Bill Arnold’s Beyond the Boxscore

CAN DO NO WRONG

The stars aligned perfectly for Sal Frelick's first big-league game on July 22. The Milwaukee Brewer right fielder became the 17th rookie in the past 65 years to celebrate his MLB debut by going at least 3-for-3 at the plate. Willie McCovey (1959), Ted Cox (1977), and Derrick Gibson (1998) were the only rooks in that period to outdo Frelick and the 13 other rooks by going 4-for-4 in their maiden outings.

McCovey's debut was particularly notable as he lashed two singles and two triples off future Phillie Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts on a cold San Francisco summer night at the Giants' first ballpark in that city, Seals Stadium. Frelick entered the Brewer record book again when he mashed a tater two days later, on July 24: That made him just the second Brewer rookie, after Paul Molitor, to record five or more hits, including a home run, in his first three big league games. The team is so impressed they've moved Frelick from batting sixth to hitting cleanup. The 17 rookies to go at least 3-for-3 in their debut games are:

 

Date, Rookie, Team, Opp., AB-Hits (1B/2B/3B/HR)

7/30/1959, Willie McCovey*, Giants, Phillies, 4-4 (2 1B/2 3B)

9/18/1977, Ted Cox, Red Sox, Orioles, 4-4 (3 1B/1 2B)

9/8/1998, Derrick Gibson, Rockies, Marlins, 4, 4 (3 1B/1 1B)

9/9/1958, Johnny Callison, White Sox, Red Sox, 3-3 (1 1B/2 2B)

9/29/1963, John Paciorek, Colt-45s, Mets, 3-3 (3 1B)

9/7/1976, Steve Bowling, Brewers, Guardians, 3-3 (2 1B/1 2B)

9/1/1992, Mike Piazza*, Dodgers, Cubs, 3-3 (2 1B/1 1B)

5/31/1998, Mike Redmond, Marlins, Brewers, 3-3 (2 1B/1 HR)

6/20/1998, Ramon Martinez, Giants, Padres, 3-3 (3 1B)

4/6/2004, Kazuo Matsui, Mets, Braves, 3-3 (2 2B/1 HR)

6/9/2006, Mike Rouse, A's, Yankees, 3-3 (2 1B/1 2B)

9/8/2007, José Morales, Twins, White Sox, 3-3 (2 1B/1 2B)

3/31/2008, Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs, Brewers, 3-3 (1 1B/1 2B/1 HR)

5/27/2008, Jay Bruce, Reds, Pirates, 3-3 (2 1B/1 2B)

6/28/2015, Steven Matz, Mets, Reds, 3-3 (2 1B, 1 2B)

6/17/2023, Zach Remillard, White Sox, Mariners, 3-3 (3 1B)

7/22/2023, Sal Frelick, Brewers, Braves, 3-3 (3 1B)

(* - Hall-of-Famer)

 

OH, DOCTOR!

Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister has a hectic schedule this week as he performs four “Tommy John” surgeries on a quartet of Colorado Rockie pitchers. Going under the knife are veteran starter Antonio Senzatela and top-ranked minor league pitchers, Gabriel Hughes, Jackson Cox, and Jordy Vargas. Hughes and Cox were the team's first-round and second-round draft picks in 2022. And 19-year-old Vargas was a headline international draft selection in January of 2021.

 

THREE ON A BALL

The Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night turned an 8-3-5 triple play against the Boston Red Sox - the season's first triple play and, according to the SABR Triple Play index, the majors' first 8-3-5 since 1884.

Batting in the bottom of the third with runners on first and second, Boston's Triston Casas socked a fly ball into center field. Braves CF Michael Harris II caught it and rifled it to first baseman Matt Olson, who caught runner Adam Duvall off first, then alertly fired the ball across the diamond to third baseman Austin Riley, who tagged out Masataka Yoshida trying to advance from second.

The Boston Beaneaters spun the 1884 center-first-third TP against the Providence Grays. And, yes, that Boston team evolved into today's incarnation of the Braves. Incidentally, this was the 34th TP fielded at Fenway Park by any team.

 

AROUND THE HORN

... The Orioles, Braves, Giants, and Rays are the only teams to post multiple win streaks of at least seven games this season. The Braves have strung together at least seven straight wins four times, while the Giants, the Orioles, and the Rays have done it twice.

... Olivia Pichardo of the Sag Harbor Whalers became the first female player to hit a home run in the wood bat Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League when she connected on July 22, in the fifth inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the Westhampton Aviators. Pichardo made history earlier this season as the first female player on a Division I college baseball team, the Brown University Bears.

... The Phillies matched the N.L. record held by the 2017 Dodgers for most consecutive wins after blowing a save opportunity when they recorded their eighth consecutive blown save win on Wednesday. The 1988 Angels hold the major league record with 10 straight wins after blowing a save opportunity.

... The Guardians' Jose Ramirez needs two more game-winning RBIs to break Jim Thome's team record of 104 game-winners.

... Carlos Santana hit two homers and drove in four RBIs on Monday, lining up behind Willie Stargell as the second-oldest Pirate to accomplish the feat. Stargell did it in 1978 when he was 38 years and 75 days old and again in 1980 at 40 years, 99 days. Santana, on Monday, was 37 years and 107 days of age.

... Adam Wainwright is retiring this season after 18 years in the bigs. The Cardinals' ace has faced 29 teams, notching wins against all except (so far) the Orioles (0-1), the Rangers (0-1), and the Yankees (0-1).

... White Sox pitchers have struck out 14 or more batters in 10 games this season - and lost all 10 of them.

... On Tuesday night, Reliever Yerry Rodriguez' start for the Rangers put the team in a fourth-place tie with the Cardinals, the Twins, and the Angels for the fewest starters used this season: eight. Only the Blue Jays and Nationals (six apiece) and Orioles (seven) have used fewer.

... Shohei Ohtani is attempting to become the first player since Hall-of-Famer Jim Rice to lead the majors in triples and home runs in the same season. Entering Wednesday, the Angels' Japanese sensation and the Diamondbacks' Ketel Martel each had seven three-baggers, while Ohtani owned an MLB-leading 36 homers. In 1978, Rice topped the bigs with 15 triples and 46 taters.

... Charlie Morton, Justin Verlander, and Adam Wainwright are the only active pitchers to win at least 10 games in a season at 39 or older.

... Freddie Freeman is the first Dodger to clock 20 HRs and 35 doubles before the end of July.

... Lars Nootbaar on Monday became the first Cardinal since Colby Rasmus (in 2011) to draw a go-ahead bases-loaded walk on the road in the ninth inning or later.

... Padre Juan Soto holds a 26-walk advantage over his closest rival for the major-league record for walks. Through Wednesday, Soto had 95 free passes to Cub Ian Happs' 69.

... Royals catcher Salvador Perez on Monday became the 15th catcher ever to hit at least 200 home runs while playing the position. Nine of the other 14 are in the HOF.

... Starter George Kirby aims to be the first Mariner pitcher to lead the majors in both fewest walks per nine innings and in strikeout-to-walk ratios. After Wednesday's games, Kirby's ratios were 0.873 BB/9 and 9.33 K/BB.

... Gunnar Henderson is the first Oriole rookie to hit five triples in a season since Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken did it in 1982.