Our weekly roundup of baseball's oddities noticed a lot of interesting and unusual feats by some players that aren't really household names. At least not yet.
• Steven Matz was promoted from Triple-A to help the Mets' pitching staff save innings. Helping the team score runs was just a bonus. Matz made his major-league debut on Sunday and gave up a home run to his first batter. Fortunately that didn't matter for long. In his first at-bat, Matz had a two-run double; after another single in the fifth, he capped the day with a bases-loaded two-run single .
He's the first pitcher in major-league history to have 4 RBI as a batter in his debut, and the first Mets player (at any position) ever to do so. The last pitcher to even have three hits in his debut was Jason Jennings of the Rockies on Aug. 23, 2001 (he did it against the Mets).
• Matt Boyd made his major-league debut on Saturday. He started by fanning Shin-Shoo Choo and Ryan Rua, and later fielded an inning-ending groundout. The cameras caught a glimmer of a smile as he walked off the mound.
Smile, Matt. You're only the second Toronto starter ever to strike out the first two hitters you faced in the majors. The other was Juan Guzmán against the Orioles on June 7, 1991.
Boyd did take the loss after giving up three homers. But he's also just the second Blue Jay ever to do that in his debut. Matt Williams did it against the Yankees on Aug. 2, 1983-- and got the win (Toronto scored 13 for him). Those early strikeouts were the first of seven on the day for Boyd, and only two other pitchers in the live-ball era have had a 3-HR, 7-K major-league debut: Jeff Francis (2004) and Andy Benes (1989).
• James McCann hit his third career homer on Sunday. Like his second, it was a walk-off. You may also remember his first, which didn't clear the wall. According to Elias, he is the first player to have two walk-offs and an inside-the-parker within his first three career homers since 1932. Infielder Tony Piet of the Pirates did it that year, and it only took him two homers-- the first of his career was both.
• Maikel Franco had four hits, scored three runs, and drove in five on Monday. He's only the second Phillies batter to hit those marks since 2000. And he's their first to do it in a road game since Mike Schmidt at Wrigley Field on Aug. 14, 1977. On Tuesday Franco became the first Phillies hitter ever with 5 RBI in consecutive games.
• Mike Montgomery threw a walk-free shutout with 10 strikeouts on Tuesday. It's the Mariners' third individual shutout of the year (the other two, not surprisingly, belong to Felix Hernandez), and their first against Kansas City since Jamie Moyer (2006). He's only the third pitcher in franchise history with a zero-walk, 10-K shutout, joining Felix (who has two) and Aaron Harang (2013).
• Andrew Susac doubled and tripled (his first) on Wednesday; he's the first Giants catcher NOT named Buster Posey to do both in a game since Benito Santiago in 2003. Susac also provided the final margin in Saturday's two-run win with a three-run double in the seventh. The last time a Giants catcher doubled in the seventh or later to turn a deficit into a lead was nearly a half-century ago. Tom Haller's two-bagger scored Willie McCovey and Jim Ray Hart at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 1967.
• Carlos Correa had three hits, three runs scored, and four driven in on Tuesday. He is the youngest player to have that line since Miguel Cabrera, then with the Marlins, did it against the Braves on July 1, 2003. Before Miggy, the youngest player to do it had been another Astro, Cesar Cedeño, on Sept. 2, 1971.
• Byron Buxton hit leadoff for the first time in his nine-game career Monday and went 3-for-5 with three runs. He's the Twins' first leadoff hitter to have three hits and three runs within his first 10 games since Tim Teufel went 5-for-5 with two homers in 1983. That was in Teufel's 10th game; the last Twin to do it in nine games wasn't a Twin at all. It was outfielder Red Barnes for the Senators on the final day of the 1927 season.
• Carlos Sanchez recorded his first career triple at the perfect time-- with the bases loaded in extra innings. Jose Abreu had an extra-inning triple this season, but it was with the bases empty. In fact, the last time any White Sox batter recorded a bases-loaded triple in extra innings was more than six decades ago. On June 16, 1953, All-Star first baseman Ferris Fain, who led the majors in doubles the year before, hit one of this two triples that season in the 11th against the Senators. It scored Nellie Fox, Sherm Lollar, and Bob Elliott.
Leftovers
Last week we brought you a record seven position players pitching. Adam Rosales was late to the party, but brought a nice gift to make up for it. Danny Valencia sent his first offering into the seats, making Rosales the second position player in franchise history to surrender a home run. Shortstop Jeff Kunkel did it on May 20, 1989. Rosales then retired the next three batters on only seven pitches; in the quarter-century of games for which pitch counts are known, he's the first position player to go a full inning, facing more than three batters, on eight pitches or fewer.
Minor-League Minute
Speaking of position players pitching, a manager in the Appalachian League forgot to list the available bullpen pitchers on the lineup card he handed the umpire. So guess who's taking the mound in their absence.
Other items from this week:
Marlins: Three runs on Saturday scored on two errors and a wild pitch. First team to score 3+, with 0 RBI, and win, since Diamondbacks on July 27, 2005. Second team ever to do it against Dodgers (Giants, June 28, 1974).
Chris Young: 3-run HR provided all the runs for Yankees in Friday's win. First 3-run HR (or grand slam) to do so from Yankees' seventh hitter or lower since Roy Smalley versus Brewers, June 23, 1982.
Orioles: Allowed five runs to Boston Wednesday with none of them earned; first time since 1990, and team's first loss in such a game since August 4, 1964.
Kennys Vargas: First Twins DH to have four hits including a homer, and 4 RBI, since his manager, Paul Molitor, on June 6, 1997.
Dallas Keuchel: Shutout with 12 strikeouts on Thursday; first Astros pitcher with two 10-K shutouts in same season since Randy Johnson in 1998.
Giants: First game with four triples since September 15, 1960 (Willie Mays had three in that game). First time doing it in a home game since June 28, 1924, at (where else?) the Polo Grounds.
Edwin Encarnacion: Hit grand slam as fourth batter of game Friday; second in majors this season (Justin Upton, May 24) and first for Toronto since Troy Glaus on July 29, 2006.
Trevor May: First Twins starter to allow six runs while getting just one out since Allan Anderson against Boston on May 1, 1989.
Miguel Cabrera: First Tigers batter with three doubles and no runs scored since Deivi Cruz on August 19, 2000.
Brett Oberholtzer: Second pitcher in Astros history to give up six earned runs, get four outs or fewer, and not lose (Bob Knepper vs Giants, Aug. 2, 1988).
Adam Eaton: Leadoff HR both Thursday and Friday; first White Sox batter to do it on consecutive days since Kenny Lofton in July 2002.