SHORT HOPS
Sunday
Justin Upton strikes out twice in Atlanta’s loss to the Marlins, bringing his career total to 1,001 and making he and brother B.J. (1,334) the only brothers in history to each strike out 1,000 times in their careers.
Monday
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (18-3) allows one earned run in a 9-4 win vs. the Padres, lowering Kershaw his ERA to 1.67. Despite such a ridiculously low ERA, it is the fifth consecutive start in which he has lowered it.
Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez on how dominant Kershaw has been: “I think you start counting how many hard foul balls he gives up instead of counting ERA.”
Tuesday
Oakland’s Josh Donaldson has five hits and drives in four runs in an 11-2 win vs. the White Sox, this a day after striking out four times in a game. Says Donaldson: “I think baseball is just a stupid game.”
Wednesday
Derek Jeter plays in his 2,731st game for the Yankees in an 8-5 win vs. the Rays to surpass Mel Ott for most games played by any player for a New York team. Ott played in 2,730 for the Giants from 1926-47. He had owned the record since 1942, when he surpassed Zack Wheat (2,322 for Brooklyn 1909-26).
Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen’s inside-the-park home run in a 6-3 win in Philadelphia stands out for reasons other than the obvious. Despite the fact that it did not leave the playing field at Citizens Bank Park, it is the longest home run of the night in the majors, according to ESPN Stats & Info — 419 feet.
Yankees OF Chris Young not only beats Tampa, 5-4, with a walk-off home run, he joins Dave Kingman (1977) as the only players to homer for the Yankees and Mets in the same season. Young had eight with the Mets before being released last month.
Thursday
With a 7-3 win vs. Texas, the Los Angeles Angels open a 10-game lead on Oakland. Fairly remarkable considering that on Aug. 10 — just 32 days before — the Angels trailed the A’s by four games. The Angels are 23-6 since Aug. 10; the slumping A’s are 9-20.