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
Angels Losing Their Wings
The Los Angeles Angels have been in a freefall lately — a brutal losing streak pushed them to second place in the AL West and Joe Maddon was relieved of his managing duties on Tuesday. Desperate times were calling for desperate measures, and the Angels were trying to win by all means necessary:
People: I can report that every Angels player will walk up to Nickleback tonight. The coaches decided it as a way to shake things up. So, if the Angels snap their losing streak tonight, you can thank Nickleback.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) June 9, 2022
Unfortunately, it looks like the struggles are continuing in The City of Angels. The Halos set a franchise record with 14 consecutive losses last night, losing 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox. Six Angels batters collected hits and Reid Detmers + the Angels’ bullpen managed to hold off the hot Boston offense, but it wouldn’t be enough as Bobby Dalbec would rope a double to right field in the sixth inning for the lone run of the game.
On the board in Anaheim 😎 pic.twitter.com/SpB5L5jK1s
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 9, 2022
The Angels now sit at 27-31, 9.5 games back from the first-place Houston Astros and are looking for any spark to break this streak. Mike Trout is reportedly feeling better despite some groin soreness and hopefully will return in the next few days.
We all just want to be big rockstars, and hopefully the Angels can be feeling that way if they earn a much-needed win tonight. They close out their series against Boston tonight, with Shohei Ohtani taking the bump against Nick Pivetta.
Giants Backing Up the Backstop
The San Francisco Giants are hoping to defend their NL West title, and have had a fairly nice start to the 2022 season with a 29-25 record. They also play in the NL West against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who have 35-20 and 34-22 records respectively. It’s a tough division, and unfortunately, there’s not much room to fall behind. The Giants have to try and put their best product forward at every position, which led to this move today:
The #SFGiants and Phillies completed a trade today with C Austin Wynns joining the Giants organization in exchange for LHP Michael Plassmeyer and cash considerations.
In addition, C Joey Bart was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento postgame yesterday.
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 8, 2022
Austin Wynns is a 31-year-old catcher who was drafted in the tenth round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2013. He’s had a fairly productive minor league career with a career .273 average, 33 HR, and 243 RBI, and has been enjoying a nice 2022 season with a .365 average, 3 HR, and 20 RBI.
The move comes in hopes of being a temporary stopper at the catcher position while Joey Bart takes more time to develop in Triple-A. Bart is expected to be the backstop of the future in San Francisco, but through 36 games this season is batting .156 with 4 HR and 7 RBI. With more time in Triple-A, Bart can continue to gain confidence and skills. And the Giants have been known to produce magic before, so be on the lookout for Wynns to potentially start mashing.
Sandy Goes the Distance (Again)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before — Sandy Alcantara just pitched a complete game shutout against an NL East Rival. A few weeks ago, Alcantara shut out the Braves, and last night he performed the feat again, going 9 IP, 0 BB, and 6 K against the Washington Nationals. The Miami Marlins‘ offense didn’t exactly show up for Sandy, but the team still pulled off the walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Nats 2-1.
Sandy Alcantara had a lot of hype coming into the season as a possible Cy Young pick, and it’s looking like the rumors were true. Through 83 innings, Alcantara has a 1.64 ERA with 76 strikeouts, two complete-game shutouts, and has found himself pitching into the 7th and 8th innings in a league where pitchers seem to be done in four or five innings. He’s really, really good.
Be sure to find a television or stream whenever Alcantara is pitching, because we might be watching a top-10 pitcher blooming before us. And if you feel so inspired, show off your Sandy love with a new shirt in our store.
All-Star Voting is Open!
I was really tempted to drop a Smash Mouth reference here. But in serious and exciting news, All-Star voting is open for the 2022 MLB All-Star game. The first phase goes from June 8 – June 30, and will help determine the finalists at each position.
Cast your votes for your All-Stars here!
Best Moments From Yesterday
Wunderkind in Washington
Juan Soto is one of the brightest young hitters in the game. He should probably stay away from the mound though.
Kid goes 2-for-5 with a couple missiles to remind Juan Soto why he’s not a pitcher pic.twitter.com/WTh9kAuRiQ
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 8, 2022
We might be seeing the 2035 NL MVP in front of our very eyes. Hitting dingers off of Soto is certainly a good resume builder!
Power of the ‘Stache
Nestor Cortes had a rough outing last night against the Minnesota Twins, but that shouldn’t take away from his excellent season thus far. Even with this slip-up, Cortes has a 1.50 ERA with 68 Ks through 60 IP. He’s been a great surprise for the Yankees’ faithful and a part of why the Yankees are an AL-best 40-16 record.
Is it the control of his pitches? His tricky deliveries? Or could it be the stache?
The truth is out there. Cortes can never shave again.
Blockbuster Braves
The Atlanta Braves are hoping to defend their 2021 World Series championship, but they’re also hoping for a great showing at the 2022 All-Star game. To help accomplish this, the team has designed movie posters to pass out at games and in local theaters. Check out some previews below:
#Braves giving players the movie star treatment to send them to Hollywood for the All-Star Game.
These posters are from an 8-part series. They'll be handed out during the Pirates series, displayed in local theaters, with actual trailers running as well.https://t.co/e20t2R4Iof pic.twitter.com/JZ8d1yp1qu
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) June 8, 2022
Feels like they really missed out on a golden opportunity for something about Austin (Riley) Powers.
Injuries
Pete Alonso has no breaks or fractures in his hand after getting hit by a pitch on Tuesday night. There is only swelling, leading to a day-to-day situation.
Mike Trout is still feeling soreness in his groin but is in good spirits and feeling a lot better compared to when he was removed from Tuesday night’s game.
Starling Marte missed today’s game with left quad tightness but is feeling better and is not expecting an IL trip
Articles You Should Read
Using gFIP to Evaluate Relievers – Leo Morgenstern
AL West Roundup: Players to Watch – Colin Fong
Things That Have Always Happened (in 2022) – Sean Roberts
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)