best of April – Play.it USA

A month has passed since the end of the season, and with the first signing of free agents underway, we realize that… we already miss baseball. So let’s review the year just ended, since those who have subscribed to MLB.TV, even late, even if only for the playoffs, can cover every regular season match until February 28th.

We start from April, the first month of the game, where immediately, on April 8, Lance Lynn made it clear that it was going to be a special year for him. In his home debut, against the Royals, he scored the first CG SHO of the season, with 11 K; reaching the 45th game on the last 48 releases (from the beginning of 2019 to today) with more than 100 launches made, a real workhorse as they say in America.

The next day, April 9, is a historic day for San Diego, as Joe Musgrove, purchased only a few months earlier and a native of the San Diego area, in the Rangers stadium, one of the most formidable for pitchers, after 8205 games of the season regular, he scored the first no-hitter of the Padres, the only team still dry. Only one man on base, Gallo hit by a pass in the fourth inning, although with 90 pitches after 7 innings the skipper was seriously considering taking him out. Closes with 112 pitches and 10 K.

Meanwhile, Bieber, fresh from CY, becomes the first pitcher ever to have started two consecutive seasons with 24+ K in the first two releases of the season.

Certainly the best series of April is the one between Indians and White Sox, which on April 13 sees Giolito launch 7 scoreless innings and Bieber 9! with the score stopped at 0-0 until the extrainning; the next day Rodon reaches 8.1 perfect innings before hitting an opponent! However, he manages to complete the no-hitter, 20th in the history of the White Sox, with 114 pitches and 7 K.

On the 18th, Nola against the Cardinals scored a CG SHO with 2 hits, 10 K and 109 throws.
The 23 deGrom against the Nationals does the same, albeit with 15 K (career maximum), eliminating the last 19 opponents; while JA Happ against the Pirates (his former team) reaches 7.1 innings without conceding hits.

April 25 will remain in the history of the D’Backs, even in a season like this, where they will finish last. In Atlanta, a doubleheader is staged, with two CG SHO of Gallen (one valid suffered) and Bumgarner (none valid) !! Madison eliminates the last 17 opponents, takes on as little as possible, establishing the first “no-hitter” in 7 innings (which in fact is not approved as such) and also the first doubleheader with just one valid granted (also considering those from 9 innings each).

The 26 Desclafani (with Posey behind the plate) against the Rockies closes a CG SHO with 3 H, 9 K and 100 pitches, and Colorado for the first time in its history starts a season by losing the first 7 away games.

Casali, the Giants’ reserve catcher, became in April the fourth catcher since 1906 to find himself behind the pot in 5 SHO in just one month.

No doubt about it, if a good day starts in the morning, this 2021 will be (and indeed has been) an exceptional year!