A year ago today: Rendon makes Nationals history

Star third baseman records extra-base hit in 10th straight game

April 13th, 2020

To help fill the baseball void, we’re flipping the calendar back one year to remind us all just how awesome our great game is. Here's a look back at the best of April 13, 2019:

Anthony Rendon had already established himself as one of the best third basemen in baseball entering the 2019 season. But last season, he put up career numbers and helped the Nationals win the first World Series title in franchise history. Rendon hit .319/.412/.598 with 34 home runs and an MLB-best 126 RBIs, finishing third in National League MVP voting.

Rendon didn't waste any time in making his season memorable, setting a new franchise record by recording an extra-base hit in his 10th straight game on April 13. He went 1-for-4 against the Pirates in a 3-2 win at Nationals Park, but that one hit was a double to right field leading off the fourth inning.

Best of the rest:

Bour's first-inning adventures: There were two outs in the top of the first inning at Wrigley Field. Nothing out of the ordinary so far between the Angels and Cubs. But then came something you might never see again -- Justin Bour lined a ball down the right-field line, took a wide turn at first, then thought better of it and dove back into the bag as the throw was coming in from right field. But the throw hit Bour's foot and ricocheted into foul territory. Bour took off for second, where the catcher's throw beat him to the bag. Bour actually avoided the tag with his slide, but assumed he was out. As he started to walk back toward his dugout, Javier Báez tagged him out to end the inning.

If that wasn't strange enough, Bour had another adventure at first base in the bottom half of the frame, this time on defense. Anthony Rizzo smashed a one-hopper that went off Bour's glove and trickled to his right. Bour picked it up and had to make a frantic dive for the bag to get Rizzo by a step.

Yankees toss combined 1-hitter: In a 4-0 victory over the White Sox at Yankee Stadium, CC Sabathia (five innings), Domingo German (two), Zack Britton (one) and Aroldis Chapman (one) combined for a one-hit shutout of Chicago. The only hit was a José Rondón single off Sabathia with one out in the third. Aaron Judge belted his fourth homer of the season to back the tremendous pitching staff performance.

Mexico Series begins: The Cardinals and Reds played the first of a two-game weekend set at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey as part of the 2019 Mexico Series. Cincinnati was the "home" team and scored all of its runs in a 5-2 victory between the sixth and eighth innings. Jesse Winker and Derek Dietrich each launched a solo home run for the Reds, and Kolten Wong hit a solo shot for the Cards.