{"id":447,"date":"2008-05-12T02:37:06","date_gmt":"2008-05-12T09:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/12\/diamond-rundown-%e2%80%93-edition-six\/"},"modified":"2008-05-12T02:37:06","modified_gmt":"2008-05-12T09:37:06","slug":"diamond-rundown-%e2%80%93-edition-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/12\/diamond-rundown-%e2%80%93-edition-six\/","title":{"rendered":"Diamond Rundown \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Edition Six"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facts, figures and other tidbits from the sixth week of the \u00e2\u20ac\u212208 major league baseball season.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dynamic Duo<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 The Angels\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Ervin Santana <\/strong>joined teammate Joe Saunders <\/strong>with 6 wins after pitching a 4-hitter in Monday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 4-0 win over the Royals.\u00c2\u00a0 He did it in just 97 pitches and threw 69 strikes.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable I<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s amazing sometimes how that 98 gets hit and that 78 wins.\u00c2\u00a0 I think the law of gravity grabs it sometimes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Phillies manager Charlie Manuel <\/strong>on Jamie Moyer <\/strong>outpitching Arizona rookie Max Scherzer <\/strong>in Philadelphia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 11-4 win over the Diamondbacks.\u00c2\u00a0 Their pitch speed isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t their only difference \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Moyer is 45 and Scherzer is 23.<\/p>\n

Power Outage<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 The Giants\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Jose Castillo <\/strong>hit a home run in the 8th<\/sup> inning in San Francisco\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 12-6 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.\u00c2\u00a0 It was his first in 450 at bats.<\/p>\n

Lack Of Support<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Cincinnati\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Aaron Harang <\/strong>deserves better.\u00c2\u00a0 His 3.09 ERA has earned him a 1-5 record thanks to his lack of support from the rest of the Reds when he takes the hill.\u00c2\u00a0 The Reds have scored 2 or less runs in 4 of his 8 starts including 0 in their 3-0 loss to the Cubs.<\/p>\n

Career Day<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Luis Gonzalez <\/strong>had the first 4 hit game of his career on Tuesday.\u00c2\u00a0 He went 4-for-4, picked up an RBI and added a double in their 3-0 win over Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

No No-No Part II<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 White Sox\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 starter Gavin Floyd <\/strong>took a no hitter deep again and once again fell short.\u00c2\u00a0 On April 12th<\/sup>, Floyd took a no hitter into the 8th<\/sup> against Detroit before giving up a hit to Edgar Renteria<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This time, Floyd took the no hitter into the 9th<\/sup> before giving up a double to Joe Mauer<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Floyd was removed after going 8 1\/3 innings and Bobby Jenks <\/strong>closed it out to beat the Twins 7-1.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable II<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pretty pathetic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Philadelphia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Adam Eaton <\/strong>on his walking of Arizona\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Randy Johnson <\/strong>on four pitches with the bases loaded to tie the game on Tuesday.\u00c2\u00a0 The Diamondbacks ended up scoring 5 runs in the inning.<\/p>\n

Firsts<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Dodgers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Blake DeWitt <\/strong>got his 2nd<\/sup> major league homer the night after his 1st<\/sup> major league home run.\u00c2\u00a0 It was extra special because it was his 1st<\/sup> inside-the-park home run and gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead over the Mets in the fifth that held.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the first inside-the-park home run by a Dodger since Dave Roberts <\/strong>did it on August 9, 2003.<\/p>\n

This Week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Chien-Ming Wang Fan Club Update<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Yankees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Chien-Ming Wang <\/strong>fell to 3-2 in his 5 career starts vs. Cleveland.\u00c2\u00a0 Wang fans can rejoice though \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he is 14-0 in 19 starts against the rest of the American League Central.<\/p>\n

How Low Can You Go?<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Cleveland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Cliff Lee <\/strong>lowered his ERA to 0.81 and raised his record to 6-0 after 7 scoreless innings in their 3-0 win over the Yankees.<\/p>\n

Master Thief<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Boston\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Jacoby Ellsbury <\/strong>is 23-for-23 in steal attempts in his career.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the best start for a player on the base paths in 88 years.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable III<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My jaw drops to the ground, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how he does it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Dan Uggla <\/strong>when asked about Alfredo Amezaga<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spectacular defense.\u00c2\u00a0 The Marlins\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 center fielder robbed two Brewers of hits in Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 6-2 win on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

C is for\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Minnesota\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Carlos Gomez <\/strong>became the first Twin since Kirby Puckett <\/strong>on August 1, 1986 to hit for the cycle.\u00c2\u00a0 He lead off the game with a home run, tripled in the 5th<\/sup>, doubled in the 6th<\/sup> and singled in the 9th<\/sup> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Innocent Bystander I<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 The White Sox\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Mark Buerhle <\/strong>was so frustrated after giving up 7 runs in 5 2\/3 innings that he took a baseball bat to the dugout heater after being pulled in their 13-1 loss to the Twins on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable IV<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When Charlie got there and asked me if I was all right, I said, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcYeah, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going on the first pitch.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Philadelphia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Shane Victorino <\/strong>after being asked about his nasty collision with Arizona\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Conor Jackson <\/strong>at first base in the 8th<\/sup> inning.\u00c2\u00a0 Jackson left the game but Victorino stayed in, stole second and score the go-ahead run.\u00c2\u00a0 The Phillies won 5-4 over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Great Start But Not THE Greatest<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Arizona\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brandon Webb <\/strong>went to 8-0 with his win over the Phillies on Thursday.\u00c2\u00a0 While 8-0 is impressive, it pales in comparison to Baltimore\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Dave McNally <\/strong>start in 1969.\u00c2\u00a0 McNally went 15-0 and didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lose a decision until August 3.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable V<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If a hitter did something like that, it would be bush.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kind of interesting how a pitcher gets away with it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Cleveland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s David Dellucci <\/strong>on Joba Chamberlain<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fist-pumping celebration after the Yankee reliever struck him out in the 8th<\/sup> inning of a blowout.<\/p>\n

Closing Time<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Philadelphia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brad Lidge <\/strong>picked up his 9th<\/sup> save of the season and pitched his 17th<\/sup> inning without giving up an earned run since joining the Phillies.\u00c2\u00a0 His save on Friday included him striking out the side against the Giants.\u00c2\u00a0 Those 3 strikeouts brought his season total to 18 for the season.\u00c2\u00a0 The Phillies won 7-4.<\/p>\n

Innocent Bystander II<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Mets\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 closer Billy Wagner <\/strong>needed some work on Saturday so he was inserted in the game in the 9th<\/sup>.\u00c2\u00a0 Wagner couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make it through the 9th<\/sup> and gave up 3 unearned runs, 2 hits and a walk in 2\/3 innings of work in the Mets\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 7-1 loss to the Reds.\u00c2\u00a0 Wagner then headed to the dugout where he knocked over a water cooler.<\/p>\n

Finally<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 San Diego\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Greg Maddux <\/strong>became the game\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ninth 350-game winner on Saturday.\u00c2\u00a0 It took the 42-year-old 5 tries to finally get to 350.\u00c2\u00a0 It was his 15th<\/sup> career win over the Rockies.<\/p>\n

Multi-Hitting Streak<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Houston\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Lance Berkman <\/strong>got at least 2 hits in 7 consecutive games before finally only getting 1 hit on Sunday.\u00c2\u00a0 In those 7 games, Berkman went 20-for-27 and raised his average from .295 to .386.<\/p>\n

Believe It Or Not<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Cicinnati\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Corey Patterson <\/strong>was charged with an out even though he never made it to the plate.\u00c2\u00a0 In an odd turn of events, the Reds batted out of order in the 9th<\/sup> inning which forced David Ross <\/strong>to bat twice in the 9th<\/sup>.\u00c2\u00a0 Ross lined out in his first appearance but the out was charged to Patterson.\u00c2\u00a0 Then, Ross singled in his second opportunity in the inning.<\/p>\n

Notable Quotable VI<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll let us, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll try.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Marlins\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Jeremy Hermida <\/strong>when asked if he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to keep the pink bat he used on Sunday where Hermida went 2-for-4 and hit his 3rd<\/sup> home run of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 To celebrate Mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Day and raise breast cancer awareness, many major leaguers used pink bats on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Rays Of Light<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Surprised to see the Tampa Bay Rays 5 games over .500 after their 8-5 win over the Angels on Sunday?\u00c2\u00a0 You should be\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time they have ever been that many games over .500 in their 11 seasons.<\/p>\n

Stopper<\/u><\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Royals\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Brian Bannister <\/strong>pitched 8 shutout innings and gave up just 2 hits in Kansas City\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 4-0 win over the Orioles.\u00c2\u00a0 Before that, Baltimore had won 12 consecutive games and had not lost to Kansas City since July 25, 2006.<\/p>\n

Numbers Game<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

8<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Boston\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Daisuke Matsuzaka <\/strong>managed to get a win in his team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 6-3 victory over Detroit on Monday despite walking 8.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first pitcher to win while walking 8 since Doug Davis <\/strong>when he was with Milwaukee on September 28, 2006.
\n20<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 San Francisco\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Omar Vizquel<\/strong> returned from the disabled list to become the first Venezuelan to play 20 seasons in the majors.\u00c2\u00a0 Last year, he tied Dave Concepcion <\/strong>and Andres Galarragga <\/strong>who each played 19 seasons in the majors.\u00c2\u00a0 Vizquel batted 2nd<\/sup> and went 3-for-5 with a run scored in the Giants win over the Phillies on Saturday.
\n22<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 The Boston Red Sox set a team record with 22 consecutive steals before J.D. Drew <\/strong>was thrown out by Joe Mauer <\/strong>in their 7-6 loss to the Twins on Friday.
\n23<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 Cincinnati\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Joey Votto<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 3 home run performance on Wednesday was the 23rd<\/sup> by a Red.\u00c2\u00a0 The last Reds\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 player to hit 3 homers in a game was Aaron Boone <\/strong>on May 8, 2003.
\n33<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 The Rangers streak of 33 scoreless innings pitched, the 2nd<\/sup> longest in franchise history was snapped on Saturday.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite the Athletics finally scoring a run against Texas, the Rangers still won 6-4 and extended their win streak to 5, their longest since 2005.
\n39<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 St. Louis\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Albert Pujols <\/strong>has reached base in every game this season.\u00c2\u00a0 The 39 straight games streak is the third longest of his career.\u00c2\u00a0 In \u00e2\u20ac\u212201, he reached safely in 48 straight games.
\n92<\/strong>:\u00c2\u00a0 It took the Rays\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 James Shields <\/strong>just 92 pitches to complete a one-hit shutout against the Angels on Friday.\u00c2\u00a0 Shields retired the last 20 batters in their 2-0 win.\u00c2\u00a0 Brandon Wood <\/strong>was the only Angel to get a hit, a single in the 3rd<\/sup>. <\/p>\n

Grand Slams<\/u><\/strong>
\n<\/u><\/strong>Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay <\/strong>vs. Toronto (5\/8)
\nDan Uggla, Florida <\/strong>vs. Washington (5\/10)<\/p>\n

Walk-Off Archive<\/u><\/strong>
\nSingle:\u00c2\u00a0 Placido Polanco, Detroit <\/strong>vs. Boston (5\/7);\u00c2\u00a0 Carlos Lee, Houston <\/strong>vs. Washington (5\/7);\u00c2\u00a0 Matt Diaz, Atlanta <\/strong>vs. San Diego (5\/8);\u00c2\u00a0 Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh <\/strong>vs. Atlanta (5\/9);\u00c2\u00a0 Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee <\/strong>vs. St. Louis (5\/9);\u00c2\u00a0 Mike Lamb, Minnesota <\/strong>vs. Boston (5\/9)
\nDouble:\u00c2\u00a0 None<\/strong>
\nTriple:\u00c2\u00a0 None<\/strong>
\nHome Run:\u00c2\u00a0 Mark Ellis, Oakland <\/strong>vs. Baltimore (5\/7)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Facts, figures and other tidbits from the sixth week of the \u00e2\u20ac\u212208 major league baseball season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t