Stats of the Day: Matz's memorable debut
Mets pitcher's effort at the plate puts him in historic company, adds icing to win
Here are five interesting items from around the big leagues this weekend.
• Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for #ASGWorthy players
• On Sunday, Mets southpaw Steven Matz assembled a debut for the record books. On the mound, the 24-year-old picked up the win, allowing two runs in 7 2/3 innings. At the plate, Matz went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs. Matz became the 11th player (and only pitcher) since 1914 to have a three-hit, four-RBI debut. Matz's three hits tied a Mets record for pitchers, as did his four RBIs. The only Mets pitcher before Matz to have three hits and four RBIs in the same game was Dwight Gooden, on Sept. 21, 1985.
• Zack Greinke worked into the eighth inning and came away with his sixth win as the Dodgers blanked the Marlins, 2-0. The right-hander lowered his ERA for the year to 1.58. There are 13 pitchers to have a first half that ended with at least 15 starts and an ERA below 1.60. The lowest ERA belongs to Bob Gibson (1.06 in 1968) and the most recent occurrence came in 2005, when Roger Clemens had a 1.48 ERA. One Dodgers pitcher makes the list: Don Drysdale, who posted a 1.37 in 1968.
Video: LAD@MIA: Greinke throws 7 2/3 shutout frames in win
• In the Rockies' loss on Sunday, Nolan Arenado produced his fourth multihomer game of the season. The third baseman now has 24 home runs and 68 RBIs for the year. The four multihomer games leave Arenado halfway to the Rockies' single-season record, shared by Andres Galarraga (1996), Larry Walker ('97) and Todd Helton (2000).
Video: COL@SF: Arenado clubs two homers against Giants
• On Friday, Max Scherzer -- in his bid to replicate Johnny Vander Meer's feat of consecutive no-hitters -- took a perfect game into the sixth inning and eventually settled for a win. Scherzer's line (eight innings, five hits, no walks and seven strikeouts) brought his WHIP for the season to 0.789, and his strikeout percentage to 30.7.
Video: WSH@PHI: Galvis ends Scherzer's perfect game in 6th
• On Saturday, Torii Hunter homered twice and added a double to lead Minnesota to a 5-2 win over Milwaukee. At 39 years and 344 days old, Hunter became the seventh-oldest Twins player to pop a pair of homers. Those older: Dave Winfield (on two occasions), Jim Thome (on three) and Paul Molitor. Hunter also became the second-oldest Twins player to have three extra-base hits in a game, after Winfield (41 years and 188 days old) on April 9, 1993.
Video: MIN@MIL: Hunter belts two-run homer off K-Rod in 9th
Milestone watch for Tuesday
• Adrian Beltre could do some steady climbing up the doubles chart. With two, Beltre will tie Al Simmons (539), and with a third, he would tie Ducky Medwick and Winfield.
• Todd Frazier needs three extra-base hits to join Johnny Bench (1970) as the only Reds players to have at least 50 by the All-Star break.