#301---KC @ CLE, 5/4/2008

Gil Meche allowed just four singles, striking out four over seven innings, and the Royals bullpen tossed two perfect innings (which combined with Meche’s efforts meant the final twelve were retired in order) to beat the Indians 2-0. Aaron Laffey pitched his own gem, taking a no-hitter into the fifth, with his only run allowed coming on a two-out throwing error by Casey Blake in that frame. In the ninth, Rafael Perez got the first two outs before Rafael Betancourt was summoned and taken deep by Miguel Olivo for the second and final run.   

#300---TOR @ CLE, 5/1/2007

Two years later, the two initialed starting pitchers would anchor the Yankees rotation to a world title. This game started very poorly for CC Sabathia as he surrendered first inning solo shots to Alex Rios, Troy Glaus, and Aaron Hill. But he settled in to allow just one single over his final five frames, earning a quality start at the minimum standard and fanning nine without issuing a walk.

The Indians would turn it into a rout with five extra-base hits accounting for all of the runs. In the fourth, Travis Hafner’s two-run homer and Jhonny Peralta’s two-run double gave them the lead off AJ Burnett. Jhonny Peralta’s three-run homer in the fifth, Victor Martinez’ two-run double in the sixth, and Trot Nixon’s three-run homer in the eighth made it a 12-4 final. 

#299---CLE @ DET, 5/27/2006

 

With two outs in the first, Ben Broussard booted a grounder to first, and Magglio Ordonez made the Tribe pay by homering on an 0-2 pitch from Paul Byrd. That was all Justin Verlander would need. He went seven, striking out five, and though Cleveland had a baserunner in every inning, they only scored on Grady Sizemore’s leadoff homer in the fourth. Aaron Boone’s leadoff double in the eighth gave them a golden opportunity to tie it, but after he moved up to third on a deep fly by Sizemore, Fernando Rodney fanned Casey Blake looking and got Jhonny Peralta to ground out.

After Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco combined to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the frame, Travis Hafner led off the ninth against Todd Jones with a hit, but Victor Martinez bounced into a double play on the first pitch he saw. Fun to note that Paul Byrd matched Verlander with five strikeouts in seven innings.

#298---TOR @ CLE, 5/14/2005

 

This game was marred by May showers, with a twenty-seven minute delay between the top and bottom of the first. In the second, both teams scored a pair, Orlando Hudson and Ben Broussard each driving in both runs for their respective nines. The rains came again in the bottom of the third, this time lasting for almost two hours and knocking both starters out of the game.

The bullpens proceeded to hurl zeros at each other, with five Cleveland relievers combining to allow just two hits and one walk over six innings. Toronto’s pen allowed just two hits and two walks, but one of the hits was Jhonny Peralta’s homer off Jason Frasor to lead off the seventh, and that was the difference in the game. 

Victor Martinez’ third inning at bat features the fun notation “FC96” as Casey Blake was thrown out at second on what would have been a flyball single to right.

#297---BOS @ TEX, 5/2/2004

 

Continuing the theme of early May games featuring Texas, this game was interesting as it matched noted knuckleballers Tim Wakefield and RA Dickey (although of course Dickey was still a conventional hurler at this point). Knuckler or no, he pitched a terrific game, departing after 8 2/3 having not yet allowed a run, with five strikeouts and four walks. The final walk pushed his pitch count to 128, as he made 22 in the ninth struggling for the finish line.

He was replaced by Francisco Cordero, who promptly walked Mark Bellhorn and Jason Varitek to push in Boston’s first tally and bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Cesar Crespo (the only Crespo I remembered was Felipe), who flied to center to end it.

On the other side, Wakefield pitched well too, allowing two runs over seven innings with no walks and four Ks. Alan Embree gave up a Michael Young triple and Alfonso Soriano dinger in the eighth that built the lead to 4-0.