MLB Notebook: Stanton keeps on slamming

On May 11, 1928, Lou Gehrig homered against Cleveland's Joe Shaute in the Yankees' 7-6 win over the Indians. The homer -- Gehrig's fourth career grand slam -- came when the Iron Horse's age was 24 years and 327 days. Seventy-one years later, Alex Rodriguez, at 23 years and 357 days old, hit his fourth career slam -- a sixth-inning shot against Arizona's Vicente Padilla -- on July 19, 1999, in the Mariners' 7-5 win over the D-backs.

Gehrig, with 23 career slams, and Rodriguez, with 22, own the two highest totals in baseball history. The Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton hit his fourth career slam on Monday night in Miami's 7-4 win over the Rockies, at the age of 22 years and 195 days.

Marlins/Rockies
Stanton's grand slam against Jamie Moyer headlined the Marlins' win and helped Miami improve its record in May to a Major League-best 15-5.

Stanton, who has played 291 games in his career, already is tied for the third-most grand slams in Marlins history. Jeff Conine (1,014 games with the Marlins) has the most career slams for the franchise, with six. Hanley Ramirez (892 games) has five, while Stanton is tied with Mike Lowell (981 games) and Derrek Lee (844 games).

Moyer, who has allowed a Major League-record 518 home runs, already had surrendered 68 in his career when Stanton was born on Nov. 8, 1989.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, playing in his 736th career game, homered and drove in two runs. Tulowitzki's homer was his 127th as a shortstop. Those 127 through his first 736 games are the fourth most in history for a shortstop. Rodriguez had 174, Ernie Banks had 162, and Nomar Garciaparra had 141.

Reds
The Reds used four solo home runs, including three straight in the bottom of the fourth, to defeat the Braves, 4-1, on Monday. The three consecutive home runs -- by Mike Leake, Zack Cozart and Drew Stubbs -- tied a franchise record done 10 previous times, with the most recent coming on Aug. 13, 2006. In that game, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Dunn and Rich Aurilia hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the sixth inning.

Red Sox
The Red Sox collected four extra-base hits (three doubles and a home run) as part of their 14-hit attack and defeated the Orioles, 8-6, on Monday.

The three doubles gave Boston 116 through 42 games. The record for two-base hits in a season is 376, by the 2008 Rangers. That year, Texas had 93 through its first 42 contests.

The four extra-base hits gave Boston 173 through 42 games. The record for the most in a season is 649, by the 2003 Red Sox. That year, Boston had 170 after it had played 42 games.

Paulino
Felipe Paulino threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings and picked up the win as the Royals blanked the Yankees, 6-0, on Monday. Paulino became the first pitcher in franchise history to have a pair of scoreless starts (with at least six innings) against the Yanks in a season. On May 5, Paulino shut out the Yankees for six innings on four hits. Paulino has made four starts this season, and he has allowed four runs in 25 1/3 innings.

Gio
Gio Gonzalez improved to 6-1 as he held the Phillies to three hits in six scoreless innings in the Nationals' 2-1 win over Philadelphia. The line represented the fourth time this season Gonzalez has gone at least six innings and finished with no runs on three-or-fewer hits allowed. Since 1918, the other two pitchers to have as many as four starts with that line through their team's first 42 games are Bob Feller in 1947 and Sandy Koufax in '63. In all four of his performances, Feller went the distance, while Koufax had three complete games. Gonzalez's four outings have been made up of two seven-inning stints and two that lasted six innings.

Wright
Mets third baseman David Wright went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI and lifted his Major League-leading batting average to .415 in New York's 5-4 loss to the Pirates on Monday. Before Wright, the last player to be at .415 or better after play on May 21 was Todd Helton in 2000. That season, Helton was at .418 at the close of the day on May 21, and he finished the season at .372.

Drabek
Despite six walks and three wild pitches, Blue Jays starter Kyle Drabek allowed only two runs in six innings and came away with a win in Toronto's 6-2 victory over the Rays on Monday. Drabek is the eighth pitcher in the past 30 seasons to issue at least six walks, throw as many as three wild pitches and still record a win.

Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner fanned 10 for his fifth career double-digit strikeout game in the Giants' 4-3 win over the Brewers on Monday. In four of his five 10-plus-strikeout games, Bumgarner has issued one walk or no walks. Since 1920, those four tie Bumgarner with Harvey Haddix and Scott Kazmir for the third most for any left-hander through his first 64 Major League appearances. Vida Blue and Oliver Perez each had five.

Ethier
Andre Ethier hit one of three Dodgers home runs in a 6-1 victory over the D-backs on Monday. Ethier's home run -- a solo shot -- gave him 24 games this season with at least one RBI. Dating back to 1920, for all Dodgers players through 42 team games, those 24 tie Ethier with Jackie Robinson in '49 and Mike Marshall in '86 for the second most. In 1953, Roy Campanella had at least one RBI in 27 of Brooklyn's first 42 contests.

A's
Oakland's Tommy Milone allowed one run in seven innings and Ryan Cook and Brian Fuentes combined for two scoreless innings in relief, leading the Athletics to a 2-1 win over the Angels on Monday.

Milone's effort marked the 13th time this season an Oakland starter finished his outing with at least six innings and no more than one run allowed. Over the past 30 seasons, only the 2011 and 1990 Athletics had more such starts through the team's first 43 games. Last year, Oakland had 17 starts of six-plus innings and one or zero runs allowed, and in 1990, the club had 16.

Cook's perfect eighth inning ran his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, covering 19 appearances. The streak to start the season is the second longest by appearances for an Athletics pitcher since 1918. In 2008, Brad Ziegler started his season (and career) by not allowing a run in 29 straight appearances, covering 38 innings.

King Felix
Felix Hernandez fanned seven, walked two and allowed one run on six hits in eight innings as the Mariners beat the Rangers, 6-1, on Monday. Although not altogether dominant, the line produced a game score of 71 -- the second highest for any starter against the Rangers this season. Only Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez, with a game score of 74 against Texas on May 6, has topped Hernandez's score.