The second weekend of August is in the books, which means it’s time to start the qualifying races. Let’s dive into what you need to know about this weekend’s work.
Weekend highlights: Bernard debuts in the league
Call us if needed, but the highlight of the weekend was the big league debut for Wynton Bernard, a defensive player with Colorado Rockies Who spent 10 seasons in the palace before getting the call this weekend. Here’s a look at how he broke the news to his mother, in a predictably emotional way:
Bernard, 31, didn’t wait long to make an impact in the majors either. He went 1-3 in his first match, stealing a singles base before scoring a run as part of the Rockies’ 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
As noted by Matt Snyder, Bernard was originally a demo player in the 35th round in 2012. He appeared in 863 minor league games and worked his way through stints in various independent and winter leagues to fulfill his dream. Congratulations to him, and I hope he writes more memorable moments the rest of the way.
Rasmussen flirts with the perfect game
Major League Baseball hasn’t seen anyone deliver a perfect game since August 15, 2012 – or nearly 10 years until today. Tampa Bay Rays Right-hander Drew Rasmussen almost pulled out of his slam on Sunday, although he kept the Orioles off the board for the first eight rounds. However, Rasmussen’s attempt at history was dashed on the ninth by a Jorge Matteo double. You can read more about the near-perfect Rasmussen by clicking here.
Snell throws a gem in front of the citizens
The Padres They wrapped up their weekend in the capital on Sunday with a victory behind a solid effort from veteran Blake Snell.
Snell, who entered the afternoon with a 3.96 ERA on his 14 start this season, made six stopovers as part of a high-quality outing. He didn’t walk with a single national hitter, but he hit 10 players on 103 throws. His seasonal ERA is now down to 3.66.
Snell’s performance on Sunday continued a scorching stretch of promotion for the former Cy Young Award winner. In eight starts since July 1, one run or fewer has been allowed seven times, resulting in a 2.08 ERA. He also compiled a 67 to 17 strike-to-walk ratio.
By the way, Juan Soto scored an injury and walked twice.
Dodgers lose, consecutive snap
The Dodgers lost to the Royal Family 4-0 on Sunday, as Los Angeles closed for the fifth time this season. Royal family’s right-hand man Brady Singer continued his impressive run, closing in Los Angeles for six innings. The loss interrupted the Dodgers’ 12-game winning streak. They were one victory away from matching the longest franchise streak since the club moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. You can read more about it by clicking here.
brave Crowd, extend the winning streak
The Braves entered the ninth inning of Sunday’s game against the Marlins, with a 1-0 lead. This wasn’t the case for a long time. Instead, second Michael Harris made a solo run at home to tie the score 1-1.
From there, the Braves would collect a series of singles and walks to take the 3-1 lead. Dansby Swanson (single), Von Grissom (walking) and Matt Olson (walking) will reach base around Austin Riley’s plane (although Swanson will be ejected trying to advance to third). However, Grissom recorded in William Contreras’ ballad, while Olson trotted across the runaway pitch.
Closer Kenley Jansen slammed the door on the ninth, giving the Braves a 3-1 victory – their sixth straight win. Atlanta is set to face the Mets in a set of four games starting on Monday. The results of this series will go a long way in determining the winner of the National East League.
Pujols Twice Homer basics Take a series of brewers
The Cardinals won the three-game series and consolidated their lead in the National Central League on Sunday with a 6-3 victory over the Brewers.
A major contributor to the Cardinal has been veteran DH Albert Pujols, who has racked up his ninth and tenth home runs this season as part of the four days of the RBI. take a look:
Pujols has now reached 689 home races in his career. This puts him within seven of Alex Rodriguez’s (696) tie for fourth place all-time. It also puts him just 11 short of becoming the fourth player to ever cross the 700 mark, although that mark may seem far-fetched given his intent to retire at the end of the season.
The Cardinals also owe Sunday’s win to rookie Miles Mikulas. He threw eight innings and was only allowed to run twice in four strokes and did not walk. He hit six hits and lowered his seasonal ERA to 3.44.
Photo pass walker
reds First baseman Joe Votto made history on Sunday by appearing in his 1989 career Big League game. This just happens to be more than what Hall of Fame player Larry Walker has featured in, which means that Votto is now the career leader in games being played among Canadian-born players. take a look:
As you can see above, Matt Stears, Russell Martin and Justin Morneau top the top five.
on deck
Orioles in blue jays (three games): We’ll start the preview section with a series that has suddenly become relevant to the playoffs. Monday’s Blue Jays enter the highest wild card spot and lead 2 in the game over the Orioles, and are currently the first team to come out of the playoff picture. The Orioles have made it 4-2 this season against Toronto, and their win in another series could bring them closer to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Mets at Braves (four games): The Braves head to play Monday after about 5 games from the Mets in the Eastern National League. If they’re going to grab a straight Fifth Division title, they’ll need to start shaping the ground, and soon. What better way to do this than to take an extended series of Mets? The Braves are 4-8 against the Mets this year, which suggests easier said than done.
Dodgers at Brewers (four games): The Dodgers have been unstoppable lately, while the Brewers are vying for a spot with the Cardinals in a tight race of the National Central League. This is a potential clincher preview, depending on how things go, and we should get in on some fun competition.
white socks in guardians (three games): Speaking of tight races in the center sections, it’s a three-team race at this point on the AL side. The Guardians have an advantage now, but the White Sox are only two games left in the virtual tie with twins for second place. Cleveland is 8-5 against Chicago this season, and another win in the series should give them some extra padding heading down the extended run.
Astros In the Braves (three games): We’ll finish with last year’s World Championship rematch. Both sides are safe in their playoff position — or at least, as safe as one can be in mid-August — meaning this could be a preview of the Fall Classic season, too. stay tuned