The Walk Off: Aaron Hill crushes Reds with three-homer game
Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.
Aaron Hill picked a great time to find his power swing.
With his playing time in jeopardy as the rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers search for long-term answers, the veteran infielder muscled up for three home runs in their 13-7 win against the Reds.
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Even more impressively, Hill didn’t hit his first until the sixth inning. WIth Milwaukee trailing 6-2, he first belted a two-run shot that tightened the score. Then, two innings later, Hill smashed a game-tying homer. That sent the game to extra innings and set the stage for his biggest hit, a tie-breaking grand slam that set off a seven-run rally.
The three homers and seven RBIs were both career highs for Hill. They also matched the franchise record in both categories.
Pretty surprising stuff from a guy whose home runs are way down.
Hill hit a career-best 36 homers for Arizona in 2009. He’ll probably be best remembered for completing two cycles in 11 days during the 2012 season.
TOP PERFORMERS
Robinson Cano: The Mariners hit three solo home runs in a 3-2, 10-inning win against the Astros. Two of those belonged to Robinson Cano, including the go-ahead blast in the final frame. The homers were Cano’s 10th and 11th of the season, which gives him sole possession of the AL lead. That’s after averaging just 17.5 homers in his first two seasons with Seattle. He’s definitely coming alive, and that’s a big reason why Seattle is off to an 18-12 start.
Clayton Kershaw: The Dodgers left-hander was dominant again, striking out 10 and walking none in a 6-2 win against the Blue Jays. Kershaw has now struck out 34 batters since his last walk, and he’s struck out at least 10 in his last four outings. It’s amazing to think, but it’s possible he’s taking another step forward.
[Related: Clayton Kershaw is on pace to shatter an impressive record]
Rougned Odor, Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre: The Texas Rangers first three batters were on fire in Saturday’s 10-5 win against Detroit. The game started with Odor and Mazara hitting back-to-back homers. Later in the game, Beltre muscled up for two homers while driving in four runs. Combined, they had six hits, six runs scored and seven RBIs.
Josh Reddick: Oakland’s veteran outfielder had a seven-hit day on Saturday. Of course, that came over two games, as the Oakland A’s and Baltimore Orioles split a day-night doubleheader. Reddick picked up three hits in the opener, which Oakland won 8-4. He went 4-for-4 in the nightcap, but it wasn’t enough as the Orioles triumphed 5-2.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
Matt Carpenter was the Cardinals hero on Saturday, hitting a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth to lift them to a 6-4 victory over the Pirates. It was the first walk-off homer of his career.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Yankees 8, Red Sox 2: Another rough outing for David Price, who allowed six earned runs over 4.2 innings. The loss was his first, but his ERA is up to 6.75.
Cubs 8, Nationals 5: A critical defensive misplay by Bryce Harper was the turning point as Chicago improved to 23-6.
[Related: Wrigley Field got the best of Bryce Harper on critical misplay]
Giants 2, Rockies 1 (13 innings): Neither team scored until the 10th inning. San Francisco won on Matt Duffy’s walk-off single.
Royals 7, Indians 0: Kendrys Morales homered and drove in four while Ian Kennedy tossed seven scoreless innings.
Diamondbacks 4, Braves 2: A trip back to Atlanta proved healthy for Shelby Miller. The struggling right-hander allowed two runs over six innings to earn his first win with Arizona.
White Sox 7, Twins 2: Would you believe Minnesota is now 12 1/2 games behind Chicago in the AL Central standings? It’s true.
Phillies 4, Marlins 3: Philadelphia rallied for three in the eighth to cool off a Miami team that had won 11 of 12.
Mets 6, Padres 3: If you haven’t heard, Bartolo Colon made history by hitting his first career home run.
Rays 4, Angels 2: Steven Souza Jr. tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth. Logan Forsythe provided the difference with a two-run single in the ninth.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
