TORONTO, ON - MAY 24: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a solo home run in the fifth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 24, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – MAY 24: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a solo home run in the fifth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 24, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
Mike Trout does it all for the Los Angeles Angels, Dylan Bundy strikes out 14, and more in today’s Relief Roundup
At Call to the Pen, we want to ensure every MLB team is getting coverage, and that you’re well-informed as the reader! As part of that, we will be including a daily piece into our collection with all of the night’s scores in the major leagues, the top performers in the minors, the minor league schedules, and a bit of history/birthdays at the very end.
Without further adieu, let’s begin!
MLB Scores
Cincinnati Reds 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 4 in Cincinnati – The Reds put up 4 runs in the 3rd inning and held off a rally from the Pirates late to secure the home win as Luis Castillo evened his record at 4-4.
Los Angeles Angels 8, Toronto Blue Jays 1 in Toronto – Shohei Ohtani got on base 4 times, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols homered, and Nick Tropeano shut down the Blue Jays as the Angels secured a road win.
Baltimore Orioles 9, Chicago White Sox 3 in Chicago – The Orioles put up all 9 of their runs in the first 3 innings, and Dylan Bundy struck out 14 as he dominated the Chicago White Sox hitters throughout the game, picking up the complete game.
Oakland Athletics 4, Seattle Mariners 3 in Oakland – The A’s scored 4 in the bottom of the 1st inning on Felix Hernandez, and while he held them for 5 scoreless after that, the Mariners offense was unable to punch through against a mix of Oakland relievers.
Houston Astros 8, Cleveland Indians 2 in Cleveland – The Astros did see the Indians score first, but they came back with two big innings in the 5th and 6th innings to secure the road win on Thursday.
Tampa Bay Rays 6, Boston Red Sox 3 in Tampa Bay – The Rays put up 5 runs in the first two innings, and Blake Snell made it stand up as the Rays defeated the Red Sox at home.
Kansas City Royals 8, Texas Rangers 2 in Texas – The Rangers didn’t score until the 8th inning as Danny Duffy was dominant on the mound for the Royals and got support he rarely has received from the Kansas City offense in 2018, as he moved his record to 2-6 with the victory.
New York Mets 5, Milwaukee Brewers 0 in Milwaukee – Steven Matz had a dominant game on the mound, and the Mets put together 13 hits as a team to slow down the hot Brewers.
Thursday Standouts
George Springer keyed the Houston offense Thursday with a 2-3 day and a pair of walks, scoring 2 runs, smacking a double, and stealing 2 bases.
The Orioles followed the dominant start of Dylan Bundy on Thursday. Bunday threw a complete game, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 14.
Other pitchers Danny Duffy, KC, 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K Steven Matz, NYM, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K Blake Snell, TB, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K Nick Tropeano, LAA, 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Friday’s Game to Watch
The Braves and Red Sox square off in an interleague matchup that pits Atlanta staff ace Julio Teheran against Red Sox young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in a matchup of two teams figuring at the top of their league’s East division this season thus far.
Next: AA/AAA
Thursday AAA Standouts
Toledo’s Chad Huffman provided the power on Thursday with a 3-5 game, powering out a double and two home runs as he scored 3 times and drove in 7 runs.
Alex Reyes had another dominant rehab start on Thursday for Memphis, going 7 innings without giving up a run, allowing just a hit and a walk, striking out 13 unfortunate hitters.
Other hitters: Dustin Ackley, Salt Lake, 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 4 RBI, BB Francisco Arcia, Salt Lake, 3-4, 3 RBI, BB Randy Arozarena, Memphis, 2-3, 2 R, 2B, BB Humberto Arteaga, Omaha, 3-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI Carlos Asuaje, El Paso, 1=2, R, 2 BB Brett Austin, Charlotte, 3-4, RBI Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, 2-3, 2 R, HR, BB Brandon Barnes, Columbus, 2-4, R, 2B, BB, SB Anthony Bemboom, Albuquerque, 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB Jabari Blash, Salt Lake, 4-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI, BB, SB Keon Broxton, Colorado Springs, 2-3, BB Jeimer Candelario, Toledo, 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB Stephen Cardullo, Albuquerque, 4-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB Yandy Diaz, Columbus, 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB Steven Duggar, Sacramento, 3-4 Jake Elmore, Charlotte, 2-4, R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI Jose Miguel Fernandez, Salt Lake, 3-6, 3 R, HR Nolan Fontana, Salt Lake, 1-4, 3 R, 2 BB, SB Josh Fuentes, Albuquerque, 2-4, R, BB Anthony Garcia, Nashville, 3-4 Bengie Gonzalez, Syracuse, 2-4, 2 RBI, BB Nick Gordon, Rochester, 2-4, R, 2 2B Jacob Hannemann, Iowa, 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB Scott Heineman, Round Rock, 3-4, 2 R Yadiel Hernandez, Syracuse, 3-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB Danny Jansen, Buffalo, 3-5, R, 3 2B, 3 RBI Tommy Joseph, Round Rock, 2-3, R, BB Jack Lopez, Omaha, 3-5, HR Jake Lowery, Syracuse, 3-5, 2B, RBI Ryan McMahon, Albuquerque, 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, RBI Oscar Mercado, Memphis, 4-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB Max Moroff, Indianapolis, 3-4 Renato Nunez, Norfolk, 2-4, R, BB, SB Ryan O’Hearn, Omaha, 2-3, HR, 2 BB Paulo Orlando, Omaha, 3-5, 3 R, 2B Dalton Pompey, Buffalo, 2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Anthony Recker, Reno, 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB Nellie Rodriguez, Columbus, 2-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Ronny Rodriguez, Toledo, 4-5, 2 R, 2B Eric Stamets, Columbus, 3-4, 2 R, HR Brock Stassi, Rochester, 2-3, RBI, BB Tyrone Taylor, Colorado Springs, 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI Rowdy Tellez, Buffalo, 2-4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI Matt Thaiss, Salt Lake, 3-6, 2 HR Zach Vincej, Tacoma, 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR Jacob Wilson, Syracuse, 3-4, 3 R, 2B, RBI Eric Wood, Indianapolis, 2-4, R, 2 2B, RBI
Other pitchers: Brock Dykxhoorn, Fresno, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K Tyler Eppler, Indianapolis, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K Drew Gagnon, Las Vegas, 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K Casey Kelly, Sacramento, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Ben Lively, Lehigh Valley, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K Michael Mader, Gwinnett, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K Freddy Peralta, Colorado Springs, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K Carlos Rodon, Charlotte, 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K Josh Rogers, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K Troy Scribner, Reno, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K Rob Whalen, Tacoma, 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Friday’s AAA Game to Watch
Memphis’ Daniel Poncedeleon may have trouble fitting his name across his jersey, but stat sheets have been having more trouble fitting that name among league leaderboards this year as Poncedeleon has pitched to a 2.76 ERA in the PCL in early going. He faces the impressive Colorado Springs lineup Friday night.
AAA International League
Indianapolis Indians @ Charlotte Knights Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs @ Pawtucket PawSox Columbus Clippers @ Gwinnett Stripers Durham Bulls @ Louisville Bats Syracuse Chiefs @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Norfolk Tides @ Toledo Mud Hens Buffalo Bisons @ Rochester Red Wings, Game 1 Buffalo Bisons @ Rochester Red Wings, Game 2
AAA Pacific Coast League
Albuquerque Isotopes @ Sacramento River Cats Oklahoma City Dodgers @ Nashville Sounds Round Rock Express @ Omaha Storm Chasers New Orleans Baby Cakes @ Iowa Cubs Colorado Springs Sky Sox @ Memphis Redbirds El Paso Chihuahuas @ Fresno Grizzlies Tacoma Rainiers @ Las Vegas 51s Reno Aces @ Salt Lake Bees
Thursday AA Standouts
Bowie’s Anderson Feliz had a huge game on Thursday, going 3-3 with a walk, scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 runs. Feliz had a double, a home run, and stole 2 bases.
After being one of the top college starters entering the 2017 draft, Corbin Martin has been impressive for Corpus Christi this season. On Thursday, he tossed a beauty, going 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 0 walks, striking out 9.
Other pitchers of note Lucas Long, Bowie, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K Pablo Lopez, Jacksonville, 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K Anthony Misiewicz, Arkansas, 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K Richelson Pena, Frisco, 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K Zach Plesac, Akron, 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K Jose Rodriguez, Mobile, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K Seth Simmons, San Antonio, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K Teddy Stankiewicz, Portland, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K Touki Toussaint, Mississippi, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 10 K Jacob Waguespack, Reading, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K Jake Woodford, Springield, 8 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Friday’s AA Game to Watch
Altoona travels to Harrisburg to open a weekend series, and the Friday pitching matchup couldn’t be much better as Brandon Waddell climbs the hill for Altoona with a 1.66 ERA on the season opposed by Brady Dragmire for Harrisburg and his 2.45 ERA on the season thus far.
Birmingham Barons @ Jackson Generals Montgomery Biscuits @ Chattanooga Lookouts Biloxi Shuckers @ Mobile BayBears Tennessee Smokies @ Pensacola Blue Wahoos Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp @ Mississippi Braves
AA Texas League
Frisco RoughRiders @ Northwest Arkansas Naturals Springfield Cardinals @ Corpus Christi Hooks Tulsa Drillers @ San Antonio Missions Midland RockHounds @ Arkansas Travelers
Next: high-A/low-A
Thursday high-A Standouts
Bradenton’s Jared Oliva had a big game Thursday, showing off his power and speed, going 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI, hitting a home run and stealing two bases.
Dylan Cease has been a bit up and down for Winston-Salem this season, but he had a stellar showing on Thursday, going 7 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 9.
Other pitchers Christian Alvarado, Frederick, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Andro Cutura, Fort Myers, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Luis Escobar, Bradenton, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K Dustin Hurlbutt, Stockton, 3 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K Brendan McKay, Charlotte, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K Cameron Roegner, Carolina, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K Matt Swarmer, Myrtle Beach, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Logan Webb, San Jose, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Friday’s high-A Game to Watch
Michael Baumann made an excellent first high-A start at Frederick, bringing his season totals to 6-0, a 1.40 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 14/49 BB/K ratio over 45 innings. He looks to continue his success Friday on the road at Down East.
California League
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes @ Inland Empire 66ers San Jose Giants @ Lake Elsinore Visalia Rawhide @ Modesto Nuts Stockton Ports @ Lancaster JetHawks
Carolina League
Salem Red Sox @ Wilmington Blue Rocks Winston-Salem Dash @ Potomac Nationals Frederick Keys @ Down East Wood Ducks Lynchburg Hillcats @ Buies Creek Astros Myrtle Beach Pelicans @ Carolina Mudcats
Florida State League
Clearwater Threshers @ Palm Beach Cardinals St. Lucie Mets @ Daytona Tortugas Fort Myers Miracle @ Charlotte Stone Crabs Jupiter Hammerheads @ Bradenton Marauders Tampa Tarpons @ Florida Fire Frogs Lakeland Flying Tigers @ Dunedin Blue Jays
Thursday low-A Standouts
Greensboro’s Garvis Lara flashed his power and speed on Thursday, as he went 2-2 with a double and a home run, drawing a walk, and stealing a base.
Fort Wayne’s Nick Margevicius had a brilliant game on Thursday, going 7 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits and a walk, striking out 7.
Other hitters Luis Almanzar, Fort Wayne, 2-4, 2 2B, RBI Miguel Aparicio, Hickory, 2-4, R, BB Ricky Aracena, Lexington, 2-3, 2 R, 2B, BB Chris Betts, Bowling Green, 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB Jean Carrillo, Delmarva, 3-4, 2B, 4 RBI William Contreras, Rome, 3-4, R, 2B, 2B Trevor Craport, Delmarva, 2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB Christian Donahue, South Bend, 3-5, R, 2B Logan Farrar, Beloit, 1-1, 2B, 2 BB Tyler Friis, Lake County, 1-3, HR, 2 BB Luis Garcia, Hagerstown, 3-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI KJ Harrison, Wisconsin, 2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI Ronaldo Hernandez, Bowling Green, 2-3, HR, BB Max Hogan, Delmarva, 2-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI Travis Jones, Lexington, 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI Charlie Madden, Greenville, 1-2, HR, 2 BB Kevin Markham, Lakewood, 3-3, R Montrell Marshall, Dayton, 1-2, R, 2 BB Renae Martinez, Kane County, 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB MJ Melendez, Lexington, 1-3, 2B, 2 BB Clayton Middleton, Hickory, 1-3, 2 BB Austin O’Banion, Hickory, 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB Dimas Ojeda, Clinton, 2-4, RBI, BB Tirso Ornelas, Fort Wayne, 3-4, R, 2 2B, 3B, RBI Jordan Pearce, West Michigan, 1-2, 2B, 2 BB Sebastian Rivero, Lexington, 2-3, BB Nick Roscetti, Wisconsin, 4-4, R, RBI Ariel Sandoval, Clinton, 2-4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB Franklin Torres, Burlington, 2-4, RBI, BB, SB Ryan Vilade, Asheville, 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB Harrison Wenson, Burlington, 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, SB Jared Young, South Bend, 1-3, R, 2 BB
Other pitchers Xavier Altamirano, Beloit, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K Alec Bettinger, Wisconsin, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K Maverik Buffo, Lansing, 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K Garrett Davila, Lexington, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K Blayne Enlow, Cedar Rapids, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K Alex Fagalde, Peoria, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K Josh Fleming, Bowling Green, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K Nick Gallagher, Lake County, 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Raymond Kerr, Clinton, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K Rollie Lacy, South Bend, 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K Simon Mathews, Burlington, 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K Brandon Miller, Greensboro, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Friday’s low-A Game to Watch
Lakewood’s towering 6’10” lefty Kyle Young made a very good season debut, and he looks to continue a positive start to his season as he runs into a Delmarva team that has had exceptional pitching all season and sends righty Matthias Dietz to the mound.
Midwest League
Fort Wayne TinCaps @ Lansing Lugnuts Great Lakes Loons @ Lake County Captains Dayton Dragons @ Bowling Green Hot Rods West Michigan Whitecaps @ South Bend Cubs Beloit Snappers @ Burlington Bees Clinton LumberKings @ Cedar Rapids Kernels Wisconsin Timber Rattlers @ Kane County Cougars Peoria Chiefs @ Quad Cities River Bandits
South Atlantic League
Charleston RiverDogs @ Hickory Crawdads Greenville Drive @ Columbia Fireflies Kannapolis Intimidators @ West Virginia Power Greensboro Grasshoppers @ Hagerstown Suns Lakewood BlueClaws @ Delmarva Shorebirds Rome Braves @ Augusta GreenJackets Lexington Legends @ Asheville Tourists
Next: Birthdays/history for 25th of May
CARACAS – 1933. Martin Dihigo, pitcher and outfielder for the Caracas team in the Venezuelan league, poses for a picture in 1933. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /
Birthdays today
Only one member of the Hall of Fame was born today, but he may have been better than Babe Ruth or Shohei Ohtani can ever hope to be as a two-way player. Martin Dihigo has the distinction of being the first man ever elected to the MLB, Mexican, and Cuban baseball Halls of Fame.
Dihigo was a versatile player, playing every position but catcher for extended time over his playing career between 1922 and 1950. He won over 250 games on the mound as a pitcher (some sources report over 300), and he set records on offense and pitching both.
Many who viewed Dihigo estimated that the left side of the infield (shortstop or third base) or right field were his best defensive positions in the field as he could show off his incredible arm, which one person who saw both rated as better than Roberto Clemente’s in right field. At the plate, he blended a rare ability to hit the ball for power and incredibly high average.
Dihigo left his native Cuba when Fulgencio Batista came to power and was part of the funding of Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Castro put him in a position of importance within the government, allowing him to oversee the development of one of the finest baseball development programs a country has ever produced.
Active MLB players born today: Neil Ramirez, Ryan Sherriff, Eric Young, Jr.
Babe Ruth hit his final 3 home runs on this day in 1935 with the Boston Braves, with his final home being the first to ever go over the right field roof in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field.
Willie Mays makes his New York Giants debut on this day in 1951.
The Boston Red Sox on this day acquire Bill Buckner in 1984 in a deal that sends Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley to the Cubs.
Five years later, the Expos, in search of their first postseason success, the Montreal Expos acquire Mark Langston from the Seattle Mariners. Part of the package back to the Mariners is Randy Johnson.
Omar Vizquel breaks the record for games played at shortstop in major league history on this day in 2008.
