Elias Says...
Special to ESPN.com
MLB
TROUT SCORES BIG IN JULY
From Elias: Mike Trout scored three runs in the Angels' 15-8 victory at Texas, giving him a total of 30 since July 1. Only two other players in team history scored 30 or more runs in one calendar month: Tony Phillips (37) and Tim Salmon (35), both in July 1995.
Of greater historical importance, Trout became the first American League rookie to score 30 runs in one month since Minnie Minoso of the White Sox crossed the plate 32 times in May 1951. Three NL rookies did so in the interim: Jim Gilliam of the Brooklyn Dodgers (32 in August 1953), Frank Robinson of the Reds (33 in August 1956), and Albert Pujols (32 in August 2001).
Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers
MORALES REWRITES ANGELS' RECORD BOOK
From Elias: Kendrys Morales homered from both sides of the plate in the Angels' nine-run sixth inning on Monday night. Morales joined Carlos Baerga and Mark Bellhorn as the only players in major-league history to do so. He also became the first player in Angels history to drive in more than four runs in one inning.
VOLQUEZ GAINS REVENGE ON HIS OLD MATES
From Elias: Edinson Volquez allowed five runs in five innings, but that was good enough to pick up a victory in the Padres' 11-5 win at Cincinnati, snapping the Reds' 10-game winning streak. It was sweet revenge for Volquez, who won 30 games for Cincinnati from 2008 through 2011. He became the first pitcher to end a double-digit winning streak by a team that he pitched for in the previous season since Denny Neagle snapped the Reds' 10-game streak in August 1999.
Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres
IWAKUMA STYMIES BLUE JAYS
From Elias: Hisashi Iwakuma struck out 13 batters in the Mariners' 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. Yu Darvish has reached double-figures in strikeouts six times this season. But only one other pitcher born in Japan has recorded a single-game strikeout total as high as Iwakuma's: Hideo Nomo, who did it seven times (including five times as a rookie in 1995).
Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays
JONES DELIVERS A MILESTONE DOUBLE
From Elias: Chipper Jones' double in the Braves' 8-2 win over the Marlins was the 541st of his career. That broke a tie with Joe Medwick and Jeff Kent for 11th place in National League history. Jones needs two more doubles to slip into the all-time NL top 10 by tying Tony Gwynn.
PEDROIA AWAKENS, AS DO THE RED SOX
From Elias: Dustin Pedroia hit his third home run in five games, breaking a sixth-inning tie and pacing the Red Sox to a 7-3 win over the Tigers. Pedroia has as many home runs in his last 17 at-bats (3) as he hit in his previous 289 ABs dating back to mid-April.
Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers
ROOKIE GONZALEZ SHINES IN THE BRONX
From Elias: Miguel Gonzalez pitched 6 2/3 innings without issuing a walk and earned the victory in the Orioles' 5-4 win over the Yankees. Gonzalez struck out eight batters, the highest total ever recorded by a visiting rookie pitcher who didn't walk a batter in a victory at either the current Yankee Stadium or the previous one.
The Yankees have a 6-11 record this season in games in which they faced a rookie starting pitcher. Only the Astros (1-5) and Cardinals (3-6) have a lower winning percentage than the Yankees in such games.
Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees
RIZZO PAYS HOMAGE TO HALL-OF-FAMER SANTO
From Elias: Anthony Rizzo hit his fourth home run in his last five games as the Cubs routed the Pirates, 14-4. Rizzo's streak pays unintended homage to Ron Santo, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame eight days ago. Santo hit four homers over a five-game span as a rookie in 1960. Rizzo was the first Cubs rookie to do so since Rick Wilkins in 1991.
Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates
TWO COSTLY HOMERS DOOM HARANG
From Elias: Chris Johnson hit a grand slam and Paul Goldschmidt a three-run blast to tag Aaron Harang with the loss in the Diamondbacks' 7-2 win at Dodger Stadium. Harang was only the second Dodgers pitcher to allow a three-run and a four-run homer in the same game since the team moved to LA in 1958. The other was Greg Hansell in 1995. Honorable mention to Chan Ho Park, who surrendered two grand slams in the same game at Dodger Stadium in 1999.
Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks
IN HIS 17TH SEASON, HERNANDEZ IS BACK WHERE HE STARTED
From Elias: Livan Hernandez allowed three runs in an inning-and-a-third but nevertheless was credited with the victory in the Brewers' 8-7 win over the Astros. That evened Hernandez's career record at 177-177. Only three pitchers with at least 100 wins (or losses, for that matter) retired with a .500 winning percentage: Charlie Hough (216-216), Howard Ehmke (166-166), and Nap Rucker (134-134).
Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros