7-30-25
It was another Free Day on MLB.TV. When I came into work, it was the Pirates at the Giants tied at 1 in the ninth. Aggie great, Nick Gonzales, led off the tenth and moved over the automatic runner. The Giant broadcasters praised his work. The runner did come in on a fielder’s choice, which came off of a mental error by the pitcher on a comebacker. Pirates win, 2-1.
There were a bunch of day games I missed, but I was pleased to see the Tigers had won, 7-2, over Diamondbacks. Also, the Padres shutout the Mets, 5-0. Yu Darvish was the starter, so he seems to be back in shape. Out of the remaining choices available, I started watching the Rockies at the Indians. I’d noticed “Kwan” was trending on Twitter. This being the day before the Trade Deadline, fans were wondering if Cleveland would move Steven Kwan. From what I was seeing in the posts, Indians fans were madder at the thought of trading him than about the team name change.
Rockies starter, Kyle Freeland, was not well, but was playing anyway. (This says a lot about Rockies’ pitching.) In the bottom of the first, he was hittable, as he gave up a two-run homer and three hits to left field. Left fielder, Jordan Beck, made a dive play on a fourth shot to left to end the inning. Between innings, Freeland was hunched over in the dugout wrapped up in towels. He gutted out three innings with the score 2-0 Indians. A reliever in the fourth loaded the bases, but only give up a sac run, 3-0.
Kwan was up to bat in the fifth. The Rox broadcasters start talking about trades. The color guy wanted to trade Ryan Spilborghs, the on-field reporter. The play-by-play guy said he thought he remembered a broadcaster being involved in a trade. (I looked it up. It was Ernie Harwell being traded for a catcher.) Spilly talked about being traded for “cash considerations,” and thought it must have been a bunch of money. He found out years later that the amount was $1. And that was the high bid. Rockies lose 5-0 and Kwan still on the Indians at the end of the game.
The Phillies were at the White Sox and I’ve been avoiding this series the last couple of days. It was 2-1 Phillies in the fourth. The Sox tied it on solo home run into the nearly empty outfield bleachers. In fairness, there were some very dark heavy clouds overhead. There may have also been a lengthy rain delay before I started watching. However, the Sox broadcast did run an ad for a flash sale on Sox Suites. “You and your friends ever want to see a game from a suite! Come on in! We’re making deals!” (That’s not actually what they said, but that was the implication.)
In the bottom of the fifth, a back pick throw by the Phillies’ catcher went into the outfield and a run scored, but it was waved off. The catcher accidentally hit the ump’s mask while throwing. It was ruled Interference and they played a do-over on the pitch. In the bottom of the seventh, Miguel Vargas hit a three-run homer. A kid in the outfield with a mitt caught it. He seemed more surprised than anybody about the event. It was also his first game. The kid was wearing a button you can get at the gate if it’s your first game.
The White Sox went up, 6-2, as part of a run of seven-straight hits. The only out in the inning had come on a runner being thrown out at the plate. A new Philies pitcher came in and this led to a three-run homer and another happy kid. 9-2 White Sox. In the eighth, Andrew Benintendi robbed Bryce Harper on a leaping catch at the wall. The Sox had some nerves trying to close it out in the ninth, but won 9-3. Well, that was actually kind of fun to watch. It was amazing as the clouds kept getting darker, but it didn’t rain.
The Dodgers were at the Reds and tied at 2 in the sixth. Shohei Ohtani pitched 3 innings and gave up those 2 runs. The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the eighth. In the bottom, the Reds got two on with two out and Spencer Steer came up. He hit a foul ball nearly into stands. Dodger outfielder, Andy Pages, gloved it and dropped it. No fan interference. Steer took the extra life and blasted one out to center. James Outman managed to deflect it to keep it in, but two runs in as Steer tripled. Will Benson drove him in to make it, 5-2. In the ninth with a runner on, Benson robbed Mookie Betts of a double in center and gloved an Ohtani liner to end it. 5-2 Reds.
The Rays were at Yankees and it 1-0 Rays in sixth. Brandon Lowe had driven in the only run. Trent Grisham homered into the Little League porch at Yankee Stadium to tie it. The Yanks took the lead on a Giancarlo Stanton hit (and then he went right back to the injured list, just kidding). Josh Lowe hit a two-run homer in the ninth to make it, 3-2 Rays. (The two “Lowes” aren’t pronounced it the same, by the way.)
Anthony Volpe homered off closer Pete Fairbanks to tie it, so we were off to extras. The Rays loaded the bases in the tenth. There was an overthrow from the outfield on a play, but it was backed up well without a runner coming in. There was a great catch at the wall by Jasson Dominguez, but a run came in on the sac, 4-3 Rays. Cody Bellinger tripled in a run in the bottom to tie it at 4. New Yankee, Ryan McMahon, would walk it off in the eleventh with a hit. 5-4 Yankees. I admit, they showed some grit tonight.
The Marlins were at the Cardinals. The Cardinals’ broadcasters were talking a lot about trades. They’d already traded reliever, Ryan Helsley. They were mostly wondering if Nolan Arenado would be dealt. [Note: He wasn’t.] The Marlins won, 2-0.
I was listening to a debate by this point in the night during the final two games playing, but I was still watching. The Rangers were at the Angels. There were Angels in the Outfield with much of the crowd in Anaheim dressed in white gowns with halos. They should do this every night.
It was tied a 1 in the sixth. Jo Adell dropped a liner by Corey Seager and Marcus Semien drove him in to make it, 2-1 Rangers. Ranger starter, Nathan Eovaldi, was dealing. He worked into the seventh only throwing 88 pitches. In the eighth, a foul ball went into the sports writers’ booth next door. The Rangers guys were laughing at them for all ducking under the tables. Adolis Garcia would straighten out a following pitch and send it out for a two-run homer, 4-1.
Still in the eighth, Wyatt Langford struck out, but the ball went through catcher’s legs to the backstop and he got on. With two on, Evan Carter drove in a run. The bases were then loaded on infield hit. A run was walked in, which brought in a pitching change. The Angels fan section looked a bit down as it was now, 6-1 Rangers. They were momentarily brightened up in the bottom when an Angels’ two-run homer went into the outfield stands, 6-3. In the top of the ninth, another ball went into the writers’ booth. This time they weren’t paying attention and it just bounced into them. The Rangers got the win, 6-3, and Evo got his 100-th win.
Lastly, the Mariners were at the A’s in Sacramento. The A’s were up 4-1 into the seventh. The M’s scored 2 in the inning, 4-3, but Lawrence Butler did reach over a low wall to rob a home run and end the inning. Miguel Andujar homered in the bottom for the A’s. M’s pitcher, Bryan Woo, was obviously angry on the mound. The A’s won it, 5-4. There weren’t any hits from Nick Kurtz today, but they didn’t need it.
The Chihuahuas won, 8-6, over Round Rock, and I missed it. Looked like a good game. A few trades happened tonight. The Mets bolstered their bullpen, the Phillies got a closer, and the M’s got some offense by reacquiring Eugenio Suarez.
7-31-25
It’s Trade Deadline Day! Now don’t go crazy. Show some restraint. It seemed like most of the teams did. The most shocking trade of the day was the Twins sending Carlos Correa back to the Astros. Nobody saw that coming. The Twins are also picking up most of his enormous contract that he hasn’t lived up to. (The Giants and Mets are feeling really smart for medically rejecting him.)
Lots of relief pitchers moved. The Orioles, the Twins, and the Diamondbacks dumped players. The Yankees made a bunch of moves. Given that they’re already a good team, I question this, but we’ll see how it works out. Sandy Alcantra is still a Marlin. (We’re all shocked again.) The Phillies picked up Jhoan Duran as their closer. The Tigers and Dodgers did basically nothing. (I’m concerned for the Tigers here.) The Mariners got a couple of good hitters from Arizona.
The Mets and Padres looked like they made the best moves. (Though the Padres’ moves hurt the Chihuahuas.) The Mets got Cedric Mullins from the O’s and some bullpen help. The Padres acquired closer Mason Miller and the A’s got back MLB’s #3 prospect, Leo De Vries.
Only three games on the slate today to maybe give most of teams time to sort things out after the Deadline. They were all free on MLB.TV. The Yankees and Rays were playing when I came into work and it was over before I sat down to watch. Yankees win, 7-4. They won three of four from the Rays in this series. There was a lousy crowd there at Yankee Stadium. It looked like there was a mist falling there.
It was a cloudy evening in Cincinnati, but a nice crowd out to see the Reds and the Braves. In the third, the Reds went up, 1-0. Elly de la Cruz came up and the broadcaster was saying he hadn’t homered in the 30-something games and this was the longest drought of his young career. He’d barely finished saying it before Elly hit a two-run homer to center to make it, 3-0. It was a reverse broadcasting jinx.
In the fifth, Red Will Benson crashed into the wall to save a double. In the sixth, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs. Spencer Steer got the first out reaching into the dugout. The Reds changed pitchers and a grounder to new Red, Ke’Bryan Hayes, skipped right past him, for 2 runs. Matt McLain at second dropped a double play grounder and nobody was out with the bases reloaded. Elly got another chance at a DP ball and converted. Tied at 3.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds loaded the bases with one out, but no runs came in. In the top of the eighth, the wheels came off for the Reds. The Braves took the lead. They loaded the bases with no outs and 3 runs came in. There was a comebacker to the pitcher. He threw home and didn’t get the runner. The Braves scored 8 runs for the inning to lead, 11-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, the wheels came off for the Braves. Ke’Bryan hit a three-run homer as part of 8 runs scoring on 8 straight hits with no outs. The Braves changed pitchers, but Steer hit a three-run homer to tie it, 11-11. Nobody scored in the ninth. Elly did come up with two outs in the ninth. The fans, who had mostly stuck around, had their phones out recording him, but Elly struck out looking. In the tenth, Marcell Ozuna sac’d in a run for the Braves to make it, 12-11, which would be the final. Darn, I was emotionally invested in this one.
I finally tuned into the Chihuahuas playing at Round Rock. I wanted to hear about the trade fallout. Slugger Brandon Lockridge and closer Eduarniel Nunez were traded. Nunez was held out of last night’s game so it wasn’t a surprise. The Padres got a catcher from Royals in return. The pups were down to one position player on the bench tonight. It was a sad time in the Round Rock locker room. The two long-time players were DFA’d and left the team. Broadcaster Tim Hagerty said, “This is the one day I recommend not getting your lineup card filled out before the game.”
It was a tight game with the Chihuahuas up 2-1 into the eighth. Brett Nicholas, former Chihuahuas’ catcher and current voice of the Express popped into the booth to say, “Hi.” Tim was very pleased. I searched and noticed I’d mentioned him in a bunch of posts when he was playing. It was Month End at work. I was very busy and not following the games closely. Round Rock did take the lead. MLB veteran, Craig Kimbrel, pitched to close it out for the Express. Two Chihuahuas’ runs scored and there were two on before final out. 6-4 Round Rock final.
The Rangers were at the Mariners and scoreless in the third. In the fourth, Julio Rodriguez seemed to run a half mile to slide in and catch a blooper by Marcus Semien. In the bottom, a wild pitch from Kumar Rocker brought in the first M’s run. In the fifth, Cole Young hit a 470’ homer into the second deck. Young is not a big home run hitter. The big home run hitter, Cal Raleigh, came up next and hit a little dinker that just cleared the wall. 3-0 M’s.
In the sixth, two Rangers were left in scoring position. In the bottom, the Mariners scored again and then added another run on a passed ball to make it, 6-0. The Mariners would win it, 6-0, but in a costly fashion. Reliever Trent Thornton injured his ankle falling while fielding a dribbler to the mound with two outs. He had to be taken off the field on a cart.
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