As is the case on pretty much every Tuesday, it's a full slate of MLB action. Let's jump in ...
Tuesday's baseball scores
- Cubs 5, Tigers 3 (box score)
- Brewers 2, Twins 0 (box score)
- Red Sox 11, Nationals 4 (box score)
- Yankees 8, Braves 5 (box score)
- Phillies 3, Orioles 2 (box score)
- Blue Jays 8, Mets 6 (box score)
- White Sox 12, Reds 8 in 12 (box score)
- Rays 9, Marlins 6 in 16 (box score)
- Astros 5, Rangers 3 (box score)
- Rockies 8, Giants 1 (box score)
- Indians 6, Royals 4 (box score)
- Athletics 6, Padres 2 (box score)
- Diamondbacks 4, Cardinals 2 (box score)
- Mariners 4, Angels 1 (box score)
- Dodgers 8, Pirates 3 (box score)
Rays get weird in win
The Rays and Marlins played a 16-inning tilt on Tuesday. What everyone will remember is how it ended.
Leading 9-4 entering the bottom of the 16th, the Rays sent backup catcher Jesus Sucre to the mound -- no, the Rays were not out of pitchers at this point, they had Jose Alvarado warming in the top half of the inning. Sucre promptly gave up three consecutive hits before manager Kevin Cash tried going to Alvarado.
Unfortunately for Cash, the Rays had just used a mound visit, meaning they weren't able to make a replacement right away. Sucre got the next man out on a sacrifice fly, and Cash popped out to insert Alvarado, who promptly recorded the final two outs.
The Marlins broadcast speculated the Rays wanted to save Alvarado so they could start him on Wednesday. You might be overthinking things if you need to pitch your backup catcher instead of a reliever so you can start him the next game.
Nats' woes continue
Entering Tuesday, the Nationals had one of baseball's worst records over the last 30 games -- only the Royals, Mets, and Orioles had won fewer games. Their problems continued on Tuesday, as they lost a boat race to the Red Sox by an 11-4 score.
Starter Tanner Roark lasted seven innings, but permitted 10 hits and nine runs (all earned). That included a pair of three-run home runs: one to Eduardo Nunez, then another later to Xander Bogaerts. (J.D. Martinez would hit his 26th homer of the season after Roark departed.)
The Nationals' offense matched Boston's by recording 12 hits. Alas, Washington plated just four runs
White Sox win wild marathon
The White Sox and Reds played a crazy one on Tuesday night. To recap some of the highlights:
- The Reds led 4-0 after one, and 7-2 after five.
- Both Avisail Garcia and Daniel Palka hit two home runs apiece for the White Sox.
- A Garcia single tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth ... and he homered in the ninth to tie the game back up at 8-8.
- The White Sox broke the tie in the 12th with back-to-back triples.
- Hector Santiago struck out six of the seven batters he faced en route to a win.
- The Reds used eight pitchers, the White Sox used six.
- In all, the two sides combined for 20 runs, 25 hits, five errors, seven home runs, and 425 pitches.
Phew. What a mess. But credit the White Sox for staging an impressive comeback and winning an unforgettable game in an otherwise forgettable season.
M's win eighth in a row
The Mariners faced the Angels on Tuesday night, and notched a win, extending their winning streak to eight.
Wade LeBlanc, signed to an extension before the game, threw seven innings of one-run ball, fanning four and walking one. Nelson Cruz, meanwhile, launched his 22nd home run. Kyle Seager drove in two other runs, and that was enough for the M's to claim the W.
On the other side, the Angels have lost eight of 10 and are at .500 for the first time since the second game of the season. Their playoff aspirations are all but gone, as they now trail the Mariners by 12 in the loss column.
Shohei Ohtani had an 0-for-4 night with three strikeouts in his return to the Angels lineup.
Joey Bats returns to Toronto
Jose Bautista spent parts of ten seasons in Toronto, and the Mets' two-game interleague set against the Blue Jays occasions his first trip back to Rogers Centre since leaving the Jays. In his years there, Bautista put up an OPS+ of 136, cracked 288 home runs, and made six All-Star teams.
Suffice it to say, he's a Jays legend, and he received a warm welcome from the Toronto crowd. Click here for more about that story.
Quick hits
- The Nationals reportedly have interest in trading for Reds RHPs Matt Harvey and Raisel Iglesias.
- Ken Rosenthal reports that Astros C Brian McCann will undergo surgery on his right knee and miss the next four to six weeks.
- The Yankees have reinstated RHP A.J. Cole from the 10-day DL.
- Former MLB OF Shane Victorino has announced his retirement.
- The Blue Jays have released RHP Al Alburquerque.
