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After a clean first inning, Sandoval allowed a run to score on two hits in the second. An error, two walks, and three hits in the third would bring in four more runs for the Orioles. Sandoval pitched into the sixth, but walked the first two batters before he was pulled. Both inherited runners would come in to score. The 26-year-old left-hander ends the day with a 4.31 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 115/66 K/BB ratio. He’ll take on the Mariners in Seattle next week.

Sale is on another level right now. The Marlins squeaked out a run via a sac fly in the first inning and from that point forward he faced just two batters over the minimum. His slider was especially lethal, forcing 14 of his 18 swings-and-misses as the Marlins helplessly flailed at it low and below the zone. Apart from an odd blow-up against the Angels in early April, Sale has allowed two or fewer runs and completed at least six innings in every start this year. In total, he has a 1.89 ERA plus 72 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 62 innings this season. He’s still firmly one of the best few pitchers in the game and is scheduled for a two-start week coming up against the Red Sox and Reds with both starts coming on the road.

Smith’s first “home run” of the game knocked out Marlins’ starter Janson Junk and put an exclamation point on a five-run sixth inning that broke this game open. His second “home run” was technically a triple because Owen Caissie and Esteury Ruiz collided in the outfield, but Smith still crushed it in the gap. It’s a bit shocking to see his .337 batting average, .903 OPS and five home runs through 40 games played as a key cog for the resurgent Braves.

The Marlins didn’t do much against Chris Sale in this one. In fact, Lopez’s two singles accounted for half their total hits and none went for extra bases. Nevertheless, the two knocks raised his batting average up to a league-best .349 in what’s been such a strong season so far that it’s becoming difficult to ignore. Apart from that high batting average, he also has four home runs, eight stolen bases, and 51 combined runs and RBI as one of the true breakout stars from the first chunk of the season.

Things weren’t going too bad for Junk until he came out for the sixth inning. To that point, the only runs he’d given up came via a three-run home run by Austin Riley. Then, he retired 11 batters in a row to get through five innings and it was shaping up to be a fine start. Yet, five straight Braves’ hits to begin the sixth which culminated in a three-run home run by Dom Smith turned Junk’s outing into a catastrophe. He didn’t make any really bad pitches that inning either, it was just a lot of impressive hitting on balls that were on the edges. After this poor start, Junk has a 5.07 ERA and is scheduled for a two-start week coming up against the Blue Jays and Mets with both starts on the road.

After striking out three straight times and going hitless in four at-bats prior to extra-innings, Ramírez extended Cleveland’s lead with a double into the left-center field gap against Tigers lefty reliever Tyler Holton that brought around Angel Martínez with a key insurance run in the 10th inning.

Smith coughed up a leadoff single to Zach McKinstry that brought the Manfred Man home from second base to open the frame. He settled in afterwards, striking out Hao-Yu Lee and getting pinch-hitter Spencer Torkelson to pop out in foul territory before getting Colt Keith to pop up to end it. The 27-year-old elite fantasy stopper has converted 16 of 18 save opportunities this season and has now pulled ahead of Padres stopper Mason Miller for the big-league lead this season.

This wound up being a strange situation because Tigers manager A.J. Hinch opted to use closer Kenley Jansen against the heart of Cleveland’s lineup to protect a one-run lead in the eighth inning before giving the ball to Vest to face the bottom of the order. That gambit backfired as Vest surrendered back-to-back singles to Daniel Schneemann and Travis Bazzana before Patrick Bailey delivered a game-tying ground out a couple batters later. He managed to strike out Brayan Rocchio to preserve a tie ballgame, but the damage was already done. Cleveland went on to score a couple runs in extra-innings and close out a comeback win.

Bibee carried a shutout into the seventh inning before Detroit pulled ahead of a sacrifice fly from Matt Vierling following a leadoff walk by Kevin McGonigle and a single from Riley Greene. He finished with four strikeouts and allowed just five baserunners, needing 104 pitches (67 strikes) to navigate eight frames in his longest outing of the year. He’s been relatively consistent this season, allowing three earned runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts so far. He’ll face the Nationals on Monday in his next outing to kick off a two-start week.

Anderson went exactly two times through Cleveland’s lineup, throwing 38 of 63 pitches for strikes, and allowing just four baserunners. He generated an impressive 10 swinging strikes and finished with a strong 33 percent CSW. He consistently challenged the Guardians with high fastballs in two-strike counts, resulting in five of his seven punchouts. Not bad for a journeyman pitcher making his first start in the big leagues since August 7, 2021. It seems highly unlikely he’ll get another turn in Detroit’s rotation, especially with Troy Melton (elbow) seemingly ready to return from the injured list, but he took advantage of his opportunity in this one.

Abrams gave rookie Zach Thornton a taste of big league life in his debut with a loud three-run homer in the first inning. A strange but true stat courtesy of the Nationals’ TV booth, this was the fourth time Abrams hit a home run off a pitcher making their major league debut. Even more surreal, it was the third time he did so in the first inning! He chipped in another base hit to start the Nationals’ sixth inning rally and continued what appears to be a major breakout campaign for the 25-year-old shortstop. In total, he’s up 10 home runs with 42 RBI, seven stolen bases, a .300 batting average, and a .928 OPS. Those are star numbers as we’re nearly through one third of the season.