Double Plays, One Hitters, and Empty Seats

Baseball's New Sad Lexicon?
To any hardcore baseball fan, the phrase "Tinker to Evers to Chance" is synonymous with baseball's double play. Yesterday, Twins fans had to feel like they were watching a modern day version of the trio as Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, and Casey Kotchman completed four double plays in the EXACT same order during the Angels/Twins game:

DP - 4 (H Kendrick-E Aybar-C Kotchman 4).

What's even more miraculous is that the Twins only had a total of 6 baserunners.


Beaten by One Hit and a One-Hitter
Generally, when a pitcher goes for 8 innings and only gives up 5 hits, 2 walks, and one run, they get the win. Occasionally, the pitchers that relieve him will mess things up, but when that's not the case, they usually get the win.

That was not the case for Cole Hamels in yesterday's Nationals/Phillies game, despite Hamels having a great game, including 71 of his 103 pitches thrown for strikes:

                        IP    H   R   ER  BB  K   HR
C. Hamels (L, 0-1)      8.0   5   1   1   2   6   1

The problem was that Tim Redding, Luis Ayala, and Jon Rauch combined for a one-hitter:

                        IP    H   R   ER  BB  K   HR
T. Redding (W, 1-0)     7.0   1   0   0   3   2   0
L. Ayala (H, 2)         1.0   0   0   0   0   0   0
J. Rauch (S, 1)         1.0   0   0   0   0   0   0

And Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo home run for the game's only score:

                    AB  R   H  RBI  BB  K  LOB 
R. Zimmerman 3b     4   1   2   1   0   0   2

HR - R Zimmerman (2, 6th inning off C Hamels 0 on, 0 Out).

Empty Seats
This wasn't discerned from the box score, but I heard on the radio that the attendance at yesterday's Rays/Orioles game was the lowest ever since the opening of the new Camden Yards (April 6, 1992).

Attendance: 10,505.

That's a far cry from their capacity of 48,876.