Jason Hammel of the Rockies sets a personal best with 8 strikeouts before he runs into trouble in the 6th inning of a game against the Diamondbacks. He departs with a 3 – 2 lead, but the Rockies’ hitters go on a late-game power surge, with Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs hitting consecutive 7th-inning home runs to seal an 8 – 2 win. The Rockies have won 7 of 8, keeping pace in the surprisingly competitive NL West with the San Diego Padres, who have been making headlines with a sub-3.00 team ERA, and the surging Los Angeles Dodgers, who are 17-7 in May.

Mike Pelfrey pitches the Mets’ third consecutive shutout over the Phillies, 3 – 0 at Citi Field. The Phillies’ hitting woes started even before coming to New York, when they were shut out for eight innings by veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield two days before facing the Mets. The Mets’ own knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey, baffled the Phils in the first game of the series, followed by Japanese rookie Hisanori Takahashi in the second game. The Mets have only swept a series with three shutouts one other time in their history, during their Amazin’ year of 1969, also against Philadelphia.