And That Happened: Monday’s scores and highlights

By Aug 30, 2011, 5:47 AM EDT
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White Sox 3, Twins 0: Mark Buehrle threw seven and two-thirds shutout innings. And the game came in at two hours four minutes. Knock me over with a feather. Most underrated pitcher of the past decade?

Cubs 7, Giants 0: Great pitching all-around for the Chicago clubs last night. A two-hit shutout for Randy Wells. Once you adjust for the fact that it came against the Giants, it’s worth, oh, a 9-hit, 3-run performance, which is still very, very good.

Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 1: The Diamondbacks win their seventh straight and open up a five game lead in the west. Given that the Giants don’t seem to have a first gear let alone an extra one, is this thing over?

Phillies 3, Reds 2: Cole Hamels looked really, really good in his return from the DL (6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7K, 0 BB). He got the no decision, but it was the right call by Manuel to pull him when he did. The pen was rested and there’s no sense taxing that arm now when it will be needed in October. Shane Victorino’s two-run homer in the eighth was the big blow. Yonder Alonso, sadly, didn’t have any opportunities for adventure down at third base for the Reds. Placido Polanco did for the Phillies, though, and he let a run in on a throwing error, so take that Alonso-haters.

Mets 2, Marlins 1: Mets 5, Marlins 1: A four game winning streak for the Mets. These two came behind nice outings from R.A. Dickey in the first game and Dillon Gee in the second.

Indians 2, Athletics 1: Tough luck loss for Brandon McCarthy, who struck out ten and gave up two runs in eight innings. But David Huff was sharp himself, shutting out the A’s on three hits over six and then letting four relievers seal the deal.

Yankees 3, Orioles 2: I think New York has been in Baltimore for seven or eight weeks now. A two-run homer for Nick Swisher. David Robertson gave up his first home run all year, but it ended up not mattering. Six strong innings from Freddy Garcia.

Blue Jays 7, Rays 3: Johnny Damon hit two homers, but Jose Bautista hit one and his teammates played better and they won, so that makes him more valuable. At least I think that’s how that works. I’m actually kind of confused about it all.

Royals 9, Tigers 5: The Royals rapped out 18 hits, pummeling Max Scherzer. Kansas City is only 17 and a half back!

Astros 7, Pirates 4: Wandy Rodriguez struck out 13 and Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer. Probably worth noting that since the Pirates little mid-season surge ended they’ve actually been no better than the Astros.

Dodgers 4, Padres 1: A complete game for Clayton Kershaw. Three hits for the now-contrite and perhaps not-as-hurt-as-he-initially-let-on Andre Ethier.

Mariners 5, Angels 3: A two-run eighth inning homer by Mike Carp puts the M’s over the top. Sadly, the Angels did not have Trout available to counter Carp. And if you think I’m not gonna beat that one into the ground in the coming years, well, you’re just not familiar with my work.

Olson blasts two HRs, Acuña has 4 hits as Strider, Braves overpower Phillies 11-4

Associated PressMay 29, 2023, 12:12 AM EDT
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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ATLANTA – Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total.

“That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said.

Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta’s seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.

“Getting a lead first is big, especially when you get that big of a lead,” Strider said. “… When we’re putting up runs, my job isn’t to be perfect. My job is to get outs.”

Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced right-hander Michael Soroka will be recalled to make his first start since the 2020 season on Monday night at Oakland.

Matt Olson hit a pair of two-run homers for Atlanta, and Strider became the fastest pitcher in modern history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.

“It’s incredible,” said Acuña through a translator of Strider. “Every time he goes out to pitch it seems like he’s going to strike everybody out.”

Acuña hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth before Olson’s second homer to center. Acuña had two singles in the first when the Braves sent 11 batters to the plate, collected seven hits and opened a 7-0 lead. Led by Acuña and Olson, who had three hits, the Braves set a season high with 20 hits.

Strider (5-2) struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander fired a called third strike past Nick Castellanos for the first out of the fourth, giving him 100 strikeouts in 61 innings and topping Jacob deGrom‘s 61 2/3 innings in 2021 as the fastest to 100 in the modern era.

“It’s cool,” Strider said, adding “hopefully it’ll keep going.”

Olson followed Acuña’s leadoff single with a 464-foot homer to right-center. Austin Riley added another homer before Ozzie Albies and Acuña had two-run singles in the long first inning.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and left fielder Kyle Schwarber each committed an error on a grounder by Orlando Arcia, setting up two unearned runs in the inning.

Strider walked Kody Clemens to open the third. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run homer for the Phillies’ first hit. Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the seventh.

LEAPING CATCH

Michael Harris II celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut by robbing Schwarber of a homer with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the second. As Harris shook his head to say “No!” after coming down with the ball on the warning track, Strider pumped his fist in approval on the mound – after realizing Harris had the ball.

“He put me through an emotional roller coaster for a moment,” Strider said.

SOROKA RETURNING TO ROTATION

Soroka was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, setting the stage for his final step in his comeback from two torn Achilles tendons.

“To get back is really a feather in that kid’s cap,” Snitker said.

Soroka will be making his first start in the majors since Aug. 3, 2020, against the New York Mets when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. Following a setback which required a follow-up surgery, he suffered another tear of the same Achilles tendon midway through the 2021 season.

Soroka suffered another complication in his comeback when a hamstring injury slowed his progress this spring.

Acuña said he was “super happy, super excited for him, super proud of him” and added “I’m just hoping for continued good health.”

Soroka looked like an emerging ace when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019 and placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen committee games as they attempt to overcome losing two key starters, Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder inflammation) to the injured list in early May. Each is expected to miss at least two months.

RHP Dereck Rodriguez, who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, was optioned to Gwinnett after the game to clear a roster spot for Soroka.

QUICK EXIT

Phillies right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, didn’t make it through the first inning. Covey allowed seven runs, five earned, and six hits, including the homers by Olson and Riley.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alex Bohm was held out with hamstring tightness. … LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw the bullpen session originally scheduled for Saturday. Manager Rob Thomson said there was no report that Alvarado, who was placed on the injured list on May 10, had any difficulty.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Following an off day, LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 9.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Kodai Senga (4-3, 3.94 ERA) in Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series in New York.

Braves: Soroka was 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed a combined four hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. RHP Paul Blackburn (7-6, 4.28 ERA in 2022) is scheduled to make his 2023 debut for Oakland as he returns from a finger injury.