A jam-packed weekend of MLB action continued Saturday with 14 games, as the scheduled White Sox-Tigers game was postponed due to inclement weather. Here's everything you need to know about the day in baseball.
Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.
Baseball schedule/scores for Saturday
FINAL - Twins 9, Orioles 2 (box score)FINAL - Cardinals 6, Reds 3 (box score)FINAL - Blue Jays 7, Athletics 1 (box score)FINAL - Padres 8, Nationals 3 (box score)FINAL - Rays 2, Red Sox 1 (box score)FINAL - Astros 4, Indians 3 in 10 innings (box score)FINAL - Yankees 6, Giants 4 (box score)FINAL - Phillies 12, Marlins 9 (box scorer)FINAL - Brewers 8, Mets 6 (box score)FINAL - Royals 9, Angels 4 (box score)FINAL - Rockies 9,Braves 5 (box score)LIVE - Cubs vs. Diamondbacks (GameTracker)LIVE - Rangers vs. Mariners (GameTracker)LIVE - Pirates vs. Dodgers (GameTracker)POSTPONED - Tigers vs. White SoxNats bullpen melts down again in third straight loss
The bullpen nightmare continues for the Nationals. One game after Sean Doolittle gave up a ninth inning game-winning home run to Hunter Renfroe, three Washington relievers combined to allow six runs in the top of the 10th inning Saturday. Wander Suero (four runs) and Justin Miller (two runs) took it on the chin.
Manuel Margot's two-run single was the highlight of the six-run 10th inning for the Padres. Renfroe and Greg Garcia had sacrifice flies in that 10th inning, and Manny Machado was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as well. San Diego sent 10 men to the plate as part of the game-winning rally. Here's the video:
Following Saturday's meltdown, the Nationals bullpen now owns an MLB worst 7.34 ERA through 25 games. The Orioles, a team on pace to give up 399 home runs this year, are a distant second with a 6.84 bullpen ERA. They're half-a-run better than their Beltway neighbors. Here are Washington's bullpen ranks going in Saturday's game:
ERA: 6.99 (30th)WHIP: 1.63 (29th)Win probability added: minus-2.44 (29th)WAR: minus-0.2 (24th)Those numbers are only getting worse after Saturday too. Stephen Strasburg's gem (two runs in seven innings) went to waste and that is more of the same for the Nationals. They are now 7-10 in 17 games started by Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin in the early going. Washington has lost three straight games and they sit in fourth place in the NL East at 11-14.
Yelich ties April home run record
At long last, reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich has hit a home run on the road. His first 13 -- 13! -- homers this season came at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Yelich's first road homer of the year came against Mets righty Noah Syndergaard:
Here's the video:
Yelich leads MLB with 14 home runs, and, in fact, Saturday's blast tied a record. He is the third player in history to hit 14 home runs before May 1. Albert Pujols did it in 2006 and Alex Rodriguez did it in 2007. Pujols finished that season with 49 homers. A-Rod finished with 54.
Saturday's homer continues Yelich's all-out assault against major league pitching since last July. Here is the home run leaderboard since the 2018 All-Star break:
Christian Yelich, Brewers: 39 HR in 94 gamesKhris Davis, Athletics: 37 HR in 92 gamesRhys Hoskins, Phillies: 27 HR in 93 gamesJoey Gallo, Rangers: 26 HR in 79 gamesRonald Acuna, Braves: 25 HR in 94 gamesYelich has been playing at a 67-home run pace since last year's All-Star break. That is pretty incredible. He seems to have taken all that regression talk personally.
Sanchez breaks out of slump with grand slam
The Yankees are starting to get some of their players back from the injured list. Catcher Gary Sanchez, who missed two weeks with a calf strain, returned earlier this week, though he slumped initially. He went hitless with seven strikeouts in his first nine at-bats.
Saturday afternoon, Sanchez broke out of his post-injured list slump with a long grand slam against Derek Holland and the Giants. To the action footage:
Holland pounded Sanchez inside with fastballs in his first two at-bats and he tried to do it again there -- look where catcher Buster Posey wanted the pitch -- but missed out over the plate. Sanchez parked it halfway up the bleachers and followed with an "I don't need this anymore" bat flip.
The grand slam is the first of Sanchez's career and, at 467 feet, it is longest grand slam in the Statcast era. It is also the fourth longest home run in baseball on the young season. Here's the list:
Nomar Mazara, Rangers: 482 feet vs. Mark Montgomery (March 28)Josh Bell, Pirates: 474 feet vs. Anthony DeSclafani (April 7)Anthony Rizzo, Cubs: 472 feet vs. Tyler Skaggs (April 12)Gary Sanchez, Yankees: 467 feet vs. Derek Holland (April 27)Bryce Harper, Phillies: 465 feet vs. Jesse Biddle (March 30)Sanchez returned from the injured list last week. Troy Tulowitzki and Miguel Andujar could return next weekend, Giancarlo Stanton shortly after that, and Aaron Hicks shortly after that. In the meantime, the fill-in Yankees have won 10 times in their last 12 games. Rather than crumble amid the injures, the Yankees have thrived.
Vlad Jr. reaches base twice in second game
Friday night, Blue Jays super-prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his long-awaited MLB debut and he did not disappoint. He doubled to right field to start a game-winning ninth inning rally. It was his first career hit.
With the pomp and circumstance of his debut over, Vlad Jr. and the Blue Jays could get back into the normal day-to-day grind of baseball on Saturday. Guerrero went 1 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts in his team's blowout win over the Athletics. The one hit was an infield single. Here is a recap of Vlad Jr.'s second game in the big leagues:
1st at-bat: Strikeout looking with the bases loaded in the first inning.2nd at-bat: Lined out to second with a runner on first in the second inning.3rd at-bat: Lead-off walk in the fifth inning (technically not an at-bat, but you know what I mean).4th at-bat: Strikeout swinging with a runner at second in the sixth inning.5th at-bat: Infield single with a runner on first in the eighth inning.Guerrero also had to make two defensive plays at third base. Vlad's batting line is sitting at .250/.333/.375 through two games. His at-bats are crazy impressive. He is a 20-year-old kid who takes at-bats like a 10-year veteran. Guerrero is a special hitter with a special approach at the plate.
Kemp hits walks-off homer for Astros
It has been an uneven start to the season for the Astros. They went into Saturday's game with a 15-11 record, which is obviously good, though they had won only three times in their previous nine games. On Saturday, an unlikely source helped them to a tenth inning win over the Indians.
Tony Kemp, who is known more for his speed and on-base ability than his power, swatted a pinch-hit walk-off home run. Check it out:
That is Houston's first pinch-hit walk-off homer since moving to the American League in 2013 and their ninth all-time. Here are the club's last five pinch-hit walk-off dingers:
April 27, 2019: Tony Kemp vs. Adam Cimber, IndiansAugust 16, 2011: Brian Bogusevic vs. Carlos Marmol, CubsJune 26, 2002: Gregg Zaun vs. Byung-Hyun Kim, DiamondbacksJuly 24, 1997: Ray Montgomery vs. Ron Villone, PadresJune 8, 1990: Glenn Wilson vs. Randy Myers, RedsPinch-hit walk-off homers are pretty rare and also pretty cool, if you ask me.
Quick hits
