MLB Monday scores, highlights, updates, news: Slammin' Astros stay hot
Only eight games on Monday night, but we're still here to run everything down
Monday's schedule is relatively light as 14 of the 30 MLB teams will enjoy an off-day. Come check out our daily recap of everything that happened in the baseball world, won't you?
Monday's scores
- Indians 8, Rays 7 (box score)
- Braves 10, Blue Jays 6 (box score)
- Astros 7, Marlins 2 (box score)
- Diamondbacks 7, Mets 3 (box score)
- Angels 5, White Sox 3 (box score)
- Padres 6, Brewers 5 (box score)
- Mariners 6, Athletics 5 (box score)
- Giants 8, Dodgers 4 (box score)
Great pitching matchup turns into slugfest early
In running down the pitching matchups on Monday evening, the Rays sending Chris Archer to the hill against Carlos Carrasco of the Indians looked like it had potential to be a dandy.
It wasn't.
Carrasco would allow a Logan Morrison RBI double in the first inning before Archer was knocked around the yard for five runs in the bottom of the first. The big blow was Lonnie Chisenhall's three-run homer.
Carrasco wouldn't settle in and the score ran all the way to 7-5 Indians through four innings.
Archer would end up allowing six runs on five hits in five innings. He walked six.
Carrasco had to leave the start with pectoral tightness. Before he departed, he allowed five runs on six hits while walking three in just 3 2/3 innings.
We don't need reminders that baseball is unpredictable. We get them every day. The start between Archer and Carrasco was one. Or how about this, which came later in the game?
For the first time since they became teammates, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen each gave up a run in the same game.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) May 16, 2017
Still, the Indians had enough cushion to come out on top.
Slammin' Astros stay hot
The Astros entered Monday with baseball's best record at 26-12, having won 11 of their previous 14 games. They would go without a hit for a little bit on Monday against Marlins starter Dan Straily, but he took an Evan Gattis line drive off the arm -- and it was visibly swelling with him on the mound -- and was removed after the fifth inning.
It didn't take the Astros long to get to the Marlins bullpen. Yuli Gurriel clubbed a grand slam in the sixth inning:
.@el_yuly10's first career #PapaSlam is a LASER: https://t.co/GRa6gQvV8Dpic.twitter.com/gATie5nrFa
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2017
That was the Astros' third grand slam of the month, tying a team record for slams in a month -- and it's only May 15. Every other team has combined for only four grand slams this month, too, so it's quite the surge.
They would tack on a few more runs, including on a Jose Altuve solo shot, and cruise to victory. That's not surprising for them to win. That's what they do. They are now 15 games over .500 for the first time since 2005.
Giants are hot, too
Remember these guys?
It was last Tuesday when the Giants looked utterly hopeless, dropping a game to the banged-up Mets, 8-4, and falling to 11-23 on the season. They've won five of six since then, now on a four-game winning streak after taking down their rival, the Dodgers, 8-4, on Monday night.
Matt Cain worked 6 2/3 innings Monday, giving up only a run on five hits. Brandon Crawford had an RBI double to put the Giants in the lead for good in the fourth inning, too.
Again, remember these guys?
The Giants are still battling against the odds here. Sitting 12 games under .500 a week-plus into May is a pretty big hole and Madison Bumgarner isn't coming back until after the All-Star break. The outfield still figures to be a problem for most of the season and the farm system isn't bringing much any time soon.
Still, things aren't looking quite as terrible right now in San Francisco as they were a week ago. Plus, even if the Giants aren't going to contend, beating the Dodgers always perks them up in the Bay Area.
Diamondbacks power up
The Diamondbacks trailed the Mets, 1-0, through five innings on Monday. Jake Lamb then hit a solo home run to tie it up. It appeared initially that Paul Goldschmidt put the D-Backs ahead with a solo shot in the eighth, but it was determined in replay review the ball hit the yellow line. Goldschmidt was awarded only a double. The Mets decided to intentionally walk Lamb, which cleared the way for Yasmany Tomas' destruction here for a three-run homer:
Kiss it goodbye. #Crushedpic.twitter.com/mYSD0HdVrV
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2017
Jeff Mathis would add a two-run homer while Daniel Descalso would hit a solo shot. So Arizona hit three homers in the eighth along with one near-homer, putting a six-spot on the board and putting the thing out of reach heading into the ninth.
Arizona moves to 22-18 while the Mets fall to 16-21, thanks to a five-game losing streak.
Braves end Blue Jays' streak
For the first time all season, the Blue Jays had gotten hot. They entered Monday's game having won five straight and 11 of 15, climbing to within four games of .500. They hadn't been that close since they were 1-5.
The Braves would put a stop to that with a beatdown reminiscent of the Jays' first few weeks this season. The Braves' scoring was pretty steady -- two runs in the first, one in the second, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and four in the sixth. The big blow in the latter case was a Freddie Freeman three-run shot. In case you're wondering, he's still out of his mind, carrying a .338/.452/.738 triple slash with 13 home runs so far this season.
Also, he has gone deep off every team he has faced this year:
.@FreddieFreeman5’s played against 10 teams this season.
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) May 16, 2017
He’s taken all of them deep. (h/t @ESPNStatsInfo) pic.twitter.com/ThtMLBxgly
Have a year, Freddie.
Trout extends home run streak
On Sunday, we mentioned that Mike Trout had hit a home run in three consecutive games. He did it again on Monday, moving the streak to four. He's getting close to history. Only 20 players have ever homered in six straight games, with the most recent in the regular season being Chris Davis in 2012 (Daniel Murphy also did it in the 2015 postseason).
This home run was huge, too -- it gave the Angels the lead for good, following a tying three-run shot from Kole Calhoun. They are now 20-21.
On the streak, the record is eight straight, held by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993).
Trout entered the game hitting .352/.449/.738. The shot on Monday was his 12th of the season and 180th of his career. This makes Trout the 12th man in MLB history to reach 180 home runs through his age-25 season. If he has 20 more left this season, he could join Alex Rodriguez, Eddie Mathews, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Albert Pujols as the only players to reach 200 home runs through their age-25 seasons.
Padres win in homer-happy extras
The Padres jumped on the Brewers early Monday, building a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Brewers would battle back with the game eventually going to extra innings, tied at 4. In the top of the 10th inning, Eric Sogard hit another big home run:
Extras are for the nerds. #NerdPowerpic.twitter.com/PgllBTsPUE
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2017
Sure, this was only Sogard's third game with the Brewers, but on Friday, he hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth inning to put the Brewers up for good against the Mets. So he has had a penchant for the clutch so far.
It wouldn't win the game for the Brewers, however, as the Padres would get a runner on base in the bottom half to set the table for Hunter Renfroe's walk-off home run.
Drive. Home. Safely. #Walkoffpic.twitter.com/JoD8hf4eDG
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2017
Renfroe went 2 for 4 with a double, homer, walk, four RBI and two runs in the game.
Quick hits
- The Rangers have lost Carlos Gomez for four-to-six weeks.
- The Diamondbacks have placed A.J. Pollock on the disabled list.
- The Giants placed Hunter Pence on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. Mac Williamson was called up in his place.
- Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz had an MRI and it came back clean, so he's fine to resume baseball activities. He was removed from the game Sunday due to tightness in his triceps.
- Red Sox RHP Tyler Thornburg will have tests on his shoulder Monday after experiencing more discomfort and fatigue, according to the Boston Herald. Thornburg has yet to pitch due to ongoing shoulder trouble.
- Brewers RHP Junior Guerra will begin a minor league rehab assignment Monday, the team announced. Guerra left his Opening Day start with a calf injury and hasn't pitched since.
- Angels 3B Yunel Escobar is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, according to the Los Angeles Times. He suffered a hamstring strain over the weekend.
- Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera has a torn ligament in his thumb but wants to play through it, he told the New York Daily News. He aggravated the injury over the weekend and has lingering soreness.
- The Phillies are reportedly listening to trade offers for RHP Jeremy Hellickson. We're buying this rumor.
















