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MLB News & Moments You Should Know – 8/12/23

Mariners pound out three homers to win eighth in a row.

Steve Drumwright
MLB Morning News 8/12/2023

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

Friday felt like it was homecoming weekend as three teams celebrated former stars and another welcomed a familiar face back in the opposing dugout. With a lot of ground to cover, let us jump right in.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Mariners Win Eighth Straight

With each day of the season, you had to wonder whether last season’s run by the Seattle Mariners was a bit of a fluke. Hovering just over .500 a little more than a week ago, the Mariners have the wind behind them and the sails are full. Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, and Ty France homered while Luis Castillo struck out eight and allowed two hits over six innings as the Mariners cruised past the American League’s best team, beating the Baltimore Orioles 9-2 for their eighth win in a row. This surge has the M’s at 63-52 and within a half-game of the last AL wild-card spot. Rodríguez drove in four, including a three-run shot in the fourth inning for his 19th homer of the season.

Wander Walk-off

The Tampa Bay Rays certainly needed some good news. Leave it to Wander Franco to deliver. The shortstop smashed his first career walk-off hit, a homer leading off the bottom of the ninth for a 9-8 Rays victory over the Cleveland Guardians. The blast came after the Rays’ bullpen blew a four-run lead in a week in which they lost ace Shane McClanahan to a season-ending injury.

Orioles Broadcaster Returns

The curious case of Kevin Brown’s suspension came to a conclusion with the Orioles broadcaster returning to the MASN telecast. He had been off TV since July 23rd after stating facts about the Orioles’ success this season against the Rays at Tropicana Field after struggling in previous seasons. Brown took to Twitter to signify his return.

Manoah Demoted Again

A year ago, Alek Manoah was an All-Star, finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting and even earned a few AL MVP votes. Much has changed this year for the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander. Manoah was demoted to the minor leagues for the second time this season, being optioned to Triple-A. Manoah had a 6.36 ERA when sent down in June to figure out what was going wrong. After a month and a few starts in the minors, he was back and has performed better, but still not to the quality that has been expected.

Atlanta Affiliate Changing Name

The Class High-A affiliate of Atlanta is dropping the MLB’s controversial nickname and rebranding itself for the 2024 season, the team announced. Based in Rome, Georgia, the team has undergone an ownership change and a rebranding will bring in a new wave of income. While the city name is likely to remain in the rebrand, the nickname possibilities that match up well with Rome are endless. You can submit your suggestion at the above link.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Singleton: Twice As Nice

Jon Singleton was once the hottest prospect coming up. He signed a five-year, $10 million contract extension before making his MLB debut with the Houston Astros on June 3rd, 2014. But things went awry. He struggled and then was suspended three times for marijuana use before being released by the Astros in 2018. He was out of organized baseball before making a comeback and returning to the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers this season but was released once again only to be picked up by the Astros. That long and winding road made for a full-circle moment when he hit his first MLB homer in eight years and 13 days, then hit a second one in an 11-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Singleton drove in five runs.

Dodgers Finally Retire Valenzuela’s No. 34

Due to a technicality, the Los Angeles Dodgers had not retired legendary left-hander Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34. That technicality? The Dodgers had a rule that required a player to be in the Hall of Fame in order for his number to be immortalized. Well, the team finally came to its senses over the offseason and decided it was time to retire his number. While Valenzuela has the type of statistics that are worthy of the Hall of Fame, he did not have the length of a career that would justify his election.

Weekend Fit For A King

Longtime Mariners ace Félix Hernández will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Saturday. But the festivities kicked off Friday as he made his way around the stadium and mingled with fans and Mariners personnel. Oh, and he caught the ceremonial first pitch from the youngest of three generations of his namesake.

Bautista Officially Retires, Set To Be Honored

José Bautista might not have played since 2018, but he wasn’t officially retired. Until Friday. Bautista signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, then put a period on his career by retiring. On Saturday, the Jays will be added to the team’s Level of Excellence.

Bochy Returns To S.F.

Bruce Bochy returned to the city where he won three World Series championships in a five-year period, only he was wearing enemy colors. Bochy, in his first season as manager of the Texas Rangers, brought his new team to San Francisco to face the Giants. Bochy’s Rangers came out on top in the series opener 2-1.

Luplow’s Uh-Oh

With his new team getting its butt kicked, Jordan Luplow looked to create a lighthearted moment. The Minnesota Twins outfielder, called on in the eighth inning to pitch in what was a 13-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Luplow decided since the game was in Philly, he would imitate Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel’s pitching style. It wasn’t well-received and didn’t produce good results.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

John Fay, a retired Cincinnati Enquirer writer who covered the Cincinnati Reds, died at age 66, his family announced. You can read his obituary from the Enquirer here.

New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes (left rotator cuff strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list. His season is likely over as Cortes said he will not throw for a month.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale (stress reaction in left shoulder) was activated from the 60-day injured list and started against the Detroit Tigers.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford was placed on the seven-day concussion IL. He was injured during a collision Wednesday with Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez.

Infielder-outfielder Nick Senzel was optioned to Triple-A by the Reds, who called up outfielder Henry Ramos.

Outfielder Bubba Thompson, a former first-round pick, was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

The Cubs fought to stay together at the deadline and are making a run — Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic

Kershaw’s return resurrects Dodgers’ World Series hopes — Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times

As hip-hop turns 50, it has had a major influence on baseball and other sports — Jason Jones, The Athletic

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

Starting Pitcher Roundup

Hitter Performances

Reliever Ranks

Starting Pitcher Streamers

Steve Drumwright

Steve Drumwright is a lifelong baseball fan who retired as a player before he had the chance to be cut from the freshman team in high school. He recovered to become a sportswriter and have a successful journalism career at newspapers in Wisconsin and California. Follow him on Twitter and Threads @DrummerWrites.

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