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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 6/3/2024

MLB celebrated Lou Gehrig Day, in what was another exciting Sunday.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 6/3/2024

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

 

A Fitting Bronx Bomber Tribute

 

As all of baseball was filled with messages and tributes to Lou Gehrig on this day, the Yankees could not stay behind, delivering a statement sweep with a thunderous comeback. In what had been a hard-fought game, including Blake Snell leaving with an injury and an early Juan Soto homer, the Giants had losing their starting pitcher and led 5-3 entering the ninth inning. As San Francisco’s broadcast crew ominously warned closer Camilo Doval that an early baserunner meant facing Soto, Doval had his worst outing of the season, allowing four hits and two walks while recording only two outs. The big blow came from Soto again, as his two-run homer gave the Yankees the lead. Even as the Giants were mostly competitive throughout the series, it is clear that the Yankees are currently at a higher level, with Soto, Judge, and their supporting cast scoring at will. The Bronx Bombers moved to an MLB-best 42-19.

Siri…Clear the Bases

 

The Rays have slowly lost pace in the playoff race, with current odds placing them at less than 10% to make it to October. However, games like today’s remind us that Tampa Bay should remain a tough customer and at least play spoiler several times as the year goes along. With the Orioles jumping to an early lead via a Gunnar Henderson lead-off homer and extending it to 3-0 by the fourth inning, it appeared that Baltimore would cruise to a series sweep. Instead, the Rays got back in the game with runs in the fifth and seventh, only to break through against reliever Dillon Tate in the eighth, as Jose Siri delivered a clutch two-run double that gave Tampa their first lead of the contest. Even as Mike Cleavinger and Pete Fairbanks were a bit shaky in their work, they still were able to secure the lead. Both teams will face each other later this week, with the Rays now hosting a four-game set.

Rare Home L for Phils

The Phillies have built their NL-best record on the strength of a fantastic home performance, as they entered Sunday with a 24-8 mark at Citizens Bank Park, with a chance to sweep the Cardinals. Playing in their second Sunday primetime game of the season, the Phils were unable to close out St. Louis, as a late bullpen game was decided by the ghost runner. While the Cardinals took early leads via a couple of two-run homers, Philadelphia was able to counter both times and give us a 4-4 tie since the fifth. The Cardinals trotted out six relievers to keep the vaunted Phillies offense in check, while four Philly relievers matched zeroes with them. Heading into the tenth, Nolan Gorman was able to push the Manfred runner with two outs, while closer Ryan Helsley worked around a runner on third to close out the game with two strikeouts as the rain came down hard. The win was a welcome reprieve not just for the Cardinals, but also for MLB’s schedule-makers, as it is likely that the game would have been suspended had the Phillies tied the game again.

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Lead-Off Game Winner

 

If baseball cards still included game-winning RBIs among their stats, they would need to add this unconventional winner from Mookie Betts, even as he was the first batter of the game for the Dodgers. Entering amid a rare 0-for-14 slump, Mookie wasted no time in lighting up the scoreboard, hitting the 52nd lead-off dinger of his career. With Gavin Stone and three relievers shutting down the Rockies completely, the lead-off homer became the difference, but LA added three runs for good measure, including the seventh homer of the season for Freddie Freeman. After losing five straight, the Dodgers have now win five of their past six games.

King of the Castillo

 

Luis Castillo entered the season as a candidate for the AL Cy Young, only to struggle in his first starts, contributing to Seattle’s slow beginning to 2024. Steadily, Castillo has gotten back on track, with today’s outing probably being the best so far. While facing the Angels is not exactly a tall task, the righty was dominant, allowing only a single, a double, and three walks in seven scoreless innings, punching out six batters in the process. He earned the win to improve to 5-6 on the season, even as his offense only gave him one run of support. Seattle finally broke through with a four-run eighth to provide some cushion, staying atop the AL West by 5 games over the Rangers.

 

Royal Comeback

In a game that lived up to the billing as a fierce pitching matchup, Cole Ragans and Michael King combined to befuddle hitters to the tune of only 13 baserunners in 13 innings, with ten strikeouts and only a run allowed each. With offense being scarce, both starters left the game with a no-decision, as both bullpens proceeded to open the scoring floodgates. First it was KC’s Angel Zerpa, who allowed four straight hits without recording an out, leaving after two runs scored. With the Padres on their way to a sweep, emergency closer Yuki Matsui was even worse, allowing a walk and two hits, leading to a walk-off sacrifice fly that sealed the game for the Royals.

A Splash in the Bobblehead Game

 

In recent years, bobblehead giveaways have become more and more sophisticated, with teams taking advantage of their popularity to produce funny, creative, and sometimes bizarre promotions. The Giants marketing team went a step ahead for today’s game, with the first 20,000 fans in attendance taking home a Lamonte Wade Jr. figure that celebrated the one-year anniversary of Splash Hit #100 for the franchise. The celebration included a plaque outside the stadium along with the bobblehead, which includes functioning water cannons that mimic Oracle Park’s. Alas, Wade remains on the IL and was not able to replicate his feat.

 

Dodger Pups

 

Bark at the Park days continue to grow in popularity around MLB, with most teams hosting them at least once per season. Along with the theme day, the emergence of the ubiquitous Simba Cam has added a layer of fun for pups and their owners (even as Simba was actually a cat, as the Dodgers announcer rightly points out). In this particular section, we can see at least 30 happy doggos, celebrating yet another Dodgers win.

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Reigning NL Cy Young Blake Snell left today’s game with what appeared to be a re-aggravation of the left adductor that already ailed him earlier in the season. Snell was in the middle of his best outing as a Giant and appeared to be gunning for his first win, but was forced to leave mid at-bat with two outs in the fourth inning. The severity of the injury is still unknown, but it is likely to produce another IL stint for Snell. 

⚾ After leaving Saturday’s game with a hand contusion, Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez received positive news today, as the swelling in pitching hand was reduced significantly overnight. While Suarez will still rest for a couple of days without throwing, there is a chance that he could make his next scheduled start. In any case, it appears that the NL Cy Young front-runner has avoided a major injury. 

⚾ The Royals placed Michael Wacha on the 15-day IL with a fracture in his left foot. There is no firm timetable for his return, as the soreness needs to diminish before Wacha can resume full baseball activities. However, the team indicted that he should still be able to throw on a modified style in order to keep his arm warm. Wacha has posted a 4.24 ERA over 12 starts after signing as a free agent with Kansas City, and his spot will be covered by Daniel Lynch IV. 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

The Rosin Bag Bag — Davy Andrews, FanGraphs

20 Amazing Lou Gehrig Facts— MLB Staff, MLB.com

 

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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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