Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Dae-Ho(mer)
The Seattle Mariners got their first win at Safeco Field this year on Wednesday, and it came courtesy of pinch-hitter Dae-ho Lee. The 33-year-old MLB rookie hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to give his team a 4–2 victory over the Texas Rangers, ending the Mariners’ five-game losing streak. The Korean broadcast of that home run is a joy to behold.
Meanwhile, not everyone had a good time at Safeco. A kid in the stands failed to catch a foul ball, and it’s fair to say he seemed pretty unhappy with his own performance.
Familia face on the mound
Mets reliever Jeurys Familia made three consecutive appearances for his team during their home series with the Miami Marlins. The reason? This early in the season and New York is already in must-win mode, at least according to New York Mets manager Terry Collins, who said after Wednesday’s victory that he’d intended to prove a point (critics had accused his team of lacking energy, which he denied).
On Wednesday, Familia—despite having pitched the two previous days—entered the game and made a five-out save. The Mets defeated the Marlins, 2–1.
“We couldn’t sacrifice another game,” said Collins. “We had to win this game to get us going.”
Meanwhile, there could be bad news looming for the team: If starter Jacob deGrom, who missed his scheduled outing this week because of tightness in his right lat muscle, can’t throw a bullpen session on Friday, he could be headed to the disabled list.
Cespedes menace
During that same Wednesday Mets–Marlins matchup, New York left-fielder Yoenis Cespedes made a scary-looking leap into the stands in an attempt to catch a foul ball. Cespedes managed to knee a fan in the chest in the process, and he himself looked rattled as he emerged onto the field. Luckily, the fan Cespedes dove onto ended up being OK, and Cespedes, too, was uninjured.
“I tried to jump and get the ball and give max effort for the team,” Cespedes later explained via a translator.
The fans in the stands—at least the ones Cespedes didn’t land on—seemed thrilled by the close-up meeting with the team’s star outfielder.
“It was exciting,” said one. “We told him we loved him and then we thought he snapped his ankle, so it’s good he turned out to be OK.”
Not so perfect anymore
It was going to come eventually, and on Wednesday it happened: The Orioles finally lost a game. After seven straight wins, Baltimore couldn’t stop the Red Sox, who won 4–2.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter wouldn’t admit any disappointment. “I’m proud,” he said, noting that his team had won the series at Fenway.
The Twins and Braves, meanwhile, still haven’t won in 2016. Minnesota lost 3–0 to the White Sox on Wednesday, while Atlanta lost 3–0 to the Nationals. Both teams are 0-8 and will try for their first win of the season on Thursday.
Salty’s 100
Tigers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his 100th career home run on Wednesday, and it was a grand slam. The Tigers defeated the Pirates, 7–3. Here’s why the signing of the 30-year-old veteran catcher has proven to be a smart move on Detroit’s part.