❚ Team notes,
AL EAST Baltimore Orioles
Trey Mancini entered the week leading the Orioles in most offensive categories, and on May 18 he was their only offense: His fourth-inning solo homer was their sole hit in a loss to the Indians at Cleveland.
“When he’s right, he really stays on the ball,” manager
Brandon Hyde said. “Not looking to pull but pull because the ball shows up on the inner part of the plate and he catches it out in front.”
The right-handed hitter came into the week with 10 home runs and a .304 batting average, including a .370 mark against left-handed pitchers. However, he was hitting only .211 in May after getting off to a .355 start through April.
❚ Through their first 46 games, the Orioles allowed 13 stolen bases, fewest in the AL, while their 53.6 caught-stealing percentage was best in the majors. Their 48 double plays turned led the AL and ranked second in the majors.
Boston Red Sox
RHP Hector Velazquez lasted just one-third of an inning in his May 18 start against Houston, giving up five runs. He was the first Boston pitcher to allow five or more runs in one-third of an inning or less since John Burkett in 2003.
Velazquez, who pitched for eight seasons in the Mexican League before joining the Red Sox in 2017, said it was the first time in his career he couldn’t get out of the first inning. He has a 6.41 ERA in seven starts (out of 13 appearances).
The rotation got a boost May 20 when LHP David Price (elbow) came off the injured list and pitched five solid innings against the Blue Jays at Toronto.
❚ Even though he’s a reliever, RHP Marcus Walden entered the week leading the staff in wins with six in just 16 appearances spanning 261⁄3 innings.
New York Yankees
The Yankees entered the week having lost 532 player days with 17 players serving 18 stints on the injured list this season, compared to 20 players and 23 stints last season.
But they appeared to evade another IL trip May 18 when a line drive hit RHP Masahiro Tanaka on the right shin. The ball deflected to first baseman Luke
Voit for the out to complete Tanaka’s six scoreless innings, but Tanaka left the game.
Manager Aaron Boone was cautiously optimistic the next day.
“I would say today was at least encouraging that he walked in feeling pretty well,” Boone said. “Definitely some soreness in there, but walking is not an issue.”
❚ 3B Gio Urshela entered the week batting .346 with multiple hits in 11 of his 36 games. He hit .225 through his first three major league seasons.
Tampa Bay Rays
Austin Meadows’ first career extra-inning homer May 18 gave the Rays the win over the Yankees at New York. It was just his second career extra-inning hit and only the second extrainning homer at Yankee Stadium in Rays history — Carlos Pena had the other in 2009.
Meadows, who saved a run earlier in the game by cutting down a runner at the plate, said the homer wasn’t payback for Yankees LHP CC Sabathia’s attempt to hit him with a pitch in the previous game.
“We responded well,” Meadows said. “It was a tough day. We are always going to play the Yankees close. Being able to come out with a win was big.”
It was Tampa Bay’s first extra-inning win since July 9, 2018, snapping a streak of seven such losses.
❚ In the Rays’ first 44 games, they allowed one or no runs in 16 games, two or fewer in 22 games and three or fewer in 28 games, all best in the majors.
Toronto Blue Jays
After struggling to a .191 batting average in his first 13 games, 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit .370 in his next eight.
He also started to flash his power by hitting four home runs in six games. His two-run homer in the eighth inning May 19 broke a 1-1 tie in a win over the White Sox at Chicago.
“The more the lineup gets hot, the more comfortable he’s going to get, because then he feels less pressure to do stuff. That’s how I see it,” manager
Charlie Montoyo said.
❚ LHP Ryan Feierabend’s start May 18 was the knuckleballer’s first major league appearance since 2014, when he was with the Texas Rangers, and his first start since 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He pitched against Vladimir Guerrero Sr. in that start; Guerrero Jr. played third base behind him in his Toronto debut.
AL CENTRAL Chicago White Sox
Injuries on the pitching staff are piling up. After LHP Carlos
Rodon and RHP Nate Jones underwent season-ending surgeries, LHP Manny Banuelos was placed on the injured list because of a strained left shoulder.
Rodon had Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Jones had a flexor mass tendon tear in his forearm repaired.
RHP Dylan Covey has moved into the rotation and allowed two runs (one earned) on just two hits in 52⁄3 innings May 16 in his second consecutive start against the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave up four runs to the Jays in his previous outing.
Banuelos is 2-3 with a 7.26 ERA in nine games, including five starts.
❚ RF Eloy Jimenez was expected to be activated from the IL this week. The rookie has been out since April 27 because of a high right ankle sprain.
Cleveland Indians
RHP Mike Clevinger’s recovery from an upper back strain is progressing so well that he might be ready to be activated from the 60-day injured list when he first is eligible in early June.
Clevinger threw two bullpen sessions last week and said he felt good. He was injured during an April 7 start against the Toronto Blue Jays after striking out 10 in five innings.
The Indians have been using RHPs Adam Plutko and Jefry
Rodriguez in the rotation while Clevinger and Corey Kluber
(broken right arm) are on the IL.
❚ RHP Shane Bieber became the fourth-youngest pitcher since at least 1908 to have 15 strikeouts and no walks in a shutout when he blanked the