Benintendi belts a pair of three-runs HRs in the Bronx

Andrew Benintendi hit a pair of three-run homers on Saturday to become the first rookie ever to have a two-HR, six-RBI game––for either side––in a Red Sox-Yankees game. Benintendi also had two homers and six runs batted in a game last month in Arlington. He is the fifth player to produce two games of that kind in a rookie season, along with Hal Trosky (1934 Indians), Rudy York (1937 Tigers), Cody Ross (2006, once for the Dodgers, once for the Marlins), and Max Kepler (2016 Twins).

Rays blanked again

The Rays lost to the Indians, 3–0, marking the fifth time they have been shut out in their last eight games. Tampa Bay is the first team since the Dodgers in 2012 to be blanked five times in an eight-game span, and the Rays are the first team since the 1955 Orioles to suffer at least five shutouts on one homestand.

Blue Jays score seven runs, none driven in with a hit

The Blue Jays defeated the Pirates, 7–2, and all of Toronto’s runs were driven in without a hit: three came home on errors by Pittsburgh, two on fielder’s-choice groundouts, one on a bases-loaded walk and one on a sacrifice fly. Seven runs scored not on hits tied the most by any major-league team in a game since 2006 and also matched the most for the Blue Jays in franchise history. They also tallied seven runs of that kind in an 18–1 win at Kansas City in 2003.

Upton’s walkoff homer gives Tigers 12–11 win

Justin Upton’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning ended the Tigers’ 12–11 victory over the Twins. It was the third-highest scoring game in Tigers history that they won with a walkoff homer. Ty Cobb hit a walkoff shot in a 16–15 victory against the White Sox in 1925, and Alex Avila did so in a 13–12 triumph over the Red Sox in 2012.

Stanton breaks tie with three-run shot

Giancarlo Stanton’s three-run homer broke a 1–1 tie and the Marlins held on to beat the Rockies, 4–3. It was Stanton’s major league-leading 41st home run this season, but only his fourth with at least two men on base. Entering play on Saturday, 44 major-league players had hit at least four home runs with either two men on base or the bases loaded.

Braun’s 40th HR vs. Reds

Ryan Braun’s home run on Saturday night was the 40th of his career against the Reds. Braun is the first player in Brewers history to hit at least 40 home runs versus a particular team.

Nola breaks Hamels’ record

Aaron Nola gave up one run in seven innings on Saturday evening against the Mets and improved to 6–2 with a 1.71 ERA over his last 10 starts. In each of those 10 games Nola has allowed two or fewer runs. That sets a Phillies record for consecutive starts allowing no more than two runs since 1893, when the pitching distance was set at 60 feet, six inches. Cole Hamels held the old team mark, with nine straight starts of that kind in 2011.

Fowler comes through in first inning

Dexter Fowler was 2-for-4 including an RBI-single in the first inning of the Cardinals’ win over the Braves. Fowler began the night 12-for-66 (.182) with two RBIs in the first inning this season. Among NL players with at least 50 trips to the plate in the first inning this season, only Adam Frazier (.179) began the day with a lower average than Fowler in that frame.

Cabrera beats old mates with 8th-inning homer

Just 14 days after playing his last game with the White Sox, Melky Cabrera clubbed an eighth-inning two-run homer to give the Royals a 5–4 win over the Pale Hose. From 1989 to 2015, no player hit a game-winning homer––in the eighth inning or later––against a team for which he had played within the previous month. But over the last two seasons three players have done so: Bobby Wilson (at Detroit) and Kelly Johnson (at Atlanta) in 2016, along with Cabrera.

Three doubles for Beckham

Tim Beckham cracked three doubles in the Orioles’ win at Oakland. Beckham is the first Baltimore leadoff man to have three extra-base hits in a game in five years––since Nick Markakis did that in 2012, in a 13-inning game against the Tigers.

RBIs in consecutive innings for Beltre

Adrian Beltre doubled in a run in the fifth inning and drove home two more with a single in the sixth inning to lead the Rangers to an 8–3 win over the Astros. It’s the first time this season that Beltre produced an RBI in back-to-back innings.