Edwin Encarnacion rips one,<\/p><\/div>\n

Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion<\/strong> (who put up a .272-36-104 line in 2013) got off to a slow start this season \u2013 hitting .250 with just two round trippers and 15 RBI in April. (He didn\u2019t hit his first homer of the season until April 22.) \u00a0He turned up the heat in May, tying the AL record for home runs in the month of May with 16 (Mickey Mantle<\/strong> \u2013 1956), just one shy of Barry Bonds<\/strong> MLB record for May (2001).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For the month, Encarnacion put up a line of .281-16-33.<\/p>\n

Encarnacion also became just the third player to have five multi-homer games in a month \u2013 tying Harmon Killebrew<\/strong> (May 1959) and Albert Belle<\/strong> (September 1995).<\/p>\n

Who Says Pitchers Can\u2019t Hit?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Brewers topped the Orioles 7-6 on May 27 – with a tenth-inning, walk-off, pinch-hit double, following a two-out\/none-on intentional walk to Mark Reynolds.\u00a0 What was unique about this pinch-hit, walk-off hit was that the pinch-hitter was a pitcher.\u00a0 After the Reynolds walk, reliever Francisco Rodriguez was due up and the Brewers were out of position players. Manager Ron Reonicke made the call to RHP Yovani Gallardo, who delivered (on a 2-0 pitch) a run-scoring double off the center-field wall.\u00a0 Gallardo was not a totally \u201coff-the-wall\u201d choice. He came into the game with a .202 lifetime average that included 19 doubles and 12 home runs.<\/p>\n

Strikeout Leaders<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Phillies\u2019 Ryan Howard<\/strong> finished May as MLB\u2019s strikeout leader (among hitters), with 67 whiffs in 200 at bats (.230-10-37). Numbers two and three on the K-List were the Upton brothers<\/strong> of Atlanta.\u00a0 Justin notched 65 K\u2019s in 193 at bats (.301-13-33), while brother B.J. had struck out 64 times in 190 at bats (.216-4-13).\u00a0 Over in the AL, the strikeout leader was the Angels\u2019 Mike Trout<\/strong>, who finished May with 63 K\u2019s in 204 at bats and a .294-11-38 line.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the coin, no pitcher ended May with more strikeouts on the season than the Indians\u2019 Corey Kluber<\/strong> \u2013 95 K\u2019s in 80 innings, to go with a 6-3, 3.04 record. In the NL, the Reds\u2019 Johnny Cueto<\/strong> led the strikeout race with 92 K\u2019s in 91 innings (and a 5-4, 1.68 record).<\/p>\n

Davis On the Rebound<\/strong>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Davis,<\/strong> who led MLB with 53 home runs and 138 RBI in 2013, started slow this season.\u00a0 With more than a quarter of the season gone, Davis had just 3 home runs and 15 RBI. Then on May 20^{th<\/sup>, he tied an Orioles\u2019 record with a three-homer game (no Oriole has ever hit four in a game). Like his season, Davis\u2019 game started slowly, with a strikeout in the first inning.\u00a0 He went on to add a single (and run scored) in the fourth, a two-run homer in the fifth, a solo shot in the sixth and another two-run homer in the ninth. (The Orioles topped the Pirates 9-2.)<\/p>\n}

The last Oriole with a 3-HR game?\u00a0 The very same Chris Davis, on August 24, 2013. The only Orioles with three 3-HR games are Boog Powell<\/strong> and Eddie Murray<\/strong>. \u00a0Davis ended the month with seven HRs and 25 RBI on the season.\u00a0 Hmm, pre-season, who would have guessed that Milwaukee\u2019s Khris Davis would have more runs (9) than Baltimore\u2019s Chris Davis (7) at the end of May?<\/p>\n

A Little Help From My Friends<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of May, your MLB ERA leaders were (tied) the Cubs\u2019 Jeff Samardzija<\/strong> and the Reds\u2019 Johnny Cueto<\/strong> at 1.68.\u00a0 Their combined record, however, is 6-8 (Cueto 5-4\/Samardzija 1-4).\u00a0 Perhaps a little run support would be helpful.\u00a0 In Samardzija\u2019s 11 starts, the Cubs have put up just 28 total runs (two or fewer runs seven times), while the Reds have scored 39 runs in the 12 games Cueto has started. In Cueto\u2019s last three starts \u2013 two losses and a no-decision \u2013 The Reds have plated a total of four runs.<\/p>\n

Not Exactly Perfect, But Interestin<\/span>g<\/strong><\/p>\n

On May 29, right-hander Josh Collmenter<\/strong> of the Diamondbacks won his fourth game of the season, beating the Reds 4-0 in Arizona.\u00a0 It was the first shutout and first complete game of his career \u2013 and he did it in unique fashion, facing the minimum 27 hitters over nine innings.\u00a0 The game, however, was neither a perfect game nor no-hitter, as Collmenter (who used only 94 pitches to complete his nine-innings of work) gave up three hits.<\/p>\n

Collmenter gave up a double to Reds\u2019 1B Brayan Pena in the third, but Pena was thrown out trying to advance to third base on a fly out by SS Zack Cozart. \u00a0Speedy CF Billy Hamilton led off the Reds\u2019 fourth inning with a single, but was erased when 3B Todd Frazier grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Pena led off the eighth with his second hit of the day, a single to right-center, but Cozart followed up by hitting into a 5-4-3 double killing. \u00a0Facing the minimum 27-batters while giving up three or more hits is not as rare as you might think. Post-game news reports indicated it\u2019s happened 13 times since 1914.<\/p>\n

May 27, a Couple of Firsts\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On May 27, in his fifth MLB season, 385^{th<\/sup> game played and 1,565th plate appearance, Phillies\u2019 center fielder Ben Revere<\/strong> hit his first MLB home run \u2013 as the Phillies lost at home to the Rockies 6-2.\u00a0 Revere was well short of the record for plate appearances at the start of a career without a HR (non-pitchers) \u2013 that belongs to Emil Verban (NL infielder from 1944-50), who went 2,592 plate appearances before his first round tripper in 1948 and finished his career with just one homer in 3,109 plate appearances. \u00a0Phillies\u2019 bench coach Larry Bowa probably best understood Revere\u2019s elation after the round tripper. Bowa went 1,745 plate appearances before his first home run \u2013 and it was of the inside-the-park variety.\u00a0 Bowa did end up with 15 HRs in a sixteen-year MLB playing career.<\/p>\n}

On the same day as Revere\u2019s round tripper, Cardinals\u2019 RHP Lance Lynn<\/strong> set down the Yankees 6-0 at Saint Louis.\u00a0 The complete game shutout was Lynn\u2019s sixth win of the season (6-2, 3.12). \u00a0It was also Lynn\u2019s first complete game in 147 professional starts –\u00a0 75 major league and 72 minor league. He threw a career high 126 pitches (77 strikes), giving up five hits and three walks, while striking out two.<\/p>\n

Nice Month<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

May\u2019s top hitters were the Dodgers\u2019 Yasiel Puig<\/strong> (.398-8-25) in the NL and the Tigers\u2019 Miguel Cabrera<\/strong> (.380-8-34).\u00a0 That\u2019s rakin\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Standings as of May 31<\/strong><\/h4>\n

AL EAST \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

W\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 L\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PCT\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GB<\/p>\n

Toronto\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .579<\/p>\n

NY Yankees\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .537\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.5<\/p>\n

Baltimore\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .500\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4.5<\/p>\n

Boston\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .473\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.0<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .411\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9.5<\/p>\n

\u00a0AL CENTRAL<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Detroit\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .596<\/p>\n

Chicago WS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .491\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5.5<\/p>\n

Kansas City\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .473\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.5<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .472\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.5<\/p>\n

Cleveland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .464\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7.0<\/p>\n

\u00a0AL WEST\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Oakland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .607<\/p>\n

LA Angels\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .545\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3.5<\/p>\n

Texas\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .500\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.0<\/p>\n

Seattle\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .491\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6.5<\/p>\n

Houston\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .421\u00a0\u00a0 10.5<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NL EAST<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Atlanta\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .537\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –<\/p>\n

Miami\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .519\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1<\/p>\n

Washington\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .491\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.5<\/p>\n

NY Mets\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .463\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4<\/p>\n

Philadelphia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .462\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4<\/p>\n

\u00a0NL CENTRAL<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Milwaukee\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .600\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –<\/p>\n

St. Louis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .527\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .463\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7.5<\/p>\n

Cincinnati\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .453\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/p>\n

Chicago Cubs\u00a0\u00a0 19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .365\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12.5<\/p>\n

\u00a0NL WEST<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

San Francisco\u00a0\u00a0 36\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .655<\/p>\n

Colorado\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .519\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7.5<\/p>\n

LA Dodgers\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .518\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7.5<\/p>\n

San Diego\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .455\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11<\/p>\n

Arizona\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .404\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 14<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With June upon us, it\u2019s time for BBRT\u2019s monthly reflection on the MLB season.\u00a0 First, who stands where?\u00a0 If the season were to end today the play- off teams would be: AMERICAN LEAGUE Division Leaders: Blue Jays, Tigers and A\u2019s. Wild Cards: Angels and Yankees. \u00a0NATIONAL LEAGUE Division Leaders: Braves, Brewers and Giants. Wild Cards: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n