DYK: 10 facts from Yankees-Rangers slugfest
All it takes is a quick glance at the final score to know that the Yankees and Rangers played a rather unusual game Tuesday night in Arlington. While there was obviously plenty of offense in New York's 21-5 victory over Texas, there were also -- believe it or not -- some notable and history-making pitching performances as well.
Here's a look at 10 of the craziest facts and figures from Tuesday's slugfest:
Cut4: 11-run innings and position players pitching
• Tuesday's game marked the first time since April 10, 1999, that each starting pitcher allowed at least five runs, while recording no more than three outs. On that night, former National League Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden yielded five runs in just two-thirds of an inning for the Indians, while Twins starter Benj Sampson gave up six runs in one frame. As for Tuesday night, Yankees starter Chris Capuano was tagged for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning, while Rangers starter Martin Perez conceded eight runs in one-plus inning of work.
• Fortunately for the Yankees, right-hander Diego Moreno entered the game and stopped the bleeding in historic fashion. The rookie fired off 5 1/3 hitless innings, becoming the first reliever to pitch at least 5 1/3 innings without allowing a hit since Indians righty Jake Westbrook worked seven perfect innings in relief against the Tigers on April 19, 2004.
Video: NYY@TEX: Moreno tosses 5 1/3 hitless relief innings
"That was sick. [Moreno] was the player tonight," said outfielder Chris Young, who contributed to the comeback with a grand slam. "He kept us in the dugout; we were never on defense too long. Stay fresh, stay within the rhythm of the game and continue to produce runs throughout the rest of the game. It was amazing."
Video: NYY@TEX: Tracking the distance of Young's grand slam
• Unlike Westbrook, however, Moreno actually earned the win, thanks to the Yankees' offensive onslaught (more on that in a moment). In doing so, Moreno became the first reliever to throw at least 5 1/3 hitless, scoreless innings and earn the victory since June 6, 1987, when Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley turned the trick against the Indians. Eckersley retired all 18 batters he faced, as the A's rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win, 6-4.
• The Yanks' offense took full advantage of Moreno's dominance, quickly staking him to a sizable lead behind an 11-run second inning. The 11 runs are the most in a single inning by any team since Aug. 19, 2013, when, of all teams, the Rangers scored 11 third-inning runs against the Astros en route to a 16-5 victory. That game also featured a position player toeing the rubber, as then-Astros utilityman Jake Elmore pitched Houston's final inning. As for Adam Rosales, who pitched for Texas in Tuesday's rout, he also appeared in that 2013 contest, though he did not log an at-bat after entering as a late-game defensive replacement.
Video: NYY@TEX: Rosales strikes out Young looking
• The Yankees didn't stop there, either, ultimately plating 21 runs on the night. Those 21 runs are the most by any team since May 30, 2012, when the Mariners defeated these same Rangers, 21-8. The total also matches the most runs the Yanks have ever scored against Texas, tying their total in a 21-3 victory on Aug. 23, 1999.
• The 21-run rally helped the Yankees become the first team since Aug. 23, 2013, to come back and win a game in which its starting pitcher allowed at least five earned runs and didn't make it out of the first inning. Overall, Capuano was the 1,314th starter since 1914 to allow at least five earned runs in less than one inning. Including New York's victory, teams are now 117-1,197 (.089) when getting such an outing from their starter.
• Though the Yanks had built themselves a 19-5 lead by the time Moreno departed, that didn't stop fellow reliever Adam Warren from then picking up a save in the 16-run victory. Warren pitched three hitless innings of his own en route to locking down the largest margin of victory in a save since Rangers reliever Wes Littleton earned a save in a 30-3 win over the Orioles on Aug. 22, 2007.
Video: NYY@TEX: Yanks overcome five-run deficit with 11 runs
• As for Moreno and Warren both holding Texas hitless, the duo became just the second pair of teammates ever to each throw at least three hitless innings in relief in a non-extra-innings game. The only other time it had happened previously came on July 3, 1943, when Ewald Pyle (four hitless innings) and Mickey Haefner (three hitless innings) did it for the Washington Senators in a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.
"It's certainly great when you've got guys like Diego and Warren throwing no-hits the rest of the game, which was unbelievable to watch," Capuano said. "And the way this team just kept fighting and putting up all those runs, that part was fun to watch."
Video: NYY@TEX: Gardner hits a two-run shot for 21-5 lead
• Adding to Tuesday's unusual events, Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury became the first player since David Murphy in 2010 to reach base via catcher's interference not once, but twice in the same game. It marks only the seventh time in Major League history that a player has reached base on catcher's interference twice in one game. Along with Murphy and Ellsbury, the others to do so are Bob Stinson (1979), Dan Meyer ('77), Pat Corrales (twice in '65) and Ben Geraghty ('36). Ellsbury, however, is the only one to draw an interference call from two catchers (Robinson Chirinos and Tomas Telis) in the same game.
Video: NYY@TEX: Yankees discuss 21-run outburst in Texas
• Though the 21-5 final score may look more like a football score than a baseball result, there has actually never been an NFL game to end in a 21-5 final. As for Major League Baseball, it was the first 21-5 final score since Aug. 2, 1948, when the Cardinals defeated the New York Giants by that tally. Tuesday's game marked just the fifth since 1914 to finish with that 21-5 final.