Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
4,192
On Saturday, Ichiro Suzuki got his 4,192nd career hit—combining his time in the major leagues (2,915 hits) and Japan (1,278 hits). That puts the 41-year-old ahead of Ty Cobb’s total. Suzuki could reach 3,000 MLB hits if he continues to play next season, and according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Marlins manager Dan Jennings said Saturday there have been internal discussions about offering Ichiro the chance to continue chasing milestones at 42 in Miami.”
Putting up big numbers
Seattle ace Felix Hernandez had a rare off day on Saturday. On the three-year anniversary of his perfect game, King Felix gave up 10 runs on 12 hits in the 2.1 innings he pitched. The Mariners eventually lost, 22–10 as the team gave up the most runs in franchise history. “We got our butts kicked,” said Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon. The team defeated Boston in extra innings on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
Still no win
Braves righty Shelby Miller lost a no-hit bid in the top of the eighth inning of Sunday’s game versus the Diamondbacks, giving up a bloop single to Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed. The Braves eventually won, 2–1, and Miller didn’t even didn’t get the win—he hasn’t had one since May 17, although his ERA is now a solid 2.43.
Despite not earning a win, Miller’s performance was exemplary. He even made a ridiculous behind-the-back catch so good it made his opponent, Ender Inciarte, laugh.
Pitchers’ bats
It was a good weekend for pitchers at the plate. On Saturday, Cardinals righty John Lackey allowed just two runs on nine hits in 8.1 innings while also contributing two hits and an RBI. On Sunday, Zack Greinke pitched seven innings for the Dodgers, striking out eight and allowing the Reds to score just one run on six hits. Greinke also hit the go-ahead home run—his second homer of the season—and the Dodgers won, 2–1.
But the greatest pitching-and-hitting performance came courtesy of Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who faced the Nationals on Sunday. Bumgarner went two-for-three at the plate with a double, a home run and two RBI. He also pitched a shutout, striking out 14 and allowing three hits in the complete-game performance. The Giants won, 5–0.
Lucky 15
In a Chi-city versus Chi-city matchup, White Sox starter Chris Sale was impressive, pitching seven scoreless innings and striking out 15 en route to a win over the Cubs. That put an end to the Cubs’ win streak—they’d won nine in a row. Perhaps the smell of Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s feet was to blame? Maddon admitted on Sunday that he’d worn the same pair of socks every day during the team’s streak.
