News/notes from last night’s MLB games

A few thoughts from around MLB last night, May 19, a relatively quiet one in terms of the schedule but one that still featured a few good storylines:

Hale presses the right button

For all the heat on suspended Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, kudos to acting manager DeMarlo Hale for going against the “book” and bringing in closer Roberto Osuna in a tie game on the road — for two innings, no less. He bought himself enough time for the slumping Troy Tulowitzki to deliver the go-ahead single, then entrusted Joe Biagini to secure his first major-league save and end Toronto’s five-game losing skid.

If I were a Carpenter

You didn’t think Matt Carpenter would stay quiet all year, did you? The Cardinals’ third baseman is heating up, and torched the Rockies with a homer, a double off the wall on a half-swing, and six RBIs last night as St. Louis rolled to a 13-7 win. Carpenter is batting .300 with six homers in May after hitting just .230 with three homers in April.

Harvey’s struggles continue

What is wrong with Matt Harvey? You’d have to think something, because the Dark Knight has gone dark on Mets fans in 2016. Harvey was shellacked for nine runs (six earned) in just 2 2/3 innings and manager Terry Collins is considering pulling Harvey, at least temporarily, from the rotation. Harvey has produced just three quality starts in his nine outings, and has a 7.20 ERA in four May starts. If something is not physically wrong with Harvey, something is definitely wrong mentally, and Collins may well be on to something by giving Harvey a breather.