The Walk Off: Cubs overcome Jason Hammel injury to one-hit Dodgers
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.
Even injuries can’t stop the Chicago Cubs. The club managed to overcome what could have been a significant injury Monday during a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Things looked grim early, as starting pitcher Jason Hammel suffered a leg injury while throwing warmup pitches just before his third inning of work. Hammel could not continue, and had to leave the game.
While turning things over to the bullpen that early would be disastrous for most clubs, the Cubs managed to overcome the injury. In fact, their bullpen was lights out.
Travis Wood got the call to replace Hammel, and turned in his best impression of Jake Arrieta. Over four innings of relief, Wood did not allow a hit of walk, striking out four.
That was par for the course for the rest of the team’s bullpen as well. Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon each tossed perfect innings in relief once Wood left the contest.
After the game, it was announced Hammel was dealing with leg cramps. He’s expected to make his next start.
All told, the Cubs bullpen threw seven perfect innings in relief of Hammel. Aside from a first inning single from Justin Turner, the Dodgers could not muster any more hits in the game.
While that seems bad, it could get worse for Los Angeles. The club will have to take on Jake Arrieta on Tuesday. The last time the two teams faced, Arrieta picked up his first career no-hitter.
TOP PERFORMERS
Gregory Polanco: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco managed a career-first during Monday’s contest against the Miami Marlins. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Polanco belted a 91 mph changeup from Julio Urena out to right center for his first major-league grand slam. Polanco would also single in the 10-0 victory, finishing 2-for-4, with two runs scored and four RBI.
Matt Harvey: The New York Mets can breathe a sigh of relief. After Monday’s dominant 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox, it looks like Matt Harvey is officially back. The hard-throwing right hander went seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. He walked one and struck out six during the performance. On top of that, Harvey’s velocity seemed to return to its previous levels. It was a much-needed dominant start for both Harvey and the Mets.
[A 92-year-old WWII veteran threw out the first pitch at the Mariners game on Memorial Day]
Joey Votto: After a slow start, Cincinnati Reds slugger Joey Votto appears to be coming around. The 32-year-old showed as much Monday during an 11-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies. In the seventh inning of the contest, Votto smacked a home run to deep right field, giving him 200 career long balls. He would also add a double, finishing 2-for-5, with one run scored and three RBI.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
There are home runs and then there are HOME RUNS! St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday delivered the latter during a 6-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the seventh inning, Holliday struck, smashing a 95 mph fastball deep to left field. The official measurement marked the ball at 466 feet, making it the fifth-longest home run his this season.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Braves 5, Giants 3: The Braves jumped all over Jeff Samardzija early, tagging him for five runs, four earned, over just five innings.
Red Sox 7, Orioles 2: Jackie Bradley Jr. hit his ninth home run of the season, while Xander Bogaerts extended his hit streak to 23 games.
Athletics 3, Twins 2: Kendall Gravemen allowed two runs over six innings while the rest of the A’s bullpen kept the Twins off the board over the final three innings.
Mariners 9, Padres 3: Kyle Seager’s two-run homer in the sixth gave Seattle the lead. Dae-Ho Lee’s three-run homer in the eighth put the final nail in the coffin.
Astros 8, Diamondbacks 3: Paul Goldschmidt homered in the first to give the Diamondbacks the lead, but pitcher Edwin Escobar couldn’t hold it. The lefty was tagged for eight runs, seven earned, over 3 1/3 innings.
Rangers 9, Indians 2: Texas jumped out to a big lead early, scoring five runs in the first inning. Nomar Mazara clubbed a three-run shot in the fourth, putting the team up nine runs.
Nationals 4, Phillies 3: Daniel Murphy continued his exceptional start, hitting a home run, a double and an RBI single during the contest.
Blue Jays 4, Yankees 2: Marco Estrada tossed eight scoreless innings against New York, walking three and striking out six in the victory.
Royals 6, Rays 2: The Royals got to another bullpen. Lorenzo Cain’s single in the eighth put Kansas City ahead, while Eric Hosmer’s home run in the same frame put the game out of reach.
Angels 5, Tigers 1: Justin Verlander and Jhoulys Chacin threatened with no-hitters early. Both lost those, but Chacin eventually prevailed. He tossed a complete-game, giving up one run and picking up 10 strikeouts.
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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
