RAYS 5, ORIOLES 2 Evan Longoria hit two home runs, Jake Odorizzi picked up his first home victory this season and host Tampa Bay won for just the fourth time in 28 games.
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Washington Nationals’ Jayson Werth looks on from the dugout after a 2-1 loss in a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 18 innings, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Washington. That’s absolutely brutal, as this young Pirates fan learned during Sunday’s game against the Nationals.
The game went 5 hours and 48 minutes over 18 innings before the Pirates took the lead and won it, 2-1, on a home run by Starling Marte, though there was a nail-biting moment in the 16th when it took a ideal relay from Michael A. Taylor to Danny Espinosa to Wilson Ramos to cut down the Pirates’ Eric Fryer at the plate, keeping the game tied.
Instead, Baker was slow on the trigger in asking for an intentional walk, and the Nationals lost to the Pirates 2-1 in 18 innings Sunday on Starling Marte’s solo home run off Oliver Perez.
“I knew that Niese was throwing the ball well, so we were going to be fine”, he said. “It definitely reveals character”.
The bullpens – and the stadium – emptied over the course of 5 hours, 48 minutes.
Earlier, Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer pitched well against right-hander Chad Kuhl. Scherzer allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
Scherzer wasn’t too bad himself, giving up one run and six hits and struck out seven in seven efficient innings.
It was Murphy’s fourth career pinch-hit home run and first since April 27, 2011, when he was with the New York Mets, and the Nationals’ 10th of the season as a team.
“We were in the middle of a pitchers’ duel and when it is like that, every little thing is amplified”, Scherzer said.
Josh Harrison doubled off the center-field wall, but Michael Taylor and Danny Espinosa combined for a ideal relay throw to nail Fryer at the plate. Murphy’s.350 leads the majors in hitting.
The Nats would not have had a chance in extra innings if it wasn’t for Daniel Murphy. Next batter Josh Harrison ripped a double off the wall, but an outstanding relay from Michael Taylor and Danny Espinosa cut down Fryer at the plate, keeping it tied at 1-1.
A regular, nine-inning game can be exhausting enough. Hurdle said in amazement. Only their NLDS Game 2 defeat of 2014 was as long in terms of innings.
MARLINS 6, CARDINALS 3: Ichiro Suzuki doubled, singled twice and had another hit taken away on a replay challenge, leaving him six shy of 3,000, after Miami’s win over St. Louis.
Marte’s seventh home run of the season came on a swing the Nationals didn’t even want him to get. With Niese on deck, Washington manager Dusty Baker wanted to intentionally walk Marte but couldn’t get the signal to Ramos in time, and it proved costly. “In that case I tried to make a hard pitch for him to hit”.
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco remained out with a sore left hamstring, but general manager Neal Huntington hopes he’ll play Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Recovering from a right triceps strain, Cole (5-5) pitched eight scoreless innings in his Triple-A appearances, rarely working with men on base. LHP Sammy Solis will be placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a right knee injury.
ASTROS 8, MARINERS 1: Jose Altuve homered among his four hits and drove in three runs, Collin McHugh escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams to pitch six scoreless innings, and Houston beat Seattle. After a 91-second review in the top half, Marte was awarded his 32nd stolen base of the season, and Espinosa was called out on a steal attempt in the bottom half after a 31-second review.
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“They both played out extremely big for us, there’s no doubt about it”, said Hurdle, who credited video co-ordinator Kevin Roach.
