Indians 5, Reds 4. The Indians took the lead in the eighth on a risky play. With runners on first and third and two out Ezequiel Carrera laid down a drag bunt. He swerved to avoid the tag from Nick Masset, and I have to think he was at least close to running out of the baseline. But he did not, and Shin-Soo Choo scored. Also, that makes two RBI hit-by-pitches on Friday, as Choo got plunked in the sixth. Also notable about the sixth: Travis Wood did not allow a hit until that inning, but he made it only one out into the inning.

Indians 2, Reds 1. One inning contained all the offensive action here. The Reds scratched across a run on a ground out, but then the Indians answered when Travis Buck hit a two-run homer. Otherwise, it was all Josh Tomlin and Homer Bailey. Tomlin went seven, allowing just three hits and striking out three. Bailey also went seven, with four hits and four strikeouts.

Indians 12, Reds 4. Edinson Volquez stunk again, allowing seven hits and walking four through 2.2 innings. It’s hard to justify keeping him in the rotation at this point. Asdrubal Cabrera led the way for the Indians, going 5 for 5 with two homers and 5 RBI. Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo also had multi-hit games.

Also in this issue: Braves over Angels | Diamondbacks over Twins | Orioles over Nationals | Marlins over Rays | Red Sox over Cubs | Brewers over Rockies | White Sox over Dodgers | Phillies over Rangers | Pirates over Tigers | Cardinals over Royals | Mariners over Padres | Yankees over Mets | Giants over A’s | Astros over Blue Jays

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Until last night, Wade Davis hadn’t recorded an out in the eighth inning this season. In a few games he’s gone seven strong and probably could have come out for the eighth, but he’s always been at or over 100 pitches and the Rays don’t seem keen to extend him any further; he’s never thrown more than 115 pitches in a start. Last night he threw only 99, which might make it seem as though he performed his job well. But his line — 7.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR — paints a drearier picture, one filled with overachievement and, if we’re to believe the peripherals, a thunderous crash to come.

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Is this mean? It feels a little mean. But it’s also a little funny.

Mariners 2, Angels 1

Moving the Needle: Carlos Peguero singles home the winning run, +.389 WPA. OK, so calling it a single was a bit generous. It was nothing but a routine fly ball, just a few steps away from Torii Hunter. But he lost it in the sun and fell to the ground.  

Notables

Doug Fister: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 10 GB. You might look at this line and think that even with the ground balls Fister is lucking his way into results. But despite his low K rate, he has a FIP and xFIP that aren’t too far off the mark.

Dan Haren: 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 K. He’s gone at least into the seventh in each of his last five starts, and he’s allowed 10 runs over that span. The Angels have won just two.

Also in this issue: Yankees 13, Orioles 2 | Diamondbacks 2, Braves 1 | Red Sox 4, Tigers 3 | Pirates 5, Reds 3 | White Sox 8, Indians 2 | Cubs 5, Marlins 1 | Royals 2, Rangers 1 | Giants 3, Dodgers 1 | Twins 11, A’s 1 | Mets 1, Nationals 0 | Rockies 7, Phillies 1 | Blue Jays 3, Rays 2 | Cardinals 4, Astros 2 | Padres 1, Brewers 0

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If you want a quick glimpse of some players who probably shouldn’t qualify for the batting title, go to the leader boards, click on Advanced, and then click on wOBA. There you will see a list of players whose wOBAs range from pretty damn bad, Will Venable at .285, to downright putrid, Miguel Tejada at .224. Some of these players figure to rise from their unworthy starts and earn their spots in the lineup. Others will find spots on the bench, or, in some cases, the waiver wire. Such is life in baseball.

Despite their horrible overall production, some of these players have managed to get their scant few hits in a timely manner. A few of the bottom dwellers have racked up a decent number of runs and RBI in their travels. While it’s not at all indicative of their talent, it has helped their team in some small way. I’d like to highlight a couple of these instances today.

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The mauling was divided between Johnson and Upton, and so wasn’t that bad. Also, yes, that is a Sean Burroughs sighting

Diamondbacks 5, Braves 4

Moving the Needle: Kelly Johnson ties the game back up in the 11th, +.479 WPA. Extra innings can break your heart. The Braves took the lead in the top of the 11th and sent out their closer to take care of the final three outs. He got the first, but then allowed four straight singles to end it. Johnson got the tying one, and then Justin Upton capped things.

(Of course, regulation can break your heart, too. The Braves had taken the lead in the top of the seventh, but let the Diamondbacks back in it when Scott Proctor uncorked a wild pitch.)

Notables

Justin Upton: 2 for 6, 1 HR. He got things started in the bottom of the first with a solo blast.

Chipper Jones: 2 for 4, 1 2B, 1 BB. He walked to lead off the 11th, but his pinch runner got nailed trying to take third on Dan Uggla’s single.

Also in this issue: Yankees 4, Orioles 1 | Red Sox 1, Tigers 0 | Pirates 5, Reds 0 | White Sox 1, Indians 0 | Cubs 7, Marlins 5 | Rangers 5, Royals 4 | Giants 8, Dodgers 5 | Twins 4, A’s 3 | Mets 3, Nationals 0 | Mariners 3, Angels 0 | Phillies 2, Rockies 1 | Rays 6, Blue Jays 5 | Cardinals 5, Astros 1 | Brewers 5, Padres 2

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Following the 2005 season the Red Sox made a move that, while unpopular, appeared to benefit them in the long run. Beloved member of the 2004 World Championship team, Johnny Damon hit free agency. He had spent four mostly solid years in Boston, though 2004 was the clear highlight (.373 wOBA). After negotiations led to a less than desired offer from the Sox, Damon signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Yankees.

With Damon out of the picture, the Red Sox moved onto another target — a younger player who perhaps represented the potential of a young Damon. And so they traded Edgar Renteria, after one terrible season, to the Braves for top prospect Andy Marte, whom they then flipped to the Indians for Coco Crisp. Given Crisp’s track record at the time, it was hard to find fault with the move.

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Should of thrown to first.

Reds 7, Cubs 5

Moving the Needle: The Cubs beat themselves, -.759 WPA. I really have no better way to describe what happened last night than that. The Reds did put themselves in favorable positions, but the Cubs made it all too easy for them to cash in. We start in the first, when Carlos Pena, about whose schneid we talked earlier this week, hit a three-run homer. That would be great if he didn’t give all the runs back in the fourth. Edinson Volquez hit one that Pena probably should have fielded, but it bounced past him. Darwin Barney backed him up, but instead of throwing home to try and nab Scott Rolen, he threw to Matt Garza, who threw home. Only it was way off the mark, into the camera well, bringing home the trail runner and putting Volquez on third. Tie game.

The Cubs put up a pair later in the game, but then cost themselves again in the eighth. A pair of hits put runners on first and second with none out, and the Reds had Ryan Hanigan sacrifice them. Kerry Wood fielded it and tried to get the runner going to third, but threw it away. Not only that, but he threw it all the way into the left field corner, which allowed both runners to score easily and Hanigan to take third. The miscue set up Chris Heisey’s go-ahead sac fly.

Notables

Scott Rolen: 2 for 3, 1 2B, 1 BB. His double to lead off the eighth got the ball rolling.

Edinson Volquez: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR. No, it’s not standout, but those nine strikeouts are a season high. So there’s that, at least.

Also in this issue: White Sox 4, Rangers 3 | Diamondbacks 6, Padres 1 | Indians 7, Royals 3 | Braves 3, Astros 1 | A’s 14, Angels 0 | Yankees 6, Rays 2 | Twins 2, Mariners 1 | Rockies 5, Giants 3 | Dodgers 3, Brewers 0 | Cardinals 2, Phillies 1

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To say that Matt LaPorta disappointed in his first 623 professional plate appearances would be to grossly understate the expectations for him. He was, after all, a two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year with Florida, and then went seventh overall in the draft to a team that already had a budding superstar at the position. Baseball America described his power as game-changing and noted that he “can drive the ball out of the park to all fields when he gets his arms extended.” It’s understandable, then, why he was the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia deal, and why he figured to be Cleveland’s first baseman of the future.

While he has shown significant improvement this season, he still hasn’t put everything together. At age 26, it’s looking less and less likely that he will. It doesn’t preclude him from becoming a useful player, but his window to superstardom is open only a crack, if at all.

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These are poses of men who know this game is ovah.

Red Sox 8, Orioles 7

Moving the Needle: Adrian Gonzalez caps the comeback with a double +.648 WPA. Last year was something of a blip. Boston went 9-9 against Baltimore after years of dominance (including 16-2 in 2009). Baltimore took the first series of the year two games to one, which meant that the Red Sox were, in the most fallacious way, due. The Orioles took a 6-0 lead, but in the bottom of the sixth the Red Sox rallied for five. They then traded a pair in the seventh before Boston made its final move in the ninth. Kevin Gregg walked both Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, and then served up a fat one for Gonzalez, who launched one off the monster and brought them both around.

Notables

Kevin Youkilis: 2 for 4, 2 2B, 1 BB. That’s two doubles and two homers in his last four games. Also, each of the Red Sox first seven hitters drew a walk in the game.

Vladimir Guerrero: 3 for 5, 2 2B. He’s 11 for his last 25 with five doubles and, gasp, a walk. Reports of his demise, greatly exaggerated, etc.

Also in this issue: Padres 8, Diamondbacks 4 | Rangers 4, White Sox 0 | Braves 3, Astros 2 | Blue Jays 4, Tigers 2 | Reds 7, Cubs 4 | Indians 19, Royals 1 | Rockies 7, Giants 4 | A’s 5, Angels 4 | Brewers 2, Dodgers 1 | Twins 5, Mariners 2 | Nationals 4, Pirates 2 | Rays 6, Yankees 5 | Marlins 2, Mets 1 | Cardinals 3, Phillies 1

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Trying something a little different today. I think I like this better for the weekends.

Indians over Mariners, 1 game to 0

FridayIndians 5, Mariners 4. The Mariners had a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Brandon League blew it again. A pair of doubles cut the lead to 4-3, and then, with two outs, Travis Hafner channeled his inner Pronk and blasted a two-run homer to dead center.

The rest of this series got washed out, which is always a pain with a non-division opponent.

Also in this issue: Blue Jays over Twins | Braves over Phillies | Red Sox over Yankees | Reds over Cardinals | White Sox over A’s | Padres over Rockies | Orioles over Rays | Mets over Astros | Rangers over Angels | Diamondbacks over Dodgers | Brewers over Pirates | Marlins over Nationals | Giants and Cubs split a pair | Tigers over Royals

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