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Mets got 3 runs tonight but they can't hit worth a crap lately.Comment -
Red Sox might have avoided a DL with Hanley.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) "is said to be feeling better" and hopes to return to the lineup "in a couple days."
Ramirez avoided a serious left shoulder injury when he slammed into a side wall on Monday and has made nice progress since then. The Red Sox will obviously be careful with him, but it sounds like there's a chance he could return to action before the end of the week. Ramirez is batting .283/.340/.609 with 10 home runs this season.Comment -
Mike Leake tossed an absolute gem tonight against the Pirates...
He induced an amazing 19 ground ball outs in 8 innings pitched!
Leake also had a double and an RBI.
Leake
(W, 2-1)8.0 6 0 0 0 2 0 105-71 2.47 Comment -
Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander was given clearance to resume his throwing program Wednesday, the team announced.
Verlander underwent a third MRI earlier in the week on his injured triceps and was given the go ahead from his doctor to throw. Verlander has not pitched in a game yet this season after leaving his final start of spring training with triceps inflammation.
"He's got to start building up his arm strength again," manager Brad Ausmus said, per MLB.com, "basically from ground zero. We'll just have to see how it goes."Comment -
Nice day for Bryce Harper, 3 HRs 5 RBI, still amazing that he's never faced a pitcher younger than him in his 4th year in the league.Comment -
Alex Rodriguez hit #661 tonight to move into 4th ahead of Willie Mays.
A-Rod now has 7 HR's on the young season. I'd love to see him hit 50+
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Looking back:
I didn't think the Yankees would lead the AL East by 3 games on May 8th...
I didn't think the Astros would lead the AL West by 5 games on May 8th...
Jesus H. Christ! The Cardinals are 21-7!
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PITTSBURGH -- A.J. Burnett worked seven sharp innings Thursday night to pick up his first win to accompany a 1.66 ERA, as the Pirates' offense awakened to down the Reds, 7-2, and avoid a historic loss.
Starling Marte and Chris Stewart drove in two runs each, and Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 and scored twice for the Bucs, who'd totaled five runs in their previous five games in May. The Reds had won the season's first five meetings between the teams, and they were going for their first 6-0 start in a series that dates back to 1882.
Cutch's RBI single 5/7/15: Andrew McCutchen lines a soft single into left field, driving in Gregory Polanco to stretch the Pirates' lead to five runs
Anthony DeSclafani lasted only five innings for a third straight start for the Reds, and allowed seven hits and three runs. Todd Frazier's fourth-inning solo homer -- his 11th against Pittsburgh since the start of last season -- wasn't enough to overcome that. The Bucs then added three in the seventh off Kevin Gregg, two of them on Stewart's two-out single.
DeSclafani strikes out Harrison 5/7/15: Anthony DeSclafani strikes out Josh Harrison in the 5th inning
"I think the offense was the stopper tonight," Burnett said after halting the Pirates' five-game losing streak. "They came out swinging the bat, and showed the determination not to quit, not to give up. We got some pros going through some stuff, but they aren't phased by it, and that's more important than anything."
Stewart's two-run single 5/7/15: Chris Stewart lines a single to center field, driving in two runs to pad the Pirates' lead
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Burnett in the K-zone: Burnett's third-inning strikeout of DeSclafani (via a fouled-off two-strike attempt) was career No. 2,400. He became the 41st in history to reach that peak, but did not stop there -- he rang up pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker in the seventh to tie Dennis Eckersley (2,401) for No. 40 all-time. More >
Burnett's 2,400th strikeout 5/7/15: A.J. Burnett collects his 2,400th career strikeout, becoming one of just 27 right-handed pitchers to accomplish the feat
It's a 10: Frazier's two-out home run to left field on a first pitch from Burnett in the fourth inning was his 10th of the season, which gave him sole possession of the National League lead. It was also Frazier's fourth homer of the season vs. the Pirates. He has homered in five of his last eight games.
"It's great," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The thing is, I don't think he goes up there trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I think he tries to get hard contact. He's been hitting the ball from right-center field to the left-field line with power."
More struggles for Gregg: When Gregg took over for the Reds in the seventh, his team trailed by one run. After seven batters and only two outs, Gregg left down by four runs after giving up three runs, three hits and two walks to raise his ERA to 10.13 in 11 appearances. Stewart's lined two-out, two-run single to center field blew the game open for Pittsburgh. More >
Marte's RBI single 5/7/15: Starling Marte grounds a single up the middle, knocking in Neil Walker and giving the Pirates an insurance run
"Quite often it starts with a leadoff walk, and that got things going," Price said. "Of course, the big blow was Stewart fighting off that fastball inside and hitting it out to left field for a two-run base hit."
QUOTABLE
"Twenty-five hundred would be a good milestone; 2,400 is just on the way there." -- Burnett, setting a strikeout target for his career finish line, which he will hit at the end of this season
"Once we start keying on the good things, we start rolling, get the ball rolling here, it will be good regardless of if it's in our division or if it's out of our division. As long as we get going, ain't going to be anyone really stopping us." -- McCutchen, on beating a National League Central opponentComment -
I also didn't think the Buccos would be 8 GB in the NL Central!
Long season though, anything can happen!
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I don't like those Pirates Camo uniforms.Comment -
Burnett wants 2,500 career K'sComment -
Top-prospect Noah Syndergaard will make his major-league debut for the Mets on Tuesday in Chicago against the Cubs, reports NJ.com.
Mets starter Dillon Gee (groin) was placed on the disabled list Friday, opening the rotation spot for Syndergaard.
Syndergaard has had a strong season in Triple-A, going 3-0 in five starts with a 1.82 ERA, striking out 34 in 29 2/3 innings.
The Mets will move up starter Bartolo Colon to Sunday and Jacob deGrom to Monday.
Syndergaard's expected to be called up to the Mets on SaturdayComment -
Good luck to you, young NoahComment -
The Reds have to get rid of
Kevin Gregg !!!!!
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The Mets are legit. I see them hanging around all summer and perhaps even playing in October...Comment
