May 17

Kris Bryant hits three homers in consecutive innings – the 7th, 8th and 9th – to lead the Cubs to a 14 – 6 win over the Nationals. He is just the 12th player to pull off the rare feat, and the second to do so in those particular innings. He goes 4 for 6 and drives in 5 runs in the game.

In a case of how the mighty have fallen, the Dodgers, coming off an appearance in the World Series and winners of five straight division titles, enter today’s game against the Marlins, who have just gone through an off-season fire sale, with an identically bad record of 16-26. Worse, the Dodgers have just lost six straight against the two worst teams in the National League, the Marlins and the Reds. They manage to stop the bleeding with a 7 – 0 win, thanks to 5 RBIs from Justin Turner in just his third game back after missing six weeks due to an injury sustained at the end of spring training, and 8 solid innings by Kenta Maeda. While they may look like they are already out of the postseason race given how much ground they have lost, they will turn things around to win the division again and return to the World Series.

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.

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.

Shortly after coming within one out of being no-hit by the Braves’ Shelby Miller, the Marlins fire manager Mike Redmond and bench coach Rob Leary. Justin Bour singles with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to break up Miller’s bid, but the Marlins still lose, 6 – 0, completing a three-game sweep. Expecting to compete this season, the Fish find themselves with a disappointing 16-22 mark.

The Marlins fire manager Mike Redmond (155-207), who had his contract extended through 2017 prior to the final game of last season as a reward for Miami improving by 15 victories during his second year at the helm. The 44 year-old skipper, after seeing his team get off to a disappointing 16-22 start, will be replaced by the team’s general manager Dan Jennings, who has never played in the majors and has never managed at any professional level.

The Diamondbacks set club records with 21 hits and 13 extra-base hits in defeating the Dodgers, 18 – 7. The D-Backs score 7 times in the 2nd as they chase Clayton Kershaw from the mound, but the Dodgers charge back with a five-run inning in the 6th. Paul Goldschmidt has two homers and 6 RBIs, including one off C Drew Butera, who makes his second pitching appearance of the week. For Los Angeles, Yasiel Puig hits a two-run homer off Chase Anderson in the 3rd inning, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, and his streak of games with an extra-base hit and an RBI to 8, a club record.

Danny Duffy pitches the best game of his career, taking a perfect game into the 7th inning before Adam Jones singles with two outs. His solid outing is necessary to make a 1st-inning Royals run stand up for a 1 – 0 win. Duffy is taken out of the game after allowing a lead-off single in the 8th, and the Orioles manage to load the bases in the 9th against Greg Holland before Nelson Cruz strikes out to end the game.

Justin Upton hits a 6th-inning grand slam to lead Atlanta to an 8 – 5 win over Los Angeles. Jason Heyward returns to the Braves’ line-up after his April 22nd appendectomy and has two hits and an RBI. Scott Van Slyke hits two homers in a losing cause for the Dodgers.

The Astros find yet a new way to lose. After blowing a 6th-inning 4 – 1 lead, they allow the Pirates to load the bases in the 9th, and with two outs, Edgar Gonzalez forces Russell Martin to hit an easy pop fly to shallow right field to apparently send the game to extra innings. But a backtracking 2B Jake Elmore crashes into RF Jimmy Paredes, who drops the ball and allows the winning run to score.