Stats, LLC
(TSX / STATS) -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers appear to be headed for different destinations in the American League.
After a slow start and despite an average offense, the Red Sox reached the midpoint of the season atop the AL East. The Rangers, meanwhile, are struggling to stay in touch with .500.
However, funny things happen on the way to the future.
The teams meet Monday evening in the opener of a three-game series at Globe Life Park. The Red Sox swept a three-game series between the clubs at Fenway Park in May.
Right-hander Rick Porcello (4-10, 5.06 ERA), who has struggled to recapture the form of a AL Cy Young Award-winning season a year ago, goes against lefty Martin Perez (4-6, 4.70), who will be making his first start since June 22. Perez is coming off the disabled list after recovering from a fractured tip of his right thumb.
In a May 23 start, Porcello defeated Texas, giving up five runs (four earned) on 11 hits over 6 2/3 innings. In his past seven starts, Porcello is 1-5 with a 6.07 ERA, though he has been sharper in his last three outings.
Boston (47-35) enters having won five of its past six games, including the past four.
"I'm thinking of what I can do to help our team win," Porcello said. "And that's first and foremost having quick innings, keeping runs off the board, simple stuff. This isn't about me. This is about our ballclub. I'm not going to harp on my struggles or what's going on there."
The Red Sox have relied on their pitching staff to carry an average offense, though they had both going on Sunday in a 15-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays that completed a three-game weekend sweep.
Right fielder Mookie Betts, selected on Sunday as an All-Star reserve, became the first leadoff hitter in Red Sox history to register eight RBIs and the first in the majors since Ronnie Belliard in 2003. Only four others in history have produced eight RBIs from the leadoff post.
"It's pretty cool to have your name mentioned like that. Have to get ready for tomorrow, though," Betts said.
The Rangers (40-42) have wild-card hopes, though they will have to solve two issues that hurt them in the first half: the bullpen and an out-of-control strikeout rate that has reached an average of 9.33 a game.
The relief corps will require some ingenuity to solve. Right now, there are no defined roles out there after Matt Bush blew a save on Friday and then Jose LeClerc did likewise Sunday in a 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Texas leads the major leagues with 17 blown save chances.
As for the Texas offense's penchant to fan, manager Jeff Banister said, "It's hard to put multiple runs on the board in multiple innings with that kind of strikeout rate. And if you put more runs on the board in more innings, maybe you put away some of those close games where there even is a save opportunity. The strikeout rate is one of the more important things (to fix)."
Ideally for the Rangers, their hitters would get to Porcello, and Perez would go deep in the game. Historically, however, Perez has had trouble getting outs against Boston, as he is 2-2 with a 6.12 ERA in six career starts vs. the Red Sox.
He won his last two starts before his thumb injury.
"I feel good," Perez said. "We'll see what happens in the game. It's time to pitch and win. I'm ready to pitch."
Porcello is 6-4 with a 5.66 ERA in 10 career starts against Texas.
This is "The Line Drive", MLB and baseball news brought to you by the UNB! Network!
Monday, July 3, 2017
Blue Jays, Yankees look to get on winning track
Stats, LLC
(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- These are frustrating times for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays are on a four-game losing streak, which is the extension of an inconsistent season, while the Yankees are enduring a nearly three-week slump.
The American League East rivals would like things to change in the final week before the All-Star break, and they get their chance against each other in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Toronto (37-44) has spent all season with a losing record after leaving Yankee Stadium with a 9-19 record on May 3. The Blue Jays reached one game under seven times, but since the last occasion on June 21, they are 2-8.
The Blue Jays have scored more than four runs once during the 10-game slide while batting .224 (75-for-335) with nine homers and 29 runs.
Toronto's slump continued with a weekend that hardly helped the Yankees. In three games against the first-place Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays were outscored 29-6.
"We're not hitting, really, it's pretty obvious," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We've been cold the last few days. It'll change."
Gibbons would like to reverse some of these numbers by key players over the past two weeks: Josh Donaldson 4-for-33 (.121) with 11 strikeouts, Russell Martin 6-for-32 (.188), Kendrys Morales 5-for-30 (.167), Jose Bautista 5-for-23 (.217) and Kevin Pillar 0-for-9.
Toronto was held to five hits on Sunday in a 15-1 loss to Boston. Steve Pearce drove in the Blue Jays' lone run on a sacrifice fly.
"We didn't play well today, we really didn't have a good series at all," Martin said. "We got outplayed. So, we've got to bounce back, head to New York, forget about this stuff and get ready for the next game."
At least the Yankees (43-37) are still over .500, but three weeks ago, they were 38-23 following a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a West Coast trip. Since then, they are 5-14, and the pitching staff has allowed at least five runs 11 times while pitching to a 5.28 ERA.
The latest disappointing loss was an 8-1 setback at Houston on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Yankees blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning and were handed a 7-6 loss. The defeats capped a 3-4 road trip that saw the Yankees score 31 times in their three wins.
"I think we are in a frustrating part of our year," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "I think this week is really important at home for us and get things turned around and win games we are supposed to. Guys who are in that room, we can turn it around, and it's an important week."
Among those guys are All-Stars Aaron Judge, who was 5-for-19 (.263) on the trip, and Gary Sanchez, who went 5-for-22 (.227). The duo finished a combined 4-for-7 Sunday while the rest of the team was 2-for-25.
"Nobody is (more) disappointed how the past two weeks have gone than the guys in this room," said left fielder Brett Gardner, who was 0-for-5 and barely missed a three-run homer in the second inning Sunday. "Obviously, the last two weeks haven't gone the way we had hoped."
Marcus Stroman (8-4, 3.41 ERA) starts for the Blue Jays on Monday and hopes for a better showing in his second outing this season in New York. On May 3, despite being handed a four-run lead before taking the mound, Stroman allowed five runs and six hits in three innings during a no-decision in Toronto's 8-6 loss.
It was his shortest start of the season, and he felt some arm tightness, though it did not impact him. Since then, Stroman is 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 starts.
Stroman's last outing might have been his best, as he allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings during a 4-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Stroman threw a career-high 119 pitches struck out eight. He pitched at least seven innings for the sixth time this season.
The Long Island native is 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 starts against the Yankees, though he is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in five starts at Yankee Stadium.
New York's Monday starter, Masahiro Tanaka (6-7, 5.56 ERA), also would like to see his positive results from recent outings become another win. The Yankees right-hander snapped an eight-game winless skid Wednesday in Chicago when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings of a 12-3 victory over the White Sox.
Before beating the White Sox, Tanaka went from winning five consecutive starts April 14 to May 8 to going 0-6 with a 7.19 ERA in his next eight. It included a stretch in which he dropped five straight starts May 14-June 6. He became the third Yankee since 1913 to win and lose at least five straight starts in the same season, joining Bob Turley (1955) and Joe Bush (1924).
Tanaka is 7-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 11 career starts against Toronto, including a 5-2 mark and a 3.07 ERA in seven home starts vs. the Blue Jays.
He faced the Blue Jays on May 2 in New York and allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of an 11-5 win. He gave up a pair of solo homers to Pearce while facing a lineup without Josh Donaldson, who is 3-for-21 (.143) off him.
(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- These are frustrating times for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays are on a four-game losing streak, which is the extension of an inconsistent season, while the Yankees are enduring a nearly three-week slump.
The American League East rivals would like things to change in the final week before the All-Star break, and they get their chance against each other in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Toronto (37-44) has spent all season with a losing record after leaving Yankee Stadium with a 9-19 record on May 3. The Blue Jays reached one game under seven times, but since the last occasion on June 21, they are 2-8.
The Blue Jays have scored more than four runs once during the 10-game slide while batting .224 (75-for-335) with nine homers and 29 runs.
Toronto's slump continued with a weekend that hardly helped the Yankees. In three games against the first-place Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays were outscored 29-6.
"We're not hitting, really, it's pretty obvious," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We've been cold the last few days. It'll change."
Gibbons would like to reverse some of these numbers by key players over the past two weeks: Josh Donaldson 4-for-33 (.121) with 11 strikeouts, Russell Martin 6-for-32 (.188), Kendrys Morales 5-for-30 (.167), Jose Bautista 5-for-23 (.217) and Kevin Pillar 0-for-9.
Toronto was held to five hits on Sunday in a 15-1 loss to Boston. Steve Pearce drove in the Blue Jays' lone run on a sacrifice fly.
"We didn't play well today, we really didn't have a good series at all," Martin said. "We got outplayed. So, we've got to bounce back, head to New York, forget about this stuff and get ready for the next game."
At least the Yankees (43-37) are still over .500, but three weeks ago, they were 38-23 following a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a West Coast trip. Since then, they are 5-14, and the pitching staff has allowed at least five runs 11 times while pitching to a 5.28 ERA.
The latest disappointing loss was an 8-1 setback at Houston on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Yankees blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning and were handed a 7-6 loss. The defeats capped a 3-4 road trip that saw the Yankees score 31 times in their three wins.
"I think we are in a frustrating part of our year," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "I think this week is really important at home for us and get things turned around and win games we are supposed to. Guys who are in that room, we can turn it around, and it's an important week."
Among those guys are All-Stars Aaron Judge, who was 5-for-19 (.263) on the trip, and Gary Sanchez, who went 5-for-22 (.227). The duo finished a combined 4-for-7 Sunday while the rest of the team was 2-for-25.
"Nobody is (more) disappointed how the past two weeks have gone than the guys in this room," said left fielder Brett Gardner, who was 0-for-5 and barely missed a three-run homer in the second inning Sunday. "Obviously, the last two weeks haven't gone the way we had hoped."
Marcus Stroman (8-4, 3.41 ERA) starts for the Blue Jays on Monday and hopes for a better showing in his second outing this season in New York. On May 3, despite being handed a four-run lead before taking the mound, Stroman allowed five runs and six hits in three innings during a no-decision in Toronto's 8-6 loss.
It was his shortest start of the season, and he felt some arm tightness, though it did not impact him. Since then, Stroman is 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 starts.
Stroman's last outing might have been his best, as he allowed five hits in 7 2/3 innings during a 4-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Stroman threw a career-high 119 pitches struck out eight. He pitched at least seven innings for the sixth time this season.
The Long Island native is 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 starts against the Yankees, though he is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA in five starts at Yankee Stadium.
New York's Monday starter, Masahiro Tanaka (6-7, 5.56 ERA), also would like to see his positive results from recent outings become another win. The Yankees right-hander snapped an eight-game winless skid Wednesday in Chicago when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings of a 12-3 victory over the White Sox.
Before beating the White Sox, Tanaka went from winning five consecutive starts April 14 to May 8 to going 0-6 with a 7.19 ERA in his next eight. It included a stretch in which he dropped five straight starts May 14-June 6. He became the third Yankee since 1913 to win and lose at least five straight starts in the same season, joining Bob Turley (1955) and Joe Bush (1924).
Tanaka is 7-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 11 career starts against Toronto, including a 5-2 mark and a 3.07 ERA in seven home starts vs. the Blue Jays.
He faced the Blue Jays on May 2 in New York and allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of an 11-5 win. He gave up a pair of solo homers to Pearce while facing a lineup without Josh Donaldson, who is 3-for-21 (.143) off him.
Judge, Correa, Arenado among 12 1st-time All-Star starters
By RONALD BLUM
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Nolan Arenado led a new generation of All-Stars, among 12 first-time starters elected by fans for the July 11 game at Marlins Park.
“I’ve got to call my family and tell them to book a flight to Miami. They’re going to be excited,” Judge said after rosters were announced Sunday.
The dozen first-time starters are the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.
Just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. The Cubs had seven All-Stars last season, including their entire starting infield.
“Frankly, we haven’t had many guys who were all that deserving,” Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta.
Just past the halfway point, the Cubs are 41-41.
“Maybe this is actually a good thing. Right now, rest is not a bad word,” said Chicago’s Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL.
In a sign of the generational change, the All-Stars with the most selections are Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw with eight and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with seven. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, the senior All-Star last year with 11 selections, wasn’t picked for the first time since 2009.
Two of the first-time starters are from the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the major leagues: Correa, the shortstop drafted first overall in 2012, and outfielder George Springer. Second baseman Jose Altuve was elected to his third start.
“It’s something that you dream about since you are a little kid, since you get drafted, since you sign a professional contract,” Correa said.
Houston pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. were picked, as well, giving the Astros five All-Stars, tied for the most with the New York Yankees, Cleveland and Washington. Keuchel is hurt and won’t pitch.
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman were elected to start, and Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were selected for the pitching staff. Harper led fan voting with 4.63 million ballots.
“Definitely humbled by fans, the way they treat me,” Harper said.
At 32, Zimmerman is an All-Star for the first time since 2009, when he was a reserve third baseman.
“Yeah, sports are funny, man,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just a crazy path to get back, but it’s also pretty cool.”
Judge, the 6-foot-7 rookie who leads the major leagues with 27 home runs, topped the AL with 4.49 million votes. He is joined in the outfield by Springer and Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, who hopes to return in time from a torn thumb ligament.
Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez overtook Minnesota’s Miguel Sano in the final days of balloting to win the AL third base spot by about 54,000 votes, Toronto’s Justin Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, and Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson rallied to win at designated hitter by nearly 75,000 over Seattle’s Nelson Cruz. The Royals’ Salvador Perez won at catcher.
Arenado overtook the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, last year’s NL MVP, to win at third base by 180,000. Arenado will be joined in the NL lineup by Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey.
“It would be even more fun if there were a few more guys going from the team,” said Posey, whose Giants are last in the NL West.
There were 11 first-time starters last season in San Diego, the last year the winning league received home-field advantage in the World Series. Under baseball’s new labor contract, the Series now starts in the ballpark of the pennant winner with the better record.
Catcher Gary Sanchez, injured second baseman Starlin Castro and pitchers Dellin Betances and Luis Severino also were picked from the Yankees. Cleveland is sending pitchers Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Michael Brantley.
“I’m just happy for Cleveland,” said the Indians’ Terry Francona, who will manage the AL. “I think the fans and the city — everybody should be proud.”
Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was picked as a reserve and plans to defend his Home Run Derby title on July 10. Judge also has been invited, and Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who leads the NL with 24 homers, has said he will participate.
“It is going to be amazing,” Stanton said. “Either way, the week was going to be cool, but this makes it even cooler.”
The NL-leading Dodgers will send Bellinger, Kershaw, shortstop Corey Seager and closer Kenley Jansen to Miami, but nobody from Los Angeles was elected for the starting lineup by fans. Jansen was upset with his own fanbase for letting down Seager and third baseman Justin Turner.
“I’ll say it loud and clear again: It’s the Dodger fans’ fault,” Jansen said.
Among other strong candidates overlooked were Carlos Carrasco, Jacob deGrom, Gio Gonzalez, Ivan Nova, Roberto Osuna, Anthony Rizzo, Travis Shaw, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton and Alex Wood.
Rosters were cut from 34 per league to 32 under the new labor deal, and online voting determines the last spot on each roster. Elvis Andrus, Xander Bogaerts, Didi Gregorius, Logan Morrison and Mike Moustakas are the AL candidates, and Justin Bour, Bryant, Anthony Rendon, Mark Reynolds and Turner are on the NL ballot.
The AL had won four straight and went 11-3 in the years the All-Star Game determined World Series home field. Marlins Park is the third of four straight NL ballparks to host the All-Stars and will be followed by Washington in 2018.
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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writers David Ginsburg, John Marshall and Noah Trister and AP freelance writers Colin Fly, Ian Harrison, Nate Latsch, Jeremy Rakes and Dave Royse contributed to this report.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Associated Press
“I’ve got to call my family and tell them to book a flight to Miami. They’re going to be excited,” Judge said after rosters were announced Sunday.
The dozen first-time starters are the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.
Just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. The Cubs had seven All-Stars last season, including their entire starting infield.
“Frankly, we haven’t had many guys who were all that deserving,” Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta.
Just past the halfway point, the Cubs are 41-41.
“Maybe this is actually a good thing. Right now, rest is not a bad word,” said Chicago’s Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL.
In a sign of the generational change, the All-Stars with the most selections are Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw with eight and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with seven. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, the senior All-Star last year with 11 selections, wasn’t picked for the first time since 2009.
Two of the first-time starters are from the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the major leagues: Correa, the shortstop drafted first overall in 2012, and outfielder George Springer. Second baseman Jose Altuve was elected to his third start.
“It’s something that you dream about since you are a little kid, since you get drafted, since you sign a professional contract,” Correa said.
Houston pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. were picked, as well, giving the Astros five All-Stars, tied for the most with the New York Yankees, Cleveland and Washington. Keuchel is hurt and won’t pitch.
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman were elected to start, and Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were selected for the pitching staff. Harper led fan voting with 4.63 million ballots.
“Definitely humbled by fans, the way they treat me,” Harper said.
At 32, Zimmerman is an All-Star for the first time since 2009, when he was a reserve third baseman.
“Yeah, sports are funny, man,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just a crazy path to get back, but it’s also pretty cool.”
Judge, the 6-foot-7 rookie who leads the major leagues with 27 home runs, topped the AL with 4.49 million votes. He is joined in the outfield by Springer and Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, who hopes to return in time from a torn thumb ligament.
Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez overtook Minnesota’s Miguel Sano in the final days of balloting to win the AL third base spot by about 54,000 votes, Toronto’s Justin Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, and Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson rallied to win at designated hitter by nearly 75,000 over Seattle’s Nelson Cruz. The Royals’ Salvador Perez won at catcher.
Arenado overtook the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, last year’s NL MVP, to win at third base by 180,000. Arenado will be joined in the NL lineup by Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey.
“It would be even more fun if there were a few more guys going from the team,” said Posey, whose Giants are last in the NL West.
There were 11 first-time starters last season in San Diego, the last year the winning league received home-field advantage in the World Series. Under baseball’s new labor contract, the Series now starts in the ballpark of the pennant winner with the better record.
Catcher Gary Sanchez, injured second baseman Starlin Castro and pitchers Dellin Betances and Luis Severino also were picked from the Yankees. Cleveland is sending pitchers Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Michael Brantley.
“I’m just happy for Cleveland,” said the Indians’ Terry Francona, who will manage the AL. “I think the fans and the city — everybody should be proud.”
Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was picked as a reserve and plans to defend his Home Run Derby title on July 10. Judge also has been invited, and Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who leads the NL with 24 homers, has said he will participate.
“It is going to be amazing,” Stanton said. “Either way, the week was going to be cool, but this makes it even cooler.”
The NL-leading Dodgers will send Bellinger, Kershaw, shortstop Corey Seager and closer Kenley Jansen to Miami, but nobody from Los Angeles was elected for the starting lineup by fans. Jansen was upset with his own fanbase for letting down Seager and third baseman Justin Turner.
“I’ll say it loud and clear again: It’s the Dodger fans’ fault,” Jansen said.
Among other strong candidates overlooked were Carlos Carrasco, Jacob deGrom, Gio Gonzalez, Ivan Nova, Roberto Osuna, Anthony Rizzo, Travis Shaw, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton and Alex Wood.
Rosters were cut from 34 per league to 32 under the new labor deal, and online voting determines the last spot on each roster. Elvis Andrus, Xander Bogaerts, Didi Gregorius, Logan Morrison and Mike Moustakas are the AL candidates, and Justin Bour, Bryant, Anthony Rendon, Mark Reynolds and Turner are on the NL ballot.
The AL had won four straight and went 11-3 in the years the All-Star Game determined World Series home field. Marlins Park is the third of four straight NL ballparks to host the All-Stars and will be followed by Washington in 2018.
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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick, AP Sports Writers David Ginsburg, John Marshall and Noah Trister and AP freelance writers Colin Fly, Ian Harrison, Nate Latsch, Jeremy Rakes and Dave Royse contributed to this report.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Rookies settling in atop baseball’s leaderboards
By NOAH TRISTER
Associated Press
The American League’s home run leader is a rookie. Same in the National League.
The AL batting race? A rookie is in front there, too.
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Gamel have made quite an impression already during the first half of this 2017 season, with Judge and Bellinger slugging their way to stardom for the Yankees and Dodgers. Gamel, who played briefly for the Yankees last year before being traded, has settled in nicely in Seattle.
Judge and Bellinger are the two home run leaders, and Judge is also second in the AL batting race — nine points behind Gamel. If they keep this up, it should be another banner year for baseball’s top rookies.
Entering Sunday, Judge and Bellinger had already combined for 7.0 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com. And Bellinger wasn’t even the leader in WAR among NL rookies — he was behind Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland.
It looks increasingly likely that the two Rookie of the Year winners will combine for over 10.0 WAR, which is a reasonably rare occurrence. Here are other years when it’s happened. (WAR totals from Baseball-Reference.com in parentheses.)
1964: Tony Oliva (6.8) and Dick Allen (8.8). Oliva and Allen each led his league in total bases, while Oliva also took the first of two straight AL batting titles.
1968: Stan Bahnsen (5.9) and Johnny Bench (5.0). Bench needs no introduction, but Bahnsen had a fine year, too, winning 17 games with a 2.05 ERA for the Yankees.
1972: Carlton Fisk (7.3) and Jon Matlack (6.1). Fisk hit .293 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs to become an immediate standout in Boston.
1975: Fred Lynn (7.4) and John Montefusco (6.4). Lynn pulled off a rare sweep by winning AL MVP honors in addition to Rookie of the Year. He hit .331 with 21 homers and a league-leading .967 OPS.
1976: Mark Fidrych (9.6) and Pat Zachry (3.5). Who could forget “The Bird” and his 19-win debut for Detroit? Fidrych was a clear choice in the AL, but the NL vote was actually a tie between Zachry and Butch Metzger (1.5 WAR).
1984: Alvin Davis (5.9) and Dwight Gooden (5.7). Gooden’s 276 strikeouts were a sign of things to come in New York, while Davis hit .284 with 27 homers and 116 RBIs for the Mariners.
1993: Tim Salmon (5.2) and Mike Piazza (7.0). A Los Angeles-area sweep, with Piazza hitting 35 homers for the Dodgers, while Salmon hit 31 for the Angels.
1997: Nomar Garciaparra (6.6) and Scott Rolen (4.5). Garciaparra led the AL with 209 hits. Like Salmon and Piazza in ’93, both Garciaparra and Rolen were unanimous Rookie of the Year choices.
2001: Ichiro Suzuki (7.7) and Albert Pujols (6.6). Suzuki won MVP honors for the 116-win Mariners. Pujols hit .329 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs — but with Barry Bonds around, he’d have to wait a few years for his own MVPs.
2012: Mike Trout (10.8) and Bryce Harper (5.1). Trout’s season was so stupendous — it took a Triple Crown-winning Miguel Cabrera to deny him the MVP — that it overshadowed Harper’s 22 home runs at age 19.
2015: Carlos Correa (4.1) and Kris Bryant (5.9). Correa narrowly beat out Francisco Lindor in the AL vote.
2016: Michael Fulmer (4.9) and Corey Seager (6.1). Seager was a unanimous choice in the NL, and he finished third in the MVP vote.
Here are a few other developments from around baseball:
RUNNING WILD
The Washington Nationals stole seven bases in a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blamed Jake Arrieta’s slow delivery for the steals, and Montero was later cut by Chicago.
The seven steals tied a franchise record for the Nationals, including their time in Montreal. By way of comparison, Washington’s regional rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, have 16 stolen bases all year.
HIGHLIGHTS
Comerica Park’s spacious center field was home to two tremendous defensive plays this past week. Detroit’s Mikie Mahtook ran down a drive by Kansas City’s Salvador Perez on Tuesday, making a leaping catch against the wall in right-center. But on Saturday, Mahtook was on the other end of a defensive gem, when Cleveland’s Bradley Zimmer made a diving catch in left-center to take a hit away from him.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Mookie Betts, Boston, homered twice and drove in eight runs in a 15-1 win over Toronto on Sunday.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
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Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister
Associated Press
The AL batting race? A rookie is in front there, too.
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Gamel have made quite an impression already during the first half of this 2017 season, with Judge and Bellinger slugging their way to stardom for the Yankees and Dodgers. Gamel, who played briefly for the Yankees last year before being traded, has settled in nicely in Seattle.
Judge and Bellinger are the two home run leaders, and Judge is also second in the AL batting race — nine points behind Gamel. If they keep this up, it should be another banner year for baseball’s top rookies.
Entering Sunday, Judge and Bellinger had already combined for 7.0 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com. And Bellinger wasn’t even the leader in WAR among NL rookies — he was behind Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland.
It looks increasingly likely that the two Rookie of the Year winners will combine for over 10.0 WAR, which is a reasonably rare occurrence. Here are other years when it’s happened. (WAR totals from Baseball-Reference.com in parentheses.)
1964: Tony Oliva (6.8) and Dick Allen (8.8). Oliva and Allen each led his league in total bases, while Oliva also took the first of two straight AL batting titles.
1968: Stan Bahnsen (5.9) and Johnny Bench (5.0). Bench needs no introduction, but Bahnsen had a fine year, too, winning 17 games with a 2.05 ERA for the Yankees.
1972: Carlton Fisk (7.3) and Jon Matlack (6.1). Fisk hit .293 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs to become an immediate standout in Boston.
1975: Fred Lynn (7.4) and John Montefusco (6.4). Lynn pulled off a rare sweep by winning AL MVP honors in addition to Rookie of the Year. He hit .331 with 21 homers and a league-leading .967 OPS.
1976: Mark Fidrych (9.6) and Pat Zachry (3.5). Who could forget “The Bird” and his 19-win debut for Detroit? Fidrych was a clear choice in the AL, but the NL vote was actually a tie between Zachry and Butch Metzger (1.5 WAR).
1984: Alvin Davis (5.9) and Dwight Gooden (5.7). Gooden’s 276 strikeouts were a sign of things to come in New York, while Davis hit .284 with 27 homers and 116 RBIs for the Mariners.
1993: Tim Salmon (5.2) and Mike Piazza (7.0). A Los Angeles-area sweep, with Piazza hitting 35 homers for the Dodgers, while Salmon hit 31 for the Angels.
1997: Nomar Garciaparra (6.6) and Scott Rolen (4.5). Garciaparra led the AL with 209 hits. Like Salmon and Piazza in ’93, both Garciaparra and Rolen were unanimous Rookie of the Year choices.
2001: Ichiro Suzuki (7.7) and Albert Pujols (6.6). Suzuki won MVP honors for the 116-win Mariners. Pujols hit .329 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs — but with Barry Bonds around, he’d have to wait a few years for his own MVPs.
2012: Mike Trout (10.8) and Bryce Harper (5.1). Trout’s season was so stupendous — it took a Triple Crown-winning Miguel Cabrera to deny him the MVP — that it overshadowed Harper’s 22 home runs at age 19.
2015: Carlos Correa (4.1) and Kris Bryant (5.9). Correa narrowly beat out Francisco Lindor in the AL vote.
2016: Michael Fulmer (4.9) and Corey Seager (6.1). Seager was a unanimous choice in the NL, and he finished third in the MVP vote.
Here are a few other developments from around baseball:
RUNNING WILD
The Washington Nationals stole seven bases in a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blamed Jake Arrieta’s slow delivery for the steals, and Montero was later cut by Chicago.
The seven steals tied a franchise record for the Nationals, including their time in Montreal. By way of comparison, Washington’s regional rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, have 16 stolen bases all year.
HIGHLIGHTS
Comerica Park’s spacious center field was home to two tremendous defensive plays this past week. Detroit’s Mikie Mahtook ran down a drive by Kansas City’s Salvador Perez on Tuesday, making a leaping catch against the wall in right-center. But on Saturday, Mahtook was on the other end of a defensive gem, when Cleveland’s Bradley Zimmer made a diving catch in left-center to take a hit away from him.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Mookie Betts, Boston, homered twice and drove in eight runs in a 15-1 win over Toronto on Sunday.
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Tebow off to a strong start with St. Lucie Mets
His team couldn’t say the same.
After his first week in St. Lucie, Tebow had experienced more rainouts than wins. The Mets lost their first four games with Tebow on the roster, and dropping the second game of a doubleheader in Fort Myers on Sunday put them at 1-5 since the former Florida Gators star quarterback was promoted to the Florida State League .
The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback has gotten plenty of attention in his first week in the FSL, as would be expected. But what would have been his first game with St. Lucie was rained out, as was a scheduled Saturday game in Fort Myers.
A look how Tebow has fared this week and this season:
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HIGHLIGHTS: Tebow homered on his first day actually playing with the Mets, connecting in Game 2 of a Wednesday doubleheader against Palm Beach. It was Tebow’s fourth home run of the season. He also made a leaping catch to save a home run at Fort Myers on Friday — though his team then gave up 11 runs in the eighth inning and lost 11-0.
AT THE PLATE: With St. Lucie, Tebow is 6 for 14 (.429) with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, three walks and three strikeouts.
ON THE SEASON: Counting his time in Columbia, Tebow is 53 for 228 (.232) on the season with 25 RBIs and 72 strikeouts.
IN THE FIELD: Tebow was in the field for four of his six games with St. Lucie, handling seven chances without an error.
BIZARRE: Atlanta’s affiliate in the FSL will welcome Tebow and St. Lucie for a four-game set starting on July 21 — and the dirt Tebow stands upon at the plate can be yours. The Florida Fire Frogs are offering a package where, for $50, fans can be on the field to watch batting practice, get a preferred seat, access to VIP areas, a parking pass and, yes, a commemorative bottle of dirt from the batter’s box.
WHAT’S NEXT: St. Lucie finishes its four-game set in Fort Myers on Monday. The Mets return home starting Tuesday for a three-game series with Charlotte, then are back on the road Friday to start a four-game series just south of Port St. Lucie in Jupiter.
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LEADING OFF: Trout readies for rehab stint, Matz vs Stras
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BACK TO WORK
Angels star Mike Trout will have a private workout, then go for a full workout with Class A Inland Empire on Tuesday. If the two-time AL MVP looks strong, he will begin playing rehab games with Inland Empire. Now a six-time AL All-Star selection, Trout has missed 33 games after left thumb ligament surgery.
STARTING STRONG
Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (9-2, 3.51 ERA) gets the ball at home against Mets left-hander Steven Matz (2-1, 2.67). Strasburg, named an All-Star on Sunday, struck out 13 in a win against the Cubs in his last start, though he dealt with a back spasm during that 8-4 win. Coming off seven shutout innings at Miami, Matz is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three road starts this season.
ROCK BOTTOM?
The Rockies turn to rookie right-hander Jeff Hoffman to halt their skid in a game against Cincinnati. Colorado has lost 10 of 11, including two of three against NL West rival Arizona over the weekend, and is suddenly seven games behind the Dodgers in the division. Except for a hiccup at Coors Field on June 21, Hoffman (4-1, 4.04) has been excellent, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in five of his seven starts. The 24-year-old was the prize return when Colorado traded Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays in July 2015.
LEADOFF LIFT
The Royals have won 15 of 21 heading into a series with the Mariners, a surge driven in part by Alcides Escobar's resurgence atop the lineup. The leadoff hitter went 7 of 16 during a four-game series with Minnesota and has raised his average 50 points to .230 since June 13 by hitting .380. Kansas City is a game over .500 and tied with the Twins for second in the AL Central following an abysmal start to the year.
HEALED UP
Rangers left-hander Martin Perez returns to the mound after a stint on the disabled list with a broken right thumb. Perez (4-6, 4.70) gets the start in the opener of a series against the Red Sox and AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (4-10, 5.06).
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Suzuki's homer in 12th gives Braves sweep of A's
(TSX / STATS) -- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Coming back to play at the Oakland Coliseum, his baseball home for over six seasons, is always special for Atlanta Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki.
His homecoming Sunday will be hard to top.
Suzuki hit two home runs, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the top of the 12th inning, powering the Braves to a 4-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics and a three-game series sweep.
Leading off the 12th, the former Athletic launched John Axford's 3-1, 96 mph fastball into the left-center-field seats for his sixth home run of the season. Suzuki also led off the second inning with a homer.
"I want to do good every time, but it gives you a little bit extra adrenaline," Suzuki said of coming to Oakland. "I got a little bit of cheers in the beginning of the game. I'm definitely very blessed and humbled. This was a great place for me. My family and I, we had a great time here.
"The fans embraced me from Day 1, good and bad. To come back here, I definitely had some adrenaline going."
Suzuki hit two home runs in a game for the third time in career. The first two occurrences came with Oakland in 2010 and 2011.
Until Sunday, Suzuki had gone homerless against the A's in 12 games. He didn't play in either of the first two games of the series.
"I told him yesterday, 'I got to break you out or these people are going to kill me,'" Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It was great. Couldn't happen to a better guy."
Braves right-hander Arodys Vizcaino gave up a two-out single to Khris Davis in the bottom of the 12th and walked Yonder Alonso, who was named to the American League All-Star team Sunday for the first time. However, Vizcaino retired Franklin Barreto on a fly ball to record his second save of the season.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th when Matt Kemp hit an RBI double off the center field fence with two outs, scoring Nick Markakis, who had walked.
The A's answered with a run in the bottom of the 11th off closer Jim Johnson (6-1). Johnson issued a leadoff walk to Davis and walked Alonso on five pitches. Barreto struck out, but Bruce Maxwell doubled off the right field fence, scoring Davis to make it 3-3.
Jaycob Brugman was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Adam Rosales. Rosales hit a fly ball to shallow center, but Ender Inciarte, who was playing in a few steps, made a spectacular sliding catch. Johnson struck out Rajai Davis to end the inning.
Inciarte, who won a Gold Glove last season and was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time Sunday, had three hits, including an RBI double.
"As soon as the ball was hit, I reacted quick," Inciarte said. I had a good jump. The whole way, I knew I was going to get it. I had to."
Davis slugged his team-high 23rd home run, a solo shot in the seventh.
The A's lost their fifth straight game overall and their seventh straight at home.
"We had one big inning where we had a chance to win it," Oakland anager Bob Melvin said. "We didn't do much before that. We maximized our opportunity in one inning and we didn't come through, and that cost us."
Braves right-hander Julio Teheran allowed two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision, turning in another strong road start. He is 5-0 in eight road games and 1-6 in nine starts at home. Teheran struck out a season-high eight and walked four.
A's left-hander Sean Manaea gave up two runs on six hits, including a home run, over 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision. He struck out six and walked two. Axford (0-1) took the loss.
The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Suzuki launched a leadoff homer, his fifth blast of the season. Manaea got ahead 0-2 in the count but threw an elevated outside fastball just off the plate, and Suzuki sent it into the left field seats.
"He's got some power and he's smart, and he knows when to look for a fastball and get the head out, and he did both times," Melvin said.
Danny Santana followed with a walk and stole second. With two outs, Inciarte brought Santana home from third with a double to right on a ground ball down the line that got past first baseman Alonso.
The A's (35-47) pulled even with two runs in the seventh.
Davis led off with a home run to right-center. With one out, Barreto singled on a pop fly that second baseman Brandon Phillips lost in the sun. Barreto stole second before Teheran walked Maxwell and Brugman, loading the bases. Rosales hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Jason Motte to make it 2-2.
The Braves won for the eighth time in their past 11 games and pulled within one game of .500 at 40-41.
"We feel like we haven't played our best baseball yet, and that's a good sign because we're still right in the thick of things," Suzuki said.
NOTES: A's RHP Jesse Hahn was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. In each of his past two starts, both losses to Houston, Hahn lasted only two innings. He gave up a combined 16 runs on 15 hits, including three home runs. Oakland recalled RHP Zach Neal from Triple-A Nashville. ... A's 3B Ryon Healy left the game after the bottom of the second inning with upper back spasms and is day-to-day. ... Braves LF Danny Santana, who stole three bases on Saturday, had another steal in the second inning Sunday. ... Oakland SS Marcus Semien (fractured right wrist) will likely be reinstated from the disabled list before the All-Star break, manager Bob Melvin said. Melvin pointed to the Athletics' four-game series at Seattle on July 6-9 as the target for Semien's return. Semien began his rehab assignment with Class A Stockton then moved to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.
His homecoming Sunday will be hard to top.
Suzuki hit two home runs, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the top of the 12th inning, powering the Braves to a 4-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics and a three-game series sweep.
Leading off the 12th, the former Athletic launched John Axford's 3-1, 96 mph fastball into the left-center-field seats for his sixth home run of the season. Suzuki also led off the second inning with a homer.
"I want to do good every time, but it gives you a little bit extra adrenaline," Suzuki said of coming to Oakland. "I got a little bit of cheers in the beginning of the game. I'm definitely very blessed and humbled. This was a great place for me. My family and I, we had a great time here.
"The fans embraced me from Day 1, good and bad. To come back here, I definitely had some adrenaline going."
Suzuki hit two home runs in a game for the third time in career. The first two occurrences came with Oakland in 2010 and 2011.
Until Sunday, Suzuki had gone homerless against the A's in 12 games. He didn't play in either of the first two games of the series.
"I told him yesterday, 'I got to break you out or these people are going to kill me,'" Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It was great. Couldn't happen to a better guy."
Braves right-hander Arodys Vizcaino gave up a two-out single to Khris Davis in the bottom of the 12th and walked Yonder Alonso, who was named to the American League All-Star team Sunday for the first time. However, Vizcaino retired Franklin Barreto on a fly ball to record his second save of the season.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th when Matt Kemp hit an RBI double off the center field fence with two outs, scoring Nick Markakis, who had walked.
The A's answered with a run in the bottom of the 11th off closer Jim Johnson (6-1). Johnson issued a leadoff walk to Davis and walked Alonso on five pitches. Barreto struck out, but Bruce Maxwell doubled off the right field fence, scoring Davis to make it 3-3.
Jaycob Brugman was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Adam Rosales. Rosales hit a fly ball to shallow center, but Ender Inciarte, who was playing in a few steps, made a spectacular sliding catch. Johnson struck out Rajai Davis to end the inning.
Inciarte, who won a Gold Glove last season and was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time Sunday, had three hits, including an RBI double.
"As soon as the ball was hit, I reacted quick," Inciarte said. I had a good jump. The whole way, I knew I was going to get it. I had to."
Davis slugged his team-high 23rd home run, a solo shot in the seventh.
The A's lost their fifth straight game overall and their seventh straight at home.
"We had one big inning where we had a chance to win it," Oakland anager Bob Melvin said. "We didn't do much before that. We maximized our opportunity in one inning and we didn't come through, and that cost us."
Braves right-hander Julio Teheran allowed two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision, turning in another strong road start. He is 5-0 in eight road games and 1-6 in nine starts at home. Teheran struck out a season-high eight and walked four.
A's left-hander Sean Manaea gave up two runs on six hits, including a home run, over 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision. He struck out six and walked two. Axford (0-1) took the loss.
The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Suzuki launched a leadoff homer, his fifth blast of the season. Manaea got ahead 0-2 in the count but threw an elevated outside fastball just off the plate, and Suzuki sent it into the left field seats.
"He's got some power and he's smart, and he knows when to look for a fastball and get the head out, and he did both times," Melvin said.
Danny Santana followed with a walk and stole second. With two outs, Inciarte brought Santana home from third with a double to right on a ground ball down the line that got past first baseman Alonso.
The A's (35-47) pulled even with two runs in the seventh.
Davis led off with a home run to right-center. With one out, Barreto singled on a pop fly that second baseman Brandon Phillips lost in the sun. Barreto stole second before Teheran walked Maxwell and Brugman, loading the bases. Rosales hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Jason Motte to make it 2-2.
The Braves won for the eighth time in their past 11 games and pulled within one game of .500 at 40-41.
"We feel like we haven't played our best baseball yet, and that's a good sign because we're still right in the thick of things," Suzuki said.
NOTES: A's RHP Jesse Hahn was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. In each of his past two starts, both losses to Houston, Hahn lasted only two innings. He gave up a combined 16 runs on 15 hits, including three home runs. Oakland recalled RHP Zach Neal from Triple-A Nashville. ... A's 3B Ryon Healy left the game after the bottom of the second inning with upper back spasms and is day-to-day. ... Braves LF Danny Santana, who stole three bases on Saturday, had another steal in the second inning Sunday. ... Oakland SS Marcus Semien (fractured right wrist) will likely be reinstated from the disabled list before the All-Star break, manager Bob Melvin said. Melvin pointed to the Athletics' four-game series at Seattle on July 6-9 as the target for Semien's return. Semien began his rehab assignment with Class A Stockton then moved to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.
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