And That Happened: Wednesday’s scores and highlights

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Indians 7, Red Sox 4: A three-run walkoff homer for Asdrubal Cabrera in the 12th inning to give the Tribe a three-game sweep. With rain delays and extra innings the game took seven hours, ending at 2:02AM. Six straight wins for the Indians.

Mariners 2, Braves 0:  Hisashi Iwakuma and two relievers combined for a six-hit shutout. Stefan Romero ,who came into the game hitting .204, hit cleanup. Lloyd McClendon was asked about it and he said “Somebody has got to hit there. I don’t have Bonds, so it’s going to be Romero.” Romero hit a triple a single and scored a run. When things are going well they’re going well. Five straight wins for Seattle.

Athletics 7, Yankees 4: Two homers for Yoenis Cespedes and the A’s bounce back from a 4-0 deficit to win going away. Four straight losses for New York, which has been outscored 21-0 in the seventh inning-on over that span. They’ve lost 12 of 16 at home.

Padres 3, Pirates 2: San Diego scored three runs and won the game despite getting just one hit. And it wasn’t even an RBI hit. It was a bunt single in the first inning. You can do that when you take nine walks from Pirates pitchers. Their runs came via a sac fly, an error and a bases-loaded walk. Viva the smallest of small ball.

Nationals 8, Phillies 4: Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings and the Nats’ bats beat up on A.J. Burnett and the reeling Phillies. Anthony Rendon had a homer and a two-run single. The Nats have won four of five and are a game and a half out of first. Perhaps this is the run everyone expected but which never came last year.

Blue Jays 8, Tigers 2: Ugly loss for the Tigers. After falling behind 3-2 in the sixth they loaded the bases with nobody out and then the next three hitters went down in ignominious and unproductive fashion. Maybe it’s just as well, as it would’ve been slightly more dispiriting to have the bullpen surrender five runs in the final two innings to blow a lead than it was to see the bullpen surrender five runs in the final two innings to merely increase a previously-existing deficit.

Giants 3, Reds 2: Juan Perez and Michael Morse homered in the sixth inning to account for all the Giants’ runs. The Giants win their 10th of 13 and have the best record in baseball. Bay Area World Series, anyone?

Marlins 5, Rays 4: That’s nine straight losses for the Rays, though it obviously wasn’t their greatest loss last night.

Cubs 5, Mets 4: Starlin Castro made an error in the first inning that cost the Cubs three runs, but then he proceeded to go 3 for 4 with three RBI to make up for it. Edwin Jackson won this ugly game. But then again, pretty much all Edwin Jackson games are ugly. That’s kind of his thing.

Orioles 6, Rangers 5: Chris Davis had a three-run shot for the O’s to make two games in a row in which former Texas-sluggers-turned-Orioles-sluggers abused the Rangers. They should’ve had Rafael Palmeiro throw out the first pitch to Sammy Sosa or something. Adrian Beltre had two homers in a winning personal effort despite a losing team effort.

Diamondbacks 16, Rockies 8: Trying to think how much money you’d have to pay me to watch an entire four hour, nine inning game featuring 24 runs on 34 hits. Just not my cup of tea. It was Miguel Montero’s cup of tea, however. According to the game story, Montero said before the game that he felt like he’d get five or six RBI. He got six RBI. I feel like that’s the sort of brash prediction he’d disparage if a young teammate made it, but let’s leave that alone for now.

Cardinals 5, Royals 2: Matt Carpenter had five hits including the go-ahead double in the 11th, helping to end the Cards’ three-game losing streak. That’s the Cardinals’ eighth straight win at Kauffman Stadium, however.

White Sox 2, Dodgers 1: John Danks and three relievers combined for a two-hitter. The Dodgers are skidding out of control, having lost six of eight while watching the Giants take an eight-game lead in the division. The worst it ever got last season — when Don Mattingly was almost fired before the Dodgers’ summer surge — was nine and a half games.

Twins 6, Brewers 4:  Oswaldo Arcia homered and drove in four. That’s three homers in ten games for Arcia since being called up.

Angels 4, Astros 0: Garrett Richards tossed eight shutout innings and in one of those innings struck out the side on nine pitches. He’s the second guy to do that this week.

New bill to build Athletics stadium on Las Vegas Strip caps Nevada’s cost at $380 million

D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.