Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Wednesday, May 17.

Orioles fans will remember Chuck Thompson using the above headline many a time on Orioles’ radio.  Last night, in a game where there were as many runs scored as there are cans in a case of beer, the Orioles defeated the Tigers 13-11 in 11 innings in Detroit.  This isn’t the usual at pitcher-friendly Comerica Park.  This is much more like a game from Tiger Stadium when Thompson was in the Orioles’ radio booth and his fellow Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell was calling the game for the Tigers. In a game that says a lot about the watered-down pitching made possible by having at least 6 more teams than are necessary, no pitcher did much to impress. The Tigers starter Matt Boyd was gone in the third when the Orioles put up 7 runs to take a 7-1 lead. The O’s starter Wade Miley pitched more like Miley Cyrus giving up 4 runs in 5 innings and his bull pen didn’t keep the lead.  After Chris “Crush” Davis homered in the 12th to make it 11-8 the Orioles remembered the old song ‘You Gotta Have Heart,” and turned to Donnie Hart who promptly gave up the lead. The Tigers tied it on RBI singles by Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Alex Avila. Teams leading by 3 or more in extras were 129–0 over the last 5 seasons.  They’re now 130-0 because Davis came back to launch another 2-run shot in the 13th and finally finish the Tigers. For the home team, J.D. Martinez in his 4th game removed from the DL hit two home runs, including a grand slammer in the 7th to make it 8-7 Detroit, a lead their own bull pen couldn’t keep. Martinez wouldn’t have been up with the bases juiced except the Orioles’ Mychal Givens walked 3 hitters. Brad Brach gave up the 4-run 4-bagger but Mark Trumbo bailed him out with a game-tying home run in the 9th. Richard Bleier got his first career win by retiring two men in the 12th and all 3 in the 13th.

Meantime out west, in a 7-6 win in 11 innings over the White Sox, the Angels’ Albert Pujols passed Carl Yastrzemski on the alltime RBI list, then singled to drive in the winning run in the home 11th.  The RBI that passed Yaz came on a third-inning single. He now has 1847 RBIs, 13 shy of Mel Ott.  Passing the great Giant of the 1920’s and 1930’s would put Pujols 10th all time. For what it’s worth, he’s 4 home runs shy of 600. Tim Anderson had given the White Sox a 6-5 lead in the top of the 11th with a home run. The Sox had tied the game with 3 runs in the visiting 9th inning. The Angels’ Cameron Maybin had 5 hits including an RBI double that tied things in the 11th setting up Pujols’ game-winning base hit.

A total of 21 games across the minor leagues will be played in the morning or afternoon.  In Omaha, the home of the AAA Royals they’re actually playing a day-night doubleheader against Tacoma which I thought was only a  major-league phenomenon.  Tacoma (AAA Mariners) has Chris Heston (yes Mets’ fans, that_ Chris Heston) and he’s pitching tonight in Omaha at the back end of that day-night doubleheader.  Meantime In the bigs, Houston faces the marlins at Noon in today’s earliest start. Both starters Lance McCullers JR. for Houston and the Marlins’ Jose Urena have done well their last two times out of the gate. The Rays and Indians will meet in another Noon start in Cleveland. Both starters Alex Cobb and Josh Tomlin have been on a roll in their last few starts. At the other end of the spectrum is the Mets’ Matt Harvey who faces the Diamondbacks at 3:40 PM.  He threw batting practice at the Brewers in his first outing since getting suspended for running amuck after a bad breakup with his model girlfriend. His ERA is north of 10 in his last 3 starts. The Giants host the Dodgers at 3:45 Eastern. In what should be a dandy matchup Clayton Kershaw faces the Giants’ Johnny Cueto. The rest of the action is under the lights. The Orioles send out Ubaldo Jimenez against the Tigers.  After a game where they used their entire bull pen the Birds have little choice but to put their trust in Jimenez who will never be confused with current TV analyst Jim Palmer. The Tigers throw last year’s Rookie of the Year, Michael Fulmer who has pitched like his 2016 self in May. The Red Sox send out Cy Young winner Rick Porcello against the Cardinals’ Mike Leake tonight in St. Louis. After a 3–9 start the Cardinals have bounced back remarkably and are again contenders in the NL Central at least in part because of the poor start by the Cubs.