Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Athletics 3, Angels 0: Six Oakland pitchers led by Chris Bassit combined on a nine-hit shutout while a sac fly from Ramón Laureano, an RBI double from Matt Chapman and a solo homer from Mark Canha supplied the offensive juice, such as it was. Notable: more players in masks in this game. In case you don’t think that what happened with the Marlins went unnoticed. In other news, Andrelton Simmons rolled his ankle running out an infield single in the ninth so he might be out some. Update later today. They’ll probably lose him for a bit but they do get Anthony Rendon back today finally.
Padres 6, Diamondbacks 2: The Snakes took a two-run lead into the fourth when the Padres rallied for five, capped off by Fernando Tatís Jr.’s bases-loaded triple. This ends a four-game series in which San Diego took three games. In all, they outscored the Diamondbacks 21-9.
Blue Jays 4, Nationals 1: Teoscar Hernández, who took over for the injured Bo Bichette in the leadoff spot, smacked two homers — one to lead off the game, one in the fifth — and Anthony Bass got the save filling in for injured closer Ken Giles. Rowdy Tellez and Danny Jansen also went deep for the Jays. The Nats got 11 hits but only the one run to show for it. Maybe they, like everyone else around baseball, were distracted. Given how emotional Dave Martinez was during his pregame comments about the Marlins situation yesterday, you have to assume everyone else is too. I have no idea how these guys are playing right now, frankly. Their minds must be all over the place.
Cubs 8, Reds 7: Everyone’s is, frankly. This was the AP headline from this game:
Cincinnati has three guys — Matt Davidson, Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel — in COVID-19 limbo, and the whole club is likely wondering if they’re the next Marlins. The Cubs, too, were likely worried. I mean, if your neighbor’s wife just moved into the guest room to quarantine you probably wouldn’t accept the husband’s invitation to come over for a beer, would you?
But the games go on. This one went on as a would-be blowout, with Chicago taking a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth and an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, with most of the damage being done against Wade Miley (1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 BB) making his first start for the Reds. The Reds, however, rallied for six runs between the seventh and ninth before falling just short. Part of that rally came against Craig Kimbrel who was just as shaky here as he looked last year and that has to be pretty worrisome for the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo homered to help the Cubs build up that early lead and Jon Lester pitched five shutout innings to help keep the Reds at bay for a while. Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson homered and drew a bases-loaded walk to fuel the late attempted rally.
Rays 14, Braves 5: About as ugly a game for the Braves as you can imagine and about as dominant a game for the Rays as you can imagine. Hunter Renfroe homered twice on a 3-for-5 four-RBI night and an eight-run fourth inning for Tampa Bay knocked out Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (3.1 IP, 4 H, 6 ER). And they didn’t just knock him out of the game, they knocked him clear off the roster, as Atlanta designated him for assignment last night. This is the dude who just started Game 5 of the ALDS for them last October. Life comes at you fast. So too do Rays pitches. Tampa Bay pitchers stuck out 19 Braves batters in this game, with starter Tyler Glasnow notching nine, reliever Jalen Beeks mowing down seven.
Brewers 6, Pirates 5: The Pirates held a four-run lead heading into the top of the ninth but the Brewers rallied for four to force extras, capped off by Ryan Braun‘s two-out, two-run double which knotted things up. Maybe the Pirates would’ve held the lead if they had their usual closer, Keone Kela, who is out due to COVID, but baseball is playing through, so here we are. The teams traded goose eggs in the tenth but with a runner on second — imagine that! — in the top of the eleventh, Eric Sogard hit a double that gave Milwaukee the lead which they held. That despite allowing a runner on second themselves in the bottom of the 11th. Imagine that too! Colin Moran of the Pirates homered twice, including a 438-foot shot that bounced into the Allegheny. Sweet.
Royals 14, Tigers 6: Kansas City hit six homers, with Maikel Franco hitting two of them, as they cruised despite being down 5-1 early. Sal Pérez, Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler, and Brett Phillips hit the others. Merrifield had a double and a single too and drove in three. Tigers starter Michael Fulmer allowed three of those homers while getting shelled in his first start back from Tommy John surgery. He allowed four runs and five hits in 2.2 innings after missing the whole 2019 season. After the game he said “Not the Cinderella comeback story I was hoping for.” Really, though, “Cinderella” is not much of a comeback story, is it? She starts strong — coming out of nowhere — and then salvages things in the end, yes? Now, “Snow White,” THAT is a comeback story. I mean, chick was dead, man.
Astros 8, Mariners 5: Alex Bregman hit his 100th career homer — a three-run number — and Jose Altuve added a solo homer. Brandon Bielak got the win in his big league debut, coming out of the bullpen to rescue a shaky Josh James. Houston opens the season having taken three of four from Seattle. Like Fulmer in Detroit, Mariners starter Kendall Graveman was pitching his first game after a long Tommy John surgery layoff. Didn’t go well for him either, as he allowed seven runs on six hits in a little over four innings.
Mets 7, Red Sox 4: Michael Conforto, Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith all homered as New York built up a 7-0 lead after four and never looked back. Michael Wacha allowed only one run in five innings to get the win. The last time he had pitched in Fenway Park was Game 6 of the 2013 World Series. He noted after the game that the energy in the empty park was a biiiiit different this time than it was back in 2013. I was actually at Game 6 of the 2013 World Series and I doubt I’ve ever been in a ballpark as jacked as that, so yeah, I feel like there may have been a difference. Speaking of empty seats, Alonso’s homer went into the Green Monster seats where it bounced around and hit a bunch of fan cutouts. Alonso after the game:
There is an advisory throughout the ballpark: You have to be aware of flying baseballs and bats. If there was fans here they need to not be on their cellphones, and be locked in on the game. I’m glad no one was hurt.
Wherever we can find the laughs, man, wherever we can find the laughs.
Orioles vs. Marlins — POSTPONED; Yankees vs. Phillies — POSTPONED: Was gonna be all cutesy and put lyrics to, like, “Down wit the sickness” in games postponed due to COVID, but that felt kind of depressing. This all feels kind of depressing, frankly. Let’s just leave that for the rain postponement songs, shall we?
Indians vs. White Sox: — POSTPONED:
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
There. That wasn’t depressing at all.