Sparks continue to fly between the Orioles and Red Sox. The whole ruckus started on April 21st, when Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was spiked on a hard slide by Manny Machado and had to miss a few games. On April 23rd, Matt Barnes was ejected for throwing a pitch behind Machado and was handed a four-game suspension. When the teams meet again at Fenway Park this week, more incidents follow: on May 1st, Orioles CF Adam Jonesdenounces racial slurs directed at him by spectators, prompting the Red Sox to apologize and take action by banning the offending patron. But bad blood flows again when Chris Sale throws a fastball at Machado the next day eliciting only a warning. Major League Baseball warns both teams to be on their best behavior before today’s game, but in the 2nd inning, Orioles P Kevin Gausman hits Xander Bogaerts and is tossed, even if the pitch was a curveball. Umpire Sam Holbrook explains that “there needs to be an end to this stuff”. For good measure, Jones is tossed out as well in the 5th, but for arguing balls and strikes. When the dust settles, Boston wins the game, 4 – 2, behind Drew Pomeranz and Craig Kimbrel.

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Sparks continue to fly between the Orioles and Red Sox. The whole ruckus started on April 21st, when Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was spiked on a hard slide by Manny Machado and had to miss a few games. On April 23rd, Matt Barnes was ejected for throwing a pitch behind Machado and was handed a four-game suspension. When the teams meet again at Fenway Park this week, more incidents follow: on May 1st, Orioles CF Adam Jonesdenounces racial slurs directed at him by spectators, prompting the Red Sox to apologize and take action by banning the offending patron. But bad blood flows again when Chris Sale throws a fastball at Machado the next day eliciting only a warning. Major League Baseball warns both teams to be on their best behavior before today’s game, but in the 2nd inning, Orioles P Kevin Gausman hits Xander Bogaerts and is tossed, even if the pitch was a curveball. Umpire Sam Holbrook explains that “there needs to be an end to this stuff”. For good measure, Jones is tossed out as well in the 5th, but for arguing balls and strikes. When the dust settles, Boston wins the game, 4 – 2, behind Drew Pomeranz and Craig Kimbrel.

Ryan Goins drives in two runners on a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning of Toronto’s 7 – 1 win over the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury catches his fly to deep center at New Yankee Stadium, but crashes into the fence and falls to the ground, allowing Devon Travis to score from second base, behind Justin Smoak. It is the first two-RBI sac fly in team history. Goins adds a two-run homer, as does Jose Bautista, to help the Jays win their third straight after a very tough month of April.

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Ryan Goins drives in two runners on a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning of Toronto’s 7 – 1 win over the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury catches his fly to deep center at New Yankee Stadium, but crashes into the fence and falls to the ground, allowing Devon Travis to score from second base, behind Justin Smoak. It is the first two-RBI sac fly in team history. Goins adds a two-run homer, as does Jose Bautista, to help the Jays win their third straight after a very tough month of April.

Matt Kemp has a three-homer game and drives in five runs in leading the Braves to an 11 – 3 win over the Brewers. Dansby Swanson adds a two-run homer and Tyler Flowers has four hits as part of a twenty-hit attack. Jaime Garcia is the beneficiary of the offensive outburst.

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Matt Kemp has a three-homer game and drives in five runs in leading the Braves to an 11 – 3 win over the Brewers. Dansby Swanson adds a two-run homer and Tyler Flowers has four hits as part of a twenty-hit attack. Jaime Garcia is the beneficiary of the offensive outburst.

Tyler Mahle of the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos needs only 89 pitches to throw a perfect game against the Mobile BayBears, 1 – 0. He strikes out 8 in pitching the first perfect game in the Southern League since 1970.

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Tyler Mahle of the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos needs only 89 pitches to throw a perfect game against the Mobile BayBears, 1 – 0. He strikes out 8 in pitching the first perfect game in the Southern League since 1970.

JaCoby Jones of the Tigers is hit in the face by a fastball from Justin Haley of the Twins in the 3rd inning, sending him to the hospital with facial lacerations. In the 5th, Matt Boyd throws a pitch behind Miguel Sano, who comes to blows with C James McCann while P Matthew Boyd is ejected by umpire Mike Everitt, along with Sano. The Tigers, who also place 1B Miguel Cabrera on the disabled list before the game, wins the game, 5 – 4.

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JaCoby Jones of the Tigers is hit in the face by a fastball from Justin Haley of the Twins in the 3rd inning, sending him to the hospital with facial lacerations. In the 5th, Matt Boyd throws a pitch behind Miguel Sano, who comes to blows with C James McCann while P Matthew Boyd is ejected by umpire Mike Everitt, along with Sano. The Tigers, who also place 1B Miguel Cabrera on the disabled list before the game, wins the game, 5 – 4.

Wei-Yin Chen and relievers Brad Ziegler and Kyle Barraclough combine to one-hit the Mariners, 5 – 0. Mitch Haniger breaks the no-hit spell with a one-out double off Barraclough in the 9th. It’s the second time in three days that the Marlins take a combined no-hitter into the late innings, as on April 16th, Dan Straily and three relievers had turned the trick on the Mets until Ziegler gave up a hit with two outs in the 8th.

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Wei-Yin Chen and relievers Brad Ziegler and Kyle Barraclough combine to one-hit the Mariners, 5 – 0. Mitch Haniger breaks the no-hit spell with a one-out double off Barraclough in the 9th. It’s the second time in three days that the Marlins take a combined no-hitter into the late innings, as on April 16th, Dan Straily and three relievers had turned the trick on the Mets until Ziegler gave up a hit with two outs in the 8th.

The Pirates are dealt a huge blow as All-Star CF Starling Marte is handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

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The Pirates are dealt a huge blow as All-Star CF Starling Marte is handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

 Eric Thames, back from starring in the Korea Baseball Organization, ties a team record by homering in his fifth straight game as the Brewers defeat the Cubs, 6 – 3. Thames hit 124 long balls over his three seasons in Korea and now has 7 in 14 games this season.

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 Eric Thames, back from starring in the Korea Baseball Organization, ties a team record by homering in his fifth straight game as the Brewers defeat the Cubs, 6 – 3. Thames hit 124 long balls over his three seasons in Korea and now has 7 in 14 games this season.

Seemingly back from whatever injury ailed him last year, Bryce Harper hits a pair of homers, including a walk-off blast in the 9th, to lead the Nationals to a 6 – 4 win over the Phillies. His three-run drive with two outs off Joaquin Benoit gives him 5 RBIs on the day.

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Seemingly back from whatever injury ailed him last year, Bryce Harper hits a pair of homers, including a walk-off blast in the 9th, to lead the Nationals to a 6 – 4 win over the Phillies. His three-run drive with two outs off Joaquin Benoit gives him 5 RBIs on the day.