MLB Nightly 9: Carpenter helps Cardinals make history

Alec Brzezinski

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MLB Nightly 9: Carpenter helps Cardinals make history image

Each night we'll provide you with the nine top story lines from the day's action, beginning with the stars of the day, and look ahead to the next day's matchups.

Matt Carpenter sent a ball into the stratosphere that eventually touched down somewhere in the right field bleachers, helping the Cardinals to a franchise-best 20-6 start. Elsewhere, Mookie Betts homered twice, and Bartolo Colon proved he's the best journeyman pitcher in baseball in yet another interesting night in MLB.

MORE: Carpenter building MVP case | Fantasy rankings, sleepers for Wednesday | Report: Samardzija to drop appeal Wednesday

More of Tuesday's highlights:

Impact players

C — Russell Martin, Blue Jays: Martin went 3 for 4 with a solo home run in a 6-3 loss to the Yankees.

1B — Freddie Freeman, Braves: Freeman homered as part of a 3-for-4 night. He also drove in two runs and scored three times. 

2B — Kolten Wong, Cardinals: Wong is starting to find his stride with eight hits in his last three games. He went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI in a 7-4 win against the Cubs.

SS — Brandon Crawford, Giants: Crawford went 3 for 3 with two runs and an RBI in a 6-0 win against Andrew Cashner and the Padres.

3B — Justin Turner, Dodgers: The other Dodgers hot hitter who doesn't play every day (Scott Van Slyke is in the same situation) went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs in an 8-2 dismantling of the Brewers.

OF — Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees: After Tuesday's 3-for-5 effort, Ellsbury has 17 hits in his past seven games. He stole two bases, scored twice and had an RBI in the win against the Blue Jays.

DH — Billy Butler, Athletics: Butler went 2 for 4 with an RBI in a 2-1 win against the Twins.

SP — Shelby Miller, Braves: Miller pitched a three-hit shutout against the Phillies. He struck out eight and needed only 99 pitches in the 9-0 victory. 

Key injuries

Bad news for the Rays: Starting pitcher Alex Cobb may miss the season with a partial ligament tear in his right elbow. He will try to avoid surgery through rest and rehab. 

Giants outfielder Angel Pagan was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a laceration on his left middle finger.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg left Tuesday's start against the Marlins after three innings. The team said Strasburg is dealing with irritation under his shoulder blade.

Surprise performers

Good: Betts, 22, became the youngest Red Sox player to hit multiple home runs in a game since Jim Rice in 1975. His two solo shots were the only offense in a 2-0 win against the Rays.

Bad: Astros starting pitcher Scott Feldman didn't give his team a chance. He allowed six runs on nine hits in three innings, his ERA rising to 5.50 in the process. Houston has lost its last two games after a 10-game winning streak.

Web gems

Neil Walker slides to start this double play:

Juan Lagares sacrifices his body to make this catch:

Adam Jones tracks down the ball, then gracefully grazes the wall:

George Springer shows blatant disregard for his body on this diving catch. He was later evaluated for concussion-like symptoms:

Fact of the day

Evan Longoria made Rays history:

Bartolo Colon has been successful in his travels:

One of the game's best relievers is human after all:

Just imagine what his stats would be if he hadn't played in Japan for eight years:

Angels catcher Carlos Perez became the first player to hit a walkoff home run in his major league debut since Miguel Cabrera on June 20, 2003.

Reactions

Hall of Famer and former Mets ace Pedro Martinez is a fan of current Mets ace Matt Harvey.

"I think that he has more talent than I do," Martinez told New York TV station WNYW in an interview that will air Sunday. "And he has better chances to do better than I did."

Off the field

The Indians activated Nick Swisher before Tuesday's game. He made his season debut as the team's designated hitter.

The Padres placed starting pitcher Brandon Morrow on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 3, with right shoulder inflammation.

The Marlins released catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. They designated him for assignment last week. Miami is responsible for the remainder of his three-year, $21 million contract, which runs through 2016.

Scores

American League

Red Sox 2, Rays 0

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 3

Royals 5, Indians 3

White Sox 5, Tigers 3

Rangers 7, Astros 1

Athletics 2, Twins 1

Angels 5, Mariners 4

NL:

Braves 9, Phillies 0

Marlins 2, Nationals 1

Reds 7, Pirates 1

Dodgers 8, Brewers 2

Cardinals 7, Cubs 4

Giants 6, Padres 0

Diamondbacks at Rockies, ppd., rain

Interleague

Mets 3, Orioles 2

A look ahead

The best three games Wednesday (all times Eastern):

Marlins (13-14) at Nationals (13-15) 1:05 p.m.: The Nationals need to give Max Scherzer (1-3, 1.26 ERA) some run support. They've scored two runs total in his last two starts. The Marlins have battled back from a slow start with timely hitting and a consistent bullpen.

Yankees (17-10) at Blue Jays (13-15) 7:07 p.m.: The Yankees have won 11 of their past 14 games despite an aging lineup. Two struggling former All-Stars will take the mound in this one: C.C. Sabathia (0-4, 5.40 ERA) for New York, and Mark Buehrle (3-2, 6.75 ERA) for Toronto.

Rangers (10-16) at Astros (18-9) 8:10 p.m.: Baseball can be a funny game. The Astros entered the series riding a 10-game winning streak but are now fighting to fend off the Rangers' attempt at a sweep. Houston's bats will likely be streaky all season, but a bigger problem is their rising injury toll. Springer is the latest.

Alec Brzezinski