What a night of baseball! Thankfully, the break is over.
Angels Honor Tyler Skaggs
It was an emotional night in Anaheim with the Angels playing their first game at home since the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs’ mother, Debbie, threw out a tone-setting ceremonial first pitch strike to Andrew Heaney and the Angels broke out the lumber, racking up seven runs in the first inning. Joining his teammates in wearing a Skaggs jersey, Mike Trout hit two-run home run, a two-run double, took an RBI HBP with the bases loaded, hit an RBI double, and walked.
It wasn’t just the batters who paid tribute. Taylor Cole opened the game for Felix Pena and the two combined to no-hit the Mariners in what will likely be the most incredible pitching performance of the season. Pena struck out six through seven innings, giving up a walk to Omar Narvaez in the fifth. After celebrating their achievement, players and coaches removed their Skaggs jerseys and placed them on the mound in a touching tribute to their teammate and to his family.
Yonny Chirinos Continues Fantasy Breakout
Yonny Chirinos’ fantasy owners have been the beneficiary of the Rays’ use of the opener. Often used as the follower, Chirinos has pitched to a 3.11 ERA in 2019, posting an 8-4 record. Chirinos has pitched in 19 games this season, starting 13 of them. An opener was not needed against the anemic Orioles lineup, and Chirinos went seven innings allowing just four hits and giving up two earned runs. He struck out eight as the Rays coasted to a 16-4 win. Every Rays starter had a hit in the game, with Nate Lowe leading the offense with 4-for-5 night with two runs, three RBI, and a home run. The Orioles’ Dylan Bundy was still in vacation-mode, serving up seven earned runs in his one inning of work.
Strasburg Stays Hot
If you don’t own Stephen Strasburg in a fantasy league, you might not realize that he has been one of the season’s pleasant pitching surprises. In 19 starts, Strasburg is now 11-4 with a 3.46 ERA and 144 strikeouts through, a perhaps shocking, 122.1 innings. Against the Phillies yesterday, Strasburg danced around seven hits and a walk over six shutout innings, striking out six in his six innings or work. The victory pushes the Nationals 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies in the Wild Card (and six back of Atlanta).
Gray Versus Gray and Anderson Versus Anderson
Friday featured a peculiar MLB first: two games with each starting pitcher with the same last name (Gray and Anderson).
Sonny Gray and Jon Gray dueled in Colorado but neither was able to grab a win. Both pitchers managed to tame Coors field, throwing seven strong innings. Cincinnati’s Gray allowed one run on five hits and three walks, striking out nine, and Colorado’s gave up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. David Hernandez blew a one-run lead in the eighth and took the loss, giving up home runs to David Dahl and Daniel Murphy. Wade Davis saved the game with a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Andersons didn’t fare as well as the Grays. San Francisco’s Shaun Anderson tossed five innings but gave up four runs on six hits and three walks, striking out eight. Chase Anderson (Milwaukee) also went five innings, but allowed two runs on just three hits, striking out five. Shaun was taken off the hook for the loss when the Milwaukee bullpen (Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader) squandered Chase’s lead. The game went into extra innings until Buster Posey’s grand slam in the 10th.
World Series Review
Last year’s World Series combatants faced off again with the Red Sox hosting Los Angeles. The Dodgers came into Fenway with a league-best 60 wins and with the reigning champs outside of the playoff picture. Eduardo Rodriguez started “the second half” with a dominant win, striking out 10 in his seven innings, allowing just five hits and surrendering a solo home run to Alex Verdugo. Kenta Maeda took the loss.
Domingo German Continues to Shine
After a blazing start to the season, Domingo German struggled in three outings before going on the IL. He returned from injury, and back to form, against the Mets and continued his strong season with a six-inning, three-hit gem against Toronto last night. Striking out seven, German picked up the win thanks to a four-run outburst in the fifth. Edwin Encarnacion went 2-for-4 with a three-run double against his former team and Brett Gardner hustled his way to a triple and a double.
Things Get Hot in Texas
As the temperatures rise in Arlington this summer, so will the home runs. Friday saw a combined nine bombs with Yordan Alvarez hitting two. Gerrit Cole managed to strike out 13 Rangers, but still gave up four earned runs (which included three solo home runs). He left the game ahead 8-4, but Will Harris and Hector Rondon squandered the lead and Roberto Osuna gave up a Danny Santana walk-off single. The Silver Boot series between the two Texas teams is now tied.
AL Central Contenders Clash
Minnesota and Cleveland came out of the All-Star break to a big series. Mike Clevinger pitched well in his five innings allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six and was in line for the win with a 3-1 lead. Oliver Perez gave up a two-run double to Jorge Polanco that would become the game winner.
Injuries
Zack Cozart underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. With Tommy La Stella also on the IL until late August, rookie Matt Thaiss will man third base. Thaiss hit 14 home runs and slashed .274/.390/.477 in 79 Triple-A games this season, and the Angels hope his 15.9% walk rate and 17.2% strikeout rate can translate in the majors.
Max Scherzer was expected to make a start on Sunday after missing the All-Star game for the birth of his second daughter. Lower back tightness has delayed Scherzer’s return after the break, but an MRI was clean and it is thought that the move is precautionary.
Adam Wainwright was scratched from his start yesterday with back spasms and was replaced with Daniel Ponce De Leon, who pitched well striking out seven through 6.2 and giving up just one run. Ponce De Leon has pitched very well when called upon, posting a 1.99 ERA, a 0.82 WHIP in seven games (four starts) and has 38 strikeouts in his 31.2 innings.
Transactions
A.J. Reed was released by the Astros on July 2 and immediately picked up by the White Sox. Rather than sending him to the minors, the Sox decided to see what they have in Reed and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup. As the DH, Reed went 1-for-4 with a single. In a deep league, Reed is worth a cheap flyer. He has been percolating in the minors for the better part of the last three seasons, after disappointing in 2016 with a .164/.270/.262 slash in 141 plate appearances. He has been freed from the Astros’ system and should get an opportunity with the rebuilding White Sox, so if he performs he has a chance to carve out regular playing time, especially if Jose Abreu is traded before the deadline.
Spencer Turnbull was activated from the IL and made the start on Friday. He threw 56 pitches and lasted just three innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and three walks, striking out only one. Before his shoulder injury, Turnbull put up a 3.31 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with 8.43 K/9 and posted a 3-8 record in 17 starts. While not eye-popping, Turnbull may be helpful in deep leagues, but don’t count on the Detroit hitters backing him with run-support. He will struggle to get wins, but the 26-year-old could help in ratio categories and put up decent strikeouts.
Luke Voit is expected to be activated from the IL today. Voit had been recovering from an abdominal strain and now joins a lineup that has not only kept its head above water through injuries, but has put up the best record in the American League. There is concern that Edwin Encarnacion will lose some playing time with Voit’s return, but with Giancarlo Stanton not expected to return until August, both Encarnacion and Voit can share time at first base and DH.
