Today in Baseball (ESPN, Boston Red Sox, series, players)

[jtur88]

The Cardinals scored a run for Adam Wainwright. During the entire month of April, Wainwright started four games, pitched 19.2 innings, and his teammates scored exactly zero total runs while he was the pitcher of record.

[case44]

Get your brooms out, sports fans. The Astros (now 11-14) just swept the Mets this afternoon with an 8-1 win at home. Chris Johnson blasted two homers to break his drought. They're getting ready to face the Cards in a weekend series in H-town.

And how about the job the Orioles are doing?? They're playing some great baseball, and with some of that taking place at Yankee Stadium (their latest adventure, a 7-1 win vs New York last night). Those guys are now 15-9.

[filihok]

I don't typically complain about umpiring but, come on.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | LAD@COL: Hairston incorrectly called out at first - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

Umpires are human. They make mistakes. These mistakes can be easily fixed with instant replay.

[jtur88]

Four consecutive runs scored by the Pirates were scored by Pedro Alvarez. I wonder what the record is. He scored all three runs yesterday, and the first one today. He then homered, and would have made if 5 straight, but there was a runner on base. He also batted in the last run before the 4 in a row that he scored, so a streak of 7 runs all involved Alvarez as scoring five and batting in three.

Hank Sauer once homered leading off an inning three times off Curt Simmons, the only runs in a 3-2 Cubs win.

[Grandstander]

After starting his career as an Angel with the worst month of his career, Albert Pujols has begun May by hitting one single in twelve plate appearances. .111/.111/.111

[jtur88]

On Tuesday night, when Jose Altuve of the Astros lined out in the 8th inning against Mets pitcher Jon Rauch, it is believed to have set a MLB record. Rauch (6'11") is listed as 18 inches taller than Altuve (5'5"). (Excluding Gaedel, of course)

Yoyo Davalillo played for Washington in 1953, officially listed at 5'3". Gene Conley was the tallest player of that era, at 6'8", but they were never in the majors sumultaneously. Albie Pearson and Fred Patek were 5'5", and would have required a 6'11" pitcher, and I don't think there was one by the end of Patek's career, which came in 1982.

[Grandstander]

Wow, another zip for four night for Pujols, he is one for sixteen in the month of May and overall is now batting .194/.237 /.269.

Pujols has never performed this poorly for this long previously in his career, nothing even close to this collapse.

Thoughts on what is wrong? His talent could not have simply evaporated over the winter. The idea that he isn't used to AL pitching yet is inconsistent with his history of hitting well in interleague play.

Hiding an injury?

Can't handle the pressure of the huge contract?

He's actually 36 years old?

[case44]

The Astros extended their winning streak to four (and six of their last eight) against a good Cardinals team, winning 5-4. Jose Altuve is just red-hot, as he clubbed a 3-run blast in the second.

Speaking of red-hot, so is Tampa Bay. That's nine victories in their last ten games with their victory last night.

The Rangers have cooled off significantly, as they've lost four of their last six. Ron Washington felt he kept Colby Lewis in the game too long but insisted he threw the ball well (which he did). Sometimes, decisions don't work out as planned.

And Houston's Jordan Schafer sets an important record last night. Take a look.

Schafer reaches base again, ties Astros record | astros.com: News

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by case44

The Astros extended their winning streak to four (and six of their last eight) against a good Cardinals team, winning 5-4. Jose Altuve is just red-hot, as he clubbed a 3-run blast in the second.

The Astros were aided by two damaging errors in the early innings by two Cards inexplicably playing each other's unfamiliar positions. Infielder Matt Carpenter dropped a fly in right field, a position has had experienced previously in only 3 minor league games, and right fielder Allen Craig, at first base where he has played less than 100 games majors and minors. Craig is just off the DL, and Matheny might not have wanted him running in the outfield, but otherwise, it is an unusual decision to start a first baseman in right and a right fielder at first, both unfamiliar with the position. Without those little-league errors, its a 4-3 win for the Cardinals.

[jtur88]

The Killer A's -- The White Sox starting lineup today had five players whose FIRST name starts with the letter A:

A.J. Pierzynski
Adam Dunn
Alexei Ramirez
Alejandro De Aza
Alex Rios

There's about one chance in three that Addison Reed will be in from the bullpen before the game is over.