General

MLB Weekend Update: Five Stories You Might Have Missed

May 31, 2011, 2:01 PM UTC

Getty Images

You just had a long weekend. We did too. It’s nice to be able to kick back, relax, and have a few extra beers, and a few extra E.L. Fudge cookies. The only real difference between your weekend and our weekend is that, while you were off cavorting around with nary a care in the world, we were responsibly keeping our eyes on the goings-on in baseball, just so that we could provide this weekend update to you first thing Tuesday morning. I hope that you’re thankful because we’re legally not allowed to write these things drunk. Trying to help you guys out cost us part of a holiday.

Bartolo Colon blanks A's, lowers ERA to 3.26
Monday afternoon, Bartolo Colon didn't go up against the league's strongest offense, but he still went up against an offense most would consider to be Major League-caliber, and he shut them out for nine innings, allowing four hits while striking out six. It was Colon's first complete game, and first complete game shutout, since 2006. That picture up there? That's exactly how Bartolo Colon had to get around a year ago, when he was sitting on his ass doing nothing. Now here he is, pitching his chins off for the most important baseball team in the world. Sure, yeah, things make sense.

Joakim Soria might want his abandoned nickname back
On Sunday, the Royals' closer inherited a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the ninth and immediately coughed up two runs, taking the blown save and the loss. On Monday, the Royals' closer inherited an 8-7 lead in the top of the ninth and immediately coughed up three runs, taking the blown save and the loss. Soria has now taken the blown save and the loss in his last three save opportunities, his ERA's up to 6.55, and after Monday's meltdown, he has lost his job as closer, with rookie Aaron Crow taking the reins. They always say that relievers have short shelf lives, but it's always startling when someone so dependable starts looking like this.

Jo-Jo Reyes celebrates not entering record books
On Monday, the Blue Jays' starter had a chance to become the first pitcher ever to fail to earn a win in 29 consecutive starts. All Reyes had to do was not win against the team with the best record in the American League. Reyes allowed one run in a complete game and won by ten. Missed opportunity, Jo-Jo. It's not like you'll ever get into the record books for anything good, and history is history.

Catchers prove suddenly, alarmingly vulnerable
In the great recent tradition of Buster Posey, Humberto Quintero got hurt and had to go on the DL after a home plate collision, and then Ryan Doumit got hurt and had to go on the DL after a home plate collision. Neither of these catchers are as handsome or talented as Posey so neither incident was nearly as big a deal, but it's still astonishing to see three of these things in less than a week. It's getting to the point where we might start expecting catcher injuries the way we expect Marlin no-hitters. Quick, look over there, there's another one.

By the way, the Diamondbacks haven't lost since last Tuesday
While you weren't paying attention to baseball, neither were the Arizona Diamondbacks' opponents, as the DBacks swept the Astros and then pounded the Marlins on Monday, winning by 11. Their win streak is up to seven games and they're currently sitting in first in the NL West, a half-game in front of the Giants, and 4.5 games in front of the Rockies. With Arizona and Seattle both competing, it's like baseball's rebuilding teams are a year ahead of schedule. Except for Kansas City. Terrible, terrible Kansas City.

-----

Honorable mention: