Cubs 2, Padres 1

Moving the Needle: Reed Johnson walks off with a home run, +.354 WPA. The Cubs appeared well on their way to a 1-0 victory in this one. Carlos Marmol came on for the top of the ninth, but couldn’t close the door. Cameron Maybin’s walk and stolen base, followed by Will Venable’s bunt single — ballsy move with the tying run in scoring position with one out — led to Jason Bartlett’s sac fly, which put this one into extras. The Cubs avoided disaster in the 10th and the 11th. Johnson made sure that they couldn’t blow it in the 12th. On a 1-1 pitch he took Luke Gregerson deep, giving the Cubs the win.

Notables

Matt Garza: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K. That’s now 34 strikeouts in 24.2 innings this season. The solid game helps get the old ERA in line with the FIP.

Dustin Moseley: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 9 GB. The ground balls have come in quite handy for Moseley this season. Also, the four strikeouts he recorded were as many as he did in his first three starts combined.

Also in this issue: Orioles 5, Twins 4 | Indians 7, Royals 5 | Padres 5, Cubs 4 | Red Sox 5, A’s 3 | Diamondbacks 3, Reds 1 | Tigers 3, Mariners 2 | Rockies 10, Giants 2 | Rays 4, White Sox 1 | Marlins 6, Pirates 0 | Angels 4, Rangers 1 | Dodgers 6, Braves 1 | Yankees 6, Blue Jays 2 | Astros 4, Mets 3 | Phillies 4, Brewers 3 | Nationals 8, Cardinals 6 | Cardinals 5, Nationals 3

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Snider channeled this anger into the game-winning hit.

Blue Jays 6, Yankees 5

Moving the Needle: Travis Snider walks off with a double int the gap, +.433 WPA. It doesn’t happen often, but it happened last night. Mariano Rivera blew a two-run lead in the ninth — and was lucky to escape a bases-loaded, one out jam with the winning run on third. But the Jays came back the next inning and knocked around Ivan Nova a bit. Snider’s double scored Edwin Encarnacion all the way from first, giving the Jays a much-needed win.

Notables

Jose Bautista: 1 fot 3, 1 HR, 2 BB. His homer opened the scoring, and his ninth-inning run, on a John McDonald bunt, tied the game at five.

Curtis Granderson: 2 for 5, 1 HR. Continues to have as many homers as singles (5). Eight of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases.

Also in this issue: Orioles 11, Twins 0 | Diamondbacks 5, Reds 4 | Royals 5, Indian 4 | Giants 6, Rockies 3 | A’s 5, Red Sox 0 | Marlins 6, Pirates – | Mariners 13, Tigers 3 | Braves 10, Dodgers 1 | Rays 2, White Sox 1 | Astros 6, Mets 1 | Angels 15, Rangers 4 | Brewers 9, Phillies 0 |

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The misplay that cost the Royals the go-ahead run.

Indians 7, Royals 3

Moving the Needle: Shelley Duncan laces a double to bring around the go-ahead run, +.299 WPA. Who would have thought that not only would a Royals-Indians matchup in April be a highly anticipated game, but that it would also end up being the best of the night? (Or at least close, since that’s pretty subjective.) The teams traded barbs for the first seven innings, but found themselves tied at three at the end of nine. The Indians wasted no time in extra innings, though, scoring an early run and then tacking on three more to put the game out of reach. Tim Collins started the inning by walking Carlos Santana, and then gave up the double to Duncan. The assist goes to Alex Gordon, who played the ball in the corner poorly, which gave Santana enough time to round third and score easily.

Notables

Aaron Crow: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K. He was a bit wild, as is his wont, but he did a great job cleaning up for Jeremy Jeffress.

Grady Sizemore: 3 for 5, 1 2B, 1 BB. From his first two games, you’d think he didn’t miss a beat. I recommend Paul’s article on him.

Also in this issue: Twins 5, Orioles 3 | Cubs 1, Padres 0 | Red Sox 9, Blue Jays 1 | Pirates 9, Reds 3 | Giants 8, Rockies 1 | Tigesr 8, Mariners 3 | Dodgers 4, Braves 2 | Rays 5, White Sox 0 | Brewers 6, Phillies 3 | Rangers 7, Angels 1

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Cardinals over Dodgers, 2 games to 1

Moving the Needle: Matt Kemp ends the game with one swing, +.574 WPA. A pitchers’ duel this was, with the score remaining tied at zero through eight. The Cardinals then broke through with a two-out run in the ninth, which left if up to the Dodgers’ offense, which had scored four runs in the previous 26 innings, to rally back. And rally they did, without even recording an out. Andre Ethier doubled to lead off the inning, and then Kemp upper-cutted one into the black, giving his team its lone victory of the series.

Notable Pitching

Kyle Lohse: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR. Dare I say that the Cardinals need Lohse to pitch like this all season if they’re going to win the Central?

Kyle McClellan: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HR. I thought they’d go out and sign a vet like Kevin Millwood with Wainwright out. But McClellan has done everything they could have asked so far.

Chris Carpenter: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Adam who?

Chad Billingsley: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K. Brilliant games by both Carpenter and Billingsley. Neither was in line for the win. Which again shows the uselessness of…ah, you get the point by now.

Cardinals 11, Dodgers 2
Cardinals 9, Dodgers 2
Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1

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

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Gotta get up to get down, Johnny.

Rays 4, Twins 3

Moving the Needle: Johnny Damon spoils one for the Twins with a homer,+.807 WPA. If your first closer doesn’t work out, you can always go to your second closer, right? The Twins tried that last night, but neither Joe Nathan nor Matt Capps did their jobs. Nathan allowed a walk and a pair of doubles in the ninth that turned a 2-0 lead into a 2-2 tie. Then, in the 10th, after the Twins cobbled together a run, Capps let the game get away. Folk Hero Sam Fuld got on with a single, and Damon slapped a Capps fastball a long way, alllll the way out to right field. (And the HR Park Factor for lefties at Tropicana is 89, so that wasn’t like jacking one at Yankee Stadium.) 

Notables

Matt Joyce: 3 for 4, 1 2B. That double tied the game in the ninth. That’s a nice beginning to his recovery from a 4 for 29 start.

Carl Pavano: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. That’s 9 ground balls and 7 strikeouts to the 29 batters Pavano faced. After a rough first start he’s bounced right back.

Also in this issue: Royals 5, Mariners 1 | Marlins 6, Braves 5 | Yankees 6, Orioles 5 | Astros 1, Padres 0 | Tigers 3, A’s 0 | Cardinals 9, Dodgers 5 | Phillies 4, Nationals 0 | Rockies 6, Mets 5 (1) | Rockies 9, Mets 4 (2) | Brewers 4, Pirates 1

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Adieu ball. Adieu.

Bue Jays 8, Mariners 3

Moving the Needle: Jose Bautista brings the Jays back with his third homer of the season, +.455 WPA. This game unfolded oddly. For starters, Chris Ray was in for the eighth inning of a one-run game. I dunno, maybe he has something left in the tank. But it doesn’t seem that way. Second, with a runner on first and none out, Corey Patterson laid down a sac bunt. I had this one on the radio, and the Mariners guys seemed to think that Justin Smoak could have made a play on it. Instead he just watched it, and it stayed on the infield grass, which meant two on and none out for Bautista, who laid into one and hit it way out to left. Milton Bradley gave it the courtesy chase, but it was immediately apparent that it was goodbye baseball.

Notables

Jason Vargas: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Six strikeouts in his first start, and now seven in this one for Vargas. Quite impressive for a guy with a 5.66 career K/9.

Yunel Escobar: 3 for 5, 1 2B. His single to lead off the eighth started the comeback.

Also in this issue: Angels 4, Indians 3 | Also in this issue: Cardinals 15, Diamondbacks 5 | Also in this issue: A’s 7, White Sox 4 | Also in this issue: Marlins 5, Braves 1 | Also in this issue: Tigers 3, Rangers 2 | Also in this issue: Cubs 9, Astros 5 | Also in this issue: Royals 10, Twins 5 | Also in this issue: Phillies 3, Nationals 2 | Also in this issue: Yankees 7, Orioles 4 | Also in this issue: Rockies 5, Mets 4 | Also in this issue: Brewers 6, Pirates 0 | Also in this issue: Padres 3, Reds 2 |

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Tigers 5, Rangers 4

Moving the Needle: Of course Miguel Cabrera was going to bring home the winning run with the bases loaded, +.340 WPA. Neftali Feliz pitched in both Sunday’s and Monday’s games and was probably not available in this one. Or, at least, not available in a tie game on the road. Feliz’s absence left the 4-4 tie in the hands of Darren O’Day, and, somehow, kept it in his hands as he loaded the bases and had to face Miguel Cabrera, who, if you haven’t noticed, has been hitting covers off baseballs. We were two balls from shrimp, but Cabrera mooted that point when he socked a single and ended the affair.

Yes, Josh Hamilton got hurt in this one. Yes, he shamelessly blamed his third base coach. He’ll have a couple months to think about that.

Notables

Michael Young: 3 for 3, 1 SB. That was nearly 4 for 4 with a homer, but…

Ryan Raburn: 2 for 4, 1 2B, 1 BB. He also made a tremendous catch to rob Young of a home run. A sac fly was all he’d get.

Also in this issue: Angels 2, Indians 0 | Diamondbacks 13, Cardinals 8 | Rays 3, Red Sox 2 | Braves 5, Marlins 0 | White Sox 6, A’s 5 | Astros 11, Cubs 2 | Nationals 7, Phillies 4 | Twins 4, Royals 3 | Reds 8, Padres 2 | Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2 | Giants 5, Dodgers 4

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Mariners 8, Blue Jays 7

Moving the Needle: Luis Rodriguez walks off with a single, +.782 WPA. For the first seven and a half innings this looked like another game where the Mariners’ offense would fall flat. It’s all too common a story these days, and apparently the Mariners were sick of hearing it. Rodriguez started things in the eighth by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Two of his teammates apparently thought that was a great idea and did the same. Heading into the ninth they still trailed 7-6, but a Michael Saunders leadoff double got things started. Shawn Camp didn’t deliver a bad pitch, but Rodriguez went down and crushed it into the gap in right-center. It would have been an easy double, maybe a triple, if Ichiro didn’t score so easily on it.

Notables

Justin Smoak: 2 for 3, 1 2B, 2 BB. He’s off to a nice, albeit homer-less, start, with more doubles than singles to this point. He also has more walks than singles.

Corey Patterson: 2 for 5, 1 HR. Notable because not only does it mean Corey Patterson is still playing baseball, but that he’s hitting second.

Also in this issue: Indians 4, Angels 0 | Cardinals 8, Diamondbacks 2 | Rays 16, Red Sox 5 | Cubs 5, Astros 4 | A’s 2, White Sox 1 | Rockies 7, Mets 6 | Rangers 2, Tigers 0 | Reds 3, Padres 2 | Dodgers 6, Giants 1 |

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Make sure to click on the scores to see our all new box scores. They’re really something else.

Angels over Blue Jays, 3 games to 2

Moving the Needle: Maicer Izturis wins it with a single in the 14th, +.399 WPA. A less speedy player on second and he might have had him. A better throw, too, and they might have gotten him. But Peter Bourjos raced around third base and didn’t stop until he had scored the winning run in the 14th inning of Saturday’s game. The hit ended a scoring drought that started in the fifth inning. Yes, that’s the equivalent of a complete game with no score in this one.

Blue Jays 3, Angels 2
Angels 6, Blue Jays 5
Angels 3, Blue Jays 1

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

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That ball is headed for sweet, sweet victory.

Moving the Needle: Matt Downs doubles home the go-ahead run in the ninth, +.363 WPA. The Astros just aren’t going to score a lot of runs this year, which puts the onus on the pitching staff, and Brett Myers stepped up. He held the Reds, who led the league in scoring heading into the game, to just one run through six, and two runs through 6.1. Three runs the Astros can do. They got it done with a pair of singles and a double off Nick Masset in the ninth. Brandon Lyon held on for the save, giving Houston its first victory of the season.

Notables

Sam LeCure: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR, 7 GB. The emergency starter did his part. He was at just 84 pitches, but Dusty Baker — and indeed it was Baker this time — pinch hit for him to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Which might make a lick of sense if Miguel Cairo hadn’t been the pinch hitter. Of course, it worked. Cairo singled.

Edgar Renteria: 3 for 3, 1 2B, 1 BB. Paul Janish might be freed, but Renteria wants his playing time, too. His first double tied the game at one.

Also in this issue: Indians 1, Red Sox 0 | Astros 3, Reds 2 | A’s 2, Blue Jays 1 | Yankees 4, Twins 3 | Rockies 7, Pirates 1 | Brewers 4, Braves 2 | White Sox 5, Rays 1 | Phillies 11, Mets 0 | Orioles 9, Tigers 5 | | Nationals 5, Marlins 3

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