The Walk Off: Jayson Werth beats former club with walk-off single
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.
It was quite the day for former members of the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. While playing their former club, both closer Jonathan Papelbon and outfielder Jayson Werth had radically different experiences during the Washington Nationals’ 5-4 victory over Philadelphia.
With the game tied in the ninth, Papelbon was called upon to keep the Phillies off the board. He couldn’t get the job done. Maikel Franco led things off with a solo shot to left field, giving the Phillies a one-run lead. It was far from the first time Papelbon has struggled against his former club.
With the Phillies now in position to win, the Nationals needed someone to play the hero. Turned out, it was former Phillie Jayson Werth.
After a late rally to load the bases, Werth stepped to the plate with two outs looking to put his team ahead. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Werth came through. He knocked a single to center field, scoring two runs and giving his team the walk-off 5-4 win.
Following the win, Werth made Papelbon’s day worse … or better depending on how you look at it. He referred to the closer as the “D.C. Strangler,” which was an obvious reference to the whole Papelbon/Bryce Harper choking incident from last season.
TOP PERFORMERS
Anthony Rizzo: A number of Chicago Cubs players had strong performances during the team’s 13-2 win over the Atlanta Braves, but Anthony Rizzo’s stands out the most. The 26-year-old picked up three hits and drove in three runs during the contest. He finished 3-for-6, with two runs scored and three RBI.
Matt Moore: After a few tough outings, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Moore seemed to get back on track during the team’s 5-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday. Moore allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings. He issued one walk, and struck out 10 during the victory. With the win, he improved to 3-4.
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Matt Holliday: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday may have found the fountain of youth over the past couple days. Holliday homered for the second-straight game in the Cardinals’ 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. He would finish the contest 3-for-4, with two runs scored and two RBI.
MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT
The New York Mets couldn’t complete the comeback during the club’s 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, but at least they’ll have this Curtis Granderson catch. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Jonathan Lucroy hit a pop up toward the line in right field. Granderson ranged to his left and slid just before he reached the foul line. The ball landed in his glove just inches from hitting the ground. While the play didn’t save the game for New York, it may have saved an eventual run.
THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD
Royals 3, White Sox 1: Yordano Ventura gave up just one run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out 10 batters, earning his fifth win of the season.
Blue Jays 10, Orioles 9: The Blue Jays offense proved to be too much despite the fact that Adam Jones homered twice, and Chris Davis hit a home run in his fifth-straight game for Baltimore.
Athletics 6, Reds 1: Marcus Semien and Josh Smolinski homered early to give Oakland a lead, Danny Valencia managed a solo home run later to extend it.
Tigers 4, Yankees 1: Michael Fulmer tossed six scoreless innings, and has not allowed a run in his last 28 1/3 innings.
Twins 7, Red Sox 4: With the game tied in the 10th inning, Max Kepler smacked a walk-off three-run homer to give the Twins the victory.
Indians 8, Angels 3: Mike Trout had to leave the contest after being hit on the hand with a pitch, but X-rays were negative.
Rangers 6, Mariners 4: Seattle’s hopes at a come back were ruined when Nomar Mazara nailed Robinson Cano at second as he tried to advance to end the game.
Rockies 2, Padres 1: Mark Reynolds broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning, smashing a solo home run to score the eventual game-winning run.
Diamondbacks 6, Marlins 0: Robbie Ray was fantastic, holding Miami scoreless over 7 2/3 innings. He gave up three hits and struck out six during the win.
Giants 2, Dodgers 1: Jake Peavy held Los Angeles scoreless over six innings while Brandon Belt’s two-run homer was the difference during the contest.
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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
