jose Berrios dominated the Marlins on Wednesday, giving up just 2 hits, 0 walks, and striking out 11. Amazingly, it was the team's first performance of its nature in over a century; their last pitcher to allow only 2 baserunners and strike out 11 in a road game was Walter Johnson, who did it in St Louis-- that's against the Browns-- on September 25, 1910. Meanwhile, Max Kepler became the second leadoff batter since the move to Minnesota to homer and draw 3 walks in a road game; the other with that line was Steve Braun in Chicago on July 24, 1976.

Berrios would eventually leave the game, however, and that opened the door for one late outburst by the Marlins. After Sean Poppen had a 1-2-3 8th to protect the 7-0 lead, he gave up three straight singles in seven pitches to start the 9th and load the bases. After which Brian Anderson unloaded them with the Marlins' fourth grand slam of the season, but their first ever against Minnesota. The next three batters struck out to quash any hope of an epic comeback, but Anderson also became just the second batter in Marlins history to hit a grand slam in the 9th inning with the team trailing by 7 or more. Cody Ross took the Dodgers' Guillermo Mota deep on May 17, 2009, when trailing by 11 and down to the team's final strike.

On Thursday, however, the Marlins' late-game heroics would end up paying off. With the Twins holding a 4-1 lead going to the 9th, Sam Dyson faced four batters and gave up a double, a single, and two walks. It's now 4-2 with the bases loaded, and Dyson is the first Twins pitcher to enter a road game in the 9th inning, face 4 batters, and get none of them out, since Julio DePaula did it in Chicago on September 7, 2007.

Dyson, however, would not be charged with the blown save; that was up to Taylor Rogers who promptly gave up a 2-run game-tying single to Neil Walker. In Marlins history there had only been one other 2-run, game-tying, bases-loaded single in the 9th inning, by Todd Dunwoody against the Mets on September 18, 1998. However, like Wednesday, the Marlins would promptly strike out three times to end the walkoff threat-- for now. After Cody Stashak retired the side in the 11th on nine pitches, he headed back out for the bottom of the 12th. Five pitches later, he headed back to the dugout having given up a walkoff homer to Harold Ramirez, the first by the Marlins this season. It was also their first walkoff anything ever against the Twins, leaving four opponents (CLE, KC, LAA, OAK) against whom they don't have one. Only Ramon Castro (2003) and Alex Gonzalez (1998), both in the 13th, had hit a walkoff homer for the Marlins in a later inning, and having legged out a triple way back in the 2nd, Ramirez became the second in team history to homer and triple in the same game and have either of them be an extra-inning walkoff. Mike Lowell did it against the Mets on May 29, 2004.


Goin' To Kansas City

The Blue Jays took some late drama to Kansas City early this week, starting with Cavan Biggio homering in the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie. In the past 20 years Toronto has only had two other go-ahead homers in the 8th or later at Kauffman; one was last August by Kevin Pillar, and Devon Travis hit the other three seasons ago. Randal Grichuk followed Biggio with a triple to finally knock starter Brad Keller out of the game, the first Royals pitcher to give up 3 homers and a triple since Jeremy Guthrie did it against the Mariners on September 22, 2015. Grichuk had also gone deep back in the 6th, joining Willie Upshaw (July 23, 1984) as the only Jays batters ever to homer and triple in the same game at Kauffman.

The Jays would end the series on Wednesday afternoon with four more late runs, including a go-ahead solo shot by Freddy Galvis in the 7th. Combined with Biggio's on Monday, it was the first time Toronto hit go-ahead homers in the 7th or later in multiple games of a series at Kauffman Stadium. (They did once hit two in the same game after the Royals re-tied it.)

Also this week Bo Bichette joined the Jays' roster of second-generation major-leaguers, recording a homer, double, and single in that game on Wednesday. The only other Toronto players to have that line within their first three MLB games are J.P. Arencibia, in his memorable debut in August 2010, and Lloyd Moseby in 1980. Bichette would add more three more doubles and a homer in the weekend series in Baltimore, becoming just the third player in the live-ball era to collect 2 homers and 5 doubles within his first seven MLB games. The others are Jorge Soler in 2014 and Alvin Davis of the Mariners in 1984.



Wild Wild West

We wanted to invoke the old stereotype about Dodgers fans showing up late and/or leaving early, and thus missing nearly all the runs the team scored this week, but they were playing in Denver. Boo.

Tuesday's game doesn't really fit our theme of late-game excitement because the Dodgers opened the game 3-2-2-2 and cruised to a 9-4 victory. It was, however, the first time they scored 9+ by the 4th inning, and no runs at all after that, since July 24, 2016 in St Louis. Three teams-- the Brewers, Marlins, and White Sox-- remain who haven't scored 9+ by the 4th yet this season. And Tony Gonsolin became the first Dodgers pitcher to get a 4-inning save in a road game since Ramon Troncoso, also at Coors Field, on April 25, 2009.

Wednesday's contest was naturally the complete opposite as the Dodgers went 13 innings without scoring and yet still won both games. In fact neither team scored for the first 8 innings, turning Rockies starter German Marquez into the only pitcher this season to allow 2 baserunners, strike out 10, and not get a win. It would take Wade Davis's appearance in the 9th to finally decide this one. After striking out Matt Beaty to start the inning, Davis imploded for a walk, a single, a 3-run homer by Will Smith, an Alex Verdugo single for his fourth hit of the game, and a 2-run homer by Kris Negron. Davis was the first Rockies pitcher to give up 5 runs and 2 homers while getting 1 out at home since Rob Scahill against the Padres on June 7, 2013, and it meant the Dodgers scored 5 runs in the 9th having not scored any runs before that. The last time they did that and won the game was fairly memorable: On October 2, 2004, the next-to-last day of the season, the Dodgers were 2 up with 2 to play against the Giants when Steve Finley's walkoff grand slam capped a 7-run 9th-inning rally-- and thus also won the National League West.

Back at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Will Smith would have another game-changing homer in what may not be the true late innings, but at least the twilight. With the Padres holding a 2-1 lead, starter Joey Lucchesi started to lose it in the 6th, giving up a single and two 2-out walks before being replaced. That left "ducks on the pond" and Smith greeted Trey Wingenter with a no-doubt grand slam to center. Only one other Dodgers catcher had ever hit a lead-flipping slam at Chavez Ravine since the park opened in 1962: Yasmani Grandal off Boone Logan of the Rockies on September 22, 2016. And only one other batter in Dodgers history had slammed against the Padres while trailing-- Dusty Baker off Dave Freisleben on September 12, 1977.


You Go Now

And for good measure, a few other one-off walkoffs that caught our eye this week.

The Brewers and Athletics were locked in a 1-0 AL West snoozefest on Tuesday before Yasmsni Grandal tied the game with an 8th-inning single. Oh boy, we might be here a while. Or Khris Davis could hit a solo homer in the bottom half to give the A's the lead back and put them three outs away from a win. Which Eric Thames promptly spoiled with his own solo homer in the top of the 9th, the third tying (not go-ahead) homer ever hit by Milwaukee in Oakland. Greg Vaughn took Dennis Eckersley deep on September 13, 1989, and Sixto Lezcano hit one off Steve McGatty on June 25, 1980. It would take Matt Olson's solo shot in the bottom of the 10th for the A's to walk off, another thing they hadn't done against the Brewers since that Eckersley game in 1989. Dave Henderson hit the walkoff that day against Chuck Crim in the 9th. Olson's shot was the first-ever walkoff homer for the A's against the Brewers in extra innings-- which never happened during the three decades that both teams were in the AL. The Brewers were the only AL team, present or former, against whom Oakland had never hit one. And between Davis and Olson, it marked the first game where Oakland hit multiple go-ahead homers in the 8th or later since Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire did it in Cleveland on April 30, 1997.

The Braves finally won Saturday's game against the Reds, but it took Ronald Acuña two tries to pull it off. With the game tied 3-3 in the 8th, we suffered through a 23-minute break without a ball put in play as Amir Garrett and Michael Lorenzen walked the bases loaded around two strikeouts (and a pitching change, and two mound visits, and an inning break). Finally it was Acuña's turn, and clearly that mound visit worked out, because Lorenzen walked him too to give the Braves a 4-3 lead. Shane Greene was charged with getting the final three outs in the 9th and, well, didn't. Tucker Barnhart singled home the tying run, and nearly gave the Reds the lead back but for Jesse Winker getting thrown out at the plate. Happily in the 10th, Acuña would bat again with Adam Duvall at third after a leadoff walk, and this time there could be no Reds comeback. Acuña is the first Braves batter to have two go-ahead plate appearances in the 8th or later of the same game since Yunel Escobar did it against the Marlins on June 2, 2008.

And the Dodgers put an exclamation point on that series with the Padres on Sunday by winning a back-and-forth 11-10 festival which they trailed 10-7 heading to the bottom of the 8th. Max Muncy led off the small-ball parade with an infield single, after which A.J. Pollock drove home the eighth run with a double. Pollock would get thrown out at the plate to keep the Padres in the lead, 10-9 heading to the 9th, and Pedro Baez retired them 1-2-3. Then, with one out and two on-- including lead runner Alex Verdugo who was safe at second on an error-- Muncy laces a double to right, Verdugo scores easily to tie the game, and Corey Seager beats the play at the plate for the 11-10 walkoff. It was the first walkoff double the Dodgers had ever hit against the Padres when trailing, and it was the first season in Padres history where they'd scored 10 runs and gotten walked off twice (also happened June 23 in Pittsburgh). Eric Hosmer, who had a grand slam and a sac fly to drive in half of San Diego's runs, became their first player with 5 RBI in a loss since Justin Upton also did it against the Dodgers on April 25, 2015. And the walkoff double was Muncy's third extra-base hit of the game to go with 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs. He also hung that line on June 27 at Coors Field, and it's a pretty good list of Dodgers to do it twice in a season: Joc Pederson (2018), Hee-Seop Choi (2005), Shawn Green (2002 including his 4-homer game), Mike Piazza (1995), Gil Hodges (1951), and Duke Snider (1950).


Bottom Of The Bag

⚾ Nelson Cruz, Saturday: Became ninth player ever with multiple 3-HR, 5-RBI games in same season. Others: Mookie Betts 2016, Albert Pujols 2006, Jeff Bagwell 1999, Mark McGwire 1998, Cecil Fielder 1990, Willie Mays 1961, Ralph Kiner 1947, Johnny Mize 1938.

⚾ Freddie Freeman, Thursday: Second time hitting a 3-run homer as Braves' third batter of the game (also June 27, 2014). Only other Atlanta players (1966) to do it twice are Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, and Terry Pendleton.

⚾ Fernando Tatis & Franmil Reyes, Monday: Second time in Padres history the team led off a game with back-to-back homers. Marvell Wynne & Tony Gwynn did it against the Giants on April 13, 1987.

⚾ Fernando Tatis, Mon-Tue: Second player in Padres history with a leadoff homer in back-to-back team games. Damian Jackson did it June 26-27, 2005, and those were against different opponents.

⚾ Gleyber Torres, Friday: With Brett Gardner on April 17, first season where the Yankees hit two grand slams against the Red Sox at home since 1937 (both that year by Joe DiMaggio).

⚾ Cardinals, Wednesday: First game in (at least) live-ball era where they collected 5 or more extra-base hits and didn't score a run. Last in majors were the Astros on May 31, 2015.

⚾ Donovan Solano, Sunday: First Giants batter to hit multiple solo homers accounting for all of team's runs in a game since Andres Torres at Dodger Stadium on September 20, 2009.

⚾ Kyle Seager, Tuesday: First Mariners batter to homer and triple in Arlington since Adrian Beltre hit for the cycle on September 1, 2008.

⚾ Walker Buehler, Saturday: Second complete game this year (also June 21 at Coors) with 15+ strikeouts and 0 walks. Only other pitchers to do that twice in a season are Pedro Martinez in 2000 and Dwight Gooden in 1984.

⚾ Jesse Winker, Wednesday: Second Reds batter in live-ball era with 3 hits, a leadoff homer to start the game, and a hit-by-pitch. Ryan Freel did it against Milwaukee on July 22, 2006.

⚾ Jason Heyward, Sunday: First Cubs batter to lead off game with a homer and then have a triple later on since Brian McRae at Shea Stadium, July 4, 1995.

⚾ George Springer, Thursday: Second player in Astros history with a leadoff homer and 3 walks later in the game. Joe Morgan did it in Pittsburgh on September 1, 1980.

⚾ Gerardo Parra, Saturday: First player in (at least) live-ball era, excluding the all-nine-positions stunts, to play first base, second base, third base, and pitch in the same game.

⚾ David Hess, Monday: Second pitcher in Orioles/Browns history to give up 4 homers and a triple in the same game. Frank Bertaina did it in a 6-inning relief appearance against the White Sox on May 10, 1967.

⚾ Travis Demeritte, Friday: First player with a triple and a stolen base in his major-league debut since Bernie Castro for Baltimore on September 1, 2008.

⚾ Leury Garcia, Sunday: First grand slam by a White Sox batter in a National League ballpark since Joe Crede in Cincinnati, June 16, 2006.

⚾ Vlad Guerrero, Tuesday: Youngest player in Blue Jays history with a 5-RBI game. Broke Travis Snider's mark by about 3 months; Snider did it September 13, 2008, at Boston.

⚾ Chris Sale, Saturday: First Red Sox pitcher to give up 8+ runs and get ejected from the game since Bob Stanley at Oakland on August 21, 1982.

⚾ Dillon Peters, Friday: First Angels "reliever" to throw 7⅔ innings or more since Gary Ross on June 30, 1976. Ross was the scheduled starter that day but manager Dick Williams accidentally wrote "Ryan" on the lineup card, so by rule, Nolan Ryan had to quickly warm up, get the first batter out, and then depart.