August 24, 2021
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1. The Yankees haven’t lost since the cornfield game
It was the best game of the whole season, that night in Iowa, the toughest walk-off ending, and they’ve gone nothing but streaking since:
Ten straight wins.
They’re still four games back of the Rays in the AL East, but closing in, with the win last night almost entirely a Giancarlo Stanton production — an opposite-field home run into the “Chop House”, and a two-run double rocketed off the wall in left:
2. Blunder of the night: This guy racing “The Freeze”
As big a lead as you can have, just two steps from the finish line, and then.
3. Tony La Russa blew up at rookie catcher Seby Zavala
76 years old and not slowing down anytime soon (especially when a catcher neglects to glance over to the dugout, when he apparently should, with Vladdy at the plate and a 3–0 count).
4. And the White Sox lost on a wild pitch in the eighth inning
Producing the absolute stat of the week, on the fading dominance of Craig Kimbrel — after the White Sox picked him up from the Cubs, and La Russa slotted him into the setup man role:
5. The hit of the night: Abraham Toro plays cricket
Not often you see a hit as rinky-dink as this, so behold:
6. And the Mariners, still alive in the A.L. West, had the clutch comeback inning of the night
Ninth inning, in Oakland. Down by a run. And then, Ty France hits an eponymous home run for the tie ballgame:
They kept on rolling, got two runners on base, and with two outs Jake Bauers drove both home for a 5–3 lead, and the Mariners hung on to win — just two games back of Oakland now and maybe alive in the AL West and Wild Card:
7. Catch of the night: Richard Rodriguez in the bullpen
8. Whit Merrifield broke up with a guy’s girlfriend on Cameo
And Merrifield threw the guy (who paid for the Cameo video) under the bus the whole time — worth a quick listen:
9. There’s an ugly turn in the Tyler Skaggs story
It was two years ago that Skaggs (former Angels starter) died of a drug overdose, and yesterday more to the story has come out:
10. Another day, another example of A-Rod being just a little bit weird
11. Travis Shaw hits a walk-off grand slam at Fenway Park
This would’ve been higher up in the newsletter, but only because there were no outs, a tie game, bases loaded, and just about anything would’ve won the game for the Red Sox, it wasn’t quite as “big”. But still, awalk-off grand slam. At Fenway. In a much-needed win. After they’d blown the game twice already, only to cap it off with this.
Travis Shaw’s first hit back in a Sox uniform.
12. And the Cubs, at Wrigley, break their 13-game home losing streak with a walk-off home run of their own
It’s been a rough, awkward month for these newly no-name Cubbies. So presented here, the one bright spot:
13. And lastly, the baserunning blunder of the week
The Texas Rangers are 43–81 and there appears to be no hope in sight.
