MLB Performances of the Week: Stroman and Flowers

Each Monday we will be bringing you MLB ’s top hitting and pitching performances of the week. You can find them right here, every Monday for the remainder of the season and throughout the postseason.

This week a couple players had career games. Rookie Marcus Stroman threw not only the best game of his career but also one of the most efficient. The A’s Josh Donaldson led the struggling A’s to victory on a career-high five-hit night and White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers had two clutch hits that are hard to beat. Here are those stories along with the other top performances of the week.

Pitching

1. Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs, September 8

W (10 -5), 9.0IP, 3H, 8K

Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

Blue Jays rookie right-hander Marcus Stroman not only threw the first complete game shutout of his career on Monday, he needed just 93 pitches to do it. Yes, I did say just 93. That is almost unbelievable considering he allowed three hits. You would have thought he’d have to have pitched MLB’s 24th perfect game to have used so few pitches.

Alas, that was not the case as Stroman allowed three singles in the game: one to Jorge Soler in the 2nd, Mike Olt in the eighth and Chris Valaika in the top of the ninth inning. Between Soler’s single in the second and Olts’ in the eighth, Stroman did retire 19 straight batters and did not allow a single walk through all nine innings. It was quite the impressive outing from the 24-year-old.

2. Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics, September 11

W (12-3), 8.0IP, 2H, 9K, 2BB

On Thursday Chicago White Sox ace lefty Chris Sale shut down the Oakland A’s throwing 110 pitches, 70 of which were for strikes through eight innings. Just because the A’s have been struggling doesn’t mean they don’t have the tools to win. Just two days prior the A’s scored 11 runs against the White Sox so Sale did have his work cut out for him.

Yet, Sale prevailed. He didn’t allow a base runner past second base while striking out nine batters and walking just two. Sale combined with Jake Petricka to shut out the A’s and win the game for Chicago 1-0 despite a valiant effort by A’s left-hander Scott Kazmir.

3. Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies, September 11

W (5-10), 8.0IP, 4H, 12K, 2BB

Francisco Liriano’s performance is the third now mentioned on the day by a left-hander but his was better than the A’s Scott Kazmir’s outing. Liriano went eight innings, like Chris Sale. Although he allowed one more hit than Sale, he struck out three more batters for a total of 12 K’s on the day.

With a win-loss record of 5-10 Thursday’s performance was likely Liriano’s best of the season. He threw 69 of his 106 pitches for strikes allowing just two walks. He combined with pitchers Jared Hughes who allowed the Phillies only run and Mark Melancon to get the win as the Pirates defeated the Phillies by a score of 4-1.

Hitting

Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

1.Tyler Flowers, Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics, September 8

3/4, 2HR, 2RBI, 2R

Other hitters may have put up better numbers than Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers’ performance was by far the most clutch performance of the week. Flowers had two hits and a walk Monday night hits and both hits were very important hits for the White Sox.

The first was a game-tying three run homer that came in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs that sent the game into extra innings. Flowers had a flair for the dramatic Monday as his second hit was a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 12th inning off A’s pitcher Jesse Chavez to win the game for the White Sox who defeated the Athletics 5-4.

2. Yuniel Escobar, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees, September 11

3/3, 2HR, 4RBI, 2R

Yuniel Escobar led the pack this week with his four RBI on Thursday as the Tampa Bay Rays sadly lost to the New York Yankees. Escobar’s two homers provide all of the Rays offense Thursday. All three of Escobar’s hits came off of Yankees’ starter Michael Pineda.

First Escobar singled in the second inning and then hit a three-run shot off of Pineda in the top of the fourth inning scoring Wil Myers and Matt Joyce. His second homer, a solo shot, came in the seventh inning. The Rays were unable to hang onto the lead as Chris Young hit a three run walk-off in the bottom of the ninth to give the Yankees a 5-4 win over the Rays.

3. Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox, September 9

5/6, 4RBI, 2R

Josh Donaldson broke out of a slump Tuesday. Prior to the game the A’s had been in 1-5 slide and during that time Donaldson had batted .083, including going 0-5 with four strikeouts in the A’s loss to the White Sox on Monday.

He came out of his slump in a big way in Tuesday’s game, driving in four of the Athletics’ 11 runs and scoring two of them. He had a career high five hits in the game in six at-bats including three singles and a double but not his usual home run. It was a great night for the All-Star third baseman. When he talked about his turnaround from Monday’s game he broke into a grin and said,

"“Baseball is a stupid game.”"

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MLB Performances of the Week: Rookie Marcus Stroman throws complete game shutout

By Jennifer Rainwater | Sep 15, 2014