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The last day of spring gave us a full slate of games and plenty of controversy with plays at home plate. Let’s get into it!
Today’s Headlines
Reds win 10th straight
Just hours after designating Wil Myers for assignment, the Cincinnati Reds again showed that there is no way to stop their youth movement, winning for the 10th straight time, beating the Colorado Rockies 8-6. Despite a shaky performance by starter Ben Lively, the offense did more than enough, including the second career homerun for phenom Elly de la Cruz. The Rockies made it interesting after falling into an 8-2 hole, loading the bases in the ninth, but closer Alexis Díaz shut the door en route to his NL-leading 20th save of the season. Cincinnati is just the second team to reach a double-digit winning streak this season, only behind Tampa Bay’s 13-0 start in early April.
O-H!
1-0!How about your first-place @Reds?! pic.twitter.com/UjMWlGmZan
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
Giants win 9th straight
With yet another dramatic, come-from-behind win, the Giants kept pace with the Reds to have the second-longest active winning streak in the Majors. In what has become a recent theme for San Francisco, a late-inning rally and clutch bullpen pitching proved enough to secure a 4-3 win in walk-off fashion. Joc Pederson tied the game at 3 with a solo homer in the eighth inning and then came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs against closer Josh Hader. Despite Pederson’s struggles against lefties (career .624 OPS), Hader was all over the place with his pitches, ultimately walking Pederson to force in the winning run for the Giants. With the win, San Francisco is now only 2.5 games behind Arizona in the NL West.
Walk-off Joc walk pic.twitter.com/1zupuc1FaN
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 21, 2023
Kershaw shines in pitching duel
In what turned out to be an improbable pitching duel between Reid Detmers and Clayton Kershaw, the veteran lefty came out on top to earn his ninth win of the season. The game remained scoreless through seven innings, in which Detmers matched Kershaw pitch for pitch, while an Angels run was erased after video replay following a close play at the plate. After the Angels missed a great chance with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers were finally able to break through in the top of the eighth. With Chris Devenski in relief of Detmers, Michael Busch and Will Smith delivered clutch RBI hits to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish. The win provides LA with a sigh of relief, following their brutal home sweep at the hands of San Francisco over the weekend.
.@ClaytonKersh22 continues to thrive in the Freeway Series. pic.twitter.com/zv0vIhXGkk
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
Justin Verlander has unpleasant return to Houston
In an emotional series that has seen Justin Verlander receive his World Series ring, he took the mound he used to call home, only to be out-shined by former teammate Framber Valdez. After cruising through the first two innings, Verlander surrendered a two-run homer to Alex Bregman, falling behind 3-0 and allowing Valdez to hold the lead in the middle of a pitching master class. Houston’s lefty would finish the game with only two runs allowed over 8 innings, including 9 strikeouts. The loss left Verlander stuck at 246 career wins, while his season ERA is an uncharacteristic 4.50, as the Mets are now 6 full games out of a playoff spot.
Pitched a gem. pic.twitter.com/XofaoYVFCw
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 21, 2023
Marcus Stroman dominates yet again
With the Cubs clinging to an improbable shot at the playoffs in the weak NL Central, it will be very interesting to see how they handle the Marcus Stroman situation, as the righty posted another scoreless start to his resume. After dominating the Pirates with 7 scoreless frames, Stroman is now 9-4 with an NL-leading 2.28 ERA. If he keeps it up and Chicago falls out of contention, Stroman is bound to become the most sought-after starter at the trade deadline.
.@STR0 has won seven consecutive starts and leads the NL with a 2.28 ERA. pic.twitter.com/FiRG8eksxz
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
Best Moments From Yesterday
Gerrit Cole becomes a meme
Near the end of another gem (7.1 innings of 1-run ball and 8 strikeouts), Gerrit Cole became a bit confrontational against Mariners rookie Jose Caballero. In a tense at-bat that included a Caballero bat flip to himself, an errant 97-mph fastball from Cole, and plenty of chirping from both sides, the Yankee ace got the last laugh. Expect to see Cole’s reaction and finger-pointing in GIF form for many months to come.
Gerrit Cole was frustrated by Jose Caballero's antics between pitches. Cole responded by throwing his fastest pitch of the night, throwing another one over his head and then jawing at him after striking him out pic.twitter.com/9lFaMmhSTo
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 21, 2023
Future of the NBA takes over Yankee Stadium
Even as everybody and their mother knows that Victor Wenbanyama is going to play for the San Antonio Spurs, today he enjoyed a glimpse of the New York spotlight, making an appearance to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium. While his pitch was not very accurate and missed the catcher, the following picture may illustrate just how much his body is not designed to throw a baseball.
Victor Wenbanyama is throwing out the first pitch at the Yankees game tonight.
Lets see how that goes… pic.twitter.com/WDhmsTlCju
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 20, 2023
Your typical 5-2 double play
With the Padres facing a bases-loaded, no-out situation and clinging to a 3-1 lead, Giants rookie Patrick Bailey hit a ball directly to Manny Machado, who alertly stepped on the bag and then threw a perfect strike to the plate to record the double play. While many people may argue for the catcher blocking the plate, San Francisco elected not to challenge the play.
Manny makes this look too easy. pic.twitter.com/5KDHBUvDK5
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
Injuries
After being placed on the 15-day IL last weekend, Cleveland pitcher Triston McKenzie revealed that his absence will be longer than originally expected, as the Guardians will shut him down completely for a month as a precautionary measure. The biggest concern falls on his UCL, as the sprain he suffered was deemed significant and in need of full rest. This marks the second long-term injury for McKenzie in 2023, as he started the season on the IL with a shoulder issue, delaying his debut until June 4. Optimistically, we could expect a return around August, and if Cleveland will be in the race for the AL Central in some fashion, it might mean that McKenzie could be a huge boost to the pitching staff.
The Red Sox announced that right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck will undergo a procedure to insert a metal plate to aid with his facial fracture. The shocking injury happened last Friday, when a Kyle Higashioka comebacker hit Houck just below the eye. Even as there is no defined timetable for his recovery, manager Alex Cora is confident that Houck can return this season for Boston. Even as his performance has been subpar (3-6 with a 5.05 ERA), Boston has had issues all season long with pitching depth.
The Yankees received positive news regarding several of their injured stars. Aaron Judge is responding well to treatment, following a platelet-rich plasma injection to his injured toe. Even with no set timetable for his return, manager Aaron Boone is optimistic that Judge’s absence will be shorter than initially expected. On the pitching side, Carlos Rodón, who has yet to make his Yankees debut, made his first rehab assignment start at AA Somerset, allowing one run over three innings. The lefty ace is slated to make three additional appearances in the minor leagues with the hope of joining New York around the All-Star break.
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