MLB scores and more: Nationals sweep, Roberts hurt, Big Bad Vlad in Indy ball?

Thursday's Scores

Angels 4, Reds 5 - This one was closely-fought, and in the end it may have come down to a managerial blunder. The decision to bunt with Mike Trout on first (instead of steal), cost the Angels one of their precious three remaining outs in the game. When you're facing Aroldis Chapman, outs are at a premium.

Cubs 3, Pirates 2 - In a well-pitched game, the Cubs were able to hold on at the end despite the tightrope act of Carlos Marmol. The two-run home run by Nate Schierholtz in the ninth ended up being the deciding factor in this one.

Tigers 2, Twins 8 - Mike Pelfrey did Mike Pelfrey things in this one, not striking out many batters yet being effective. The Twins line-up and its sneaky pop was able to churn out 8 runs in this one, and 5 in the 8th inning.

Padres 2, Mets 1 - Dillon Gee and Eric Stults both pitched very well in this one, but the Stults pitched just a tad better. Padres rookie Jedd Gyorko hit his second double of the season in this one.

Royals 3, White Sox 1 - Jeremy Guthrie pitched 6 innings and struck out 9 in this one, which is surely promising for the Royals who are relying on him this season. Alex Gordon hit a double and drove a run in in this one, but it was truly on the strength of Guthrie that they won this game.

Orioles 6, Rays 3 - #umpshow in this one, as the Rays began rallying in the 9th, the umpires ruled that Evan Longoria passed Ben Zobrist on the base-paths. While in fairness the play was close, it is certainly worth noting that replays showed that not one umpire was looking at the runners at the time of the potential infraction.

Mariners 2, Athletics 8 - In what could have been an Oakland Athletics Vintage 2012 DVD game, Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes hit home runs and solid pitching from A.J. Griffin carried them in this one.

Marlins 1, Nationals 6 - Good pitching, Ryan Zimmerman double, Jayson Werth home run, and Bryce Harper doing things that Bryce Harper is wont to do. These things include sliding viciously into home and smashing one's face on the catcher's gear, but he was okay afterwards so all is well. You could probably pencil about 50-60 more games like this in for them the rest of the way.

Red Sox 2, Yankees 4 - Home runs from Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli, and 8 really good Andy Pettite innings. Just how Brian Cashman drew it up during the off-season.

Indians 8, Blue Jays 10 - On a night where their pitching wasn't great, the Toronto line-up was able to pick up the slack. Oh yeah, and Jose Bautista.

Phillies 2, Braves 0 - Cliff Lee gets his first win of the season. Apparently this was a thing that a good amount of people bantered about last season. Cliff Lee was really good tonight. That is all.

The Big Three

1. In one of the more frustrating stories of the early-season, Brian Roberts has injured his hamstring stealing second base against the Rays. For the 35-year old I can't even imagine how frustrated he must feel, and same goes for the Orioles who were surely counting on him for a decent amount of production. One can only hope for a speedy recovery and quick return to his top form, which is quite the formidable player. Best of wishes go to Roberts.
2. It appears as though the Indians will be going with Trevor Bauer on Saturday, due to the injury to Scott Kazmir. While on one hand you really feel for Kazmir, the Indians and their fans surely must be excited to see top prospect Trevor Bauer pitch for them so soon. After not really getting a fair deal in Arizona, a fresh start for him could be an exciting prospect for the Indians. If he has his full stuff going on Saturday, Indians fans could be in for a treat.
3. In a minor move that only I find very interesting, the Astros have acquired Travis Blackley from the Athletics for minor-league outfield Jacob Goebbert. The move is not really going to make waves around the league, but he is a solid starting pitcher and should be able to eat a good deal of innings for the Astros this season. After not pitching in the big leauges from 2007 to 2012, the lefty has certainly come a long way.

In Other News...

1. Vladimir Guerrero has signed with an Independent League team, and will try to resurrect his career from there. While I find it unlikely he is able to work his way back, crazier things have happened. He should certainly be interesting to watch for Long Island Ducks fans, and he is not the first to try and continue their career there.
2. The Tigers have brought back Jose Valverde on a minor-league deal, and at worst he will show them that he can't help them and the two sides will part ways. The best-case scenario here is that he ends up filling their void at closer, and everyone is happy. I like this move for Detroit.
3. Derek Jeter is aiming to return to action on May 1st, which would be a boost for the Yankees. If the team can stay afloat in the American League East until then, they should be able to get a run going based on that added boost. It isn't a strict timetable, and until we see one I will remain skeptical about any news pertaining to Jeter and his return.