Three Strikes: Chicago takes center stage; Andrew McCutchen’s trifecta

Tuesday night in baseball saw the Chicago teams take center stage, Stanton get the best of Kershaw and a long-awaited night from Andrew McCutchen.

Kenny Ducey | Apr 27, 2016

Three Strikes: Chicago takes center stage; Andrew McCutchen’s trifecta /

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Chicago is unseasonably hot

A Cubs-White Sox World Series? One can only dream.

With a 4–3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday night, the Cubs, the favorite to win this year’s Fall Classic, got out out to their best 20-game start since 1907 and hold the best record in baseball at 15–5. They’ve dominated both sides of the ball, sitting third in the major leagues in ERA, and second in runs scored. Surprise signee Dexter Fowler is reaching base one out of every two times he steps to the dish, Anthony Rizzo already has eight home runs and Jake Arrieta is so damn good that fellow players have questioned whether or not he’s cheating.

Noah Syndergaard is either a physical freak—or a threat to himself

Much is expected from Joe Maddon’s bunch of uber-talented youngsters and established arms in 2016, and so far everything has been ho-hum on the north side of Chicago. The same start wasn’t exactly projected for the Cubs’ south-side rival.

As shocking as this month’s Guns N’ Roses reunion was, the White Sox’s American League-best 15–6 start may be the biggest surprise of April. With a commanding 10–1 win over the Blue Jays, they’ve now allowed an average of 2.5 runs per game and own the second-best ERA in the bigs at 2.41. Chris Sale has been at the head of an incredibly dominant core of starters, and handily defeated one of the best lineups in baseball with eight innings of four-hit, one-run ball in Toronto.

While this wasn’t exactly anticipated, it’s hard to say this came out of nowhere. Though he didn’t put together a sturdy rookie campaign, much is expected of 23-year-old Carlos Rodon in the coming years. While he crashed and burned with the Marlins, Angels and Dodgers in 2015, Mat Latos, 28, was once one of the most consistent arms in baseball. And even though his numbers don’t exactly spring to life and leave a lasting impression on you, Jose Quintana has put together a career ERA of 3.41 over four nearly-identical seasons.

• JAFFE: Collins’s rude outfield gesture puts him in poor company

These four have the potential to drive this club to a wild-card berth in the AL, but it’s easy to see them imploding. Without the highly-volatile Latos and Rodon, this team suddenly becomes rather meek-looking. So far, though, the White Sox have proven they can pitch, and their bats have made just enough scattered appearances.

#http://www.120sports.com/video/v174689634/white-sox-rout-the-blue-jays

Sorcery in L.A.

All right, Clayton Kershaw is not a cyborg. The 28-year-old had breezed through four starts—two against the San Francisco Giants—and seemed poised to improve his 2–0 record and 1.50 ERA against the struggling Miami Marlins. That was until Giancarlo Stanton, a career .324 hitter against the Dodgers, said his piece.

Kershaw was rolling, getting through five frames while facing just 16 hitters. He even put the finishing touches on the fourth with a strikeout of Stanton on a nasty 1–2 curveball.

Then, the wheels fell off. Kershaw surrendered a towering three-run shot to Stanton on a 1–0 fastball down the chute, and left the sixth charged with five runs. It was the first three-run shot Kershaw had allowed in 844 innings. It’s not very often that one of baseball’s brightest stars meets his match, but Tuesday night was one of those rare occasions. The Marlins took the second of two games in Los Angeles, and they did it against a ferocious beast.

GALLERY: Most Recent No-Hitters, By Team

Most Recent No-Hitters, By Team

Giants

Tim Lincecum pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants ' 9-0 win over last-place San Diego. The two-time Cy Young winner threw a career-high 148 pitches.

Reds

Homer Bailey pitched his second no-hitter in 10 months, becoming the first player in baseball to throw MLB's two most recent no-no's since Nolan Ryan in 1974-75. Bailey allowed just one walk and struck out nine against the Giants in a 3-0 win, surrendering his perfect game in the in the 7th inning when he walked Gregor Blanco. Bailey would later get Blanco to ground out in the 9th to end the game, becoming the third pitcher in Reds history to throw multiple no-hitters.

Mariners

The Mariners' ace and former AL Cy Young Award winner pitched the team's first perfect game, overpowering the Tampa Bay Rays with 12 strikeouts in a brilliant 1-0 victory. The game was Seattle's second no-hitter of the season. On June 8, six pitchers -- Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen -- combined to no-hit the Dodgers in what was also a 1-0 victory.

Mets

After 35 one-hitters, the Mets finally got the first no-no in franchise history. Johan Santana, who missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, struck out eight and walked five as New York beat the Cardinals 8-0. It left the Padres as the only team without a no-hitter.

Angels

Jered Weaver pitched the 10th no-hitter in franchise history, striking out nine in a 9-0 victory over the Twins, who never came close to getting a hit. Weaver allowed just two baserunners. Chris Parmelee reached in the second inning when he struck out and advanced on Chris Iannetta's passed ball, and Josh Willingham worked a walk in the seventh. Weaver became the first Angels pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Angel Stadium since Nolan Ryan on June 1, 1975.

White Sox

Philip Humber threw the first perfect game in almost two years, striking out nine for his first win of the season. It was the third perfecto in White Sox history, joining Mark Buehrle (Tampa Bay in 2009) and Charles Robertson (Detroit in 1922). Humber, a former first-round draft pick of the Mets who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2005, needed only 96 pitches to complete the gem. The White Sox beat the Mariners 4-0.

Tigers

Justin Verlander threw his second career no-hitter and the second in the big leagues this week, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Verlander barely missed a perfect game. The only runner he allowed came with one out in the eighth inning, when rookie J.P. Arencibia drew a 12-pitch walk. Minnesota's Francisco Liriano tossed a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on May 3.

Twins

In his previous start Liriano had lasted three innings and his ERA had ballooned to 9.13. But he delivered the seventh no-hitter in Twins history, and the first since Eric Milton in 1999, as he struck out two and walked six in a 1-0 win over the White Sox. The 123-pitch erfort was just the first complete game of Liriano's six-year career.

Phillies

Halladay threw just the second no-hitter in postseason history as the Phillies beat the Reds 4-0 in Game 1 of the NLDS. Halladay, who was making the first playoff start of his 12-year career, struck out eight and walked one on 104 pitches. He also threw a perfect game on May 29 vs. the Marlins, making him the fourth author of two no-hitter in the same season along with Nolan Ryan, Virgil Truck, Allie Reynolds and Johnny Vander Meer.

Rays

Matt Garza (center) pitched the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Garza faced the minimum 27 batters, allowing only a second-inning walk, for a team that's often been on the wrong end of pitching gems lately. The last time there were at least five no-hitters in a season was 1991.

Diamondbacks

Edwin Jackson overcame a wild start to throw the fourth no-hitter of the season, leading the Diamondbacks to a 1-0 victory over the Rays. Jackson threw 149 pitches and walked eight, all but one in the first three innings, in the second no-hitter in D-backs' history.

Athletics

Braden was perfect on Mother's Day, recording the first perfect game for Oakland in 42 years. He was also the beneficiary of some flashy glovework, courtesy of Kevin Kouzmanoff, who sprinted to the dirt in front of Oakland's dugout to catch a foul popup by Dioner Navarro for the second out in the sixth.

Rockies

Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in Rockies history, dominating the Braves in a 4-0 victory. Jimenez walked six -- all in the first five innings -- and struck out seven. He was helped by Dexter Fowler's diving catch on Troy Glaus' drive to left-center field in the seventh inning.

Cubs

Pitching for the first time in nearly two weeks, Carlos Zambrano stifled the Astros en route to the Cubs' first no-hitter since Milt Pappas in 1972. The game was relocated to Milwaukee's Miller Park because of Hurricane Ike.

Red Sox

At 22, Lester learned he had lymphoma, but after beating the cancer, he returned to win the clinching game of the 2007 World Series. Then in May 2008, Lester no-hit the Kansas City Royals, allowing just two walks and striking out nine in one of the most inspiring comebacks in baseball history.

Marlins

Sanchez, a 22-year-old rookie making his 13th major-league start, hurled a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Astros

In perhaps the most bizarre no-hitter of all-time, the Astros used a record six pitchers -- Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner -- to hold the Yankees hitless in Houston's 8-0 victory.

Cardinals

Smith became the 18th rookie since 1900 to throw a no-hitter, tossing a whopping 134 pitches in a 4-0 victory over the Padres. Smith made just 14 more appearances in the majors and was gone for good one year later, at 23.

Yankees

With Don Larsen, the only man ever to pitch a perfect game in the World Series, on hand for Yogi Berra Day, Cone tossed a perfect game of his own, silencing the Montreal Expos in a 5-0 win. Cone survived a 30-minute rain delay in the third inning, and needed just 88 pitches to complete his perfecto, which ended when he got Orlando Cabrera to pop out to third.

Pirates

Cordova, a major league starter for less than a year, pitched the first nine innings of a no-hitter against the Astros. Rincon pitched another inning of no-hit ball when the scoreless game went to the 10th. The no-hitter wasn't secured until Mark Smith's walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th.

Dodgers

The Japanese fireballer became the first (and last) pitcher to toss a no-hitter at hitter's haven Coors Field in a 9-0 blanking of the Rockies.

Rangers

Rogers became the first AL lefty to throw a perfect game when he shut down the Angels 4-0, the first no-hitter at the brand-new Ballpark at Arlington. Center fielder Rusty Greer preserved it with a diving catch on Rex Hudler to start the ninth. Greer had a much easier time handling the final out, a routine fly ball from Gary DiSarcina.

Braves

Three years after pitching the first six innings of a no-hitter -- ultimately completed by teammates Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Pena -- Mercker went solo in tossing nine innings of no-hit ball in a 6-0 victory over the Dodgers.

Royals

Saberhagen had already won two Cy Young awards and pitched a shutout in the clinching Game 7 of the World Series in 1985, but had never thrown a no-hitter. He helped himself by snaring an eighth-inning line drive by Ozzie Guillen that would have been a hit. The last out was made by future Hall of Famer Frank Thomas on a ground out to second base.

Nationals (Expos)

While the Nationals still played north of the border as the Expos, Martinez threw the 13th perfect game in major league history in a 2-0 victory over the Dodgers.

Orioles

Milacki, (inset left to right) Flanagan, Williamson and Olson combined to equal the most pitchers used for a no-hitter in American League history by blanking the A's. Olson pitched the first six innings but left after he injured his hand deflecting a ball hit by Oakland's Willie Wilson. Flanagan, Williamson and Olson each pitched one hitless inning.

Blue Jays

Four times previously, Stieb had taken a no-hitter into the ninth. Three times he lost it with one out to go, including back-to-back starts in September 1988, the only time that's ever happened in baseball history. His luck finally changed on this night when he got Cleveland's Jeremy Browne to line to right for the final out of a 3-0 shutout. "I had much better stuff the other times, much better control. I always knew it took a lot of luck to get a no-hitter," he said afterward.

Brewers

Now a coach with the White Sox, Nieves became the second-youngest pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter when he shut down the Orioles 7-0 at age 22. Eighteen months later, an arm injury ended his career.

Indians

With a losing career record, Barker was an otherwise forgettable pitcher, except for what he achieved in May 1981, when he pitched just the tenth perfect game ever. ''I run into people almost every day who want to talk about it,'' he said in 2006. ''Everyone says, 'You're probably tired of talking about it.' I say, 'No, it's something to be proud of.' It's a special thing.''

McCutchen’s big night

The 12–9 Pirates will need to dig deep this season if they want to earn a playoff berth in a contentious National League. It appears the best team in the majors, the Cubs, will block them from a division title, and the Cardinals, Mets, Nationals and Giants should all be difficult to jump in the wild-card standings.

Power outage: Punchless Braves see no end to homerless streak

That’s why many in Pittsburgh had been on edge as Andrew McCutchen, the team’s lifeblood, started out the season hitting just .213 with two homers and five RBIs in 19 games. McCutchen has hovered around the .300 mark for his entire career, and posted an average OPS+ a good 60 points higher than his mark of 83 entering Tuesday. Sure, it doesn’t seem as if April baseball is all that meaningful, but wins come at a premium when locked in a battle with the aforementioned clubs. Put bluntly, the Pirates couldn’t afford to wait too long for McCutchen to wake from his early-season slumber.

The 29-year-old not only put together a good performance Tuesday, he hit three home runs. McCutchen drove in five in a 9–4 win over the Rockies, lifting Pittsburgh to its 12th win of the season. The longballs may have come at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, but they could go a long way toward re-adjusting McCutchen’s mental approach at the plate.

Published Apr 27, 2016

KENNY DUCEY

Kenny Ducey writes baseball, basketball and off-beat stories for SI.com. He is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and an editor at Baseball Prospectus.