Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Mad Bum home run
The Giants defeated the Braves on Thursday, 6–0, with Madison Bumgarner putting up a brilliant performance. The 26-year-old allowed zero runs and two walks on four hits over 7.2 innings pitched, fanning 11. And—of course—he homered, too.
Here’s why Bumgarner’s second home run of the season puts him in very good company.
Insane comeback
This year’s Mariners are the real deal, it seems. The team pulled off the greatest comeback in franchise history on Thursday, and of course it had to be against the Padres. A day earlier, San Diego executive chairman Ron Fowler had called his team’s performance “pathetic,” and the Padres had bounced back to defeat the Mariners 14–6, which many took as the team sending a message.
On Thursday, it looked like the Padres were on their way to their second straight win. But, down 12–2 after five innings, the Mariners clawed their way back thanks to a two-run single from Kyle Seager, a pinch-hit three-run homer from Dae-Ho Lee, and a ridiculous bunch of singles.
“I don’t think we had any extra-base hits,” said Seattle manager Scott Servais of the team’s seventh inning performance. “It was just hit after hit. What can you say about our club? Guys don’t quit. They, they just kept battling.”
The Mariners, who ended up winning 16–13, will now face off against division rivals the Texas Rangers beginning Friday. The teams are currently tied for first place in the AL West.
Stopping the skid
Detroit starter Matt Boyd took a no-hitter into the sixth inning versus the Yankees on Thursday, but New York came alive late in the game to earn a 5–4 win—snapping a three-game losing streak.
“There’s urgency here every day,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “You don’t take anything for granted.”
Twins win
Taylor Rogers earned his first win with the Minnesota Twins’ 6–4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. After losing three straight, the Twins were happy to get something going in the first game of a 10-game homestand.
Doing his part in the victory, Eduardo Nunez contributed an inside-the-park homer. The shortstop had slowed down, but with a signal from third-base coach Gene Glynn, he sped home.
Nunez remarked: “When I saw Geno say keep going, I said, ‘Oh, my God. I have to keep going.’”
Seven dingers
The Orioles put up seven home runs [to be pronounced in the voice of the girl from The Ring] in their 12–7 victory over the Red Sox on Thursday, splitting the series with their division rivals.
The upside for Boston? Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 26 games. The shortstop will be looking to keep that streak going as the Red Sox prepare to host another division rival, the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning Friday.