May 5

The Reds homer on three straight pitches against Jeff Samardzija in the 1st inning of their game against the Giants, taking an early 4 – 0 lead, but cannot hold on as San Francisco comes back to win, 6 – 5. Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker and Derek Dietrich are responsible for the early barrage, but the Giants come back starting with a three-run homer by Buster Posey in the 6th. Posey then hits a one-out double in the 9th; Brandon Crawfordfollows with a pinch homer off Raisel Iglesias to break a 4 – 4 tie. For the Reds, Kyle Farmer hits a solo pinch homer off Will Smith in the bottom of the inning, but it’s not enough.

In pitching a perfect 9th inning in a 6 – 5 win against the Rangers, Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox becomes the 29th man to record 300 saves. He is the youngest to reach the mark at 29 (Francisco Rodriguez was 31) and has needed the fewest games, 494 (Mariano Rivera had done so in 537 games) and save opportunities (330, compared to 335 for Joe Nathan) to do so.

Coach Mike Martin of Florida State University records the 1.976th victory of his illustrious career when his charges defeat Clemson University in an NCAA Division I game today. He passes Augie Garrido, who died just a few months ago, as the winningest coach ever at that level.

The Rockies set a team record by scoring 13 runs in the 5th inning in beating the Giants, 17 – 7. Trevor Story leads things off with a homer off losing P Matt Cain, and drives in another run with a single later in the frame. Vin Mazzaro gives up 9 runs while retiring a single batter, and the Giants commit a pair of costly errors to add fuel to the fire. Colorado starter Chris Rusin drives in a pair in the record-setting inning and has a ten-run lead when he leaves the game, but as he only manages 4 1/3 innings, he doesn’t get the win, which goes to reliever Christian Bergman instead.

Pavel Budský becomes the first Extraliga player to 150 career homers (since they began tracking homers in 1993), as the veteran slugger hits a grand slam off Petru Balan for the historic hit. Draci Brno cruises to a 19 – 5 thumping of the Arrows Ostrava.

The Rockies continue to sport the best offense in the majors as they defeat the Rangers, 8 – 2, in an interleague contest. Nolan Arenado extends his hitting streak to 25 games with a homer off Martin Perez in the 2nd, while Troy Tulowitzki adds two homers and now has 9 on the year. The Rockies also bang out 7 doubles as Jordan Lyles, an afterthought in the starting rotation when the season began, improves to 4-0.

Justin Verlander makes a bid for his third career no-hitter, keeping the Astros hitless into the 7th inning, before allowing a one-out single to Carlos Pena; he gives up another single to Carlos Corporan but gets out of the inning with a double play ground ball and then leaves. The Tigers win easily, 9 – 0. Verlander is now 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA.

Not known for his hitting, Marlins SS Adeiny Hechavarria has 7 RBI in a 14 – 2 beatdown of the Phillies. Hechavarria hits a grand slam and a bases-loaded triple to help Kevin Slowey to his first win since September 18, 2010. Slowey’s opponent, Roy Halladay, gives up 9 runs over 2 1/3 innings in one of the worst outings of his outstanding career and complains of shoulder discomfort after the game.

The Indians pull out a 4 – 3 victory in 12 innings over the A’s to improve to 21-9, the best 30-game start in team history. The Tribe needs to use its entire bullpen to secure the win, obtained when Jack Hannahan hits a bases-loaded single off Craig Breslow in the top of the 12th. Cleveland adds another run, which will be needed, as its 7th pitcher of the night, Chris Perez, gives up a run in picking up the save in the bottom of the 12th.