King Ragnar’s Vikings 5 Senators 1
Jacob DeGrom pitched a complete game and drove in two key late runs ending giving the Vikings a 5-1 victory over the Washington Senators.
Sean Newcomb (L 0-1) found himself constantly in trouble allowing a run in the 2nd on a Jed Lowrey single driving in Anthony Rizzo who doubled before him and another in the 3rd when Ketel Marte singled in Mallex Smith who ended up on 2nd on an infield Single after Trevor Story threw the ball away. But despite having baserunners in every inning more often than not he pitched his way out of trouble stranding Marte on 3rd after a triple in the 1st Smith on 2nd with no outs in the 5th and Rizzo on 2nd with one out in the 6th and when he came out of the game with one on and one out in the 7th he was only down 2-1 and Washington had a real chance to win.
Unfortunately for Washington DeGrom (W 1-0) wasn’t given them chances to convert. Other Trevor Story (2-3 with a solo shot in the 3rd) Washington batters were kept in check. Their best chance to tie came in the 5th. Story singled with one out and Newcomb bunted him to 2nd and Sterling Marte’s slow roller that Lowrie couldn’t come up with put runners on the corners with 2 out, but deGrom coaxed a weak grounder to Rizzo at first and the threat was over.
The Critical moment in the game came in the top of the 8th when after a two out single by Lowrie, First baseman Jesus Aguilar misplayed a grounder hit right to him putting Jean Segura on 1st and Lowrie on second with deGrom’s spot up. Manager Gank had to choose between a chance to break the game open with a pinch hitter or sticking with his starter who had allowed only four hits and one walk in 7 innings. He got the best of both worlds when deGrom not only drove a Jesus Familia fastball into the gap in left center scoring Lowrie and Segura but retired six of the next seven hitters to complete the game and the win for King Ragnar.
Notes To this point the Vikings have not won a game that their bullpen has appeared in. Despite a respectable performance vs the Vikings Sean Newcombe remains last or tied for last on Washington staff in six categories including ERA, hits runs earned runs and walks allowed. Trevor Story has homered in every game that he’s committed an error in. Juan Segura was 1-3 with a run scored and remains is the only Vikings player to place in the top 10 in any offensive category currently 4th in batting .350 and 8th in on base percentage .409.
NYY 4 Juneau 0
Luis Severino gave up 4 hits in 8+ innings and Brett Gardner scored all four Yankee runs and New York Shut out the Juneau Muffen Men 4-0.
Gardener started making trouble for Anibal Sanchez (L 1-0) right at the start singling to center to lead off and stealing 2nd with one out to put himself in a perfect spot to score on Miguel Andujar’s single to make it 1-0. In the 3rd he reached again this time on a Sanchez error scoring on Aaron Judge’s one out double making it 2-0 and took advantage of both his skill and the Muffin Men’s defense in the 5th doubling to right center and taking 3rd on Bryce Harper’s error allowing Judge’s one out single to score him again and finally came home on a bases loaded walk issued in the 7th to Giancarlo Stanton by reliever Joakim Soria.
While NY in general and Gardner in particular were taking advantages of Juneau miscues the Muffen men failed to do the same. In the 2nd Andrew Benitendi grounded to 2nd after getting a 2nd chance when Judge dropped his foul fly. Mookie Betts reached 2nd on a walk followed by a wild pickoff throw by Severino but remained stranded as Joey Votto grounded out. In the 3rd Benintendi singled and Harper walked with one out but Bettis was k’ed by Severino and Votto grouned out again. In the 4th Shohei Ohtani walked but was thrown out by Gardner at 3rd when he tried to take an extra base on Scotter Gennett’s one out single. No other Washington batter would reach 2nd till the ninth when Jonathan Holder (who came in for Severino after he complained of pain after his 1st pitch of the inning) gave up an infield single to Votto and he reached 2nd on a grounder where he would remain till Gennett flew out to end the game.
Notes: Two of the Yankees four runs were unearned. Juneau and NY combined for six errors the most so far by any pair of teams this season. The Yankees Severino is considered day to day but thanks to the travel game after tomorrow is expected, barring setbacks to make his next scheduled start. It will be JA Happ (0-1) for NY against Mike Foltynewicz (1-0) in the finale
Boston 6 Texas 1
Kris Bryant went 2-4 including a solo shot in the 5th and Justin Verlander pitched like…Justin Verlander and Boston defeated Texas 6-1 at the Ballpark in Arlington.
Corey Kluber’s (L 0-1) long day began in the 1st when Brandon Nimmo tripled to get things started. After a walk to Ben Zobrist, Kluber retired the next two and looked like he might escape undamaged until Alex Bregman singled to left scoring Nimmo to make it 1-0.
It was more of the same in the 3rd. Nimmo led off with a single and Zobrisst followed with the same sending Nimmo to 3rd. It might have been a disaster but JD Martinez hit a sharp grounder to short that Lindor converted into a double play scoring Nimmo but eliminating the chance for a big inning. A solo shot by to start the fifth by Kris Bryant made it 3-0 but Kluber would settle down and keep his team in the game and out of trouble until the 9th.
Unfortunately for him Justin Verlander (W 2-0) didn’t give Texas an opening allowing only a stray hit or walk until the 8th when Tucker Barnhart doubled to right with two out scoring Ryan Brawn who singled with one out to make the game 3-1.
Given Verlander’s performance to that point (8 IP 3 H 1R 12k) the odds were long for a comback in the bottom of the 9th but they became much longer once Boston came up again Kluber who gave up a leadoff single to Hoskins who made it to 2nd on Brawn’s error followed by another single to Ronald Acuna Jr. Putting runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Nathan Eovildi came in and immediately gave up a pair of singles one to JT Realmuto that scored Hoskins and one to Bryant that scored Acuna. When Martinez added a bases loaded single scoring Realmuto with one out the only question left was what would Verlander’s final line would be (it was 13 K’s and four hits).
Verlander is the 1st pitcher to reach two wins this season. Even after being held to five hits Texas has three starters hitting .308 or better (Freeman .400, Lindor .308 & Brawn .538). The Thunder hit into more double places (2) then they had at bats with runners in scoring position (1). only had one man bat with runners in scoring position the entire game. Despite having two hits and scoring two runs Brandon Nimmo was 0-2 with men in scoring position. Zach Grenkie (1-0) of Texas will face Blake Snell (0-1) in tomorrow’s finale.
Dodgers 5 Raider 2
Los Angeles hit three home runs to Rivertown’s one and Dodger ace Kershaw outpitched Rivertown ace Sale las LA won the battle of the lefty aces by a score of 5-2
Clayton Kershaw (W 1-1) started slow didn’t start well giving up a single to Lorenzo Cain to start things off. One out later he grooved a pitch to Paul Goldschmidt that he put over the left field wall for a early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 2nd LA stuck back. against Chris Sale (L 1-1) Matt Kemp put Sales 1st pitch of the inning over the center field wall, Max Muncy drew a walk and Chris Taylor followed with a drive not quite as deep to right center but more than deep enough to give LA a 3-2 lead.
That was more than Enough for Kershaw who retired the next nine in a row before being relieved in the 6th by Pat Venditte the 1st of three relievers who would give Rivertown more of the same. Their only real threat came in the 7th when Marcell Ozuna singled to left to start the inning and Nelson Cruz walked with two out and Ozuna on 2nd. The put the go ahead runs on for Yadier Molina. Alas for Rivertown he grounded into a force to end the threat and when in the bottom of the inning Diego Castillo, after relieving Sale with a man on and one out, grooved a pitch that Corey Bellinger absolute crushed to right center it was all over for the Raiders:
Notes: Bellinger’s homer traveled 488 Feet one of the longest of the season.
Lorenzo Cain hat two of Boston’s five hits but was caught stealing in the 8th after his 2nd hit. Kenley Janson (s3) pitched a perfect 9th for his 3rd save. It will be Walter Buehler (0-0) for LA vs Aaron Nola (1-0) to finish things up.
