MLB Nightly 9: Dallas Keuchel pitches complete-game shutout; Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt blast two home runs

Alec Brzezinski

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MLB Nightly 9: Dallas Keuchel pitches complete-game shutout; Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt blast two home runs 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.

All right, truth time. How many people had the Twins (29-19) only a half-game back in the AL Central, ahead of the Tigers (2.5 games) and in playoff contention after the first two months of the season? We're guessing not many, barring the loyal fans in the Twin Cities.

It's an exciting time for Minnesota baseball, because the Twins also have two of the top five prospects in outfielder Byron Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano, so this could be the start of things to come in a new era of great Twins baseball. They're certainly headed in the right direction, because after beating the Blue Jays on Saturday, Minnesota improved to an American League-leading 19-7 record in May.

Here are more highlights from Saturday's games:

Impact Players:

C — J.T. Realmuto, Marlins: Realmuto went 2 for 4 with two runs, a home run, two RBIs and a stolen base in an all-around solid effort.

1B — Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: Goldschmidt went 3 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs and is batting .345 on the season.

2B — Jace Peterson, Braves: Peterson scored three runs and went 3 for 5 in Atlanta's 8-0 win over the Giants. 

SS — Jordy Mercer, Pirates: Mercer went 2 for 4 with a run and a stolen base in Pittsburgh's defeat of the Padres.

3B — Juan Uribe, Braves: It looks like the Braves knew something when they traded for Uribe. He went 3 for 4 with three runs, a home run and two RBIs.

OF — Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: Stanton went 2 for 4 with two absolute moon shots. Both home runs were solo blasts, and he has 15 homers on the season.

DH — Evan Gattis, Astros: Gattis is on a role again with 12 hits and three home runs in his past six games. He went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in a 3-0 win against the White Sox.

SP — Dallas Keuchel, Astros: Keuchel pitched about as well as one can hurl a baseball. He threw a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts and gave up only four hits.

Key Injuries:

The Nationals placed starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with neck tightness. The high-powered hurler has an abysmal 6.55 ERA and 1.72 WHIP through 10 starts.

The Brewers have not been good this year and lost again on Saturday. Making matters worse is that outfielder Khris Davis suffered a torn mensicus and will need surgery.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday left Saturday's game against the Dodgers because of illness.

Baltimore's Adam Jones was diagnosed with a mild ankle sprain. His X-rays came back negative, and he's considered day-to-day.

Surprise Performers:

Good: Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer: The 29-year-old upped his hit streak to eight games. He went 3 for 4 with a run scored in a win against the Orioles, and is batting .295 with two home runs and two stolen bases on the season.

Bad: Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha: After allowing only five earned runs combined in his past five starts, Wacha was brought back to earth against the Dodgers. He gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings, and suffered his first loss of the season.

Web Gem:

Now, this is how to turn two:

Facts of the Day:

Keuchel became the first Astros pitcher with a shutout and at least 10 strikeouts in a start since Wandy Rodriguez in 2009.

The only person who can beat Giancarlo Stanton is Giancarlo Stanton.

It appears the Rangers have found themselves a new arm:

When does Justin Verlander come back?

Reactions:

"Dallas Keuchel showed exactly the type of pitcher he can be on any given night, and he's been that way a lot," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, via MLB.com. "This is about as in control of the game and his stuff and the tempo. ... They didn't hit a ton of balls hard. He controlled the game when we made a couple of miscues behind him. Really complete game in every facet."

"The first he hit, we thought was going to hit the wall," manager Dan Jennings said about Stanton's home runs. "That ball stayed the height all the way through until it carried over the fence. We've all seen G. He's capable of putting us on his back, and doing a great job. Today was a big day for him. Today it was a big day for all our hitters."

Brett Lawrie took the phrase "made it look like a video game" to a whole new level:

Off the Field:

The Athletics placed closer Sean Doolittle (shoulder) back on the 15-day disabled list.

Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain (elbow) is expected to pitch three innings Wednesday in extended spring training as he continues to rehab a strained flexor tendon.

Scores:

American League:

Twins 3, Blue Jays 2
Rays 3, Orioles 0
Astros 3, White Sox 0
Rangers 8, Red Sox 0
Angels 8, Tigers 6
Indians 4, Mariners 3
Yankees 5, Athletics 3

National League:

Rockies 5, Phillies 2
Diamondbacks 7, Brewers 3
Marlins 9, Mets 5
Reds 8, Nationals 5
Dodgers 5, Cardinals 1
Braves 8, Giants 0
Pirates 5, Padres 2

Interleague:

Royals, Cubs PPD

A Look Ahead: (All times Eastern)

Blue Jays (23-28) at Twins (29-19) 2:10 p.m.: The Twins are on an unbelievable hot streak. With the best record in the AL in May, it's hard to believe they'll be able to continue this pace as the calendar turns to June. The veteran-driven Twins might need to score some runs Sunday with Ricky Nolasco (5-1, 5.12 ERA) on the mound.

Royals (29-18) at Cubs (25-22) 2:20 p.m.: These are two of the more intriguing teams in baseball with a mixture of young talent, solid veterans and surprise performers, and it's not out of the realm of possibility these two teams could play an important series in October.

Tigers (28-23) at Angels (26-24) 8:05 p.m.: After two convincing wins, the Angels are one game away from a big sweep. Unfortunately for them, David Price is on the mount for the Tigers. Despite Detroit's record, it's been a little bit of a struggle lately (2-5 in past seven games), so a win Sunday would be a nice confidence boost.

Alec Brzezinski