Khris Davis has a three-homer game, including a grand slam as the Athletics defeat the Rangers, 8 – 5. His slam off Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson ends the game with two outs in the bottom of the 9th after a two-run homer by Ian Desmond had put Texas ahead, 5 – 4, in the top of the inning.

The Braves fire manager Fredi Gonzalez and replace him on an interim basis by Brian Snitker, manager of the AAA Gwinnett Braves. With a record of 9-28, the Braves are off to the worst start in team history. Snitker will stabilize the team to earn the job on a permanent basis.

Emotions are still running high between the Blue Jays and Rangers, who met in a hard-fought Division Series last year. Today, things boil over in the 8th inning, when after being plunked by Matt Bush, Jose Bautistaslides hard into second baseman Rougned Odor, Odor reacts by punching Bautista in the jaw, triggering a brawl that leads to four ejections: the two main protagonists, the Jays’ Josh Donaldson and Texas coach Steve Buechele. Shortly afterwards, Jays P Jesse Chavez is tossed for throwing at Rangers DH Prince Fielder, leading to the ejection of coach DeMarlo Hale as well (Jays manager John Gibbons and coach Tim Leiper had been thrown out back in the 3rd inning). In the end, Texas wins the game, 7 – 6, with Bush earning his first career victory. On May 17th, MLB will hand out an eight-game suspension and a $5,000 fine to Odor, while Chavez and Gibbons get three-game suspensions, and Bautista, Leiper and Rangers SS Elvis Andrus one game each. Various other protagonists are issued fines.

In his final season, David Ortiz is still a master of the clutch hit. Today, he hits a two-out 9th-inning triple off Luke Gregerson to drive in Xander Bogaerts and tie the game for the Red Sox against the Astros, then hits a two-out double in the 11th off Michael Feliz that again drives in Bogaerts and gives the Sox a 6 – 5 win. The double is the 600th of his career, making him only the third player after Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds to hit 500 homers and 600 doubles; he had hit homer #513 in the 3rd inning.

Chris Heisey’s pinch-hit home run, his third of the season, marks the first time the Nationals have had two pinch-hitters go deep in the same game. Earlier in the contest, Stephen Drew, coming off the bench, blasted a game-tying two-run shot in the sixth inning of Washington’s eventual 5-3 victory over Miami.

Major League Baseball announces its decision in the case of SS Jose Reyes, who has been on administrative leave since spring training following an off-season domestic violence incident. While prosecutors decided to drop criminal charges, MLB comes down hard, extending Reyes’ suspension until May 31st, a total of 51 games, costing Reyes $7 million in salary.

The Red Sox’s bats are red hot as they score 11 or more runs for the fourth straight game in defeating Houston, 11 – 1. They are the first team to score in double figures in four straight games since 2007, and by also collecting 14 or more hits in all four games, match a feat last performed by the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics. Jackie Bradley extends his hitting streak to 18 games, longest in the majors so far this year. Boston has now won 14 of its last 18 games.

Today’s game between the Reds and Pirates features six hit batsmen, four ejections and four solo homers by Pittsburgh, which wins, 5 – 4, on a 9th-inning single by Jordy Mercer. Bucs OF Starling Marte and manager Clint Hurdle both get the heave-ho for arguing a caught stealing call in the 6th, but Marte’s replacement, Josh Harrison, later hits one of his team’s homers. For the Reds, P Ross Ohlendorf and manager Bryan Price are thumbed after Ohlendorf plunks David Freese following Mercer’s single.