Sunday is the best day of the week. Thirty teams, 15 games. It’s an opportunity for teams to end the week on a high note and ride momentum into the upcoming week. The Tampa Bay Rays flexed their muscles in Boston, two of the Miami Marlins “Stallions” pitched well, and the Twins continued to hit dingers. But that’s not all. Here’s a recap of of the action from the diamond.
Hendricks Doing Hendricks Things
Kyle Hendricks was back on the bump for the Chicago Cubs and was looking like the Hendricks of 2016 with seven innings pitched, three strikeouts and an earned run. Hendricks has won six out of his last eight games, with 43 whiffs to 7 walks during that time. The Professor has looked brilliant. Hendricks has decided to pitch high in the strike zone, which is inducing defensive swings from hitters and a higher strikeout rate. If Hendricks continues on this pace, expect the Cubbies to be at the top of the competitive NL Central race.
Yordan Alvarez has Arrived
The call up was finally made. The ‘Stros decided to bring up hot hitting Alvarez and inserted him immediately into the lineup. Alvarez did not disappoint, smacking a two-run shot off of Dylan Bundy in the bottom of the fourth inning and giving Houston a 2-0 lead. Alvarez has been knocking on the door to the Major Leagues and lived up to the hype. Alvarez can be a game changer for fantasy owners, offering a similar skill set to that of Juan Soto from 2018.
Twins Still Smashing
The Minnesota Twins are awesome, plain and simple. They hit four more home runs on Sunday to total eight for the weekend, and there is no sign of slowing down. They lead the majors in almost every offensive category with 121 home runs, a team average of .271, 357 total RBI, and a beefy OPS of .848. The Twins are my pick to represent the AL in the World Series, and if thy continue to get solid production from Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, and Eddie Rosario, watch out, they may just go ahead and win the World Series.
MadBum going Mad
My biggest take away from the weekend was that Madison Bumgarner is a cry baby. Max Muncy hit a moonshot off of MadBum in the first inning and I’m still not sure if the ball has landed. Bumgarner took exception to Muncy’s strut and barked at Muncy as he trotted around the bases. Bumgarner has pitched six innings in all but one game this season but has only a 3-5 record and a 4.05 ERA to show for it. The big lefty has hit a big frustration patch in his career, and we are all witnessing it play out in ’19. Bumgarner needs a change of scenery.
Back to Back to Back to Back
That’s right, you read that right. The Nationals hit four home runs in a row as they beat the Padres on Sunday 5-2. Steven Strasburg twirled seven innings of one run baseball, but the story was the offense for the Nationals. In the eighth inning, the Nationals got hot, starting with Howie Kendrick hitting a solo home run, only to see the next three hitters also go deep (Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon). The Nationals have under performed this year, but they are a team that can get hot at the right moment. This is my sleeper pick to make the playoffs as a wildcard.
Sunday’s Transactions
Yordan Alvarez was called up and batted fifth for the Astros on Sunday. He slotted in at designated and went 1-for-3 with a homer and 2 RBI.
Robinson Cano lands on the 10-day IL retroactive to June 6.
Domingo German was placed on the 10-day IL with the hip issue. German is tied for the league lead with nine wins this season.
Sunday Injuries
Adam Wainwright left Sunday night’s game with tightness in his left hamstring and is expected to miss his next start.
