Astro-nomical Wins
The red-hot Houston Astros used four homers to power their way to a 7-2 victory and a series sweep over the Rangers on Sunday.
That sweep comes on the heels of sweeping the Orioles and Twins prior and gave the Astros their 10th consecutive victory overall, which matches the longest streak of any team in baseball this season.
The Astros reside atop the American League West and own the best record in all of baseball at 41-16. That record is the best mark through 57games since the juggernaut known as the 2001 Mariners posted a 45-12 mark en-route to their historic 116-win season.
George Springer has been on a tear at the plate and led the way again on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs. Springer has now launched seven home runs in his last eight games and a total of 16 on the season. He has hit safely in each of his last nine games and has collected multiple hits in each of his last six.
He led off the game with a solo shot off of Martin Perez, which was his sixth leadoff home run of the year. That ties Corey Dickerson for the major league lead this year.
Carlos Correa and Yulieski Gurriel also went deep for the Astros in the ballgame. The Astros as a team have clubbed 90 home runs this season, the top mark in the major leagues.
Aside from how impressive the offense has been, the Astros are getting by with a patchwork starting rotation. Aside from Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, none of the other five starters were locks to be in the starting rotation to begin the season. Mike Fiers has struggled for the most part, while Brad Peacock and David Paulino have excelled since joining the rotation.
It was Peacock who shut down the Rangers on Sunday, allowing just two runs on four hits over six strong innings while racking up nine strikeouts. The 29-year-old right-hander now sits at 3-0 on the season with an impressive 2.30 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 47/14 K/BB ratio across 31 1/3 innings.
The Astros will look to keep things rolling and extend their winning streak to 11 games when they open up a four-game set against the Royals in Kansas City on Monday. Mike Fiers will toe the slab for the Astros in that one against Ian Kennedy.
Hoffman-ia
These aren't your father's Rockies who do nothing but smash the baseball and can't retire opposing hitters to save their lives.
As a team, the Rockies own the sixth best ERA in the National League at 4.17. They're doing it with a combination of improved starting pitching and a lock-down corps at the back end of the bullpen that includes outstandingfree agent addition Greg Holland.
It was 24-year-old rookie Jeff Hoffman who stole the show on Sunday though. Called upon to make his thirdstart of the season in place of the injured Tyler Anderson, Hoffman shone bright against the Padres.
Hoffman was a first round selection of the Blue Jays (8th overall) in the 2014 draft. He came over to Colorado as part of the deadline deal in 2015 that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays. If he continues to pitch like this, the Rockies will look like they made out like bandits in that deal.
Hoffman racked up a career-best nine strikeouts while allowing just one run on three hits over seven dazzling innings. The only blemish on his afternoon was a solo homer surrendered to Hunter Renfroe.
He now owns a scintillating 2.61 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 26/2 K/BB ratio through 20 2/3 innings on the season. While it wasn't the Rockies' intention to keep him in the rotation, he could be forcing their hand with each impressive outing. He's certainly worth the gamble in deeper mixed leagues at this point despite the fact that his innings will surely be limited in some fashion this season.
Closing out Hoffman's victory on Sunday was ninth-inning specialist Greg Holland. The 31-year-old has been perhaps that top free agent addition in the league this season, converting each of his first 21 save chances while registering a 1.25 ERA and 30/7 K/BB ratio in 21 2/3 innings. He has combined with Jake McGee, Mike Dunn and Adam Ottavino to form a very formidable bullpen when protecting leads in the late innings, taking significant pressure off the Rockies' starting pitchers.
With Sunday's win, the Rockies now sit alone atop the National League West with a 36-23 record.
Prodigious Power
Since returning from the disabled list on May 12, J.D. Martinez has been an absolute monster. He was up to his sweet-swinging ways again on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with a homer and a double in a victory over the White Sox.
Martinez now has 10 home runs in his first 72 at-bats of the season. His towering blast on Sunday set a new franchise record for most home runs by a Tiger in their first 22 games of a season.
The 29-year-old is hitting .292/.409/.792 with his 10 long balls and 22 RBI in 22 ballgames. He's set to hit free agency following the completion of the 2017 season and could make or an interesting trade candidate if the Tigers fall out of the playoff race before the trade deadline.
Otherwise, the Tigers would be wise to lock him up to what will be a very lucrative multi-year contract extension as soon as possible.
American League Quick Hits: Nelson Cruz blasted his 14th home run in a victory over the Rays... Ariel Miranda pitched his first career complete game, allowing just one run on four hits in a win over the Rays... Khris Davis clubbed his 17th homer in a losing effort against the Nationals... Whit Merrifield went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Indians, extending his hitting streak to an MLB-best 19 games... Miguel Sano clobbered his 14th long ball to beat the Angels... Andrelton Simmons and Eduardo Escobar bashed knees during a collision at second base, though both remained in the game and are expected to be fine going forward... Jose Berrios improved to 4-1 with six innings of two-run ball against the Twins... Justin Upton launched a walk-off three-run homer to beat the White Sox on Sunday, completing the weekend sweep... Andrew Benintendi crushed a pair of home runs, providing all of the support Chris Sale would need in a victory over the Orioles... Josh Donaldson bashed his sixth home run in a win over the Yankees and has now slugged four homers in his last five games... Justin Verlander left Sunday's start in the third inning due to minor tightness in his right groin. He's expected to be fine for his next start... Mitch Haniger (oblique) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. He has been sidelined since April 26... The Orioles acquired veteran infielder Ruben Tejada from the Yankees for cash considerations... Devon Travis left Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist, but X-rays came back negative and he's considered day-to-day... Jesse Hahn (triceps) has been cleared to start on Tuesday against the Blue Jays... Carlos Rodon will begin a minor league rehab assignment with High-A Winston-Salem on Tuesday...
National League Quick Hits: Ian Happ clubbed a pair of home runs as the Cubs topped the Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball... Freddy Galvis homered from each side of the plate as the Phillies came from behind to beat the Giants... Odubel Herrera homered and doubled twice, plating three in that victory... Brandon Crawford homered and drove in four runs in a losing effort against the Phillies... Ryan Zimmerman clubbed a go-ahead three-run homer in a wild victory over the Athletics... Eric Thames launched his 15th home run as the Brewers shut out the Dodgers... Zach Davies fired six shutout innings to lead the way in that one... Ender Inciarte went 5-for-5 with a homer and five RBI as the Braves topped the Reds in a slugfest... Zack Cozart hit a pair of homers and tripled in a losing effort for the Reds... Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a homer, as the Pirates routed the Mets...Trevor Williams fired seven innings of one-run ball in that victory... Nationals' manager Dusty Baker admitted after Sunday's game that Jayson Werth's injured foot wasn't doing well and that the veteran outfielder is still using crutches to get around. A trip to the disabled list could be on the horizon... Josh Harrison was forced to leave Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch on his right calf... Brandon McCarthy (blister) is expected to make his next start on Tuesday... Scott Schebler (shoulder) is not expected to require a trip to the disabled list... Justin Turner (hamstring) is expected to begin his minor league rehab assignment later this week... Hunter Pence (hamstring) was activated from the DL on Sunday... Steven Matz (elbow) and Seth Lugo (elbow) will rejoin the Mets' rotation next weekend in Atlanta...
That sweep comes on the heels of sweeping the Orioles and Twins prior and gave the Astros their 10th consecutive victory overall, which matches the longest streak of any team in baseball this season.
The Astros reside atop the American League West and own the best record in all of baseball at 41-16. That record is the best mark through 57
George Springer has been on a tear at the plate and led the way again on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs. Springer has now launched seven home runs in his last eight games and a total of 16 on the season. He has hit safely in each of his last nine games and has collected multiple hits in each of his last six.
He led off the game with a solo shot off of Martin Perez, which was his sixth leadoff home run of the year. That ties Corey Dickerson for the major league lead this year.
Carlos Correa and Yulieski Gurriel also went deep for the Astros in the ballgame. The Astros as a team have clubbed 90 home runs this season, the top mark in the major leagues.
Aside from how impressive the offense has been, the Astros are getting by with a patchwork starting rotation. Aside from Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, none of the other five starters were locks to be in the starting rotation to begin the season. Mike Fiers has struggled for the most part, while Brad Peacock and David Paulino have excelled since joining the rotation.
It was Peacock who shut down the Rangers on Sunday, allowing just two runs on four hits over six strong innings while racking up nine strikeouts. The 29-year-old right-hander now sits at 3-0 on the season with an impressive 2.30 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 47/14 K/BB ratio across 31 1/3 innings.
The Astros will look to keep things rolling and extend their winning streak to 11 games when they open up a four-game set against the Royals in Kansas City on Monday. Mike Fiers will toe the slab for the Astros in that one against Ian Kennedy.
Hoffman-ia
These aren't your father's Rockies who do nothing but smash the baseball and can't retire opposing hitters to save their lives.
As a team, the Rockies own the sixth best ERA in the National League at 4.17. They're doing it with a combination of improved starting pitching and a lock-down corps at the back end of the bullpen that includes outstanding
It was 24-year-old rookie Jeff Hoffman who stole the show on Sunday though. Called upon to make his third
Hoffman was a first round selection of the Blue Jays (8th overall) in the 2014 draft. He came over to Colorado as part of the deadline deal in 2015 that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays. If he continues to pitch like this, the Rockies will look like they made out like bandits in that deal.
Hoffman racked up a career-best nine strikeouts while allowing just one run on three hits over seven dazzling innings. The only blemish on his afternoon was a solo homer surrendered to Hunter Renfroe.
He now owns a scintillating 2.61 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 26/2 K/BB ratio through 20 2/3 innings on the season. While it wasn't the Rockies' intention to keep him in the rotation, he could be forcing their hand with each impressive outing. He's certainly worth the gamble in deeper mixed leagues at this point despite the fact that his innings will surely be limited in some fashion this season.
Closing out Hoffman's victory on Sunday was ninth-inning specialist Greg Holland. The 31-year-old has been perhaps that top free agent addition in the league this season, converting each of his first 21 save chances while registering a 1.25 ERA and 30/7 K/BB ratio in 21 2/3 innings. He has combined with Jake McGee, Mike Dunn and Adam Ottavino to form a very formidable bullpen when protecting leads in the late innings, taking significant pressure off the Rockies' starting pitchers.
With Sunday's win, the Rockies now sit alone atop the National League West with a 36-23 record.
Prodigious Power
Since returning from the disabled list on May 12, J.D. Martinez has been an absolute monster. He was up to his sweet-swinging ways again on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with a homer and a double in a victory over the White Sox.
Martinez now has 10 home runs in his first 72 at-bats of the season. His towering blast on Sunday set a new franchise record for most home runs by a Tiger in their first 22 games of a season.
The 29-year-old is hitting .292/.409/.792 with his 10 long balls and 22 RBI in 22 ballgames. He's set to hit free agency following the completion of the 2017 season and could make or an interesting trade candidate if the Tigers fall out of the playoff race before the trade deadline.
Otherwise, the Tigers would be wise to lock him up to what will be a very lucrative multi-year contract extension as soon as possible.
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| Ariel Miranda |
American League Quick Hits: Nelson Cruz blasted his 14th home run in a victory over the Rays... Ariel Miranda pitched his first career complete game, allowing just one run on four hits in a win over the Rays... Khris Davis clubbed his 17th homer in a losing effort against the Nationals... Whit Merrifield went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Indians, extending his hitting streak to an MLB-best 19 games... Miguel Sano clobbered his 14th long ball to beat the Angels... Andrelton Simmons and Eduardo Escobar bashed knees during a collision at second base, though both remained in the game and are expected to be fine going forward... Jose Berrios improved to 4-1 with six innings of two-run ball against the Twins... Justin Upton launched a walk-off three-run homer to beat the White Sox on Sunday, completing the weekend sweep... Andrew Benintendi crushed a pair of home runs, providing all of the support Chris Sale would need in a victory over the Orioles... Josh Donaldson bashed his sixth home run in a win over the Yankees and has now slugged four homers in his last five games... Justin Verlander left Sunday's start in the third inning due to minor tightness in his right groin. He's expected to be fine for his next start... Mitch Haniger (oblique) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. He has been sidelined since April 26... The Orioles acquired veteran infielder Ruben Tejada from the Yankees for cash considerations... Devon Travis left Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist, but X-rays came back negative and he's considered day-to-day... Jesse Hahn (triceps) has been cleared to start on Tuesday against the Blue Jays... Carlos Rodon will begin a minor league rehab assignment with High-A Winston-Salem on Tuesday...
 |
| Ian Happ |
National League Quick Hits: Ian Happ clubbed a pair of home runs as the Cubs topped the Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball... Freddy Galvis homered from each side of the plate as the Phillies came from behind to beat the Giants... Odubel Herrera homered and doubled twice, plating three in that victory... Brandon Crawford homered and drove in four runs in a losing effort against the Phillies... Ryan Zimmerman clubbed a go-ahead three-run homer in a wild victory over the Athletics... Eric Thames launched his 15th home run as the Brewers shut out the Dodgers... Zach Davies fired six shutout innings to lead the way in that one... Ender Inciarte went 5-for-5 with a homer and five RBI as the Braves topped the Reds in a slugfest... Zack Cozart hit a pair of homers and tripled in a losing effort for the Reds... Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a homer, as the Pirates routed the Mets...Trevor Williams fired seven innings of one-run ball in that victory... Nationals' manager Dusty Baker admitted after Sunday's game that Jayson Werth's injured foot wasn't doing well and that the veteran outfielder is still using crutches to get around. A trip to the disabled list could be on the horizon... Josh Harrison was forced to leave Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch on his right calf... Brandon McCarthy (blister) is expected to make his next start on Tuesday... Scott Schebler (shoulder) is not expected to require a trip to the disabled list... Justin Turner (hamstring) is expected to begin his minor league rehab assignment later this week... Hunter Pence (hamstring) was activated from the DL on Sunday... Steven Matz (elbow) and Seth Lugo (elbow) will rejoin the Mets' rotation next weekend in Atlanta...
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