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Stats of the Day: Slim margin for Nola, Karns

In Phillies starter's MLB debut, Rays hurler's solo homer the difference

Here are five interesting items from around the big leagues on Tuesday …

• In Philadelphia, Rays starting pitcher Nathan Karns homered off Phillies starter Aaron Nola in the third inning for the game's only run. Nola -- a 22-year-old right-hander -- was making his Major League debut. Dating back to 1914, he is the first Phils starter in his debut to take the loss in a 1-0 game. He is the second hurler in 2015 to experience this, after the Brewers' Tyler Cravy on June 2. Karns became the first pitcher to homer in an Interleague game that finished 1-0 and the first American League pitcher to homer in a game ending with a 1-0 score since Milt Pappas on April 18, 1962 (Pappas worked six innings and recorded the win). Karns also became the first pitcher to homer and pick up the win in a 1-0 contest since Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo on April 29, 2009. Before Gallardo, the Dodgers' Odalis Perez had been the last to do it, on Aug. 28, 2002. Both Gallardo and Perez worked eight scoreless, while Karns stuck around for five frames.

• Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo dashed for a triple in the ninth inning to complete the cycle in Colorado. Choo is the second player to cycle this season, following Boston's Brock Holt on June 16. There have been 24 cycles since the start of the 2009 season, with Rangers players accounting for five of them. Since 1995 (the year Coors Field opened for business), there have been 76 cycles, and 13 of them have come at Coors.

Video: Must C Cycle: Choo records his first career cycle

Kyle Schwarber connected on a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the ninth and then jacked a go-ahead solo shot in the 13th inning as the Cubs topped the Reds, 5-4. Schwarber became the first Cubs player since Andre Dawson on May 8, 1990, to hit a game-tying homer in the ninth and then a go-ahead shot in extras.

• Pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez authored a grand slam against the Tigers in the eighth with the Mariners down, 8-7. Gutierrez became the second player in franchise history to hit a slam as a pinch-hitter, joining Ben Broussard. Broussard's came on April 21, 2007, and it came with Seattle down by five runs in the eighth.

Video: SEA@DET: Mariners go ahead on Gutierrez's grand slam

• In the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Orioles, Andrew Miller contributed a scoreless ninth to record his 21st save in his 21st opportunity. The conversion streak is the second longest for a Yanks pitcher from the start of the season, behind Mariano Rivera's 28 straight to begin the 2008 season. Miller sports a 1.39 ERA; the lowest in a season for any Yankees pitcher with at least 30 saves belongs to Rivera, who posted a 1.38 in 2005.

Video: BAL@NYY: Miller fans Schoop to lock down the save

Milestone watch for Wednesday

Joakim Soria needs one save for 200 in his career. Overall, there have been 47 pitchers to reach 200. Soria would be the 20th pitcher to have 200 in the AL.

Jordan Zimmermann needs eight strikeouts to tie Bill Stoneman for seventh all-time in Expos/Nationals history.

Roger Schlueter is a contributor to MLB.com.
Read More: Shin-Soo Choo, Nathan Karns, Kyle Schwarber, Andrew Miller, Aaron Nola, Franklin Gutierrez