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LEADING OFF: Twins-Tigers scrap; Scherzer on Sunday night
April 22, 2017
A look at what's happening all around the majors Sunday:
BAD BLOOD
The Tigers and Twins close out a three-game series a day after benches cleared and punches were thrown. Detroit's JaCoby Jones was hit in the face by a pitch, and two innings later, Minnesota slugger Miguel Sano punched Tigers catcher James McCann in the mask as both dugouts emptied after Matthew Boyd threw a pitch behind Sano. Jones was taken to a hospital after he was drilled in the left side of his mouth by a 90 mph fastball from Twins reliever Justin Haley. Jones' mouth was bleeding, and he was escorted back to the bench and removed from the game.
MISMATCH?
Max Scherzer (2-1, 1.37 ERA) starts in prime time against a team he's recently dominated: the Mets. Beginning with his no-hitter at Citi Field in his final 2015 outing, Scherzer has an 0.61 ERA in his last four starts vs. New York, striking out 46 and giving up just eight hits in 29 2/3 innings. Zack Wheeler (1-1, 5.52) is 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in eight career starts vs. Washington.
VERY BLUE JAYS
Tough times have come to Toronto. Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a strained right hamstring, joining third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf), left-hander J.A. Happ (elbow) and right-hander Aaron Sanchez (finger) on the shelf. Toronto has the majors' worst record, and with four pivotal players missing and slugger Jose Bautista struggling, the Jays are already at risk of missing the postseason for the first time since 2014. They play the third of four games at the Los Angeles Angels.
YU STAYING INSIDE
Rangers ace Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.28) starts the series finale against Kansas City, five days after one bad inning. Texas had just taken a 2-0 lead at Oakland before Darvish allowed four of the first five batters in the sixth to reach - all scored as the A's won 4-2. Oakland tied the game on No. 9 hitter Adam Rosales' two-run homer. ''I was pitching great, the plan was working,'' Darvish said through an interpreter. ''It's just that some of the right-handed hitters, especially Rosales, that maybe I should have pitched more in.'' Expect him to do that against the Royals.
LOOK AT ME NOW
Ivan Nova (1-2, 2.25) faces his former team when the Pirates host the Yankees. New York traded Nova to Pittsburgh last summer for a pair of minor leaguers, and the right-hander has been outstanding since. In 14 starts following the deal, Nova has walked three batters and pitched four complete games, and he's 6-4 with a 2.87 ERA in that time. Lefty Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 4.22) makes his third career start for the Yankees.
EARLY ROLL
The A's seek their sixth straight win behind emerging starter Andrew Triggs (3-0, 0.00), who has begun this season without an earned run allowed in a team-record 17 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old has shut down the Angels, Royals and Rangers so far and tries to add the struggling Mariners to that list in a start against Yovani Gallardo (0-2, 6.19).
April 22, 2017
A look at what's happening all around the majors Sunday:
BAD BLOOD
The Tigers and Twins close out a three-game series a day after benches cleared and punches were thrown. Detroit's JaCoby Jones was hit in the face by a pitch, and two innings later, Minnesota slugger Miguel Sano punched Tigers catcher James McCann in the mask as both dugouts emptied after Matthew Boyd threw a pitch behind Sano. Jones was taken to a hospital after he was drilled in the left side of his mouth by a 90 mph fastball from Twins reliever Justin Haley. Jones' mouth was bleeding, and he was escorted back to the bench and removed from the game.
MISMATCH?
Max Scherzer (2-1, 1.37 ERA) starts in prime time against a team he's recently dominated: the Mets. Beginning with his no-hitter at Citi Field in his final 2015 outing, Scherzer has an 0.61 ERA in his last four starts vs. New York, striking out 46 and giving up just eight hits in 29 2/3 innings. Zack Wheeler (1-1, 5.52) is 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in eight career starts vs. Washington.
VERY BLUE JAYS
Tough times have come to Toronto. Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a strained right hamstring, joining third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf), left-hander J.A. Happ (elbow) and right-hander Aaron Sanchez (finger) on the shelf. Toronto has the majors' worst record, and with four pivotal players missing and slugger Jose Bautista struggling, the Jays are already at risk of missing the postseason for the first time since 2014. They play the third of four games at the Los Angeles Angels.
YU STAYING INSIDE
Rangers ace Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.28) starts the series finale against Kansas City, five days after one bad inning. Texas had just taken a 2-0 lead at Oakland before Darvish allowed four of the first five batters in the sixth to reach - all scored as the A's won 4-2. Oakland tied the game on No. 9 hitter Adam Rosales' two-run homer. ''I was pitching great, the plan was working,'' Darvish said through an interpreter. ''It's just that some of the right-handed hitters, especially Rosales, that maybe I should have pitched more in.'' Expect him to do that against the Royals.
LOOK AT ME NOW
Ivan Nova (1-2, 2.25) faces his former team when the Pirates host the Yankees. New York traded Nova to Pittsburgh last summer for a pair of minor leaguers, and the right-hander has been outstanding since. In 14 starts following the deal, Nova has walked three batters and pitched four complete games, and he's 6-4 with a 2.87 ERA in that time. Lefty Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 4.22) makes his third career start for the Yankees.
EARLY ROLL
The A's seek their sixth straight win behind emerging starter Andrew Triggs (3-0, 0.00), who has begun this season without an earned run allowed in a team-record 17 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old has shut down the Angels, Royals and Rangers so far and tries to add the struggling Mariners to that list in a start against Yovani Gallardo (0-2, 6.19).
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