Kuzul

It came down to the wire, but thanks to a walk-off single from Austin Jackson in the 10th inning of the Seattle Mariners’ showdown against the Baltimore Orioles, a little MLB history was made Tuesday night. 

According to Fox Sports MLB, Tuesday marked the first time since the league expanded to 30 franchises that all 15 home teams won on the same night. 

A complete rundown of the evening’s results can be viewed below: 

Jackson’s heroic single was one of three walk-off wins on the evening. The other two came courtesy of the Miami Marlins and Cleveland Indians, each of which dispatched an AL East club in order to keep home teams undefeated on the night.

While the Marlins trailed, 4-3, entering the ninth inning, a sacrifice fly from Adeiny Hechavarria sent things to extras before Justin Bour drove home the winning run with a single to center. 

“The first pitch was a ball so the next pitch I was looking for something over the plate and I was able to drive it,” Bour said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

And the Marlins got off easy.

The Indians had to do battle with the New York Yankees for 16 innings to secure a win—and they scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th just to keep the game tied before five innings of scoreless ball set in. 

Fortunately for the record books, Cleveland left fielder Michael Brantley came through with a clutch RBI single in the bottom of the 16th.

Given all of the good fortune home teams had to experience in interconnected fashion Tuesday night, don’t expect a repeat performance anytime soon.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Thanks to a walk-off single by left fielder Michael Brantley, the Cleveland Indians downed the New York Yankees 5-4 in 16 innings Tuesday night.  

The sides entered the 10th inning tied 2-2 after Carlos Beltran launched a solo shot in the eighth, and when Chase Headley plated two runs with a single in the top of the 10th, New York appeared to seize an insurmountable edge. 

Entering Tuesday, the Yankees had not lost a game this season when leading by two or more runs in the ninth inning or later, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

Cleveland, however, evened things up in the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice fly by Carlos Santana and an RBI single off the bat of Yan Gomes.  

By the time the showdown reached the 15th inning, it had become the longest clash between the Yankees and Indians since a 16-inning tilt in 1984, according to River Avenue Blues’ Katie Sharp.  

And historically, the Yankees have been quite successful in extended showdowns with Cleveland, per Sharp: 

When all was said and done, the Yankees and Indians used eight pitchers apiece. Luis Severino and Carlos Carrasco started the game, and the teams’ bullpens helped keep runs to a minimum during the marathon outing. 

Bryan Mitchell did particularly admirable work for the men in pinstripes, tossing three innings of two-hit ball with five strikeouts over the 12th, 13th and 14th innings. The same goes for Indians reliever Ryan Webb, who recorded two strikeouts over three innings without allowing a hit from the 13th to the 15th. 

Ultimately, the Yankees were doomed by their struggles at the plate—particularly at the top of the order. Not only did leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury go 0-for-7, but Brett Gardner went 0-for-6. Alex Rodriguez had a 1-for-6 showing and Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann went 0-for-6 and 0-for-3, respectively. 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, that futility has been quite familiar of late: 

Cumulatively, the Yankees went 8-for-54 at the plate Tuesday, while the Indians recorded hits in 17 of their 60 at-bats. 

“We just had a few bad days,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said prior to Tuesday’s game, according to the New York Times‘ Billy Witz. “Sometimes you’ve got to give a little credit to the people you’re facing. If they make their pitches, there usually aren’t a lot of hits.”

The Yankees and Indians will be back at it Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field, where C.C. Sabathia is slated to square off against Danny Salazar. 

But as the Daily News‘ Mark Feinsand noted, the Yankees may need to call on pitching reinforcements after emptying their bullpen Tuesday: 

While Cleveland (52-59) continues to occupy the AL Central cellar following the win, the loss puts the Yankees’ top spot in the AL East in jeopardy.

New York (61-50) is now on a four-game losing streak, and combined with the Toronto Blue Jays’ nine-game winning streak, the Yankees are just a half game up on their Canadian rivals.

With a crucial weekend set in Toronto looming, New York needs to find its footing—and fast—if it’s going to ward off the hard-charging Blue Jays.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Washington Nationals activated ace Stephen Strasburg off the disabled list Friday after more than a month on the shelf due to a strained left oblique, and he twirled a gem Saturday evening in his first MLB start since July 4. 

Matched up against the Colorado Rockies, Strasburg recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and an earned run over the course of seven innings in the Nationals’ 6-1 win. He also didn’t walk a single batter in the triumphant effort. It was the first time Strasburg struck out at least 10 batters since August 3 of last season, per ESPN Stats & Info.  

Strasburg has now recorded at least 10 strikeouts in a game 17 times over the course of his career, according to MLB.com’s William Ladson. 

“His stuff was electric today,” Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said, according to Ladson. “His fastball was moving a lot with velocity and his breaking ball was really good, too. It’s really sharp. It looks like it’s going to be around the strike zone and then it goes down quick to the ground.”

Along with his stellar performance on the mound, Strasburg also cleaned up at the plate. The 27-year-old went 3-for-3 with three singles, which was a career high. 

According to the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info) Strasburg became the first pitcher in franchise history to tally 10 strikeouts and three hits in the same game. 

CSNWashington.com’s Mark Zuckerman provided another staggering stat: 

“It was the kind of outing that reminds us why the Nationals took him as the first overall pick in 2009 and why they still believe he can be one of the game’s legitimate aces,” Bleacher Report’s Anthony Witrado wrote. 

Strasburg indicated earlier in the week that he was rounding into form physically, so his dominant outing didn’t come as a complete shock.

“I feel good,” Strasburg said after recording 11 strikeouts in his last rehabilitation start, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “Stuff’s there, so it’s just trying to keep doing the same things and keep working at all the stuff I’ve been doing. I’m going in the right direction.”

However, it should be noted Strasburg was matched up against a Rockies offense that performs far worse on the road than it does within the friendly confines of Coors Field. 

Although Colorado entered the night ranked first in the National League in runs scored, total bases and RBI, it ranks 11th, ninth and 11th in those same categories on the road, respectively. 

In addition to spending nearly the entire month of July on the disabled list with a strained oblique, Strasburg was sidelined for almost all of June with neck tightness. But with his recent return from the DL and fantastic display Saturday, the right-hander may be putting those injury concerns behind him.

With Strasburg seemingly back at full strength, the Nationals should be feeling good as they seek to reclaim first place in the NL East from the surging New York Mets.

“Hopefully, this kind of bad luck he’s been having, hopefully, he will get rid of those [injuries] and be that guy for the next two-and-a-half months,” Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said, per Ladson. “That was special.”

Washington’s starters entered Saturday night with the sixth-best ERA in the NL, but if the 2014 NL strikeout leader can keep setting down batters the way he did against the Rockies, he will significantly bolster a rotation that already boasts Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The intrastate rivalry between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers just got turned up a notch. 

During the ninth inning of Saturday evening’s 7-6 Rangers win at Minute Maid Park, Astros catcher Hank Conger and Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor exchanged words at home plate as Odor prepared to step into the batter’s box to lead off the game’s final frame. 

MLB.com passed along video of the altercation, which resulted in the teams’ benches clearing: 

According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Conger intimated that he wasn’t pleased with Odor’s approach to the plate appearance: 

Astros starting pitcher Scott Feldman—who spent eight seasons with the Rangers and received the loss on Saturday—told reporters he didn’t see the need for Odor’s actions, according to McTaggart: 

Neither Conger nor Odor was ejected, and the Rangers actually used Odor’s leadoff triple to jump-start a two-run inning that allowed Texas to pad its lead.

All told, Odor finished the evening a double short of the cycle after bunting for a single in his first at-bat before launching a two-run home run to right field in the third inning.

However, Conger got a bit of revenge in the bottom of the ninth, when he hit a two-run homer—his sixth of the season—in order to cut the deficit to one.  

While the Rangers (43-47) got the win, they’re still 5.5 games back of the Astros (50-43) for second place in the AL West. If Texas can string together a few more wins as July comes to a close, though, the fireworks between the two sides may just be beginning.

The Houston Chronicle’s Jose de Jesus Ortiz noted that Saturday night’s fracas could be a sign of things to come:

“It’s good to see some rivalry baseball rear its head a little bit,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, per McTaggart.  

With the Astros eyeing their first playoff appearance since 2005 and Texas seeking to snap a two-year postseason drought, the intensity is set to ramp up when the Rangers and Astros clash throughout the remainder of the season.

And after the sides split the first two games of the weekend set, a shot at series victory Sunday afternoon should provide a platform for more drama. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers survived two delays after lights went out at Nationals Park on Friday evening, but a third outage proved to be too much.  

According to Fox Sports MLB, the final stoppage resulted in a complete suspension of play until Saturday: 

Fox Sports MLB also provided a view of the ballpark at the time of the decision: 

According to the Nationals, the two teams will pick up right where they left off a couple of hours before the originally scheduled start of Saturday’s showdown: 

The game’s first delay lasted an hour and 22 minutes and came in the bottom of the fourth inning when a bank of lights went out along the third-base line. The second delay occurred following the top of the fifth inning. 

J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group shared a timeline of Friday’s events before the game was officially suspended for the night: 

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer even made light of the situation by poking fun at Taylor Swift: 

The Nationals will hold a 3-2 lead when play resumes thanks to a two-run home run from Yunel Escobar and an RBI groundout by Bryce Harper. The Dodgers’ two runs came courtesy of an Adrian Gonzalez blast over the right field fence. 

Both teams dipped into their bullpens following the first delay in the fourth inning, removing starters Mike Bolsinger and Jordan Zimmermann, so expect some creative usage of relievers when play picks back up. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Houston Astros are in the hunt for starting pitching as the trade deadline approaches, and the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s Dennis Lin reports the AL West contenders could target Tyson Ross if they strike out on a bigger name. 

Continue for updates. 

No Ross Trade Imminent Between Astros, Padres

Friday, July 17

In addition to no deal being close to complete, Lin reported that “one source said the two sides had not spoken on the subject since early this month.”

Lin also noted that a trade for Ross may not be worth it for the Astros, since the 28-year-old hurler is signed to a team-friendly deal that pays out $5.2 million this year before he’s slated to enter into arbitration over the offseason, according to Spotrac. 

“Ross, in particular, might be unattainable for a team hesitant to surrender top prospects,” Lin wrote. “The 2014 All-Star has begun to recapture some of last year’s form, going 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA over his last five starts. What’s more, the 28-year-old has two full seasons left before he’ll be eligible for free agency.”

Per Lin, the Texas Rangers are also interested in Ross and consider him “a potential top-10 arm.”

While Ross’ raw numbers aren’t particularly impressive this year, he’s coming off a 13-win season that saw him post a 2.81 ERA. 

During the 2015 campaign, Ross has recorded a respectable 3.34 ERA while going 6-7 with 118 strikeouts and a 1.40 WHIP. 

But as Lin mentioned, Ross has been much steadier of late. 

After going a combined 2-5 over the first two months of the season, Ross has rebounded and gone 4-2 since the start of June. Ross’ 1.84 ERA through three starts in July only stands to bolster his trade value as contenders seek to acquire cost-effective arms at the deadline.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s Dennis Lin, the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres “have held preliminary talks” regarding a trade for starting pitcher Andrew Cashner. 

Continue for updates. 

Astros Eyeing Cashner as a Contingency

Friday, July 17

While the Padres have yet to be pegged as certain sellers at the July 31 trade deadline, one contender is sniffing around some of the team’s coveted arms with two weeks to go until deadline day. 

According to Lin, “there are no indications of anything imminent, and one source said the two sides had not spoken on the subject since early this month,” when it comes to Cashner and fellow right-handed arm Tyson Ross. 

Lin added that the Texas Rangers “have been known to have interest” in Cashner. 

While the Astros long been linked to Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after he earns $10 million this season, according to Spotrac.  

The Houston Chronicle‘s Evan Drelliich explained why the Astros prefer Cueto over another available stud like Cole Hamels: 

Sources say a two- to three-month rental pitcher who will become a free agent this winter, or possibly someone whose contract runs for one more year, is the most likely acquisition for the Astros. In other words, Hamels appears a long shot.

Cueto, sources said, is the most attractive potential acquisition to the Astros at the moment.

Friday, Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi reported the Reds “are prepared to trade” Cueto with the trade deadline looming. 

However, if the Astros aren’t willing to pay the high price necessary to obtain Cueto, Cashner makes sense as a fallback plan.

So far this season, Cashner‘s gone 3-10 with a 4.10 ERA while recording 97 strikeouts and 34 walks. According to ESPN.com, Cashner‘s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.85 ranks 27th among all qualified pitchers.

The 28-year-old may be in the midst of a down year, but he’s still a valuable commodity on an affordable $4 million salary that should be attractive to teams in need of help on the mound. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Atlanta Braves closer Jason Grilli was carted off the field during the ninth inning of Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies after suffering a torn Achilles that will likely end his season, per the team. apparent leg injury while attempting to cover first base, 

Continue for updates. 

Grilli Carted Off Field

Saturday, July 11

The right-handed reliever “collapsed while running to cover first,” per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the fact that he was carted off the field indicates it was likely a fairly severe injury. 

Interestingly enough, Grilli came on in a tie game, and therefore it wasn’t a save situation. It was his first appearance since July 7. 

One of the National League’s stronger right-handed bullpen arms, Grilli entered Saturday’s contest with a 2.67 ERA, 24 saves and 45 strikeouts. At the time of the injury, his 24 saves ranked No. 5 overall among NL relievers.

With his season all but over, Grilli will have to wonder what the next step in his career is. The MLB trade landscape will also take a hit as teams were sure to look to Grilli for bullpen depth in the second half of the season. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2015 MLB All-Star Game is set to descend upon Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 14, and this year’s star-studded rosters shouldn’t disappoint. 

And the biggest question this year revolves around the National League’s ability to snap the American League’s two-year winning streak. After shutting out the AL 8-0 in 2012, the NL has been downed in consecutive years by superior squads from the land of designated hitters. 

So with starters and reserves officially announced, it’s time to examine which players could be the biggest difference-makers at this year’s Midsummer Classic. 

National League Roster

Let’s kick things off with the NL starters, who were conveniently announced in graphic format by Baseball Tonight: 

Two key names to watch among that nine-man outfit will be Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper and Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. 

Each player has been absolutely cleaning up at the plate this season, with Harper (25) and Goldschmidt (20) ranking second and fifth, respectively, in the NL in home runs. 

“Being able to play with some of the best in baseball at the All-Star Game and having a good time with everybody is definitely going to be exciting,” Harper said, according to the Washington Post‘s James Wagner. “I’m very happy and blessed to be a part of it. I thank all our fans and fans across the country that voted for me.”

Harper and Goldschmidt are also on torrid paces as it pertains to consistency at the plate.

Arizona’s first baseman ranks tops in the NL with a batting average of .348, while Harper is hot on his tail at .344.  

If the NL can ride those hot bats to an early lead, it could have a shot at bucking some recent trends. 

And when it comes to reserves and pitchers, the NL certainly isn’t short on quality talent, according to Baseball Tonight: 

As is the case on both sides, all eyes will be on the game’s promising youngsters.

In this case, it’s all about Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Gordon Wittenmyer, Bryant “became the first Cub rookie selected to an All-Star team since catcher Geovany Soto and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome in 2008.” 

While Bryant has been steadier at the plate, batting a superior .278 to Pederson‘s .233, the Los Angeles lefty has already bashed 20 homers—eight more than Bryant.

With an influx of up-and-coming franchise building blocks starting to solidify their places among the league’s elite, this year’s Midsummer Classic could be packed with fireworks. 

American League Roster

Once again, Baseball Tonight provides a look at this year’s starters: 

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is the obvious headliner here individually, but from team-specific standpoints, the Kansas City Royals dominate the AL side. 

All told, the Royals have four starters in this year’s exhibition, including catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and outfielder Alex Gordon. 

According to ESPN.com, “the Royals have more starters this season than in the previous 25 years combined.”

Talk about a changing of the guard. 

As Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller explained, this is the first time in 16 years that a New York Yankees player won’t make an All-Star start, and it’s just the second time that’s happened since 1992. 

The Yankees did sneak a player onto the reserve side and the pitching staff, though, according to Baseball Tonight:

And while the AL fields a stellar crop of backups, fans will be attuned to the production of Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, who set an All-Star voting record after fans punched his name on the ballot more than 14 million times.  

“It’s a big honor to represent this team, for how many good players we have,” Donaldson said, according to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm. “It’s an honor to be ticketed by the fans, and really just something that hasn’t really been done before. I honestly could never tell you I would ever expect this; it’s kind of mind-blowing a little bit.”

National League Final Vote

Every player in this year’s NL Final Vote field has insanely qualified credentials, but one player, in particular, sticks out above the rest.

Baseball Tonight provided a comprehensive rundown of the five finalists:  

Among that crop, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto represents the most compelling option.

“The hometown Red—the All-Star Game is in Cincinnati this year—has a 2.84 ERA (136 ERA+) with a career-low 0.92 WHIP and a 100/20 K/BB in 104.2 innings,” CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa wrote. “Cueto’s record (5-5) doesn’t reflect how well he’s actually pitched.”  

The Reds have underwhelmed to this point in the season, but it would be fitting if fans allowed Cueto to validate this career year with an appearance in front of the Cincinnati faithful. 

American League Final Vote

And lastly, we have the AL Final Vote candidates, courtesy of Baseball Tonight:  

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts could be the front-runner here, as he’s been one of the most impressive players at the position all season long. To date, the 22-year-old is batting .302 with 89 hits, 122 total bases and 37 RBI.

Bogaerts‘ eligibility is also interesting because teammate and utility-man extraordinaire Brock Holt was named to the AL All-Star team as a reserve. 

Should Holt slot in at second base, there could be a chance for the Red Sox young duo to flash their double-play prowess on one of the game’s biggest stages. 

Just another layer of intrigue for a game with fascinating-storylines galore. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Participants for the 2015 MLB Home Run Derby are starting to be unveiled, and the eight-player competition is set to take on a revised format when the sport’s biggest sluggers step to the plate on July 13 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. 

This year, MLB has done away with the classic 10-out-per-round structure. Instead, batters will compete in a head-to-head bracket-style format that allots each participant five minutes to club as many home runs as possible. 

According to MLB.com’s Paul Casella, “A running clock will begin counting down upon release of the first pitch, though it will stop for any home run hit during the final minute. The clock will stop immediately after those home run balls land and will not begin again until a non-home run ball lands or the batter swings and misses.”     

MLB PR tweeted out an official overview of the new format and contest guidelines: 

Participants

With new competitive guidelines primed to breathe some new life into the Derby, here’s the latest on who will be sending moonshots into the Cincinnati stands. 

According to the Los Angeles Times‘ Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols has been confirmed as a participant for this year’s Home Run Derby. 

The 35-year-old slugger has already tallied 25 home runs this season, which rank as the second most among all players behind the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton. 

Back on June 29, Pujols noted the circumstances under which he would participate in this year’s Derby. 

“I think it would be the last one,” Pujols said, according to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez. “Like I told you last year, I won’t do it if I’m not at the [All-Star] Game. If that happens, I think I’m all for it.”

Recently selected as an All-Star for the first time since joining the Angels, Pujols is slated to start at first base as the replacement for the injured Miguel Cabrera. 

According to ESPN.com, Pujols’ best-ever Home Run Derby finish came back in 2003, when he finished as the runner-up behind the Angels’ Garret Anderson. 

Pujols also competed in the 2007 and 2009 long-ball showcases, but he didn’t advance past the second round on either occasion.  

This year should represent one last shot at redemption for one of the league’s most seasoned masters of the dinger.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com