Green produces a triple-double in Warriors’ series-clinching win

Draymond Green produced 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in Golden State’s series-clinching win over Utah on Monday night. That marked the second time Green registered a triple-double in a playoff series clinching win, with both coming on the road (he previously did that on June 16, 2015 in Golden State’s Finals-clinching win at Cleveland). The only other players with triple-doubles in multiple playoff series clinching wins on the road are Magic Johnson (five times), Jason Kidd (two) and LeBron James (two).

Backstrom registers his fifth multi-point game of the 2017 playoffs

Nicklas Backstrom scored what proved to be the winning goal in the Capitals’ 5–2 victory over the Penguins which tied the teams’ second-round series at three wins apiece. Backstrom also assisted on Washington’s first goal, giving him his third multiple-point game of this series and fifth multi-point game of the 2017 playoffs. He ranks third in multiple-point games in this year’s playoffs, behind Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Getzlaf with six each. Backstrom has produced six of his 18 career multiple-point games in the playoffs versus Pittsburgh, at least twice more than he has recorded against any other team (second most: three vs. Philadelphia).

Burakovsky’s two goals helps Caps stave off elimination

Andre Burakovsky scored two goals for the Capitals as they avoided elimination for the second straight game with a 5–2 victory at Pittsburgh in Game 6 of their series against the Penguins. Burakovsky is the first Capitals player to produce a multiple-goal performance in a playoff game in which Washington faced elimination since 2009, when Viktor Kozlov tallied twice as the Caps’ stayed alive in their second-round series against the Penguins with a 5–4 overtime win in Game 6 at Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for the Capitals, the Penguins won that series with a 6–2 victory in Game 7 at Washington.

Lack of sleep doesn’t derail Yankees

After playing an 18-inning marathon in Chicago on Sunday, the Yankees managed to score 10 runs in their victory over the Reds on Monday. The Yankees became just the fourth team in major-league history to score 10 or more runs in a game the day after playing a game that went 18 or more innings in a different city. The only other teams to do that are the Cubs, who scored 18 runs against the Reds on June 25, 1905 after playing an 18-inning game in St. Louis the previous day, the Dodgers, who crossed the plate 11 times against the Mets on July 8, 1993 after playing a 20-inning game in Philadelphia the previous day, and the Rockies who scored 11 times against Houston on April 18, 2008 after playing a 22-inning game in San Diego the day before.

Four errors and 16 K’s for Rays

The Rays committed four errors and struck out 16 times in an ugly 7-3 loss to the Royals on Monday night. The only other teams since 1900 to commit at least four errors and strike out 16 or more times in a nine inning game are the Philadelphia Athletics on July 29, 1908 (4 errors/16 SO), the Mets on September 15, 1969 (4 errors/19 SO), the Cubs on August 14, 2011 (4 errors/18 SO) and the Orioles on May 25, 2016 (4 errors/18 SO).

Martinez knocks in four

Carlos Martinez drove in four runs and earned the win in the Cardinals’ 9-4 victory over the Marlins on Monday night. Martinez is the second pitcher with four RBIs in a game this season, joining teammate Adam Wainwright who had four ribbies against the Brewers on April 21. Prior to the Cardinals, the last team with two different pitchers with four-RBI games in the same season was the 2000 Giants (Shawn Estes and Kirk Reuter). The last time multiple St. Louis pitchers drove in four or more runs in a game in the same season was in 1986, when Tim Conroy, Ray Burris and Bob Forsch all did it.

O’s go deep three times in the first inning

Joey Rickard, Mark Trumbo and Trey Mancini all homered in a four-run first inning leading the Orioles to a 6-4 win over the Nationals at Camden Yards on Monday night. That marked the third time the Orioles hit at least three first-inning home runs in a game at Camden Yards since they began playing their home games there in 1992. Baltimore also did that on May 10, 2012 against Texas (Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis) and on August 19, 2016 (four: Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis).

All three home runs were allowed by Gio Gonzalez, who has now allowed a major-league high six home runs in seven starts in the first inning this season. Last season, Gonzalez allowed only two home runs in the first inning in his 32 starts.

Stroman hurls a gem despite not having strikeout stuff

Marcus Stroman hurled six shutout innings and earned the win while registering only one strikeout in the process. It’s the fewest strikeouts Stroman recorded in any of the 58 games he has pitched at least four innings in his career.

Stroman is the first Blue Jays pitcher to pitch six or more shutout innings while registering one or fewer strikeouts in a game in over 10 years, since Gustavo Chacin hurled six shutout innings while striking out only one in a victory over the Red Sox on September 3, 2006.

Walker’s clutch hit lifts Mets

Neil Walker’s two-out run scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Giants on Monday night. Walker entered the contest just 7-for-45 (.156) with two outs and runners in scoring position since he joined the Mets prior to the 2016 season, the fifth lowest batting average in the National League among players with at least 45 at bats in that situation over that span, ahead of Curtis Granderson (.098), Chris Carter (.133), Francisco Cervelli (.138) and Ender Inciarte (.151).

Taylor’s grand slam gets Dodgers off on the right foot

Chris Taylor’s grand-slam home run was part of a six-run first inning in the Dodgers’ 12-1 win over the Pirates on Monday night. Taylor has hit four home runs in his career, with two of them coming with the bases loaded. No other active player has hit a grand slam on two of his first four career homers.

Taylor’s grand slam is the 11th hit by a Dodger in the first inning at Dodger Stadium and the first since Ronnie Belliard went deep with the bags full in the opening frame against the Giants on September 19, 2009. There have been two other first-inning grand slams hit this season, by Marcell Ozuna on April 13 and Daniel Murphy on April 23. The third such homer did not occur until June 24 last season.

Back to back strong performances for Cahill

After allowing one unearned run and three hits in six innings in his last start, Trevor Cahill blanked the Rangers on one hit in 5.1 innings of work in the Padres’ 5-1 win on Monday night. Cahill is the first Padres pitcher in seven years to allow no earned runs and three or fewer hits while pitching more than five innings in consecutive starts, since Mat Latos did it in May of 2010.