Gregory Polanco’s walk-off serves as fitting end to baseball’s first half
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.
Though every team has already played its 81st game, the All-Star break serves as the unofficial halfway point of the season. Heading into the break, you would be hard pressed to find a hotter team than the Pittsburgh Pirates. They proved that Sunday, beating the division rival St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 in extras.
[On this week’s StewPod: Everything you need to know about the All-Star game.]
The Pirates aren’t heading into the break on the biggest winning streak in the majors, but taking three of four from the division-leading Cardinals is significant. The way the club has battled back the past two games has also been impressive.
Sunday’s game was evidence that the team refuses to lose. After blowing a one-run lead in the eighth, the Pirates braced for extras. Things looked bleak in the top of the 10th, as Randal Grichuk drove in two runs for St. Louis.
The Pirates refused to go down that easily, though, and began their comeback in the bottom of the frame. Jody Mercer started things off with a leadoff single, but the next two Pirates quickly made outs. Just when the Pirates’ ship looked to be sinking, things turned around.
Starling Marte singled to right field, scoring Mercer from second. Jung Ho Kang followed that up with a single of his own, putting the tying run in scoring position. Francisco Cervelli brought that run in on a single.
With the game tied, Travis Ishikawa walked to load the bases. The brought Gregory Polanco to the plate. Polanco would deliver, blasting a walk-off single to right field.
With the win, the Pirates pulled within 2.5 games of the Cardinals in the National League Central.
SONNY GRAY DAZZLES AGAINST CLEVELAND
Oakland Athletics ace Sonny Gray proved why he was selected for the All-Star team Sunday against the Cleveland Indians. Gray was exceptional during a 2-0 shutout.
In his final start before the All-Star break, Gray went the distance. He allowed just two hits over nine innings. Gray struck out six and walked one during the contest.
With the performance, Gray lowered his ERA to 2.04 on the season. While Gray would have been a popular candidate to start the All-Star Game for the American League, he opted out of the contest since he pitched Sunday. He’ll be replaced by Hector Santiago.
With the win, the Athletics improved to 41-50 on the year.
BLUE JAYS BATTLE ALL THE WAY BACK, BUT LOSE
No matter how big the deficit, the Toronto Blue Jays are never out of a game this season. The team’s offense again battled back Sunday, but it wasn’t enough. Despite the effort, the club lost 11-10 against the Kansas City Royals.
Though they lost, the team’s ability to come back was impressive. With the club down by seven entering the sixth inning, the Blue Jays’ bats finally came alive.
The club collected six hits during the frame, including three singles and three doubles. When all was said and done, the Blue Jays had actually taken a lead, plating eight runs during the inning.
That didn’t last. Kansas City immediately scored three runs in the bottom of the frame, going up by two. Again, Toronto battled back. The club picked up a run in both the seventh and eighth innings, tying the game once again.
The Royals wouldn’t have it. Paul Orlando hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, giving his team the lead. They would hold on in the ninth, picking up the victory.
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Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Toronto has been in this position.
The Blue Jays are 45-46 heading into the break. The club is 4.5 games out of first in the American League East.
ARRIETA GOES THE DISTANCE AGAINST WHITE SOX
Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta was fantastic Sunday against the hometown rival Chicago White Sox. Arrieta went the distance during a 3-1 victory.
Arrieta allowed just two hits during the contest. He struck out nine and did not issue any walks. Arrieta’s only mistake occurred in the sixth inning. After giving up a leadoff double to Carlos Sanchez, Arrieta allowed a sacrifice fly later in the frame, bringing Sanchez home.
He also managed to help his own cause during the game. Arrieta belted a solo home run against Jose Quintana to lead off the fifth inning. The Cubs already had a two-run lead, but Arrieta’s hit added a nice insurance run.
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Over the past couple weeks, it’s tough to find a pitcher with better stats than Arrieta.
With the win, the Cubs improved to 47-40 on the season.
Want to see more from Sunday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
