The Rays keep on winning, in spite of resembling an infirmary more than a baseball team. With six players already on the disabled list, the Rays add OF Desmond Jennings, victim of a knee problem, prior to today’s game against the Blue Jays. In the 1st inning, starter Jeff Niemann takes a ground ball off the bat of Adam Lind in the lower leg; he manages to throw Lind out and finish the inning, but is removed from the game; x-rays then reveal a fracture that will have him join the hobbled crowd for a number of weeks. Cesar Ramos succeeds Niemann on the mound and earns his first career victory as the Rays prevail, 7 – 1.

ByBaseball

The Rays keep on winning, in spite of resembling an infirmary more than a baseball team. With six players already on the disabled list, the Rays add OF Desmond Jennings, victim of a knee problem, prior to today’s game against the Blue Jays. In the 1st inning, starter Jeff Niemann takes a ground ball off the bat of Adam Lind in the lower leg; he manages to throw Lind out and finish the inning, but is removed from the game; x-rays then reveal a fracture that will have him join the hobbled crowd for a number of weeks. Cesar Ramos succeeds Niemann on the mound and earns his first career victory as the Rays prevail, 7 – 1.

The Mariners beat the Yankees, 6 – 2, in Andy Pettitte’s return to pinstripes after a one-year retirement. Justin Smoak and Casper Wells hit homers against Pettitte; Kevin Millwood picks up his first win for the M’s. Wells is a dutiful son on Mother’s Day, hitting his long ball after his mom, who drove all the way from Schenectady, NY to the Big Apple to attend the game, asked him to hit a home run to make it memorable.

ByBaseball

The Mariners beat the Yankees, 6 – 2, in Andy Pettitte’s return to pinstripes after a one-year retirement. Justin Smoak and Casper Wells hit homers against Pettitte; Kevin Millwood picks up his first win for the M’s. Wells is a dutiful son on Mother’s Day, hitting his long ball after his mom, who drove all the way from Schenectady, NY to the Big Apple to attend the game, asked him to hit a home run to make it memorable.

Another Mother’s Day hero is the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, swinging a pink bat in support of breast cancer research, who belts a walk-off grand slam off Manny Acosta of the Mets, capping a 6-run 9th-inning rally as Miami wins, 8 – 4. And he is not the only player to accomplish the feat, as the Reds’ Joey Votto also ends his team’s game with a slam, completing a three-homer game as Cincinnati defeats the Nationals, 9 – 6. It the first time that two games end on a grand slam on the same day since April 10, 1988, when Mo Vaughn and Steve Finley were the hitters.

ByBaseball

Another Mother’s Day hero is the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, swinging a pink bat in support of breast cancer research, who belts a walk-off grand slam off Manny Acosta of the Mets, capping a 6-run 9th-inning rally as Miami wins, 8 – 4. And he is not the only player to accomplish the feat, as the Reds’ Joey Votto also ends his team’s game with a slam, completing a three-homer game as Cincinnati defeats the Nationals, 9 – 6. It the first time that two games end on a grand slam on the same day since April 10, 1988, when Mo Vaughn and Steve Finley were the hitters.

The Rays and Orioles face each other in Baltimore tied with the best record in the AL East at 20-12. The Orioles continue their surprising start when they come out on top, 4 – 3, on Nick Johnson’s first homer of the season, off Joel Peralta in the 7th, after not playing in the majors in 2011.

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The Rays and Orioles face each other in Baltimore tied with the best record in the AL East at 20-12. The Orioles continue their surprising start when they come out on top, 4 – 3, on Nick Johnson’s first homer of the season, off Joel Peralta in the 7th, after not playing in the majors in 2011.

Brandon Inge drives in four runs as the A’s romp past the Tigers, 11 – 4. Detroit released Inge earlier this season, but he is now on a tear, becoming the first major leaguer since Lou Gehrig in 1931 to drive in four or more runs four times in a five-game span.

ByBaseball

Brandon Inge drives in four runs as the A’s romp past the Tigers, 11 – 4. Detroit released Inge earlier this season, but he is now on a tear, becoming the first major leaguer since Lou Gehrig in 1931 to drive in four or more runs four times in a five-game span.

The Royals’ Greg Holland, on a rehabilitation assignment in the AA Texas League, pitches a perfect 1st inning to start the game for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, on his way to returning to Kansas City. Chris Dwyersucceeds him, and keeps Springfield hitless for 6 2/3 innings. Brendan Lafferty gets the last out in the 8th, and Kendal Volz completes the 2 – 0 no-hitter, the second in team history. Wil Myers extends his hitting streak to 16 games by singling in the Naturals’ first run.

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The Royals’ Greg Holland, on a rehabilitation assignment in the AA Texas League, pitches a perfect 1st inning to start the game for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, on his way to returning to Kansas City. Chris Dwyersucceeds him, and keeps Springfield hitless for 6 2/3 innings. Brendan Lafferty gets the last out in the 8th, and Kendal Volz completes the 2 – 0 no-hitter, the second in team history. Wil Myers extends his hitting streak to 16 games by singling in the Naturals’ first run.

The Mets play their 8,000th game in franchise history, dropping a 6-5 decision in Miami when closer Frank Francisco allows the tying and winning runs to score in the bottom of the ninth inning. During the thousand game span, the Amazins have compiled a 515-485 record, with third baseman David Wright being the team’s top home run hitter and run producer with 143 round-trippers and 595 RBIs.

ByTom

The Mets play their 8,000th game in franchise history, dropping a 6-5 decision in Miami when closer Frank Francisco allows the tying and winning runs to score in the bottom of the ninth inning. During the thousand game span, the Amazins have compiled a 515-485 record, with third baseman David Wright being the team’s top home run hitter and run producer with 143 round-trippers and 595 RBIs.

The Baltimore Orioles become the first team in American League history to lead off the game with three consecutive homers

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Baltimore Orioles become the first team in American League history to lead off the game with three consecutive homers, as Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis go deep to open the bottom of the 1st; it has been done three times in the National League. The last team to homer in its first three at-bats was the Milwaukee Brewers on September 9, 2007. Hardy also was the middle man in that spree. Colby Lewis, who surrenders the three longs balls, exits with an unusual pitching line: 7 innings pitched, 5 hits – all home runs – one walk and 12 strikeouts. Adam Jones and Wilson Betemit also homer off Lewis, the latter following the lone walk, issued to Matt Wieters. Baltimore wins, 6 – 5, with Wei-Yin Chen getting the win over Lewis.

The Blue Jays sign veteran Vladimir Guerrero to a minor league contract. GM Alex Anthopoulos tones down expectations, explaining that Vlad must first prove in extended spring training that he is in condition, then play in some minor league contests before the Jays consider adding him to their roster. Indeed, Guerrero will not make it all the way back to the bigs.

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The Blue Jays sign veteran Vladimir Guerrero to a minor league contract. GM Alex Anthopoulos tones down expectations, explaining that Vlad must first prove in extended spring training that he is in condition, then play in some minor league contests before the Jays consider adding him to their roster. Indeed, Guerrero will not make it all the way back to the bigs.

The Yankees find out what it’s like not to have the greatest closer in history available to pitch for them, as David Robertson blows a 1 – 0, 9th-inning lead against the Rays. He loads the bases quickly, then gives up a game-tying sacrifice fly to B.J. Upton and a three-run homer to Matt Joyce as Tampa Bay wins, 4 – 1. These are the first runs given up by Robertson this year; he had been successful in his first opportunity to close in place of the injured Mariano Rivera on May 8th.

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The Yankees find out what it’s like not to have the greatest closer in history available to pitch for them, as David Robertson blows a 1 – 0, 9th-inning lead against the Rays. He loads the bases quickly, then gives up a game-tying sacrifice fly to B.J. Upton and a three-run homer to Matt Joyce as Tampa Bay wins, 4 – 1. These are the first runs given up by Robertson this year; he had been successful in his first opportunity to close in place of the injured Mariano Rivera on May 8th.