Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Six in a row
The Brewers defeated the Pirates 5–3 on Thursday to complete the sweep, with 25-year-old righty Taylor Jungmann earning the win after tossing six innings, allowing one run and three hits. That marks six games in a row that Milwaukee has beaten Pittsburgh. The Pirates sit second in the NL Central, six and a half games back of the Cardinals, while the Brewers sit fourth and a whopping 28 games back.
Crushing the Tigers
Kansas City defeated Detroit 15–7 on Thursday evening in a game that lasted nearly four hours. Tigers rookie pitcher Matt Boyd struggled, while the Royals’ offence came alive, including contributions from Lorenzo Cain, who blasted a three-run homer, and Paulo Orlando, who hit a two-run homer. The loss for the Tigers marks the end of a brutal road trip. As MLive.com’s Chris Iott notes, the team’s struggles aren’t nearly over: management will have some touch decisions ahead of the next season as they try to put together a rotation of starters who won’t crumble under pressure.
Ausmus’s job in jeopardy?
It’s not just the starting rotation that’s a big question mark for the Tigers. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, now that the Tigers have fallen to the bottom of the AL Central, manager Brad Ausmus could lose his job. Heyman writes: “One thing that does not bode well for Ausmus is the lack of fan support from patrons accustomed to watching excellent Tigers teams who have endured an abject disappointment.”
Four runs, zero swings
Bryce Harper walked his way into the history books on Thursday, becoming the first player in the modern era to score four and drive in a run off of four walks—that’s zero at-bats, zero hits, four walks and one RBI. “I’ll take my walks when I can,” said Harper. “And when they throw the ball over the plate, I’ll take my hits, too.” The Nationals defeated the Braves, 15–1.
The other Seager
Rookie shortstop Corey Seager, brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, made his debut for the Dodgers on Thursday, going two-for-four with two runs scored and two RBI. The six-foot-four 21-year-old was impressive despite his team’s loss—Los Angeles fell to San Diego, 10–7.
