Green works overtime
Danny Green scored seven of the Spurs’ nine overtime points in their Game 5 win over the Rockets. That’s the most points Green has ever scored in one overtime period in his NBA career, regular season or postseason.
Two other players scored seven points in an overtime period during the 2017 playoffs. Kawhi Leonard scored eight points in overtime for the Spurs in Game 4 against the Grizzlies and Isaiah Thomas scored nine in overtime for the Celtics against the Wizards in Game 2.
Spurs go up 3-2
The Spurs’ overtime victory over the Rockets in Game 5 gave them a three-games-to-two lead in their series. Over the last three years (2015–2017), there have been 18 series that were tied after four games, the team that won Game 5 went on to win 16 of 18 series (89%). The exceptions: San Antonio won Game 5 against the Clippers in the first round in 2015 and lost the series, and the Hornets beat the Heat in Game 5 in the first round in 2016 and lost the series.
Captain Karlsson leads Sens to Conference Finals
Erik Karlsson recorded two points, including the game-winning goal, in Ottawa’s series-clinching win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Karlsson has scored two goals and had 11 assists (13 points) through the first two rounds of the 2017 playoffs. Only three other defensemen scored that many points prior to the Conference Finals over the last 20 years: Sergei Zubov (4g-10a for Dallas in 2003), Kris Letang (3g-13a for Pittsburgh in 2013) and Brent Burns (4g-11a for San Jose in 2016).
Some games were over early on Tuesday
Six teams scored four or more first-inning runs on Tuesday night: Astros (5), Brewers (5), Rangers (5), Phillies (4), Mets (4) and Rays (4). It’s only the third time in major-league history that six different teams all scored at least four runs in the opening frame and the other two times it happened were both in 1890!. Yes, 1890! The dates in 1890 were April 22 and September 1.
Griffin excels on the road
A.J. Griffin threw a four-hit shutout in the Rangers’ win over the Padres in San Diego. Griffin is 4-0 with a 1.38 earned-run average over his last four starts and all of those starts were on the road. Griffin is the first pitcher to go 4-0 with an ERA that low over four consecutive starts, all on the road, since Madison Bumgarner had a four-start stretch like that for the Giants in July 2010 (4-0, 1.35 ERA in July).
Veterans versus rookies
The Cubs and Rockies played a day/night doubleheader at Coors Field on Tuesday. The Cubs starting pitchers in the two games were John Lackey (422 career starts) and Jake Arrieta (167) while the Rockies started two rookies, Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland. It was the first time since September 16, 2002 that the starting pitchers for one team in doubleheader (traditional or day/night) had each made at least 150 starts in the major leagues while the starting pitchers for the other team were both rookies. In that doubleheader, on September 16, 2002, Pedro Martinez and Frank Castillo started for the Red Sox against Indians rookies Ricardo Rodriguez and Brian Tallet. The teams split the two games, with Pedro winning the first half.
Senzatela is 5-1
Antonio Senzatela is 5-1 with a 2.86 earned-run average in his first seven starts after a solid performance in Game 1 of the Rockies’ day/night doubleheader against the Cubs. Six other pitchers who have played in the major leagues this season went 5-1 or better with an ERA under 3.00 in their first seven career major-league starts: Jered Weaver (7-0, 1.15 ERA), Lance Lynn (6-1, 2.45), James Paxton (5-0, 2.01), Masahiro Tanaka (5-0, 2.57), Kyle Hendricks (5-1, 1.48) and Yu Darvish (5-1, 2.84).
Rivera thriving for Mets
T.J. Rivera went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored in the Mets’ win over the Giants on Tuesday night. Rivera is hitting .381 (16-for-42) with seven doubles since taking over the first base duties for the Mets 11 games ago. Rivera leads the Mets in hits (tied with Michael Conforto) and doubles over that span. The Mets are 8-3 in those 11 games.
Santiago and Santana match Kitty and Bert
Hector Santiago improved to 4-1 with a 2.76 earned-run average after another solid outing in the Twins’ win over the White Sox. Teammate Ervin Santana is 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA in seven starts this season. The last pair of Twins teammates to both start 4-1 or better with an ERA under 3.00 in their first seven start of a season were Jim Kaat (6-1, 1.11 ERA) and Bert Blyleven (4-1, 2.63) in 1972.
Carrasco is 4-0 on the road
Carlos Carrasco threw seven scoreless innings in the Indians’ win over the Blue Jays in Toronto. Carrasco is 4-0 with a 1.35 earned-run average in four road starts this season. Only three other Indians pitchers in the earned-run era (since 1913 in the American League) won each of their first four road starts of a season with an ERA that low: Guy Morton in 1916 (4-0. 1.25 ERA), Bert Blyleven in 1981 (4-0, 1.25 ERA) and Cliff Lee in 2008 (4-0, 0.00 ERA).
Gamel has a big game
Mariners’ rookie Ben Gamel rapped out four hits, including a home run, drove in four runs and scored three times in their win over the Phillies. The only other rookies in Mariners’ history with at least four hits, four RBIs, three runs scored and a homer in a game were Danny Tartabull in 1986 and Mickey Brantley in 1987.
Moose on the loose in the 12th inning
Mike Moustakas’s twelfth-inning home run gave the Royals a 7-6 win over the Rays. It was the fourth go-ahead home run in extra innings in Moustakas’s career. He also had one in the 13th inning against the Mariners on September 5, 2013 and one in the 11th inning against the Astros on April 16, 2014. Moustakas also had an extra-inning go-ahead home run against the Angels in the first game of the 2014 ALDS.
Five is enough for the Reds
The Reds beat the Yankees, 5-3, on the strength of two-run singles by Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto in their five-run second inning. It was the most runs the Reds scored, all in one inning, in a victory since September 20, 2012 when they beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 5-3, by scoring five runs in the seventh inning. Votto contributed an RBI-single for the Reds in that inning
Sierra contributing early
Magneuris Sierra has made an impact for the Cardinals since he was called up to the big club. Sierra has five hits and five runs scored in three games since joining the team on May 7. The only other Cardinals player in the modern era with five hits and five runs scored in his first three major-league games was Joe Cunningham in 1954.
Nats blow ninth inning lead
Enny Romero allowed two runs to the Orioles in the bottom of the ninth inning in a game the Nationals eventually lost in 12 innings. The Nationals entered the game with a 17-0 record this season in games in which they had a lead of at least two runs in the ninth inning or later. That was the third best such record in the major leagues entering Tuesday’s action, behind the Astros (19-0) and Yankees (18-0).
Thames and Broxton homer in first inning
Eric Thames and Keon Broxton both hit a two-run home run in the first inning in the Brewers’ win over the Red Sox. It’s the first time in two years that the Brewers had two players each hit a multiple-run homer in the first inning of the same game. Scooter Gennett and Adam Lind did it on May 6, 2015. Gennett and Lind both hit two-run homers off the Dodgers’ Joe Wieland in the first inning of that game.
The young and the old for the Astros
Twenty-two year old Carlos Correa and 40-year old Carlos Beltran hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning for the Astros in their win over the Braves in Tuesday night. It’s the first time in team history that the Astros had one player aged 22 or younger and another player over the age of 40 both homer in the same game. The last time any pair of teammates aged 22 or younger and 40 or over homered in the same game was on September 15, 2015 when Greg Bird and Alex Rodriguez did it for the Yankees.