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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 5/29/2024

The Astros, Yankees, and Phillies lose. A good day for schadenfreude.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 5/29/2024

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Ward Spoils Soto Show

 

With Shohei Ohtani now playing with the real Los Angeles team and Mike Trout (as usual) on the IL, it is safe to say that Angels Stadium has been recently bereft of star players. With the Yankees coming into town, suddenly the field was full of marquee names, with none bigger than Juan Soto to start the game, as the early MVP favorite hit a mammoth homer in the first for his 15th of the season and then drove in another run in the fourth. With the Yankees holding a 3-2 lead and their lockdown bullpen ready to go, it all looked set for yet another W on their ledger. The plan was working until an eventful eighth inning, where an Anthony Rizzo error set up the stage for Taylor Ward, who hit a clutch first-pitch double after New York had brought in all-world closer Clay Holmes, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Soto would get a chance to play hero in the ninth, but he flied out to right for the final out of the game.


No-Hit Bid Turns into Madness

 

In only his sixth start in the major leagues, Cubs hurler Ben Brown was dealing in Milwaukee, allowing only a couple of walks versus ten strikeouts in seven hitless innings and leaving with a 1-0 lead. The possibility of a combined no-no was erased quickly thereafter, with Sal Frelick getting a one-out hit in the eighth against reliever Hayden Wesneski. And yet, it appeared that Michael Busch’s solo homer in the third would account for all the scoring in this game, as the Brewers were batting with two outs and a runner on first. It all devolved in a hurry, as closer Hector Neris balked the runner to second and then allowed a two-strike hit to blow the save. In extras, the bats finally came to life, as the Cubs rolled out five hits to score five times and gave Neris an undeserved win. Milwaukee answered with two of their own in the bottom half, but it was not enough, as a 1-0 nailbiter ended as a 6-3 laugher.

 

Joshing and Frying

 

The Rockies had been surprisingly competent against two of the best teams in baseball, taking a weekend series from the Phillies and winning game one versus Cleveland on Monday. Alas, playing at Coors Field tends to have a weird effect for Colorado, as there are days when the altitude comes to expose their weak pitching staff instead of wreaking havoc for the visiting team. Today was one of those days. The Guardians took three early leads that were quickly matched by the Rockies, as a 2-2 score turned into 4-4 and then 7-7 entering the seventh inning. This is where Cleveland was finally able to assert their dominance, with two straight three-run innings that the bullpen was able to hold for a football-like 13-7 final score. As it has happened recently for Cleveland, Josh Naylor (2 homers, 5 RBI), David Fry (now sporting a 1.114 OPS), and Jose Ramirez (4 runs scored, with a homer) led the way offensively, as the Guardians improved to an AL-best 37-18.

 

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

They Might be Giants

A few weeks ago, the Giants visited Citizens Bank Park and became yet another victim of Philadelphia’s steamroller, with a 4-game sweep that saw the Phillies outscore San Francisco 29-11. The Giants appear to be a completely different team now, and today earned a second straight win against their erstwhile tormentors. Despite a mismatch-on-paper pitching duel that featured Zack Wheeler against an opener, San Francisco’s bullpen was able to match Wheleer zero after zero, with five pitchers combining to shut down the vaunted Phillies offense, allowing only seven hits and two walks. With a scoreless game extending into extras, the Phils failed to score their ghost runner, while the Giants were finally able to break through via a couple of deep-enough fly balls. With 10 wins in their past 12 games, the tide might be turning for the G-men.

 

May Julio

 

With Luis Castillo starting against the shaky Hunter Brown, it all appeared lined up for the Mariners in their battle for AL West supremacy with the Astros. Instead, an early Alex Bregman homer gave Houston a 2-1 lead that held up until the eighth, when former closer Ryan Pressly came in to secure the lead. Things broke down quickly for the Astros, as the first two batters reached and then Josh Rojas drove in the tying run following a strikeout. With runners on second and third, Houston elected to pitch to Julio Rodriguez, who finally appears to be breaking out of his season-long slump. Rodriguez drove in the winning run which led to a throwing error that added insurance for Seattle. The Mariners now hold a 6.5-game lead over the Astros.

 

Homerun Shrinkage 

 

Homerun robberies are usually some of the most exciting plays in baseball. The scene of an outfielder bringing a ball back can become iconic in its own right while being the clearest form of defensive runs saved you can measure. But what happens when the glovesman simply denies the homer without catching it? Enter Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor, who chased a Teoscar Hernandez fly ball all the way to the wall, leapt, and brought the ball back from a sure homer…but without actually catching it. In a way, this was the complete opposite of the infamous Jose Canseco ball-bouncing-off-the-head play, as Taylor turned a homer into a mere double. Alas, his heroics would be for naught, as another Mets late-game implosion turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 loss in extra innings.

 

A World Series Reunion

 

With the balanced schedule we have nowadays, we are guaranteed to always have an immediate rematch of the World Series. The most recent version came as the Diamondbacks traveled back to Arlington to face the Rangers. Before the game, we got to see a nice reunion, as Jordan Montgomery, who joined Arizona after being an integral part of Texas’s title, was finally able to receive his World Series ring along with a big hug from his former manager. Back on the field, the result remained the same, as the Rangers rode a clutch three-run homer from Corey Seager to win 4-2.

 

Pitcher? No, a Juggler!

 

We have gotten used to the viral first pitches that celebrities and other famous people usually botch in major league stadiums. From 50 Cent to Mariah Carey, there have been a fair share of funny attempts to start off games with a proper throw. Enter the Minnesota Twins, who decided to hand out first-pitch duties to a couple of Cirque du Soleil performers, and it went as acrobatically as you would expect. Starting with a juggling act and finishing with a short dart, this first pitch was much more entertaining than what we usually get.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ The Rangers received mixed news on the injury front, as they were able to activate both Wyatt Langord and Nathan Eovaldi from the IL, but also had to move outfielder Evan Carter to the 10-day IL with back tightness. Langford hit seventh in the lineup and went 0-for-3 in his return, while Eovaldi was limited to 37 pitches as the starting pitcher. Carter had been one of Texas’s best hitters to start the season, but the back issues that have finally landed him on the IL greatly diminished his production during May. 

⚾ Mike Clevinger has been placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to May 25, as the White Sox scratched him from today’s start with elbow inflammation. While the injury is not expected to linger and Clevinger received a cortisone shot, it is important to remember that he already had Tommy John surgery in 2020. His spot in the rotation was covered by Jake Woodford, who should continue to take his turns while Clevinger heals up. 

⚾ Pittsburgh placed a couple of battery mates on the IL, as pitcher Martin Perez has joined the 15-day IL with a left groin strain and catcher Joey Bart is now on the 10-day IL with a left thumb issue. Perez, who is playing on a one-year contract, has been his expected middling self with the Pirates, with a 4.71 ERA in 57 innings as the team brought him in as a veteran presence in the middle of their young rotation. Meanwhile, Bart has been better after his release from the Giants, but he now becomes the third Pittsburgh catcher on the IL. The replacements for both players are still unclear, as the Pirates may elect to have a couple of bullpen games in Perez’s absence, while Henry Davis could return to the big leagues. 

⚾ The Yankees activated DJ LeMahieu after his season-long absence caused by multiple foot injuries. The third baseman went through a short stint in the minors and should make most of the starts going forward, even as New York has received decent production from the position, so far. In his first game back, LeMahieu hit ninth in the lineup, going 0-for-3 with a run scored. 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Faster Fastballs Produce Worse Swings — Ben Clemens, Fangraphs

3 Dog-Friendly Minor League Road Trips  — Josh Jackson, MLB.com

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

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Pablo Figueroa

Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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