Carlos Santana's first at-bat
Friday night was yet another highly anticipated debut with this one coming in Cleveland with the Indians calling up top prospect and catcher Carlos Santana. Many are anticipating the Stephen Strasburg-Santana matchup on Sunday, but Friday came first. Santana, who was acquired from the LA Dodgers for Casey Blake in 2008, wears number 41 to honor his hero (former Indians and now Boston Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez).
He was inserted into the third spot in the order against the Washington Nationals. In the top of the first inning, Nationals centerfielder Nyjer Morgan singled to lead off the game but was caught stealing by Santana at second base (which was why he has spent this much time in Triple-A to work on his defensive skills).
In the game, Santana did not record a hit but he did walk once and scored on one of Austin Kearns homeruns. Kearns, the former National, hit two homeruns and collected four RBIs in the Indians 7-2 victory.
Chris Carter congratulated after homerun
Knuckballer RA Dickey of the NY Mets struck out a career-high eight batters as the Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1. Dickey allowed just one run (which scored on a wild pitch) on seven hits in seven innings. In the fourth with just a 1-0 lead, Chris Carter came up and blasted his first Major League homerun, a three-run shot, off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie.
The Philadelphia Phillies were pummeled in their first game in Boston. Veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer of the Phillies lasted just one plus inning and allowed nine runs on nine hits. Moyer allowed six doubles and a homerun. It was a huge early hole for a team that has struggled since the end of May to score runs. The bullpen for the Phillies did not allow a run after the third inning.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pulled a few of the stars (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino) but allowed the struggling Jayson Werth to stay in the game as he went 3-for-4. John Lackey on the other hand for the Red Sox allowed just two runs on six hits in seven innings.
Offensively for the Red Sox Marco Scutaro and David Ortiz collected three hits a piece, while Victor Martinez, Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron, and Darnell McDonald each collected two hits.
The anticipated pitching matchup of the first day of Interleague Play was in Colorado as the Rockies Ubaldo Jimenez went up against the Toronto Blue Jays Ricky Romero. Despite the bad weather that started the game in a delay, the Rockies survived a rain-shortened six inning game and a rare off-night for Jimenez. Jimenez walked five in six innings and allowed three runs (two of which came on an Aaron Hill’s two-run homerun).
His ERA rose to 1.16, though he became baseball’s first 12 game winner. The Rockies out-homered the Major League-leading Blue Jays as Ryan Spilborghs and Carlos Gonzalez hit solo homeruns off Romero, who allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings.
In Cincinnati, the KC Royals scored a run in the top of the 11th inning on a Yuniesky Betancourt RBI single (his third RBI of the game) as the Royals won 6-5. Luke Hochevar of the Royals lasted just four innings as he allowed four runs on six hits. However the Royals bullpen allowed just one run (in the bottom of the eighth) on eight hits in seven innings.
Bronson Arroyo for the Reds allowed five runs in seven innings (he allowed a Betancourt two-run homerun in the sixth inning that gave the Royals a 5-4 lead).