Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Wacha wins again
Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings Thursday to help send the Cardinals to a 3–0 win over the Reds. That makes 13 wins for Wacha, who remarked after the game: “It’s all about getting in that routine out there on the mound and getting in that rhythm.” St. Louis is now a whopping 30 games over .500.
Tigers top Royals
Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler hit a two-run walk-off homer in Thursday’s game against the Royals. With the win, the Tigers took the set–their first series win since the All-Star break. “[H]opefully, this will start something special and we can go on a run and put ourselves right back in the race,” said Kinsler. And there’s more good news for Detroit: Their next series has them facing off against the Red Sox–the team with the worst record in the American League–as they look to gain some ground in the Wild Card standings.
Greinke helps himself
Zack Greinke didn’t have a great start on the mound, allowing five runs in the first inning of Thursday’s matchup with Philadelphia. He recovered, though, eventually earning the win as the Dodgers overcame the Phillies, 10–8. And although his pitching wasn’t his best, at the plate it was a different story. Greinke went 3-for-3 and hit his first home run of the season; his bat flip is a beautiful thing to behold.
Vintage Sabathia
The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 2–1 on Thursday, lifted by an impressive performance from starter CC Sabathia. The 35-year-old had his best outing of the season, and he seems to be looking more like his old self: “I can’t pitch like I did when I was 30,” he said. “You’ve just got to try to get better. It’s taken me a minute, but I think I’m getting close.”
Beane set for promotion?
The Oakland Athletics front-office has made it clear they’re focused on the future, with GM Billy Beane remarking that the time to evaluate where the team stands will come this off-season. Among the team’s many possible moves, one involves the GM himself, who could be promoted to a senior position, with assistant GM David Frost taking over as GM.
