Cubs Prevail in Extra Innings, Phillies Use 15 Pitchers
The Chicago Cubs had trouble finishing the Miami Marlins this weekend, while Gabe Kapler could not stop making pitching changes.
The Chicago Cubs played extra innings against as they topped the Miami Marlins, while the Philadelphia Phillies continue to work through their pitchers.
Less than 24 hours after going 17 innings in a loss to the Marlins, the Cubs went extra innings once again in a 10-6 victory in MLB on Saturday.
"These baseball gods hate us right now," Kris Bryant, who busted the game open with a two-run knock in the 10th, told CSN Chicago after the game. "Yesterday was a tough one, thankfully we got the win today [and] kept it a little shorter than 17 so that's nice."
The Cubs managed to use 11 pitchers in those games, but that pales in comparison to what Gabe Kapler has been doing in Philadelphia.
In the Phillies' last two games, including Saturday's 15-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, the rookie Philadelphia manager used 15 different pitchers.
They actually only used 14 pitchers, because outfielder Pedro Florimon was forced to toss the eighth inning because their bullpen was understandably taxed.
In fact, through the first three games of the season, Kapler has used the most pitchers to start a season ever with 21 throwing at least a pitch.
BLACKMON INSPIRES ROCKIES
Charlie Blackmon went two for four with two solo home runs, all the offense the Colorado Rockies needed in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve each went four for five in the Houston Astros' 9-3 win over the Texas Rangers. Correa had a double and a home run.
Washington Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton went five for five with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs in a 13-7 victory against the Cincinnati Reds.
PAXTON CRUMBLES AGAINST INDIANS
Seattle Mariners lefty James Paxton is supposed to be the team's ace this season but giving up a grand slam to former team-mate Yonder Alonso is not what the team need. He threw 4.6 innings, gave up six hits, allowed six earned runs and two homers in a 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
PILLAR ROBS YANKEES
Kevin Pillar accomplished the rare feat of stealing home off New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 victory.
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
New York Mets 6-2 St Louis Cardinals
Washington Nationals 13-7 Cincinnati Reds
Los Angeles Angels 8-3 Oakland Athletics
Houston Astros 9-3 Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 New York Yankees
Cleveland Indians 6-5 Seattle Mariners
Boston Red Sox 3-2 Tampa Bay Rays
Minnesota Twins 6-2 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 15-2 Philadelphia Phillies
Chicago Cubs 10-6 Miami Marlins
Chicago White Sox 4-3 Kansas City Royals
Colorado Rockies 2-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 San Francisco Giants
Detroit Tigers-Pittsburgh Pirates (postponed)
YANKEES AT BLUE JAYS
Because Marcus Stroman had some injury problems before the year he is the fourth starter for the Blue Jays and that situation gifted baseball with a matchup with Yankees starter Sonny Gray. Neither man is big in stature, but they are both strong with their stuff and Easter Sunday's clash is a matchup you will not want to miss.