Elias Says...
Special to ESPN.com
NBA
RONDO'S TRIPLE-DOZEN DOWNS SIXERS
From Elias: Rajon Rondo scored 13 points in a 17-assist, 12-rebound performance in the Celtics' 92-91 win over the 76ers. It was the eighth postseason triple-double of Rondo's career, matching Oscar Robertson's playoff total. Rondo has recorded more triple-doubles over the past four postseasons than all other NBA players combined (7).
Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers
NHL
RANGERS ELIMINATE CAPS IN LOW-SCORING SERIES
From Elias: The Rangers defeated the Capitals, 2-1, capping the first seven-game playoff series in NHL history in which no team scored more than three goals in any game. Honorable mention to the Hurricanes and Maple Leafs, neither of which scored more than three goals in any of the six games in their 2002 Eastern Conference Final.
New York Rangers, Washington Capitals
IT WAS THE RANGERS' TURN TO WIN IN GAME 7
From Elias: The Rangers and Capitals alternated wins throughout their series. It was the sixth such seven-game playoff series in NHL history, and the first since the 2003 Eastern Conference Final between John Tortorella's Lightning and the Flyers.
New York Rangers, Washington Capitals
MLB
WRIGHT REACHES A MILESTONE FOR METS
From Elias: David Wright went 4-for-6 in the Mets' 9-3 win at Miami, raising his batting average from .387 to .402. Wright is the first qualifying Mets batter ever to carry a batting average in the .400s beyond the team's 30th game of the season. The Mets have played 33 games to date. Cleon Jones was batting .411 after 30 games in 1969, but he slipped below .400 in his next game.
BAUTISTA AT HOME AT TARGET FIELD
From Elias: Jose Bautista's home run in the Blue Jays' 2-1 win at Minnesota was his 10th in 10 games at Target Field. The only other player in modern major-league history (that is, since 1900) to hit as many as 10 homers in his first 10 games at any stadium was Shawn Green at Miller Park (2001-04). Only two visiting players have hit even half as many homers at Target Field as Bautista: Edwin Encarnacion (6) and Jhonny Peralta (5).
Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays
HAMILTON FALLS ONE HOMER SHORT OF HONDO'S RECORD
From Elias: Josh Hamilton hit another home run on Saturday, his 18th of the season and his ninth in his last six games. Hamilton fell one homer short of Frank Howard's major-league record of 10 homers over a span of six games, set in 1968, the so-called Year of the Pitcher, when the major-league ERA was 2.98. Howard led the majors with 44 home runs that season, eight more than the runners-up, Willie Horton and Willie McCovey.
Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers
PADRES DOUBLE-UP ON DOC
From Elias: The Padres rallied from an early 1-0 deficit for a 2-1 victory over Roy Halladay at Philadelphia. It was San Diego's second win against Halladay this season, marking the first time that any NL team has beaten him twice in one season. In fact it's the first time in seven years that any team has defeated Halladay twice this early in a season - that is, since the Orioles beat him on April 24 and May 4 in 2005.
San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies
TIMES ARE CHANGING IN YANKEES' PEN
From Elias: Strange doings in the Yankees' bullpen in Mariano Rivera's absence. For only the second time in the last 10 seasons, four different pitchers have accounted for the Yankees' last four saves: Rivera, Dave Robertson, Rafael Soriano, and Boone Logan in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Mariners. Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth, Rivera, and Scott Proctor were the closers in four straight Yankees saves in September 2006.
New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners
ZIMMERMANN DOMINANT IN WIN OVER REDS
From Elias: Jordan Zimmermann struck out nine batters over seven innings, earning a victory in the Nationals' 2-1 win at Cincinnati. It was the 18th time in 33 games this season that Washington's starting pitcher averaged at least one strikeout per inning, the most such games in the majors.
Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds
McCUTCHEN SMACKS SOUTHPAWS
From Elias: Andrew McCutchen went 4-for-4 with a home run in the Pirates' 5-2 win over the Astros, and he extended his streak of hits against left-handed pitchers to six consecutive at-bats. That matches the longest such streak by any Pirates player against southpaws over the last 20 years. Pittsburgh is scheduled to face Houston southpaw Wandy Rodriguez on Sunday, when McCutchen can challenge Bobby Bonilla's streak of seven straight hits off LHPs in 1988, and Al Pedrique's streak of eight in 1987.
Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates
O'S TOP RAYS WITH THE GREATEST OF E'S
From Elias: The Rays tied a team record by committing five errors in a 5-3 loss at Baltimore. Tampa Bay previously recorded two five-error games, both during Larry Rothschild's tenure as manager (one in 2000, the other in 2001). The Rays, who committed the fewest errors in the majors last season (73), have the third-highest total in the AL this season (28 in 34 games).
Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays
McCARTHY REPRISES HIS RARE WIN FOR A'S
From Elias: Brandon McCarthy struck out 10 batters in seven innings without issuing a walk to earn a victory in the A's 3-1 win over the Tigers. Last September, McCarthy became the first Oakland pitcher to win a game with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks since Barry Zito did it in 2006 against the Dodgers.
Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics
CAIN DELIVERS AT THE BAT
From Elias: Matt Cain went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's in the Giants' 5-2 victory at Arizona. Cain is a .123 career hitter with only 20 RBIs in 216 major-league games, but this was the fifth time he drove in more runs than he allowed in one game.
Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants
JUNIOR GWYNN SHOWS A BIT OF POP'S CLUTCH ABILITY
From Elias: Tony Gwynn's eighth-inning single drove home James Loney with the winning run in the Dodgers' 2-1 win over the Rockies. Prior to Saturday's game-winner, Gwynn had been hitless in Late-Inning Pressure Situations this season (0-for-8), with only two hits in his last 20 LIPS at-bats dating back to last August. Gwynn's father, Tony Sr., had a .358 career batting average in LIPS, including back-to-back .400 seasons of .417 (35-for-84) in 1995 and .462 (36-for-78) in 1996.
Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers