NL Notes: Thames chases unexpected record

Milwaukee’s Eric Thames is chasing a record no one saw coming.

The first baseman has 11 home runs in the month of April, just three behind the major league record for that particular month. Thames is making his return to Major League Baseball after a stint in South Korea, and hasn’t missed a beat in adjusting to MLB pitching. The 30-year-old vet also carries a .370 batting average.

If he continues to smash homers at this rate, Thames likely won’t be returning to East Asia anytime soon.

Here’s what else is happening around the National League:

When the Red Sox and Cubs square off, two laughable losers collide (well, not really anymore.) The two teams met this weekend for only the third time since the beginning of the 1919 season. With the Cubs fresh off their World Series title, and the Sox coming off three championships in the last thirteen years, things aren’t as desperate as they once were in these two former title-starved cities. However, two old foes getting together is always good for the soul. The Red Sox took the Friday opener, while the Cubbies grabbed Saturday’s matinee. The rubber match is on for Sunday night, before a national TV audience on ESPN.

The usually durable Adam Eaton is down and out, and not just for a week or two. The 28-year-old outfielder tore his ACL after an awkward landing into first base on Friday night, leaving him out for the rest of the season. It’s a tough blow for Washington, but especially for Eaton, who is a first-time contender after suffering through several lean years with the White Sox.

It’s not every day we see back-to-back-to-back homers, but that’s exactly what went down at Dodger Stadium Saturday night. Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner went yard one-by-one to turn a 5-2 ninth-inning deficit into a tie game. L.A. pulled out the win just a few batters later, when Adrian Gonzalez smacked a walk-off single to complete an improbable comeback. The win keeps the Dodgers on an upward trend in the NL West.