May 19

The Rays have been experimenting with “bullpen days” all season, when the starting pitcher is not expected to go deep into the game, going all out for 3 or 4 innings before handing the ball over to another reliever, but today they take it even further. Short reliever Sergio Romo starts today’s game against the Angels, his first start in the majors after 588 appearances out of the bullpen, and is only asked to pitch one inning before handing the ball over to Ryan Yarbrough. The plan works perfectly as Romo strikes out the three men he faces – Zack Cozart, Mike Trout and Justin Upton, all righthanders – then hands the ball over to lefty Yarbrough in the 2nd. Yarbrough pitches scoreless ball until allowing a run in the 8th as Tampa Bay wins, 5 – 3. It is the first time a starting pitcher leaves after a perfect 1st inning since Ernie Shore had done so on October 5, 1915. Manager Kevin Cash is so pleased with how the scheme goes that he picks Romo to start the next day’s game as well.

The Rangers win their tenth straight game, 5 – 3, over the Tigers, thanks to homers by Mike Napoli and Joey Gallo while Nick Martinez wins a start for the first time since August 2015. However, they are still 6 1/2 games back of the Astros in the AL West, as Houston has won 8 of 10 during that span.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals connects for a walk-off homer off Yankees closer Andrew Miller in the 10th inning to give Washington an 8 – 6 win and put them into a tie for first place in the NL East with the New York Mets after starting the year 7-13. For Zimmerman, it is the 10th such home run of his career; for Miller, it’s a first blown save after converting his first 13 save chances of the season.

The Tigers see their 11-game road winning streak ended after a very long day. Having been delayed in leaving Boston, MA, they arrive in Cleveland only three hours before game time, then extend the game when J.D. Martinez hits a pinch homer in the 9th to require extra innings. However, Michael Brantley hits a walk-off homer off Al Alburquerque in the 10th to end the game, 5 – 4.

Miguel Cabrera hits three homers for the second time of his career, but it’s not enough as Texas beats Detroit, 11 – 8. Daniel Murphy hits a three-run homer in the 6th inning for Texas, to negate Cabrera’s 4-for-4, 5 RBI night. In his other plate appearance, the Rangers walk Miggy to load the bases, but Prince Fielder follows with a three-run double. For the Rangers, Adrian Beltre goes 4 for 5 with two doubles and Geovany Soto and Lance Berkman both have three hits.

Matt Moore pitches seven innings and picks up the win as Tampa Bay defeats Baltimore, 3 – 1. Moore is now 8-0, and has 9 consecutive wins for a franchise record; the 23-year-old is the youngest lefthander to begin a season 8-0 since Babe Ruth in 1917.

Brandon Morrow pitches a three-hit shutout for the Blue Jays, who beat the Mets, 2 – 0. Morrow is now 5-2 with a pair of shutouts and a 2.63 ERA after signing a long-term contract in the off-season.

After sitting on the bench for most of the season so far, veteran 1B Jason Giambi has the first three-homer game of his career in the Rockies’ 7 – 1 win over Philadelphia. He hits homers in his first three at-bats, driving in all 7 of his team’s runs, but fails in his last two at-bats to become only the 16th player to hit four dingers in one game. Giambi entered the game hitting .115 with 1 homer and 4 RBI; at 40, he is the second-oldest player to hit three home runs in a game, after Stan Musial who was 41 when he accomplished the feat on July 8, 1962.

After placing two of their starting pitchers, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, on the disabled list earlier this week, the Red Sox sign Kevin Millwood to a minor league contract and acquire Franklin Morales from the Rockies for a player to be named later; they also designate for assignment Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima. The veteran Millwood spent a month in the Yankees’ system earlier this year but asked for his release when it became clear that there was little chance he would be called up to the majors in the near future.

CF Angel Pagan hits the first inside-the-park homer in the history of Nationals Park in the 4th inning, starts a triple play in the 5th and for good measure makes a spectacular diving catch of Roger Bernadina’s line drive with the bases loaded in the 6th, but New York still manages to lose for the 9th time in 11 games, 5 – 3 to the Nationals. It has been 55 years since Ted Kazanski was the last major leaguer to perform the two feats in the same game.