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Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon scheduled a pajama party for his team’s flight home from L.A. on Sunday.

Little did he know the Cubs would be celebrating a masterful no-hit performance against the Dodgers from starting pitcher Jake Arrieta.

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, Maddon thought the pajama party would’ve been a good idea whether the team won or lost.

“It works both ways. If you win it’s even better, and if you’ve lost it’s kind of like, ‘Let’s put this behind us and move on.’ I see it as a win-win-win,” he said. “It’s about keeping the group together. It’s about having fun as a group.”

Arrieta—the star of the night—made sure he was prepared for the postgame festivities, via ESPN’s Jen Lada:

[Twitter, h/t ESPN]

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If you’re going to hit your first major league home run, you might as well make it a walk-off.

That’s exactly what Atlanta Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt did Saturday night versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Bethancourt crushed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence.

As expected, he was mobbed when he crossed home plate.

[MLB]

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The Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Single-A affiliate, planned on having an “A-Rod Juice Box Night” on Friday.

The team was obviously poking fun at New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez for his well-documented troubles with “juicing.”

Unfortunately for Stone Crabs fans who were looking forward to Friday’s festivities, it appears the team cancelled the promotion. Both the Yankees and Rays objected because they thought it was in poor taste, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

[Twitter]

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That’s something you don’t see every day.

During Friday’s Triple-A game between the Durham Bulls and the Pawtucket Red Sox, catcher Humberto Quintero tried throwing out a runner stealing third.

There was only one problem—Luke Maile was at the plate for Durham.

Quintero nailed Maile right in the stomach.

Ouch.

[Vine]

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“Just give him the Gold Glove now.”

That was the announcer’s reaction to Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar’s amazing catch in left field on Friday night.

In the sixth inning of the Blue Jays’ game vs. the Atlanta Braves, Pillar sprinted toward the infield chasing after a Freddie Freeman flare.

It looked like the ball might drop just in time for Freeman, but the Toronto outfielder laid out for a spectacular grab.

[MLB]

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Curt Schilling was treated for mouth cancer nearly a year ago.

On Saturday, the former Red Sox pitcher published a powerful piece in The Players’ Tribune entitled “Letter to My Younger Self.”

In the letter, Schilling warns himself about the dangers of chewing tobacco:

Dear 16-year-old Curt,

Tomorrow at lunch, a kid is going to dare you to take a dip of Copenhagen. If you say yes, like I did, you’ll be addicted for the rest of your life. Well, the rest of your life up to the point when you are diagnosed with cancer.

I get what you’re thinking. You’re 16 — you’re invincible, just like all your buddies. If you were to jump ahead 33 years, you couldn’t write a better dream than the one your life is going to be.

With one exception.

If you say yes tomorrow, you will become addicted to chewing tobacco and you will get mouth cancer.

[The Players’ Tribune]

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The bacon-doughnut hot dog?

The chicken-and-waffle cone?

We’ve seen some incredible new food items coming to ballparks this season, and the Miami Marlins want in on the fun.

The team will be selling this massive pulled pork, macaroni and cheese sandwich.

And just in case the cheese and pork isn’t enough, there is a mound of creamy mustard slaw sitting on top.

[Darren Rovell]

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We’re seeing some amazing new food items debuting this baseball season.

The leader in the pack has to be the bacon-doughnut hot dog from the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a minor league affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

However, the Houston Astros might be making a run at the top spot with their calorie-filled chicken-and-waffle cone.

Underneath the fried chicken goodness lies a mound of mashed potatoes. Workers at Minute Maid Park then top it off with a drizzle of honey mustard.

[Darren Rovell]

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It’s that time of the year, folks.

No, not the holidays. I’m talking about the fantasy football playoffs, where a single move can make the difference between winning and losing.

Adam Wainwright knows this all too well.

The St. Louis Cardinals ace started Broncos tight end Julius Thomas, who did not play a snap in Denver’s 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills Sunday.

Wainwright, obviously, wasn’t too pleased.

“Who in the world would say they’re going to play, and not?” he asked.

However, the All-Star pitcher realized that he did the same thing to fantasy baseball owners on his final scheduled regular-season start of 2014.

All is forgiven, Julius.

[YouTube, h/t Next Impulse Sports]

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Eric Hosmer has been coming up big all postseason.

He might have done it again in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.

In the 11th inning of the Kansas City Royals-Los Angeles Angels game, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer crushed the first pitch he saw from Angels pitcher Kevin Jepsen.

It was a two-run shot that put Kansas City up 3-1.

If the Royals can hang on, they’ll take a 2-0 series lead.

[TBS]

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