Yankees sluggers, Blanco, Elly posted stellar stats this week

April 12th, 2024

Here’s our weekly look at 10 mind-blowing notes from the last week in baseball (April 5-11).

All that power: and homered in the same game Saturday for the first time this season and 36th time as teammates, including the postseason. The Yankees are now 32-4, including the postseason, when the two homer in the same game. The four losses: the Field of Dreams game in 2021; Oct. 4, 2022, in the second game of a doubleheader when Judge hit No. 62; April 14, 2023 and Aug. 24, 2023.

An unprecedented start: followed up his no-hitter in his first start of the season with a 5 2/3-inning no-hit bid Sunday before finally allowing a hit. Blanco's streak of 44 consecutive outs before allowing a hit is the longest such streak to begin a season by any pitcher since 1893 (when the mound moved to its current distance from home plate), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It’s also the second-longest streak at any point in a season in Astros history, behind only Mike Scott’s 51 consecutive outs in 1986.

Exciting Elly: had a unique multi-homer game on Monday, crushing a 450-ft, 112.3-mph homer in the fifth and then racing around the bases in 14.96 seconds for an inside-the-parker in the seventh. De La Cruz became the first player with a 450-ft homer and an inside-the-park homer in the same game under Statcast (2015), per MLB’s Jason Bernard. He was the sixth player with a multi-homer game including an inside-the-parker, with home runs from both sides of the plate in the expansion era (1961), per Elias. He joined Carlos Guillen (May 31, 2004), Ken Caminiti (July 3, 1994), Devon White (June 1, 1992), Willie Wilson (June 15, 1979) and Maury Wills (May 30, 1962).

Running wild: There have been seven individual three-stolen-base games this season: four by the Nationals (CJ Abrams, Lane Thomas, Trey Lipscomb, Jacob Young) and three by the rest of MLB (Brice Turang, Jarren Duran, Ronald Acuña Jr.). For the Nats, Thomas, Lipscomb and Young did so in three straight games Sunday-Tuesday. The Nationals are the third team since 1900 to have a player steal at least three bases in three straight team games, per Elias. They joined the 1983 A’s (Rickey Henderson all three games July 3-4 and 8) and 1914 Indianapolis Hoosier-Feds (Benny Kauff, Aug. 15 doubleheader Game 1; Charlie Carr, Aug. 15 doubleheader Game 2; Vin Campbell and Bill McKechnie, Aug. 16).

Master Glas: Tyler Glasnow struck out 14 batters over seven scoreless innings with no walks on Tuesday, throwing just 88 pitches. That’s the most strikeouts in an outing of fewer than 90 pitches since pitch counts have been tracked (1988). It was also tied for the third-most strikeouts by a Dodgers pitcher in a scoreless outing with no walks (since at least 1901), behind only Clayton Kershaw (15 in his no-hitter on June 18, 2014) and Van Mungo (15 on Sept. 29, 1935).

Catch me if you can: With another stolen base on Tuesday, Trea Turner is up to 39 straight without being caught in the regular season, dating to 2022. That’s tied with 2007-08 Jimmy Rollins for the fourth-most consecutive stolen bases in the regular season since caught stealing was first tracked in both leagues in 1951, per Elias. He trails 1988-89 Vince Coleman (50), 2006-07 Ichiro Suzuki (45) and 1993-95 Tim Raines (40).

For three: Native Texan Shea Langeliers hit three homers on Tuesday at the Rangers. In doing so, the backstop etched his name in A’s lore. He became just the second player with a three-homer game as a catcher in A’s franchise history. The other? Mickey Cochrane on May 21, 1925. Talk about good company.

Happy Hollidays: Baseball’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday, made his MLB debut on Wednesday and notched his first RBI. At 20 years and 128 days, Holliday became the fourth-youngest player in Orioles/Browns history with an RBI in his MLB debut, older than only Brooks Robinson (18 years, 122 days on Sept. 17, 1955), Andy Etchebarren (19 years, 98 days on Sept. 26, 1962) and Ron Hansen (20 years, 10 days on April 15, 1958).

Oh, Brother: Josh and Bo Naylor celebrated National Sibling Day on Wednesday, each homering in the fourth inning for the Guardians. It was the 10th time brothers homered in the same inning since 1900, per Elias. The Naylors did so on July 14 last season. Before that, it was B.J. and Justin Upton (April 6 and April 23, 2013, with Atlanta), Billy and Cal Ripken (Sept. 15, 1990, and May 28, 1996, with Baltimore), Hank and Tommie Aaron (July 12, 1962, with Milwaukee), Lloyd and Paul Waner (Sept. 4, 1927, and Sept. 15, 1938, with Pittsburgh) and Rick and Wes Ferrell (July 19, 1933 -- with Rick of the Red Sox homering off Wes of Cleveland).

And still unswept: Teams enter each series trying to win the series, but even just avoiding being swept is worth noting. To that end, the Orioles have now gone 95 straight regular-season series without being swept, entering the weekend. That’s the third-most consecutive series of multiple games without being swept, per Elias. They trail only the 1942-44 Cardinals (125) and 1903-05 Giants (106).