Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
The schedule gods seem to be making Thursday’s slate lighter and lighter each week recently, with yesterday giving us only six games to pore over, and zero late night action. The big winner of the day was the city of Chicago, with both of the Windy City’s teams taking home victories, while elsewhere Atlanta continued to look like a juggernaut. Let’s get into it.
Today’s Headlines
Cubs Takes Down Skenes
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 10 K, 4 H, 3 BB) was fantastic on the eve of his 24th birthday yesterday, but it was not enough to take down the Chicago Cubs as they came away with a 7-2 win on the road in Pittsburgh to salvage a series split. Skenes was locked in from the start, striking out seven of the first eight batters that he faced as he was clearly determined to rectify some of his recent minor struggles. He got little run support, though, and an RBI single from Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki in the fourth inning followed by an RBI single by OF Ian Happ in the sixth were all that was needed to hand Skenes the loss. Happ would tack on a two-run homer in the eighth to help put the game out of reach, and Cubs RHP Colin Rea (5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 K, 4 H, 3 BB) put in a fine effort of his own. The Cubs now travel to St. Louis for a classic three-game set with the Cardinals, while the Pirates stay at home and welcome the Minnesota Twins to town.
South Siders Stay Hot
The Chicago White Sox got yet another excellent performance from RHP Davis Martin (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 K, 2 H, 2 BB) yesterday, the AL Cy Young candidate that nobody saw coming, as he improved to 8-1 on the year and the club moved to two games over .500 with their 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. SS Colson Montgomery drove in 3B Miguel Vargas with an RBI single in the first to give the White Sox an early lead that they never relinquished, tacking on four more runs in a long rally in the third. The South Siders have now won 12 of their last 18 games and will take their new brand of quality baseball back home this weekend for a series against the Detroit Tigers, while the Twins head to Pittsburgh.
Atlanta Takes Rubber Match Over Boston
Atlanta made yet another statement in the early season yesterday when they took the rubber game of a three-game series against Boston in emphatic fashion, with a 10-2 win propelled by their stars. LHP Chris Sale (5.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 6 H, 3 BB) worked through some light traffic but otherwise cruised to his eighth victory of the year, reminding everyone that at 37 years old he is still a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Atlanta got offensive contributions from up and down their lineup in this one, but the big blow came off the bat of OF Ronald Acuña Jr. in the top of the sixth, when the superstar launched a grand slam over the green monster to turn a tense one-run ball game into a laugher. Atlanta now heads to Cincinnati to take on the Reds, while Boston travels to Cleveland for a weekend series with the Guardians.
By The Numbers
424 The longest home run hit yesterday was a tie between Houston Astros SS Jeremy Peña and Texas Rangers 3B Josh Jung, who each hit 424-foot blasts during the Astros 5-1 win over Texas.
20 Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes and Detroit Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty tied for the most number of swing and misses induced yesterday, with each racking up 20 whiffs. Sadly both pitchers did so in losing efforts.
2.12 Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes lowered his career ERA to 2.12 last night on the eve of his 24th birthday, which is now cemented as the fourth-best ERA with a minimum of 300 innings pitched before turning 24. The rest of the list includes players from the 1910s, including the one and only Babe Ruth.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Cam’s Incredible Leap
Houston Astros OF Cam Smith made one of the more athletic home run robberies of the season so far when he took one away from Brandon Nimmo yesterday, skying off the ground and stretching for full extension in the process.
PCA Has Moves
Chicago Cubs OF Pete Crow-Armstrong was out by a few steps when attempting to score in yesterday’s game versus the Pirates… or so we all thought at first. It looked like a pretty clear call live, but upon replay review it became evident that Crow-Armstrong was able to contort his body in a way that seemed to defy gravity in order to avoid the tag.
A Classic “This is Why I Love Baseball” Moment
Sharing is caring, as we all know, and few instances of sharing spread more joy than when a fan at a Major League Baseball game shares a cherished game ball with a complete stranger sitting nearby. Enjoy this moment of human kindness from yesterday’s Baltimore Orioles game.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Boston Red Sox placed RHP Garret Whitlock on the 15-day IL (right knee inflammation) retroactive to May 25.
⚾ Cleveland Guardians placed OF Steven Kwan on the Major League Bereavement List (3-7 days).
⚾ Colorado Rockies transferred RHP Jose Quintana from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL (left elbow sprain).
⚾ Detroit Tigers placed RHP Kenley Jansen on the 15-day IL (pelvic inflammation).
⚾ New York Mets sent RHP Kodai Senga on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.
⚾ Texas Rangers released DH Andrew McCutchen.
⚾ MLB made their initial CBA proposal to address competitive balance.
Articles You Should Read
“Using PLA to Evaluate Pitchers — Lefties on the Loose” — Patrick Connors, Pitcher List
“Ultimate Draft Guide to the NCAA Baseball Postseason” — Trevor Powers, Pitcher List
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
