sign in sign up
<<
Home , Aaron Hill (baseball), Alcides Escobar, Alfonso Soriano, Al Oliver, Andrew Susac, Ben Zobrist

MAJOR LEAGUE WEEKLY NOTES FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016 ORTIZ EXCELLING WITH TWO STRIKES

Boston Red Sox , who Player, Team Batting Avg. w/ 2 Strikes announced prior to the season that 2016 would be David Ortiz, BOS .309 (29-for-94) his fi nal season, has been one of the best hitters in the Majors through the fi rst third of the season. , WSH .289 (22-for-76) Ortiz is batting .335 on the year with a .415 on-base , OAK .286 (20-for-70) percentage, and he leads the with Jose Ramirez, CLE .284 (21-for-74) 23 doubles, 51 RBI and a .730 . , STL .275 (25-for-91) Victor Martinez, DET .275 (25-for-91) In addition, the 40-year-old slugger has proven to be one of the more diffi cult outs in the Majors, Aledmys Diaz, STL .272 (22-for-81) compiling a Major League-best .309 batting average Jose Altuve, HOU .272 (25-for-92) with two strikes. Among hitters with at least 75 plate .271 (23-for-85) appearances with two strikes, the next best mark in Martin Prado, MIA .267 (27-for-101) the Majors is .289 by Washington’s Daniel Murphy. Ortiz, playing in his 20th Major League season also leads the Majors with 23 two-strike RBI, is tied for fi rst with nine two-strike doubles and is second with eight two-strike home runs, trailing only of the White Sox (9).

Ortiz has helped the Red Sox to a collective .224 batting average with two strikes, good for fi rst in the Majors. The nine-time All-Star’s .309 mark with two strikes is even more impressive when compared to the Major League average of .173 in two-strike situations.

Team Batting Avg. w/ 2 Strikes Team Batting Avg. w/ 2 Strikes .224 (221-for-987) .170 (164-for-967) .210 (207-for-987) Chicago WS .168 (163-for-972) St. Louis .199 (191-for-959) .168 (174-for-1,038) LA Angels .195 (169-for-868) Minnesota .167 (161-for-966) San Francisco .192 (177-for-923) Washington .164 (148-for-905) Pittsburgh .187 (178-for-951) Cincinnati .160 (150-for-938) Arizona .186 (186-for-1,002) Tampa Bay .159 (151-for-949) Kansas City .186 (172-for-925) .158 (157-for-993) .185 (179-for-969) NY Yankees .151 (131-for-869) Baltimore .182 (177-for-974) .150 (156-for-1,037) .181 (163-for-901) NY Mets .150 (140-for-934) Colorado .180 (163-for-907) Milwaukee .150 (152-for-1,010) Oakland .175 (157-for-897) Philadelphia .147 (133-for-907) .173 (161-for-930) Atlanta .144 (131-for-909) Seattle .172 (156-for-909) LA Dodgers .143 (131-for-915) CARPENTER’S HISTORIC GAME PUTS HIM ASIDE GEHRIG AND MAYS

On Tuesday night, Cardinals Matt Carpenter went 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two triples and two RBI. It marked just the 11th such game in MLB history dating back to at least 1913, putting Carpenter alongside the likes of Hall of Famers and , among others.

In addition, it marked Carpenter’s second consecutive game with four hits. He became the fi rst Cardinals player with consecutive four- games since Bernard Gilkey did so on June 30-July 1, 1993.

Games with Four Hits, Four Runs, Two Triples & Two RBI, Since 1913

Player, Team Date, Opponent AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI , WSH August 24, 1923 at CLE 6 4 4 0 2 0 3 Clyde Barnhart, PIT May 30, 1925 vs. STL 5 4 4 0 2 0 5 Lou Gehrig, NYY June 12, 1928 at CWS 4 5 4 0 2 2 5 Lance Richbourg, BSN August 28, 1930 at PHI 6 4 4 0 2 0 3 Earl Averill, CLE July 24, 1936 vs. PHA 5 5 4 0 2 1 5 Jim Piersall, BOS May 31, 1954 vs. PHA 5 4 4 0 2 0 2 Willie Mays, SF May 13, 1958 at LAD 5 4 5 0 2 2 4 Jose Uribe, SF September 27, 1987 at ATL 5 4 4 0 2 0 2 , CWS September 23, 1995 at MIN 6 4 6 0 3 0 4 Willie Harris, ATL July 21, 2007 vs. STL 6 4 6 0 2 0 6 Matt Carpenter, STL May 31, 2016 at MIL 5 4 4 1 2 0 2

BRAD MILLER HALFWAY TO RECORD

On Tuesday, of the Rays recorded his fourth game of the season with at least one and one . Miller, who is tied for the Major League lead with four triples on the season, became the fi rst player to have a double and a triple in four of his team’s fi rst 50 games since Cincinnati’s Vada Pinson in 1959.

Hall of Famer holds the Major League -season record with a double and a triple in eight games during the 1913 season.

Over the last 30 years, only seven players have collected a double and a triple in more than four games of a season: Lance Johnson (6 in 1996); (5 in 1997); (6 in 2003); (6 in 2004); Stephen Drew (5 in 2009); (5 in 2011); and (6 in 2011).

Miller’s four such games this season are already the most by a Rays player in a single season, eclipsing the previous mark of three games (done nine times). 2016 SIRIUSXM ALL-STAR FUTURES GAME MANAGERS ANNOUNCED

San Diego Padres legend Trevor Hoff man and six-time All-Star outfi elder Moises Alou will return to the fi eld as managers in the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 10th at in San Diego. Hoff man, who currently works as Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations for the Padres, will manage the U.S. Team, while Alou, who serves as San Diego’s Special Assistant of Player Development, will lead the World squad.

The SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which is now in its 18th year, features the top Minor League prospects competing in a nine- contest as part of All-Star Sunday. The U.S. Team leads the all-time series, 11-6.

As part of its live All-Star Week programming, MLB Network will exclusively televise and MLB.com will live stream the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at 4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET, with , , and MLB.com prospect expert Jonathan Mayo on the call live from Petco Park.

Hoff man, who ranks second all-time with 601 career saves, played 18 seasons in the Majors, including 16 with San Diego from 1993-2008. The seven-time NL All-Star, who was drafted by Cincinnati in the 11th round of the 1989 Draft, also played one season with Florida (1993) and two with Milwaukee (2009-10). In 1,035 career appearances, the right-hander posted a 2.87 ERA and 1,133 over 1,089.1 pitched. The NL’s all-time leader in saves was a cornerstone of San Diego’s 1998 NL Pennant-winning team, notching a career-high and league-leading 53 saves along with a career-best 1.48 ERA. Hoff man, who is also an offi cial spokesperson of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game presented by MasterCard, fi nished in the top 10 in NL voting on four occasions. In 2011, the Padres retired Trevor’s 51, and in 2014, he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame. Also in 2014, MLB announced that it would annually honor the top NL relief with the “Trevor Hoff man Reliever of the Year Award.” Following his retirement, the California native worked three seasons (2011-13) for the Padres as a Special Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Offi cer, and one season (2014) as the club’s upper level pitching coordinator, before moving into his current role.

Alou, who was drafted by the with the second overall pick in the 1986 January Draft, played 17 seasons in the Majors as an outfi elder for the Pirates (1990), (1990-96), Florida Marlins (1997), (1998-2001), Chicago Cubs (2002-04), (2005-06) and Mets (2007-08). The right-handed-hitting slugger compiled a .303 career batting average with 2,134 career hits, 332 home runs, 421 doubles and 1,287 RBI. Alou was a key contributor of the 1997 Marlins World Championship team, contributing a .321 batting average with three home runs, two doubles, six runs scored and nine RBI over the thrilling seven-game Fall Classic against the . The two-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger winner (1994, 1998) fi nished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1992, and fi nished third in NL Most Valuable Player voting twice (1994, 1998). Following his playing career, Alou became general of of the Dominican Winter League, and under his watch, the club won four national titles in the Domincan Republic (2010, 2012-13, 2016) and two crowns (2010, 2012). In addition, Alou assembled the 2013 team that went undefeated en route to its fi rst WBC title.

The remainder of the coaching staff s, as well as rosters and umpires for the 2016 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game will be announced in the coming weeks. MEDIA WISHING TO COVER THE 2016 DRAFT

The media credential application for ’s 2016 MLB Draft, to be held at MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey on Thursday, June 9th, is now available at http://Credentials.MLB.com. Applications must be completed by the Sports Editor or Sports Director and received by MLB no later than Monday, June 6th. Media members may contact the MLB Communications Department at (212) 931-7621 or via e-mail at [email protected] for more information.

ALL-STAR FUTURES GAME FACTS

Thirty-three players on the 2015 American League and National League All-Star rosters were alumni of the Futures Game, including 12 players who were fi rst-time All-Stars in 2015. The 12 fi rst-time All-Stars last year were former Team USA members (2011-12); Zach Britton (2010); (2014); A.J. Burnett (1999); (2012); Shelby Miller (2010-11); (2010); and (2013); and former World Team members (2007, 2009); (2012); (2011); and Carlos Martinez (2011).

Those 12 joined fellow 2015 All-Stars and Futures Game alumni (2009); (2004); (2011); Adrian Gonzalez (2001); (2006); Dee Gordon (2010); (2003); (2011); Jason Kipnis (2011); (2011-12); Andrew McCutchen (2008); (2009); (2010-11); and (2007) of the U.S. Team; and Jose Altuve (2011); Jose Bautista (2005); (2001-02); (2005); Felix Hernandez (2004); (2005); and Francisco Rodriguez (2002) of the World Team.

Overall, there are 132 players who have been selected to participate in both the Futures Game and the All-Star Game since the inaugural Futures Game was played in 1999. In addition to the 33 mentioned above, the other 99 players who have been in the All-Star Game and in the Futures Game are Henderson Alvarez, Pedro Alvarez, , Danys Baez, Grant Balfour, , , Hank Blalock, , Domonic Brown, , , , , , , , , , Robinson Cano, , , Aaron Cook, Francisco Cordero, , , , , Edwin Encarnacion, Neftali Feliz, Jose Fernandez, , , , Carlos Gonzalez, Gio Gonzalez, , , J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart, , Roberto Hernandez, , , , , , , , , Jim Johnson, , , , , Felipe Lopez, Jose Lopez, , Victor Martinez, , Devin Mesoraco, , Matt Moore, , , , Carlos Peña, , , , Aramis Ramirez, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Alex Rios, B.J. Ryan, CC Sabathia, , Ervin Santana, , , , , , Kurt Suzuki, Julio Teheran, Chris Tillman, , , Jose Valverde, , Edinson Vólquez, Joey Votto, , Rickie Weeks, , , , and . YEAR CITY SCORE MVP 2015 Cincinnati U.S. 10, World 1 (CHI) 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 3B 2014 Minnesota U.S. 3, World 2 (TEX) 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R 2013 New York (NL) U.S. 4, World 2 Matt Davidson (ARI) 3-for-4, HR, 3RBI, 3 R 2012 Kansas City U.S. 17, World 5 Nick Castellanos (DET) 2-for-2, 2 2B, RBI 2011 Arizona U.S. 6, World 4 Grant Green (OAK) 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R 2010 Anaheim U.S. 9, World 1 Hank Conger (LAA) 1-for-1, 2B, RBI, R 2009 St. Louis World 7, U.S. 5 (7) Rene Tosoni (MIN) 2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, SB 2008 New York (AL) World 3, U.S. 0 Che-Hsuan Lin (BOS) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI 2007 San Francisco World 7, U.S. 2 Chin-Lung Hu (LAD) 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI 2006 Pittsburgh U.S. 8, World 5 Billy Butler (KC) 1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI 2005 Detroit World 4, U.S. 0 (KC) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI 2004 Houston U.S. 4, World 3 Aaron Hill (TOR) 1-for-2, 3B, 3 RBI 2003 Chicago (AL) U.S. 3, World 2 Grady Sizemore (CLE) 2-for-3, HR, RBI, SB 2002 Milwaukee World 5, U.S. 1 Jose Reyes (NYM) 3-for-4 2001 Seattle U.S. 5, World 1 Toby Hall (TB) 2-for-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI 2000 Atlanta U.S. 3, World 2 (SD) 1999 Boston World 7, U.S. 0 Alfonso Soriano (NYY)

VIZCAINO GETS THE K

On Wednesday night, Braves Arodys Vizcaino struck out two batters in a scoreless 10th inning, giving hime 33 strikeouts in 22.2 this season.

Among with at least as many innings pitched as Vizcaino (22.2), the right-hander owns the fi fth-best per nine innings rate in the Majors (13.10), trailing only New York’s Dellin Betances (17.53), Houston’s Michael Feliz (13.88), Minnesota’s Trevor May (13.67) and San Diego’s (13.13).

In addition, Vizcaino has fanned at least one batter in 19 consecutive appearances, marking the longest active streak for a reliver in the Majors. His 19 straight games with a strikeout ranks fourth all-time in Braves history behind three separate streaks of 26 (May 15, 2010-April 21, 2011), 20 (July 19-September 17, 2012) and 20 (May 20-July 14, 2012).

The only other reliever with a streak as long as Vizcaino’s this season was Milwaukee’s Tyler Thornburg, who also compiled a 19-game streak from April 6th-May 21st.

Aroldis Chapman holds the Major League record with a strikeout in 49 consecutive appearances from August 21, 2013-August 13, 2014. EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY (by MLB Offi cial Historian John Thorn)

Roberto Clemente Walker played the game as if it were his and his alone. His haughty stance at the plate, the way he snared fl yballs, and the way he slung the ball from right fi eld to third base were all unique. He won four batting titles and a dozen Gold Gloves. But it is not his on-fi eld exploits that recall him for fans today. As broke a barrier for African Americans, Clemente was and remains a beacon for generations of Latin American boys who dream of playing baseball on the big stage.

As a youth in Puerto Rico, Clemente sneaked peeks at his favorite player, , through the outfi eld fence. As a teenager he played in the same Puerto Rico winter league outfi eld with Willie Mays, and the scouts took notice. The Dodgers signed him for $10,000, although he received off ers nearly three times that after agreeing to the contract. A rule at the time stated that Clemente could be drafted by any team for $4,000 if he wasn’t brought up to the majors. Yet the Dodgers sent him to their Triple A farm club in Montreal, where Clemente felt he was treated oddly. The Dodgers were trying to hide him from the Giants, but this was never explained to him, and he was so hurt and confused by the way he was handled that he thought of quitting. He recalled, “If I struck out I stayed in the lineup. If I played well I was benched. One day I hit three triples and was benched the next day. Another game I was taken out for a in the fi rst inning with the bases loaded.”

After this disappointing fi rst season Clemente returned to Puerto Rico. While he was visiting his brother, who was dying of a brain tumor, a drunk driver plowed into his car. The crash damaged three spinal discs, an injury that would plague Clemente for the rest of his career.

When the last-place Pirates met after the 1954 season to discuss who they should draft fi rst, Clyde Sukeforth said to Pittsburgh general manager Branch Rickey, who had also been his boss in Brooklyn, “You will never live long enough to draft a boy with this kind of ability for $4,000 again.”

During his fi rst two seasons as the Pirates’ right fi elder gunned down 18 and 20 runners, respectively, on the bases. In his second year he hit .311. Clemente, and all of Pittsburgh, had a terrifi c year in 1960. He hit 16 homers and batted .314, and his 94 RBI led the team as they shocked baseball by upsetting the powerful Yankees in the .

Always a proud man, Clemente took it hard when he got the news that he had only fi nished eighth in the 1960 Most Valuable Player voting. It pushed him to try even harder. The next season Clemente changed his bat. To avoid over-swinging on bad balls he began to use heavier lumber and went on to enjoy 11 .300-plus seasons in the next 12 years. He won his fi rst batting title in 1961, hitting .351 with 23 homers, 10 triples, and 89 RBI.

That year Clemente missed the last fi ve games of the season because a had chipped a bone in his right elbow, requiring off -season surgery. Because of the aggressive way he played, he suff ered numerous other injuries. Unlike other players who declined to speak about their physical problems, Clemente discussed his aches and pains with anyone who asked. (“My bad shoulder feels good, but my good shoulder feels bad,” he once said.) His constant complaining about aches and pains didn’t sit well with Pittsburgh sportswriters, who accused him of being a hypochondriac, overlooking the fact that Clemente played more than 140 games for eight seasons in a row.

In 1964 and 1965 he won batting titles again, but the Pirates felt he wasn’t providing as much power as he could. Manager Harry “the Hat” Walker asked him to swing for the fences more often. Clemente responded by belting 29 homers and driving in 119 runs in 1966, although his batting average fell a dozen points to .317. His defensive abilities never suff ered. In one game, in a bases-loaded situation, a batter lined an apparent single to right. The runner on third didn’t see any need to hustle home; Clemente fi red a strike to the for a stunning force-out. Clemente won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1966, and he felt that the injustice of 1960 had been rectifi ed.

He suddenly became more open, eagerly taking the reins of leadership in the clubhouse. If a young Pirate had a problem, Clemente discussed it quietly. Manager Walker failed to get new Pirate to quit pulling every pitch and use a heavier bat, but Clemente spoke to Alou. The newcomer responded with a 111-point increase in his batting average and won the league batting title.

With the arrival of rookies Manny Sanguillen, , and in 1969, Clemente’s role as a leader became even more valuable. From 1969 through 1971 Clemente hit .345,.352, and .341. The Pirates honored him in 1970 at their new . Puerto Rican fans, who by now viewed him as a demigod, delivered a scroll signed by 300,000 people in Puerto Rico (roughly 10 percent of the island’s population).

More than 43,000 fans showed up for the festivities and game, which the Bucs won, 11-0. Clemente obligingly had two hits and made a great catch of a line drive. He also made a running, diving grab of a foul popup by Denis Menke that meant absolutely nothing to the outcome of the game and tore his knee open in the process. “It’s the only way I know how to play baseball,” he explained.

His intensity and skill received their fi nest showcase in 1971. The Pirates knocked off the Giants in the 1971 National League Championship Series, with Clemente hitting .333 and driving in four runs. In the World Series against the favored , Clemente hit in all seven games, batting .414 and slugging .759. Writer Roger Angell said, “Clemente played a kind of baseball that none of us had ever seen before — throwing and running and hitting at something close to the level of absolute perfection.”

Clemente would never scale such heights again. Injuries allowed him to play in only 102 games in 1972, but he still hit .312. His double off the Mets’ on September 30 was his 3,000th hit. The Pirates again made it to the NLCS but lost on ’s in the ninth inning of the fi nal game.

In late December of that year a devastating earthquake struck Nicaragua. More than 6,000 people were killed, 20,000 injured, and tens of thousands left homeless. Clemente raised money and other contributions to help the survivors. As always, he was tireless, pleading for donations personally, negotiating discounts with airlines for transporting the materials, and packing and loading boxes for shipment. While Puerto Rico celebrated the holidays, Clemente was working 16-hour days to see that earthquake victims received what they needed.

After hearing that some of the supplies sent to Nicaragua were not getting to the right people, Clemente decided to take matters into his own hands. He decided to fl y to Nicaragua in a cargo plane and make sure that distribution was carried out properly. On New Year’s Eve he boarded an overloaded DC-7 that he had rented for $4,000 to fl y to Nicaragua. The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff .

New Year’s Day was to have been a day of great celebration in Puerto Rico, with a new governor being inaugurated. Instead, the inaugural festivities were canceled, and the entire Pirates team fl ew to Puerto Rico for the funeral.

The Hall of Fame waived the fi ve-year wait between last playing appearance and eligibility for Clemente, as it had done earlier for Lou Gehrig. The fi rst Latin player so honored, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the same day as his boyhood idol, Monte Irvin. In 1971 the Commissioner’s Offi ce had started an annual award to the player who best exemplifi ed baseball on and off the fi eld; in 1973 it was renamed the .

More than 20 years after his death, a video about Clemente on the Three Rivers Stadium scoreboard produced instant, awestruck silence, followed by respectful applause and cheers touched with sadness. A statue of him was unveiled at Three Rivers Stadium at the 1994 All-Star Game. He had said in the late 1960s, “If you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this earth.” MLB ON-AIR THIS WEEK (All Times ET)

Friday, June 3rd: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals 8:15 p.m. Saturday, June 4th: at Chicago Cubs 2:20 p.m. at Dodgers 10:10 p.m. at 10:10 p.m. Sunday, June 5th: at Baltimore Orioles 1:35 p.m. at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday, June 7th: Cleveland Indians at 10:10 p.m. Boston Red Sox at San Francisco Giants 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 8th: Chicago Cubs at 1:05 p.m. Toronto Blue Jays at 1:08 p.m. at New York Yankees 7:05 p.m. at Baltimore Orioles 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, June 4th: at (FS1) 4:10 p.m. San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals 7:15 p.m. New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles 7:15 p.m. Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians 7:15 p.m.

Sunday, June 5th: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals 8:05 p.m.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Through 804 games played this season (through Thursday), Major League Baseball has had 517 replay reviews, which have taken an average of one minute and forty-three seconds.

*517 Replay Reviews *145 Confi rmed (28.0%) *137 Stands (26.5%) *232 Overturned (44.9%) *2 Rules Check (0.4%) *1 Record Keeping (0.2%) *1:43 Average Time LINE DRIVES (Compiled from Club Game Notes)

MAY FLOWERS: Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman went 5-0 in May, becoming the fi rst Oriole to win fi ve-or- more games without a loss in a month since he himself went 6-0 in June 2013. According to Elias, he became the fi rst Orioles pitcher with a record of 5-0 or better in two separate months since Hall of Famer went 6-0 in September 1977 and 5-0 in September 1978.

INTO THE FRANCHISE ANNALS: Going 2-for-4 (with a home and an infi eld single) on Tuesday, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy collected his 46th and 47th hits in May, tying the franchise record (Nationals/ Expos) for his in a single calendar month. Murphy, who had already set the Nationals record (2005-present) for hits in a month by soaring past the previous high of 40, joined outfi elder Al Oliver (August 1982) and outfi elder (June 1994) as the record holders. • Murphy fi nished the month of May with his MLB-best 26th multi-hit game, bringing his totals for the month (29 games) to 47-for-113 (.416) with eight doubles, seven home runs, 32 singles, 23 RBI, two walks, 17 runs scored and 14 multi-hit games. • The 47 hits, a career high in a single month for Murphy (40, July 2011), are also the most recorded by any National League player in any calendar month since Melky Cabrera piled up 51 hits for the San Francisco Giants in May 2012. • Murphy enters play on Thursday leading the Majors in multi-hit games (26), batting average (.397) and hits (77). He also ranks among MLB hitters in OPS (2nd, 1.062), slugging percentage (2nd, .634), on-base percentage (3rd, .428) and doubles (T11th, 15). • According to Elias, the last qualifi ed player in his fi rst season with a new team who possessed as high a batting average through May as Murphy was for the 1996 Baltimore Orioles (.397). • Having played in 52 of the Nationals’ 54 games, Murphy has at least two hits in half of the games he’s played in. He has also hit safely in 28 of his last 32 games (including 11 straight), going 51-for-125 (.408) with eight doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 25 RBI and 21 runs scored.

PROFAR GOES DEEP: Jurickson Profar’s fi fth inning homer on Tuesday was his fi rst in the Majors since September 26, 2013 against the Angels when he was 20 years old. According to Elias, he is just the second player in the last 25 years to homer at age 20 or younger and not hit his next Major League long ball until at least age 23. The other player was Seattle’s Chris Snelling, who homered on May 29, 2002 at age 20 and not again until August 8, 2005 at age 23. Profar was the 15th diff erent Ranger to homer in 2016, tied with the for most in the Majors.

BUSTER AND MADISON: Giants catcher has started at catcher in each of Madison Bumgarner’s last 45 starts, the longest current streak for any two batterymates in the Majors. The last player other than Posey to start at catcher for Bumgarner was Andrew Susac on September 17, 2014. Posey has also started behind the plate in all 12 games that Bumgarner has started in his career during the Postseason.

PADRES : Alexei Ramirez collected a career-high tying fi ve RBI on Tuesday night to go along with two home runs. According to Elias, he became just the third to have fi ve RBI in a game for the Padres, joining , who had fi ve RBI on August 17, 1977, and , who had six RBI on May 18, 2005. In addition, Ramirez is now just the second Padres shortstop to have a multi-homer game at Petco Park, joining Greene, who had seven multi-homer games in his six seasons with San Diego, including three at Petco Park.

JULIO TEHERAN: Since allowing a career-high-tying eight runs in a 20-6 loss to the New York Yankees on August 30, 2015, the right-hander has allowed two earned runs-or-less in 14 of 17 starts, while compiling a 2.35 ERA (28 earned runs in 107.1 innings pitched). His ERA over that span (since September 4, 2015) is ninth-best in the Majors among pitchers with at least 90.0 innings in that stretch. THE SEDONA SUBMARINE: Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler has recorded a club-record 38 consecutive chances, marking the longest active streak in the Majors and tied for the 12th-longest all-time with Trevor Hoff man (2005) and Jose Mesa (1995). Mike Gonzalez ranks 11th with 39 saves in a row.

LEADING THINGS OFF: Cubs outfi elder Dexter Fowler leads the Majors, having reached base safely to start a game 24 times this season, including each of his last fi ve games since May 28th. of the Angels is second, having reached to lead off a game 22 times. This is the second time this season Fowler has reached safely to start a game in fi ve straight contests (also a six‐game stretch, April 28th-May 4th). Fowler is already one of four Cubs since at least 1946 to lead off six straight games by reaching base, joining: Alfonso Soriano (six games, May 13‐18, 2008); Mel Hall (six games, June 5‐11, 1983); and (seven games, June 28‐July 4, 1960). Fowler’s .432 on‐base percentage this season is second in baseball, trailing only teammate (.439). Fowler has a .953 OPS, fourth‐best in the NL.

TROUT IN ELITE COMPANY: Mike Trout hit career number 150 last weekend, becoming one of eight players in Major League history to hit 150 home runs and score 500 runs in their age-24 season or younger. The others include Hall of Famers , , Jimmie Fox and , as well as 2016 Hall of Fame electee Ken Griff ey Jr., of the Yankees and Trout’s teammate .

SAVING GRACE: On Thursday, converted his eighth save in eight chances this season. For the fi fth consecutive season, a diff erent Yankees reliever has converted each of his fi rst eight save opportunities without a blown save: Chapman (fi rst eight in 2016), (fi rst 24 in 2015), David Robertson (fi rst nine in 2014), (fi rst 18 in 2013), (fi rst nine in 2012). According to Elias, from 2012-15, the Yankees became the fi rst Major League team since saves became an offi cial stat in 1969 to have four diff erent pitchers record at least 35 saves in four consecutive seasons. Chapman is one of three AL pitchers with at least eight saves and a 100.0% conversion rate this season, along with Baltimore’s Zach Britton (15-for-15) and Tampa Bay’s Alex Colome (12-for-12).

OWNING INTERLEAGUE: The Pittsburgh Pirates have posted a 59-41 record during Interleague play since took over managerial duties in 2011. That’s the best record by any National League team and the third-best mark in the Majors behind the Yankees (60-39) and the Red Sox (62-41).

X FACTOR: Boston’s is in the midst of a career-best 26-game , tied for the second-longest ever by a Sox shortstop, behind only Nomar Garciaparra’s 30-game stretch in 1997. Nomar also hit in 26 straight in 2003, while Johnny Pesky hit in 26 consecutive games in 1947. During Bogaerts’ streak, which began on May 6th, he is 45-for-117 (.385) with a .581 slugging percentage, eight doubles, fi ve home runs, 23 runs scored and 20 RBI. Xander has hit safely in 38 of his last 40 games, and he leads the Majors with 275 hits and ranks second with a .327 batting average since the start of 2015 (Miguel Cabrera, .329). His 79 hits this season lead the Majors and his .348 average ranks second behind only Washington’s Daniel Murphy (.394).

WILL THE THRILL: Astros reliever has now rattled off 23 consecutive scoreless appearances (23.1 innings pitched), which is the longest active scoreless innings streak in the Majors, and tied with Billy Wagner (23.1, 1999) for the third-longest in Astros history behind only Dave Smith (27.2 innings, 1987) and Joe Sambito (26.2 innings, 1979),

MARLINS DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE: Miami’s collective group of outfi elders is batting at a .301 clip this season, marking the highest average of any team in the Majors, just ahead of the Pirates (.291). The Marlins outfi eld is tied with Pittsburgh for second in MLB in hits (188), behind only Colorado (190), and tied for third in home runs (27), behind the Mets (31) and Boston (29). ranks second among all qualifying Major League outfi elders in average (.332), behind Ryan Braun (.338), while ranks fourth at .323. , who has seen action in 22 games in the outfi eld and doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify, has hit .325 (25-for-77). INTERLEAGUE TRACKER

League 2016 Record Batting Average ERA American League 48-43 .262 (830-for-3,170) 4.25 National League 43-48 .266 (849-for-3,195) 4.69

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WEEK ENDING AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE April 10th Tyler White, HOU (.556, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B, .591 OBP) Trevor Story, COL (.333, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 1.111 SLG, 30 TB) Jose Altuve, HOU (.407, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 8 R, 2 SB) Nolan Arenado, COL (.333, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, .852 SLG) April 17th , BAL (.320, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, .960 SLG) Bryce Harper, WSH (.346, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB, .846 SLG) April 24th Colby Rasmus, HOU (.316, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, 2B, 1 SB) , CHI (1-0, 6 SO; No-hitter at CIN on 4/21) May 1st Victor Martinez, DET (.519, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R, 5 2B) Hunter Pence, SF (.421, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .895 SLG, .500 OBP) Bartolo Colon, NYM (2-0, 1.72 ERA, 12 SO, 14.2 IP) May 9th Robinson Cano, SEA (.516, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 8 R) Ben Zobrist, CHI (.360, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .880 SLG, 22 TB) May 16th Jackie Bradley Jr., BOS (.469, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 2 2B, 6 R) Jose Fernandez, MIA (2-0, 0.64 ERA, 14.0 IP, 22 SO) Miguel Cabrera, DET (.500, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 1.000 SLG) May 23rd , NYM (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14.0 IP, 21 SO) , DET (.600, HR, 5 RBI, 4 SB, 5 R) May 30th Joe Mauer, MIN (.440, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, .920 SLG) , SF (2-0, 0.60 ERA, 15.0 IP, 11 SO)

BUDWEISER PRESENTS THE AL & NL PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

MONTH AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE April Manny Machado, BAL (.344, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 10 2B, 20 R) Bryce Harper, WSH (.286, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 6 2B, .714 SLG) May Jackie Bradley Jr., BOS (.381, 8 HR, 16 RBI, 7 2B, 17 R) Daniel Murphy, WSH (.416, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 8 2B, 17 R)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S PITCHERS OF THE MONTH

MONTH AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE April Jordan Zimmermann, DET (5-0, 0.55 ERA, 33.0 IP, 23 SO) Jake Arrieta, CHI (5-0, 1.00 ERA, 36.0 IP, 32 SO, 10 BB) May , OAK (5-1, 2.13 ERA, 38.0 IP, 37 SO) Clayton Kershaw, LAD (5-0, 0.91 ERA, 49.2 IP, 65 SO)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S ROOKIES OF THE MONTH

MONTH AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE April , TEX (.333, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 10 R, 7 BB) Trevor Story, COL (.261, 10 HR, 20 RBI, 19 R, .696 SLG) May Nomar Mazara, TEX (.283, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 1 2B, 12 R) , NYM (4-0, 1.83 ERA, 34.1 IP, 31 SO)