Corey Kluber struck out the side in the first and allowed only a walk in the second, but in the third the roof caved in, the first six Astros reaching base before back-to-back comebackers on which he tagged the batter-runner out. A walk and a single followed and Kluber was gone after 2 2/3 and having allowed five runs. The Indians didn’t do much against Mike Fiers and Houston’s bullpen, resulting in a 7-1 final.
In the previous night’s game, Corey Kluber had fanned 18 Cardinals in eight innings (unfortunately, of all the Indians games I have scored over the years I do not have the best pitching performance of that time). Trevor Bauer followed him up by pitching well, and led 1-0 heading into the eighth backed by a Michael Brantley solo homer. Cleveland also had missed opportunities with two runners thrown out at home.
Bauer walked Peter Bourjos and left after making 110 pitches over 7 1/3, walking three and fanning ten. Former Cardinal Mark Rzepczynski was summoned and surrendered a two-run shot to Matt Carpenter that gave St. Louis a 2-1 victory.
The Cubs scored 17 runs, so they naturally had a number of big offensive performances:
* Emilio Bonifacio 4-5 with a walk and five runs scored
* Junior Lake 3-5 with two doubles, a homer, and five RBI
* Starlin Castro 3-5 with a double and a triple
* Mike Olt 2-5 with a homer
This was one of just eight MLB appearances for Cardinal reliever Eric Fornataro, and Daniel Descalso had to be summoned to get the last out after Randy Choate had allowed six runs in the ninth. But the most interesting thing might be Yadier Molina stealing third with two outs in the fifth on a 1-2 pitch with his team trailing 9-5. Travis Wood must have never seen it coming.
This game lasted only 2:26 as Kris Medlen and Dan Haren both pitched efficiently and effectively. Washington got three runs in the first two frames, with Denard Span as their offensive catalyst, leading off the game and scoring after a double, then driving in the two second inning runs with a two-out double. He’d later add a walk and a single. Haren held the Braves hitless until the fourth and was really cruising (less than ten pitches per inning) until Dan Uggla took him deep in the seventh and the Braves made him make 21 pitches in the eighth. Although he was only at ninety through eight, Rafael Soriano came in and got the save.
