Instead of my usual look at the night that was in the DD opening, I'm starting out differently. Today in America, it's Independence Day, or as it's more commonly known, the Fourth of July. The most common activities on the Fourth include drinking, grilling, and having a grand ol' time. And that's our right. But it's also good to remember the historical signifcance of today's date, and the 237th birthday of this country. Happy birthday, America. Now, let's enjoy some baseball.
PIC OF THE DAY
Mike Trout just misses robbing Jon Jay of a homer in Anaheim. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Game of the Night: Mariners 4, Rangers 2 (ten innings).This game was knotted at two after six innings, and it remained that way until the tenth. Robbie Ross got the first two outs for Texas in quick fashion, but walked Michael Saunders, the third batter in the inning. Bad things usually happen when you walk a hitter with two outs, and sure enough, Kyle Seager followed Saunders' walk with a two-run homer. Tom Wilhelmsen shut down the Rangers in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win for the Mariners and continue their march towards mediocrity.
Pitching Lines of the Night: Kyle Lohse dominated the Nationals in a 4-1 Brewers win, allowing one run on four hits in eight innings, striking out seven and walking one. Matt Garza boosted his trade stock for the Cubs in their 2-1 win in Oakland, giving up one run on four hits in eight innings, walking there and punching out five. Hector Santiago pitched well for the White Sox in their 4-2 loss to the Orioles, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out nine. Jon Lester pitched the Red Sox to a 2-1 walkoff win over the Padres, allowing one run on six hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out five.
Hitting Lines of the Night: Chris Carter smashed the Astros to a 4-1 win over the Rays, going 2/3 with two homers and four RBI. The white hot Hanley Ramirez carried the Dodgers to a 10-8 romp in Denver, going 4/5 with three runs scored, a double, and a solo homer. Matt Carpenter powered the Cardinals to a 12-2 blowout win in Anaheim, going 3/6 with three runs, three RBI, a double, and a homer. Domonic Brown did well for the Phillies in their 6-5 loss in Pittsburgh, going 3/5 with two runs, two RBI, and a homer. Finally, Justin Ruggiano spurred the Marlins to a rain-soaked, 6-3 win in Atlanta, going 2/4 with three RBI, a walk, a double, a homer, and a stolen base.
Other Games: Max Scherzer is 13-0 as the Tigers beat the Blue Jays 6-2. The Diamondbacks topped Matt Harvey and the Mets 5-3. The Reds beat the Giants 3-2 in 11 innings. CC Sabathia notched his 200th career win as the Yankees beat the Twins 3-2. The Royals edged the Indians 6-5.
What You Missed: We've got our final two trade deadline primers, covering the AL West and NL West. A minor league team hit a walkoff single…and lost?
Today's Games: Holy day baseball! Eric Stults starts for the Padres in Boston. Matt Cain and Mike Leake will duel in Cincinnati. Cole Hamels takes on Gerrit Cole in Pittsburgh. James Shields and the Royals host the Indians. Kyle Gibson makes start numero dos as the Twins host the Yankees. Jordan Lyles starts for the Astros, welcoming the Rays to Houston. Travis Wood takes on Dan Straily in Oakland. Justin Verlander starts for the Tigers in Toronto. Julio Teheran and the Braves host Henderson Alvarez of the Marlins in his season debut. Jhoulys Chacin and the Rockies host the Dodgers. Hisashi Iwakuma and the Mariners take on the Rangers in Arlington. Adam Wainwright starts for the Cardinals in Anaheim.
National TV: Brewers-Nationals (11 AM, MLB Network), Orioles-White Sox (2 PM, MLB Network), Yankees-Twins (2 PM, MLB Network), Mariners-Rangers (8 PM, MLB Network), Dodgers-Rockies (8 PM, MLB Network)
MLB.tv Free Game: Marlins-Braves, 7 PM
Pitching Matchup of the Day: Matt Cain vs Mike Leake (1 PM, Giants at Reds)
Enjoy your day of baseball, and happy Independence Day, everyone.
