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I don’t understand how anybody gets hits in MLB games. Pitchers are just…something else, man.
Today’s Headlines
CGSHOuck
We got our first Maddux of 2024, and it comes courtesy of Boston’s Tanner Houck. He cruised through the Cleveland lineup, surrendering only three hits and no walks to go along with nine strikeouts en route to a 2-0 Boston win (hey, his opposite number Ben Lively wasn’t a terrible slouch, either).
A Maddux on 94 pitches!
Tanner Houck tosses the first shutout of his career! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dtHrXrjjgY
— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2024
Houck absolutely filled the zone with his slider last night while working his splitter and sinker around the edges:
9 innings of filth. pic.twitter.com/a9dqQY2TRw
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 18, 2024
…and all that efficiency came with a nice bonus side effect: an incredibly short game time.
this game took AN HOUR AND 49 MINUTES
shortest 9-inning game in MLB since DET beat CLE 3-0 in 1:44 on 6/2/10…the Armando Galarraga game https://t.co/O0OjFGac6b
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 18, 2024
Like He Was Fired Out Of A Jonathan
2022 third-round draft pick Jonathan Cannon made his MLB debut yesterday, toeing the slab for the White Sox in the first half of their doubleheader against Kansas City. It didn’t take him long to add another milestone for the day:
First @MLB strikeout for Jonathan Cannon! pic.twitter.com/dOG591pbWa
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 17, 2024
Cannon’s line on the day was 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, and while attendance for White Sox games this year has been…sparse, you know Cannon had a dedicated cheering section:
Such an amazing moment for the Cannon family 🥹 pic.twitter.com/STo1tqQcVD
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 17, 2024
I still can’t decide if this is a win or a loss for nominative determinism. Sure, pitchers throw hard, but it seems like a Cannon’s true place on the diamond is in the outfield, right? Either way, here’s to you, Jonathan!
A Knack For This Thing
It was a day for debuts on Wednesday, as the Dodgers called up their 2020 second-round pick Landon Knack. He got his first strikeout even quicker than Cannon, ending the top of the first on this changeup:
First Major League strikeout for Landon Knack! pic.twitter.com/SODBYnAGNN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 17, 2024
Everybody please also note the RETURN OF THE KNACK shirt on display at the end of the clip, it’s incredibly important.
Unfortunately for Knack, the rest of that first inning involved a solo home run to start things off, and another run scored on a pair of singles and a sac fly, which was enough to stick him with the L as the Dodgers bats couldn’t muster any support against Jake Irvin(?!)
While the fifth spot in the Dodgers rotation seems like it may be something of a revolving door, the return of Walker Buehler seems imminent, and this might be the last time we see Knack on the bump in L.A. for a little while.
Nice Round Numbers
This may be Pitcher List but dangit, hitters did stuff Wednesday too!
First off, enjoy noted beefy lad/leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber launching his 250th career dinger into the Philadelphia night:
Starting off the night with BACK-TO-BACK jacks #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0GBHHBIcVd
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 17, 2024
2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ Schwarbombs and counting 💣 pic.twitter.com/bhgUyNFPxE
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 17, 2024
Meanwhile, north of the border in Toronto, it was Juan Soto launching a solo shot of his own to get to 500 career RBI:
Soto sends one out 💪 pic.twitter.com/su3bvB4LMT
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 17, 2024
5⃣0⃣0⃣ RBI 🔥
Congrats, @JuanSoto25_ 👏 pic.twitter.com/auEgNGvxn4
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 17, 2024
(Soto has 163 career HRs now, which is not a nice round number. Boo this man!)
And while it’s not a hitting milestone, Davey Martinez was a hitter, so I’m counting him as he won his 400th game as a manager for the Nats:
that's a whole lotta Curly Ws in a whole lotta books pic.twitter.com/YLUseLFGYR
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 17, 2024
Best Moments From Yesterday
Feels Like YesterShea…
In a milestone for inanimate objects that no longer exist, the Mets celebrated the diamond anniversary of their old stomping grounds, Shea Stadium (not to be confused with the DIY venue in Bushwick that shared the same name and absolutely ruled).
60 years ago today, the first game was played at Shea Stadium.
Jack Fisher, who was the #Mets starting pitcher that day, threw out the first pitch before today's game. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/C1ppIDFLSM
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 17, 2024
Still Trying To Be Like Mike
Any of you heard of this Mike Trout fella? Seems like he may be good at baseball.
Mike Trout is now tied for the league lead in home runs! 💪 pic.twitter.com/BQS0vXwWUU
— MLB (@MLB) April 17, 2024
For real though, Mike Trout being back to doing Mike Trout things is simply a good time for all of us.
PFP Pays Off
Pitchers are athletes, too, as the saying goes, and the Brew Crew’s Abner Uribe demonstrated that ably yesterday, making this incredible off-balance throw on a dribbled grounder that had him running full speed towards the third base side:
ABNER URIBE pic.twitter.com/iDjj6Zhf1f
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 17, 2024
The Brewers went on to win the game 1-0 (despite Michael King throwing 7.2 no-hit innings!) so Abner definitely earned his W with that play.
BFP Pays Off
I mean, I assume they do ballboy fielding practice too, right?
Elite concentration deserves a round of applause. pic.twitter.com/l3NwuDlh92
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 17, 2024
You love to see somebody keep their eyes on the ball like that, especially when they’ve been charged with keeping the Rays bullpen safe from any errant fouls. Also, I’m charging Bo Porter with an E on that one, it went right through the hands!
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The Padres sent Yu Darvish to the 15-day IL with neck tightness. He was scheduled to start this weekend, but obviously will be on shelf for a bit now.
⚾ Angels reliever Robert Stephenson is going to be missing the entire season due to an unspecified elbow injury he appears to have suffered while working his way back from a shoulder injury.
⚾ Continuing the pitcher injury news, Garrett Whitlock is headed to the IL with an oblique strain.
⚾ But in better Boston pitcher news, Nick Pivetta is scheduled to start throwing again, with a bullpen coming “soon.”
⚾ The wait is over in Houston as Justin Verlander will be back on the roster to pitch on Friday.
⚾ The Cubs are also getting a rotation member back, as Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start Thursday’s game, his first of the season after suffering a back injury in spring.
⚾ And in some position player news, DJ LeMahieu plans to start a rehab assignment by this weekend.
⚾ Meanwhile, Yoán Moncada is heading down to Arizona to start his recovery from an adductor strain. He sounds pretty adamant that the timeline for a return is more like three months than six.
⚾ Kris Bryant has been placed on the IL with a back strain suffered after crashing into the wall in Toronto the other night.
⚾ The Diamondbacks transferred Eduardo Rodriguez to the 60-day IL after he suffered a setback in his throwing program.
Articles You Should Read
Appointment Viewing: On the Royals’ Rising Watchability – Randy Holt
How Skubal Learned One of Baseball’s Nastiest Pitches – David Adler, MLB.com
What Are Lineups Made Of? – Russell A. Carleton, Baseball Prospectus (sub req’d)
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