Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Athletics 2, Reds 0: Not only did Mike Fiers fire his second career no-hitter last night, he gave Major League Baseball its 300th no-no in history. It was Fiers’ second, the first of which — against the Dodgers a few years back — I had totally forgotten about. It happens. Maybe the extra time Fiers had to think about this during the game-delaying light malfunction which pushed the start time back over and hour and a half.
Fiers needed to be good as it was a close game throughout. The A’s scored one in the second on a Jurickson Profar double and got an insurance run when Profar hit a solo homer in the seventh. He also got some help on defense, both with a diving catch from Profar who ranged back into right on a Texas Leaguer and from Ramón Laureano, who flashed some home run-robbing leather in the sixth, robbing Joey Votto of a dinger:
The two oddest things about this no-hitter: (1) the guy who tossed it entered the game with an ERA of 6.81, which is the highest ERA anyone who has accomplished the feat has carried into a game since Francisco Liriano did it on May 3, 2011 while sporting a 9.13 ERA; and (2) the fact that someone in any game was allowed to toss 131 pitches. It just doesn’t happen anymore. But hey: veteran pitcher, close game and history on the line, so why not?
There were four more shutouts across the majors last night:
Dodgers 9, Braves 0: Justin Turner hit three homers on a 4-for-5 night and drove in six runs, which would normally get you the lead recap and the photo and all of that in this feature if not for the no-no. I’m sure Turner is fine with that. Hyun-Jin Ryu went the distance with a four-hit shutout. Indeed, it was a Maddux, with Ryu needing only 93 pitches to dispatch the team which once employed the namesake of that feat. That would probably get you top billing too most nights. Alas. It was a nightmare game for Atlanta all around as, not only did Turner and Ryu just destroy them, but they lost starter Max Fried after he got hit in the left hand by a comebacker in the second. X-rays, like everything else about the game from the Braves’ perspective, were negative.
White Sox 2, Indians 0: Lucas Gioloto shut out the Tribe into the eighth with eight strikeouts as Yoan Moncada and James McCann each hit RBI singles. Do you even get credit for shutting out the Indians anymore? They’ve scored one run in their last 27 innings. At least here they didn’t allow nine or ten runs like they did in the previous two games. Although that hurts just as bad as they wasted a nice outing from starter Jefry Rodríguez, who allowed only those two RBI singles in six. The Indians made a big point of not paying to upgrade their offense in the offseason. Heck, they even declined to pay to maintain their offense by making Michael Brantley — currently batting .333/.376/.558 for Houston — a qualifying offer. Well, you get what you pay for.
Brewers 6, Nationals 0: It was dueling shutouts until the bottom of the seventh with Stephen Strasburg cruising for the Nats — he had struck out 11 — until he hit a brick wall, put three runners on and then gave up a three-run double to Lorenzo Cain. That chased him, though Cain would come around to score, leaving Strasburg with four runs on his bill. Reliever Dan Jennings walked in a run and Justin Miller coughed one up himself. The Nats had some bad juju about them entering the bottom half as it was with Anthony Rendon getting ejected to end the top half. He certainly earned his ejection, aggressively arguing balls and strikes with home plate ump C.B. Bucknor. Rendon was right — Bucknor blew the call — but when you angrily point to where the pitch was with your bat and say the words Rendon appeared to be saying, well, you’re gettin’ run:
Twins 3, Blue Jays 0: José Berríos tossed seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out five, supported by a two-run homer from Mitch Garver, who had three hits and a walk on the night, and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Marwin Gonzalez. It was the second straight game in a row Minnesota shut out Toronto. The Jays are merely thankful that the Indians are around to take most of that “man, that offense stinks” heat off of them.
Yankees 5, Mariners 4: The M’s led 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth on a rainy night in the Bronx, but the Yankees rallied against Anthony Swarzak and Roenis Elías. Swarzak lit the fire, giving up a single to Gleyber Torres before Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer to tie it. Scott Servais left him in to allow a single to Cameron Maybin. Maybin stole second after Elías came in, Elías struck out Brett Gardner and then D.J. LeMahieu knocked a single to right and the second pitch he saw, scoring Maybin and giving the Bombers the walkoff win.
Red Sox 8, Orioles 5: Dingers did it. Mitch Moreland hit a three-run homer, J.D. Martinez hit his 200th career home run, and Xander Bogaerts added a solo shot. The first six Boston runs scored on homers, in fact. Martinez would hit a sac fly as the Sox scored two insurance runs in the ninth. Boston has won seven of nine.
Pirates 5, Rangers 4: Chris Archer is injured so Steven Brault got the spot start. He had help as the Buccos used him and six relievers. They did a great job with everyone except Hunter Pence, who hit a two-run homer and a two-run double to account for all of Texas’ runs. Gregory Polanco homered for Pittsburgh, his first of the season.
Angels 5, Tigers 2: Shoehei Ohtani came back. He was 0-for-4 but he did drive in a run on a groundout and drew a walk. Andrleton Simmons knocked in a couple. Griffin Canning earned his first career win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits over five and a third while striking out seven. By the numbers the Tigers have a worse offense than the Indians and Jays, but at least they scored a couple last night.
Rays 6, Diamondbacks 3: The opener and the gang combined to allow three runs on seven hits on 151 pitches. I know that’s where baseball is these days but I’m guessing Hyun-jin Ryu’s 93-pitch shutout was more enjoyable to take in from an aesthetic perspective. Brandon Lowe homered and drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Mike Zunino doubled in one and singled in another.
Phillies 11, Cardinals 1: Bryce Harper hit a grand slam as part of a six-run second inning for Philly and Rhys Hoskins homered and had four hits of his own. Aaron Nola allowed three hits and a lone run over six innings, striking out seven. Philly beat up Cards starter Dakota Hudson. Who, unless I’ve searched Baseball-Reference.com incorrectly, is the first and only “Dakota” to play in the history of the major leagues. But hey, it also means, last night’s results notwithstanding, he’s the BEST Dakota to ever play in the major leagues!
Cubs 5, Marlins 2: It was tied at two with two out in the bottom of the ninth when Kris Bryant sauntered to the plate and smacked a walkoff three-run homer. Bryant is heating up, having hit five of his six 2019 homers in his last ten games. Chicago has won eight of nine. I didn’t end up watching the full run of “Star Trek: Voyager” because I simply stopped caring. Someone let me know if they ever introduced an Eight of Nine character in a flashback episode or whatever so I can link to him or her for such occasions.
Royals 12, Astros 2: If it wasn’t a shutout last night there’s a good chance it was rout, with this being one of many. This one was unique in that it featured not just one but two grand slams: one from Ryan O'Hearn and one from Whit Merrifield. Merrifield had four hits in all and drove in five. Jorge Soler hit a homer as well.
Giants 14, Rockies 4: Mac Williamson hit three home runs for Sacramento on Sunday — one reported, a bit dubiously I suspect, to have gone 511 feet — and earned himself a callup to the Giants. His first game back all he did was homer and drive in four runs. Which proves that hot streaks can survive flights from Sacramento to Denver. Evan Longoria and Kevin Pillar also homered, Steven Duggar and Brandon Crawford each hit two-run singles, Tyler Austin hit a two-run triple and Joe Panik had three hits, including an RBI single.
Mets 7, Padres 6: Pete Alonso may have lost the battle with his self-proclaimed rival on Monday but he bounced back pretty well last night, hitting a two-run homer and two RBI singles on a 3-for-4, four-RBI night. The homer broke a 5-5 tie in the ninth and went 449 feet, so yeah, I’d say that was a nice retort to the Padres.
