Game recaps, fun facts from around MLB ( games played on 8/2 ) …
Three postponements : PHL/TOR (Covid ), STL/MIL ( Covid ) & MIA/WSH ( Covid )
13 games played ...
Braves 4 ( 7-3 ) Mets 0 ( 3-7)
The Braves extended their winning streak to five games with the shutout victory ... five hurlers combined for the win with Tyler Matzek, A.J. Minter, Shane Greene and Mark Melancon going 5 2/3 innings behind starter Kyle Wright.
Adam Duvall had two hits for Atlanta, Freddie Freeman two RBIs and Johan Camargo hit a solo home run.
Jeff McNeil had three hits for the Mets and Shortstop Amed Rosario had two knocks.
Before the game New York’s Yoenis Cespedes opted out of the rest of the season.
Twins 3 ( 7-2 ) Indians 1 ( 5-5 )
Minnesota went to a bullpen effort using six relievers for the win. Tyler Clippard started and went two innings before turning it over to lefty Devin Smeltzer who
went 2 2/3 to pick up the win. The six man crew limited Cleveland to just two hits ... both against Smeltzer ... Matt Wisler, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May and Sergio Romo finished it out.
Max Kepler had two doubles and scored twice out of the leadoff spot for the Twins ... Catcher Mitch Garver homered and shortstop Jorge Polanco also contributed two hits.
White Sox 9 ( 5-4 ) Royals 2 ( 3-7 )
The White Sox completed the sweep of the three game series with KC as second baseman Nick Madrigal went 4 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI in just the third game of his big league career.
Sox Catcher Yasmani Grandal also had a day going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Salvador Perez had two of the Royals six hits.
Orioles 5 ( 5-3 ) Rays 1 ( 4-6 )
The Orioles completed the three game sweep of the Rays with key contributions once again from Second Baseman Hanser Alberto ... he had three more hits out of the leadoff spot and is now hitting .429 in 35 AB’s.
Renato Nunez and Pat Valaika each homered for Baltimore while starting pitcher Tommy Milone went five innings ( 1 R, 6 H, 0 BB, 8 K’s ) and relievers Miguel Castro, Evan Phillips and Cole Sulser pitched perfect baseball to finish ... Sulser went two innings to record his third save of the season.
Brandon Lowe homered for Tampa’s only run.
Reds 4 ( 3-5 ) Tigers 3 ( 5-4 ) - Game One of DH - Seven Innings
Nick Castellanos hit two home runs and drove in three to lead the Reds offense ... Anthony DeSclafani went five shutout frames allowing just three hits, no walks and posted two strikeouts.
Detroit tied the game at three apiece in the bottom of the sixth due to some shaky fielding by the Reds as all the runs were unearned ... Freddy Galvis led off the top of the seventh for Cincinnati with a double and scored the eventual game winning run on a single by Shogo Akiyama. Raisel Iglesias closed the win out for the Reds.
Jeimer Candelario had two hits for the Tigers including a triple.
Reds 4 ( 4-5 ) Tigers ( 5-5 ) - Game Two of DH - Seven Innings
Christian Colon had two hits ( including a double ) and two RBIs and Nick Senzel had two doubles to lead the Reds offense ... shortstop Kyle Farmer also had two hits and a walk.
Trevor Bauer was brilliant for Cincinnati as he tossed a complete game shutout allowing just two singles and two walks ... he struck out seven to record the win. Bauer threw 111 pitches - 68 for strikes.
Rockies 9 ( 6-2 ) Padres 6 ( 6-4 )
Colorado got six innings of strong pitching from starter Antonio Senzatela ( 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K’s ) and used the long ball for the win. Daniel Murphy went 4 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs to lead the offense while Matt Kemp and Ryan McMahon also homered.
Wil Myers had two hits including a triple and three RBIs for San Diego while Manny Machado and Tommy Pham had two hits each ... Machado had two RBIs.
Cubs 2 ( 6-2 ) Pirates 1 ( 2-6 ) - Eleven Innings
Kevin Newman hit a first inning home run for the Pirates and Kyle Schwarber doubled for the Cubs to score Willson Contreras in the sixth inning ... that was all of the scoring in regulation play.
After a 64 minute rain delay in the bottom of the ninth inning play resumed ... the Cubs didn’t score which sent the game into extra innings. Pirates Pinch Hitter Josh Bell singled to left field in the top of the tenth but Kyle Schwarber threw out Jacob Stallings at the plate to keep the game tied.
Javier Baez singled in the bottom of the eleventh inning to plate the game winner for the Cubs.
Chicago swept the series.
Pittsburgh used nine pitchers, the Cubs used five thanks to getting six frames from starter Jon Lester ( 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K’s ).
Rangers 9 ( 3-5 ) Giants 5 ( 5-5 )
Texas got home runs from Joey Gallo ( three run tater in the 7th ) and Shin-Soo Choo ( two run homer in the fifth ) to stave off a sweep in San Francisco. Gallo had three hits in the game including a double.
Jonathan Hernandez dominated in his two shutout no hit innings of relief for Texas to pick up the win ... he struck out four batters.
Evan Longoria and Chadwick Tromp homered for the Giants ... Donovan Solano was on base four times with two hits and two walks.
Starter Jeff Samardzija went 5 2/3 innings for San Francisco ...
Did ya know 🤔 ... that to start the 2020 season the Giants became the 1st team since 1901 to have none of their starters complete at least 5 IP in each of the 1st 8 games
Dodgers 3 ( 7-3 ) Diamondbacks 0 ( 3-7 )
Clayton Kershaw made his season debut for the Dodgers and picked up the win by going 5 2/3 innings allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out six batters. Three relievers ( Pedro Baez, Scott Alexander and Kenley Jansen ) pitched one hit baseball behind him to close out the win.
Mookie Betts had two hits including a home run and Cody Bellinger hit his first home run of the season for LA.
Merrill Kelly pitched relatively well in defeat for Arizona ( 6 IP, 3 R, 9 H, 0 BB, 4 K’s ).
A’s 3 ( 5-4 ) Mariners 2 ( 4-6 )
Ramon Laureano hit a three run home run in the fifth inning for Oakland and starter Chris Bassitt ( 5 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 K’s ) and four relievers ( TJ McFarland, Jake Diekman, Yusmeiro Petit and Liam Hendriks ) made it stand up for the win.
Center Fielder Kyle Lewis homered for the Mariners and now has a ten game hitting streak ... he’s hitting .425 in 40 AB’s
Shed Long Jr had two knocks for Seattle.
Astros 6 ( 5-4 ) Angels 5 ( 3-7 ) - 11 Innings
Albert Pujols hit a grand slam home run for the Angels in the third inning ... HR number 658 in his career.
Michael Brantley had three hits for Houston and Alex Bregman hit a home run.
Bregman singled in the top of the 11th to plate what would be the game winning run. The Angels loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th but lefty Blake Taylor pitched out of it to earn his first major league win ... Taylor threw 21 pitches in the game after appearing in last night’s game and tossing 20 pitches.
The Angels used eight pitchers in the game, the Astros used four ... reliever Framber Valdez went 6 1/3 innings for Houston ... 1 unearned run, 5 hits, 1 walk and 8 K’s in a stellar 86 pitch performance.
Yankees 9 ( 7-1 ) Red Sox 7 ( 3-7 )
The Yankees Aaron Judge hit two more home runs and has now homered in five consecutive games. He drove in five runs including the game winners in the eighth inning. Gio Urshela had three hits for New York
Xander Bogaerts hit two home runs and had four hits for the Red Sox.
Other Notes :
Did ya know 🧐 ... the road team has won 8 of the 13 extra inning games played thus far in 2020.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
