MLB Nine to Know, May 22, 2011
1. From 1960-69, nobody hit more homers than the 393 hit by Harmon Killebrew. Nobody includes Hank Aaron (375), Willie Mays (350), Frank Robinson (316), and Willie McCovey (300). (as seen in Nick Cafardo‘s Baseball Notes, Boston Globe, May 22)
2. So far this month, Cliff Lee has had games in which he set a career high with 16 strikeouts (5/6 against Atlanta) and a career high with six walks (5/16 against St. Louis)
3. Since 2005, no one has been walked intentionally more than Albert Pujols:
| Rk | Player | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albert Pujols | 194 |
| 2 | Miguel Cabrera | 124 |
| 3 | Ryan Howard | 119 |
| 4 | Vladimir Guerrero | 104 |
| 5 | Adrian Gonzalez | 99 |
This season, Prince Albert has been intentionally passed once.
He did have one other game-ending hit against the Sox, but it wasn’t a walkoff:
On May 28, 2006, the Devil Rays were visiting Fenway Park and Boston was up 5-0 heading into the 9th. Tim Wakefield had pitched a beautiful game holding the D-Rays to no runs and just four hits. But, Rudy Seanez came on to start the 9th and while he got two outs, he walked the bases full.
In came, Julian Tavarez to face, and strikeout, Greg Norton. Unfortunately, Doug Mirabelli, who caught Wake flawlessly all game, couldn’t hold on to the third strike and Norton reached first and the Rays scored to make it 4-1.
With visions of Mickey Owens floating in Tampa’s heads, Joey Gathright walked and forced in a run and now it was 5-2. Up next, Julio Lugo, and he too walked and now it was 5-3.
To the plate steps Carl Crawford, who on a 2-2 pitch lashed a single to left, Norton scored to make it 5-4 and on his heels was Gathright, the fastest of the D-Rays. But Sox left fielder Willie Harris’ (Manny B. Manny had right knee tendonitis, at least he thought it was his right knee) throw nailed Gathright at the plate and Sox escaped with a 5-4 win despite Crawford’s game-ending hit.
