Max Scherzer ties the major league record by striking out 20 batters in a nine-inning game against his former team as the Nationals defeat the Tigers, 3 – 2. He now shares the mark with Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson. Scherzer does not issue a single walk in the game.
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.
Aroldis Chapman, in his first appearance of the season, strikes out three consecutive batters after issuing a leadoff walk, recording a save in Cincinnati’s 4-1 victory over Colorado. During a spring training game in March against Kansas City, the Reds All-Star closer was struck in the head by a line drive that resulted in surgery to repair fractures near his nose and left eye.
Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals retires the first 13 batters in his start against the Rockies. Combined with Shelby Miller’s 27 straight outs to end yesterday’s game, the Cardinals tie a record for most consecutive outs by one team against another at 40; the Texas Rangers had also performed the feat on May 3-4, 1996. A one-out walk to Todd Helton in the 5th inning ends the streak, but Wainwright keeps the no-hitter going until the 7th and ends up with a two-hit shutout, 3 – 0.
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 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.
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.
5/11/2011: After a two hour and 14 minute wait, the Oakland at Texas game was postponed with the Rangers ahead 7-0 after three and a half innings had been played. Texas scored all of its runs in the third, with four of them coming on Mitch Moreland’s grand slam, which would have been the first of his career, off of Gio Gonzalez.
The Indians’ 14-game home winning streak comes to an end at the hands of the Rays’ David Price, who shuts them down in an 8 – 2 win. The Indians have vaulted to the top of the AL Central standings on the strength of their success at home; logically, the team that finally beats them – the Rays – sports the best road record in the majors at 12-5.