Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Rangers 6, Astros 5: Rougned Odor hit a walkoff RBI double. Quite the knockout punch. The Rangers so thoroughly own the Astros right now that Houston has to ask permission before making any renovations at Minute Maid Park and have to pay them $30 extra a month if they want to keep a pet around.
Yankees 5, Angels 2: Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer, breaking a 2-2 tie in the eighth. After the game he said “The plan isn’t to go out and hit homers. It’s a terrible plan.” This is sort of like how I tell my kids it’s horrible to sit in front of the computer all day. Do as Carlos Beltran and I say, not as Carlos Beltran and I do. We’re creating monsters.
Orioles 4, Royals 1: Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters and Manny Machado all went deep as the Orioles take their fifth win in six games, all of which were come-from-behind victories. Quite a week for O’s starter Mike Wright. Last time out he got shelled by Boston and was sent down to the minors. He was recalled the next day due to an injury and was given a second chance and all he did was allow one run on five hits over seven innings against the World Series champs. Five straight losses for the Royals, who are probably going to file a lawsuit against the Orioles today for infringing on their “relentless” patent.
Tigers 11, Blue Jays 0: The Tigers jumped all over J.A. Happ early, grabbing a 6-0 lead by the third inning thanks to homers from James McCann and Justin Upton. The two of them would combine for six RBI in all. Rookie Michael Fulmer remained impressive, tossing six shutout innings. He’s won four straight, allowing just one run, in total, over those four games.
Cubs 6, Phillies 4: Jon Lester tossed eight shutout innings and struck out nine. The Cubs had a 6-0 lead entering the ninth. They held on but Philly made it interesting, plating four, as Justin Grimm certainly was. This is why the putatively best team in baseball does stuff like sign the nearly undead Joe Nathan.
Rays 6, Diamondbacks 4: Big game for Desmond Jennings who had three hits, including a homer. Tim Beckham homered too. Four straight for Tampa Bay, the only team in baseball not named after a city or a state.
Indians 3, Mariners 1: Six in a row for the Indians who were powered by Trevor Bauer’s ten strikeouts in seven and two-thirds innings. Things are bouncing just right for Cleveland. One of their runs scored on a send of Carlos Santana which should have had him nailed at the plate but Chris Iannetta dropped the throw home. Then another run scored after that.
Rockies 6, Dodgers 1: Tyler Chatwood (eight innings) and Gonzalez Germen (the ninth) held the Dodgers to one hit -- a Howie Kendrick single in the second inning -- and Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra homered. Afterward Chatwood said"It wasn’t my best outing, I didn’t have good command early . . .” I was going to call BS on that but he allowed no runs over seven innings on May 27 and tossed eight shutout innings on May fourth so I suppose he’s allowed to say so. Nice year for Chatwood so far (7-4, 2.79 ERA).
Padres 7, Braves 2: Yangervis Solarte hit a three-run homer in the third and Matt Kemp drove in two as the third worst team in the NL beat the worst. The AP game story described Solarte’s homer as “a towering shot that landed a few rows behind a party deck atop the right-field wall.” Imagine having a party at a Braves-Padres game.
Mets vs. Pirates -- POSTPONED: I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end
Purple rain, purple rain
