Saturday's MLB slate included a pair of doubleheaders, giving us a whole 17 games to keep up with. Fortunately, we'll do the heavy lifting for you. Check back often for updates.
Final scores
Rangers 6, Nationals 3 in 11 (box score)
Mets 6, Braves 1, Game 1 (box score)
Rays 6, Athletics 5, Game 1 (box score)
Cardinals 7, Phillies 0 (box score)
Rockies 9, Cubs 1 (box score)
Pirates 7, Marlins 6 (box score)
Twins 3, Giants 2 (box score)
Royals 12, Padres 6 (box score)
Astros 3, Angels 1 (box score)
A's 7, Rays 2, Game 2 (box score)
Mets 8, Braves 1, Game 2 (box score)
Red Sox 11, Tigers 3 (box score)
Yankees 16, Orioles 3 (box score)
White Sox 5, Indians 3 (box score)
Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 2 (box score)
Dodgers 5, Reds 4 (box score)
Blue Jays 4, Mariners 2 (box score)
Rockies towering over competition
At this point we could probably just type in "the Rockies won" before the game even starts because these Rockies are playing unbelievable baseball right now. They drubbed the defending champion Cubs on Saturday, 9-1, for their seventh straight victory. Five of those wins came against last season's World Series combatants. During this winning streak, the Rockies have won a few close games, but have also bludgeoned their opponents a few times. In the seven games, they've outscored the competition 50-11.
Charlie Blackmon is having a monster season (.338/.384/.635) and did this to a poor, unsuspecting baseball on Saturday:
.@Chuck_Nazty sending souvenirs to the streets! #Crushedpic.twitter.com/w30WiFlgRy
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2017
Take note of the low number of runs they've allowed, though. Let's zero in on that. In five of the seven wins in the streak, including Saturday, the Rockies allowed just one run.
The feat was particularly impressive in the conditions Wrigley Field offered up Saturday afternoon. With the hot weather and the wind screaming out to center field, Wrigley plays like a bandbox, but rookie hurler Jeff Hoffman struck out eight and didn't allow hard contact at all until three straight singles chased him in the seventh. He gave up just one run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings while only walking one.
Hoffman overall only has a 2.33 ERA, but in his last three starts he's been amazing, allowing just three runs in 20 1/3 innings (1.33 ERA) while striking out 24 and walking just one.
Hoffman isn't alone as an impressive young arm for the Rockies this season. Antonio Senzatela (22 years old), Kyle Freeland (24) and German Marquez (22) have all thrown very well. Jon Gray, 25, will be back soon as well. Along with Tyler Chatwood (and Chad Bettis, who could also return soon), the Rockies are about to have a very unusual problem: too many good starting pitchers.
Team that with an excellent offense, excellent defense and a lockdown back end of the bullpen and you have the best team in the NL. That's what the Rockies are right now.
Cubs roller coaster continues
Taking nothing away from the Rockies, the Cubs seem to be back to the bad version of themselves again. They looked pretty bad a few weeks ago but then went 7-2 on a homestand. They followed that up with an 0-6 road trip. When they returned home and won five straight, it looked like maybe they were back on track. Instead, the Cubs have now lost four straight and sit a game under .500.
Could it be that the West Coast trip was just one of those things that happens and the three straight losses to the Rockies were simply the case of running into a buzzsaw? Sure, but the offense right now is pretty terrible while the defense and rotation are certainly worse than last year.
Through 61 games, it's pretty reasonable to say that this Cubs team is simply average or mediocre. It could change, sure. It probably will. There's a lot of talent in the organization. It's just that 61 games into the second week of June is hardly a small or fluky sample.
On the bright side, Cubs fans: Just imagine how much more frustrated you'd be without that 2016 World Series champions flag flying.
Yankees annihilate Orioles
The Yankees beat the Orioles 8-2 on Friday night. It looks like they took it easy on the O's compared to the utter dismantling that occurred in Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Aaron Judge hit his MLB-best 19th home run. Matt Holliday, Starlin Castro, Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez also got in on the fun with bombs. Nine Yankees got a hit, there were six doubles in addition to those five homers. Five players drove in at least two runs. Here are some highlights Yankees fans will like:
RECAP: We had a lot of fun tonight. And hits. And runs. https://t.co/vEVDZOrTZqpic.twitter.com/M0AGIzT24E
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 11, 2017
Perhaps the easiest way to sum this one up is to point out that through four innings, the Yankees had a 12-0 lead and Luis Severino had a perfect game going. So 12 runs vs. zero baserunners. That's as ugly as it gets.
Speaking of Severino, the Yankees might well have an ace on their hands. He's down to a 2.75 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 84 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings this season after his stellar effort on Saturday (7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K). In his last five starts, he's 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 37 strikeouts against eight walks in 33 1/3 innings. In six of his 12 starts this season, he's gone at least seven innings with two or fewer earned runs allowed.
Career day for Martinez
In 80 career starts before Saturday, we'd seen tons of potential in Carlos Martinez. We'd seen many ace-like performances. We hadn't seen a complete game.
He went out Saturday and threw like one of the best pitchers in baseball, firing a shutout with 11 strikeouts, one walk and four hits (three singles and a double). He lowered his ERA to 2.95 while the Cardinals' previously struggling offense busted loose for seven runs.
After what looked like the rock bottom moment of the season -- an 0-7 road trip -- the Cardinals have now pieced together two straight wins to climb to 28-32.
Newcomb shows potential in debut
In November 2015, the Braves traded Andrelton Simmons to the Angels. On Saturday, the most important piece of the payout made his big-league debut.
We're talking about left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb, who performed well in his virginal outing against the Mets. Newcomb lasted 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven batters, allowing four hits and no earned runs while walking two. That last statistic is particularly noteworthy, since he'd issued 33 walks in 57 2/3 Triple-A innings.
"AND THERE'S THE HOOK!"
— FOX Sports: Braves (@FOXSportsBraves) June 10, 2017
First-career STRIKEOUT for @Braves rookie @SeanNewk! #ChopOnpic.twitter.com/xedJlWH349
While Newcomb's trademark wildness wasn't on display, his fastball-curveball combination looked as good as advertised. He averaged around 93 mph with his fastball, inducing eight swinging strikes, and got four whiffs on 19 curveballs, according to Statcast.
Obviously it's just one start, and Newcomb will have to continue throwing strikes to live up to his lofty ceiling. But it was a positive showing all the same.
Mets get two big returns
Another noteworthy event in that Mets-Braves game? Yoenis Cespedes' return from the DL after missing the last six-plus weeks with hamstring issues.
Here's the story in two tweets:
Having Luke Jackson intentionally walk Conforto w/ 1st base open to load the bases for Cespedes... If it works, it works. But, stones.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) June 10, 2017
And one pitch later...it didn't work.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) June 10, 2017
Cespedes grand slam.
And here's a look at Cespedes' home run:
Brian Snitker will presumably not make that mistake again.
In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Steven Matz made his 2017 big-league debut and was brilliant. He went seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits. He only struck out two and gave up a few instances of hard contact, but overall the Mets have to be ecstatic with the results.
With Matz throwing like that and Cespedes back in the middle of the lineup, things are finally looking up for the Mets. They swept the doubleheader, too.
Bryce more than a bat
The Nationals led their game against the Rangers for most of the day before things became unglued for Koda Glover in the ninth. After two runs came home to turn a 3-1 lead into a tie game, the Rangers had runners on second and third with no outs and in perfect position to take the lead. A deep fly ball to right field seemed like it would do just that, until ...
Release the CANNON, @Bharper3407. pic.twitter.com/ovOcOG4XU6
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2017
That was an incredible throw by Bryce Harper, one that was ruled an out at the plate after review. The Nationals escaped the inning and sent it into extras, where things didn't exactly work out as the Ranges took home a 6-3 win. But still, give Harper credit for saving the game with his arm, rather than his bat.
Vargas' colossal shot highlights Twins win
Kennys Vargas hit this with some authority:
Whoa there, @kennys_vargas.
— #Statcast (@statcast) June 10, 2017
Thatâs 471 feet, the 3rd-longest homer of 2017. https://t.co/TC5NNSSySq#Statcastpic.twitter.com/L52zxVTPcP
MLB.com's Statcast measured that at 471 feet, which is the third-longest home run of the year. Some will scoff at the number, but keep in mind AT&T Park is 420 to that area. If Vargas catches that one earlier and it's down the line, it's a country mile out of the yard.
The Twins won the game, moving their record to 32-26, as they continue to hold down first place in the AL Central.
And, hey, remember how awful Jose Berrios was in his first MLB go-round last season (8.02 ERA in 14 starts). After his outing on Saturday, he's 5-1 with a 2.84 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 38 innings through six starts this season. He's a good lesson in not overreacting to a poor start to a career at age 22.
Fiers continues improvement for Houston
The Astros have a pretty good four-man rotation on the disabled list right now: Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Charlie Morton and Joe Musgrove. Sure, Musgrove will return Monday and the Astros have spotted themselves the best record in baseball, but the rotation injuries are piling up and tough to overcome in small spurts. The healthy starters just have to earn their keep. After an awful start to the season, Mike Fiers is starting to do just that.
Fiers' first seven outings yielded a 5.75 ERA. After 7 1/3 scoreless innings in an Astros win on Saturday, Fiers has worked his ERA down to 4.43. He's given up only eight earned runs in his last five starts (29 innings, good for a 2.48 ERA in this stretch).
This isn't anything new for Fiers. He's had lots of very good and very bad stretches in his career. The timing of him reverting to Good Fiers couldn't have been lined up any better for the Astros. That seems to be the way things are going for them in 2017, no?
Royals power up with nine-spot
I couldn't help but think back to the All-Star Game last July during this one. It was, of course, in San Diego, and both Salvador Perez and Eric Hosmer hit home runs. They did so on Saturday, too, along with Alcides Escobar and two shots from Lorenzo Cain. The five homers were the most the Royals hit since 2003.
Also, they had a nine-run eighth inning to completely blow the game open.
The Royals' 9-run eighth was their largest inning since they scored 10 against Cleveland on Aug. 23, 2006. They lost that game 15-13. #2006
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) June 10, 2017
Here's the blow by blow:
Cain reached on an infield single, Hosmer homered, Perez homered, Mike Moustakas doubled, Escobar singled, Alex Gordon was hit by a pitch, Cheslor Cuthbert struck out, White Merrifield hit a sac fly, Jorge Bonifacio was hit by a pitch, Cain homered, Hosmer struck out and then Perez grounded out.
Here's the Cain grand slam:
Lean back, GRAND SLAM!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 11, 2017
Lorenzo Cain tops off a 9-run 8th inning for the @Royals in the win over the Padres on @FS1. pic.twitter.com/VHmvHFGngM
The Royals move to 27-34 on the season with the win.
Quick hits
- Yonder Alonso started the day hitting .289. He collected seven hits in a doubleheader, moving his average to .314.
- The Twins could have a new target in mind at No. 1.
- We rank which managers are in the running to get fired first.
- The Brewers have placed Jonathan Villar on the DL, promoting top prospect Lewis Brinson in his place.
- Pirates SP Jameson Taillon will return five weeks after an operation for testicular cancer.
- Astros SP Dallas Keuchel (neck) will be shut down a week from throwing.
- The Mets activated OF Yoenis Cespedes from the disabled list.
- The A's placed SP Andrew Triggs on the disabled list with a strained hip.
- Yankees CL Aroldis Chapman is two rehab appearances from rejoining the club.
- Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton left Saturday's game after being hit in the wrist with a pitch.