Rain in St. Louis marred what would have been a full slate of games last night. The Cardinals and Reds will play a doubleheader on Aug. 31. Wednesday, nevertheless, saw more than its fair share of walk-off wins in Washington, Arizona, Texas, and Anaheim, with Trea Turner, David Peralta, Delino DeShields, and Dustin Garneau as the heroes.
TOP-3 HITTING STARS
David Bote: 4-for-4 with a home run and 7 RBI
David Bote carried the Cubs’ offense on Wednesday. Bote got the Cubs on the scoreboard with a three-run home run in the fifth off German Marquez (who surrendered 8 ER in 5.1 IP) and extended the lead with a bases clearing double in the sixth off Chris Rusin. Bote has seen regular playing time with Ben Zobrist on the restricted-list and is carrying a .289 average through 149 at bats. Check for him in your free-agent pool.
Brian Anderson: 3-for-4 with a grand slam, walk, stolen base, 2 runs scored
Red-hot Brian Anderson and the Marlins continued their surprising series dominance of the Brewers. In addition to his grand slam, Anderson also stole a base as the Marlins spoiled Jimmy Nelson’s return from the IL, pounding him for 5 runs (4 earned) in just 3 innings (65 pitches). To their chagrin, the Marlins‘ trip to Milwaukee concludes on Thursday.
Randall Grichuk: 2-for-4 with 2 homers, 3 R, 3 RBI
Toronto’s DH for the night, Randall Grichuk, socked a two-run home run to open the scoring in the home half of the first and went back-to-back with Brandon Drury in the eighth. As will be the case with many Blue Jays hitters this season, Grichuk’s night was overshadowed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s go-ahead home run that put the Jays ahead for good in the game.
TOP-3 PITCHING STARS
Chris Sale: 9 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 12 K, 0 BB
Remember when we were worried about Chris Sale? His struggles seem to be a distant memory after twirling a complete-game shutout gem with 12 strikeouts on 102 pitches. Heading into Kaufmann Stadium, Sale silenced the Royals’ bats, limited them to just three singles and 0 walks while producing his second immaculate inning (nine pitches, nine strikes) of the season. He should head into next week as a two-start pitcher facing Texas and Cincinnati.
Jason Vargas 9 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 8 K, 1 BB
Though his stat line wasn’t as clean as Sale’s, Jason Vargas achieved the same result: a complete game shutout. Vargas struck out 8 while allowing just 6 baserunners (5 hits, 1 walk). After a horrific start to the season, Vargas has steadily dropped his ERA from 14.21 to a more respectable 4.46. The 117-pitch outing gave the Mets’ bullpen a needed rest with Thursday’s game leading the MLB schedule at 12:10 p.m. first-pitch.
Charlie Morton 7 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 8 K, 0 BB
On a night without two complete game shutouts, Charlie Morton’s outing would have headlined the pitching roundup. Morton threw 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits, 0 walks and striking out 8 Tigers on just 83 pitches. Oliver Drake was perfect in relief, not allowing a baserunner in preserving a Tampa shutout.
NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS
Craig Kimbrel signs 3-year contract with Chicago Cubs
With a draft compensation pick out of the picture, it is no surprise that Craig Kimbrel has signed. The Cubs inked the free agent to a three-year $43 million contract, according to Jon Paul Morosi. Though the Cubs cited financial constraints as the reason why they couldn’t sign a high-priced free agent, their payroll has loosened with Ben Zobrist on the restricted list (without pay) for personal/family reasons.
With Kimbrel as the newest player in Wrigleyville, Pedro Strop will likely hand off closer duties and add length to the ‘pen. His fantasy value takes a significant hit, as he will no longer be earning saves. Fantasy owners of the Braves’ Luke Jackson and the Twins’ Blake Parker, however, can breathe a sigh of relief with Kimbrel off the market.
It is unclear when Kimbrel will join the team, but his ramp up to game readiness is expected to be brief. Jeff Passen reports that he could arrive as soon as June 20.
Carlos Carrasco placed on 10-Day IL: The Indians have announced that Carlos Carrasco will be out indefinitely with a “non-baseball medical condition.” There is no timetable at the moment for his return, though it is expected that he will pitch again this season. The team has been vague about the issue other than to say that he was diagnosed with a “blood condition” after feeling lethargic. He is currently seeking medical opinions and treatment options. This is a blow to Cleveland’s playoff chances with Corey Kluber also on the IL recovering from a broken arm. Cody Anderson, Adam Plutko, and Asher Wojciechowski are potential rotation replacements.
Buster Posey placed on 10-Day IL: Buster Posey’s right hamstring strain has forced him to the IL (retroactive to June 2). Though the strain appears minor, the Giants want to give Posey time to fully recover. Trevor Gott was reactivated from the IL and takes Posey’s roster spot. Aramis Garcia started on Wednesday and will share catching duties with Stephen Vogt.
Jimmy Nelson activated from IL: After an extended stay on the IL, Jimmy Nelson has returned from labrum surgery and numerous recovery setbacks. Nelson was hit hard in his first game back since Sept. 8, 2017 surrendering 4 ER in just 3 innings.
Teoscar Hernandez recalled from Triple-A: The Blue Jays have recalled Teoscar Hernandez from Buffalo. Hernandez started in center where he is expected to play regularly. He went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI, 1 R, and 1 SB.
Matt Strahm added to the 10-day IL: After getting pounded for 7 earned runs in 4.1 innings on Sunday, Matt Strahm has been placed on the 10-day DL with side soreness. He is expected to miss close to the minimum.
NOTABLE INJURIES
Robinson Cano
Activated from the Injured List before Wednesday’s game, Cano departed the lineup after tweaking his quad running up the first base line on a double play. It is concerning that the same quad issue has already forced Cano to miss 12 games. Details will emerge regarding the severity of the issue, but Cano is clearly not moving well and is not 100% healthy.
Seranthony Dominguez
Dominguez exited Wednesday’s game with an elbow strain. Manager Gabe Kapler doesn’t believe that there is ligament damage, but an MRI Thursday will clarify the injury. Dominguez was considered a possible saves candidate in the Phillies’ closer carrousel but has been disappointing through 24.1 IP, allowing a 4.07 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Lorenzo Cain
Brewers’ manager Craig Counsel reported that Lorenzo Cain jammed his thumb and was removed from the game for precautionary reasons.
ON TAP FOR THURSDAY
Fernando Tatis Jr. expected to return from IL: The rookie shortstop is expected to return from a hamstring strain that has kept him off the field since April 28. Tatis Jr. got off to an excellent start, slashing .300/.360/.550 and bringing a power/speed combo to the Padres lineup with both 6 home runs and stolen bases. Manny Machado is expected to return to third base, sending Ty France and Greg Garcia to the bench.
Jose Berrios vs. Trevor Bauer: With Cleveland taking the first two of three in the series, the AL Central contenders face off with a battle of their best pitchers.
Joe Palumbo to see first MLB action
The Rangers have a double-header scheduled on Saturday and it is expected that Joe Palumbo will make his major-league debut in one of those games. As one of the Rangers’ top prospects, Palumbo has pitched to a 3.38 ERA, 1.283 WHIP, with 65 strikeouts and 24 walks in 50.2 innings in Double-A. There is room in the Texas rotation for Palumbo if he performs well, considering Drew Smyly’s 2019 ERA sits at 7.93.
