Alex Guerrero’s ninth inning grand slam pushes Dodgers past Rockies
Take a look around the league with Big League Stew’s daily wrap up. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were in desperate need of a hero Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. With the team down by three entering the ninth inning, L.A. decided to mount a comeback.
After three straight singles loaded the bases, the Dodgers appeared to be in business. Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt wouldn’t give the game away that easy, picking up two outs against the next two hitters.
With the Dodgers down to their final out, Alex Guerrero stepped to the plate. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Guerrero sent a 91 mph fastball out to center for the go-ahead grand slam.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen would preserve the one-run lead, giving the Dodgers the 9-8 victory.
Following the contest, Guerrero told reporters he’s used to this type of thing.
With the blast, Guerrero now has 10 home runs in 104 plate appearances. He’s hitting .296/.327/.684. Yasiel Puig is expected to miss more time due to a hamstring injury, and it’s starting to look like Guerrero is going to see the majority of the playing time in his stead.
After Tuesday’s heroics, he certainly deserves that.
THE FERNANDO RODNEY EXPERIENCE IS ALIVE AND WELL
The Seattle Mariners late-inning woes continued Tuesday against the New York Yankees. With the team nursing a one-run lead in the ninth, Fernando Rodney entered the game looking to close the door.
It didn’t go so well. After a leadoff walk, Rodney managed to pick up the first two outs of the inning. That’s when trouble struck. A two out single put runners on first and third, setting the stage for Stephen Drew.
On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Drew doubled home the game-tying run, sending the contest into extras. The Yankees would eventually prevail in the 11th, after Garrett Jones blasted a three-run homer.
The game marked Rodney’s third blown save of the season. Over 22 1/3 innings, he’s posted a 6.85 ERA.
Despite his struggles, it appears Rodney will hold onto his job for now.
With the loss, the M’s dropped to 24-28 on the season. The club is currently in the middle of a four game losing streak.
ARCHER TOSSES A GEM
Forget about David Price and James Shields, the Tampa Bay Rays have a new ace. Chris Archer was dominant in Tuesday’s 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Archer allowed just one earned run on six hits over eight innings. He struck out 15 batters and did not issue a walk.
With the performance, Archer tied Shields for the most strikeouts by a starter in a single game.
Amazingly, this marks the second straight start in which Archer has struck out 10+ batters without issuing a walk.
With the performance, Archer managed to lower his ERA to 2.01 on the year. Every one of his peripherals seems to suggest the performance is legitimate as well. Archer’s strikeouts are up, his walks and down and he’s keeping the ball on the ground more than ever.
While he’s not one of the more popular pitchers in the game just yet, it’s time to start thinking about Archer as the possible American League starter in the All-Star Game. He’s been that good.
CLEVELAND FIGURES OUT WADE DAVIS
The Cleveland Indians did the impossible during the 2-1 win against the Kansas City Royals: They scored a run against Wade Davis.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Davis had not given up a run in 22 innings. That all changed in the eighth inning. With the game tied at one, Davis came on to try and preserve the score for the Royals.
He had some trouble early, walking the first batter he faced. Davis was able to pick up two forceouts against the next two hitters, however, picking up two quick outs.
After Carlos Santana worked a walk, men were on first and second for outfielder Michael Brantley. Brantley worked a seven-pitch at-bat, fouling off four straight pitches before singling up the middle. The hit scored Jason Kipnis and gave the Indians the 2-1 lead.
Davis not only allowed his first run of the season, but was also saddled with the loss. He dropped to 2-1 following the game. After giving up the run, Davis’ ERA shot up to 0.39 on the season.
Want to see more from Tuesday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
