August 27, 2021
1. The Yankees winning streak continues
Twelve games in a row, the most for the franchise since 1961.
It started off, early in the game out in Oakland, with one Aaron the Elder getting ejected:
And it ended, late at night out in Oakland, with Aaron the Younger getting the game-winning hit, on a line drive that dropped in snugly into right field:
And in the bottom half of the ninth, with Aroldis Chapman closing things out with a milestone:
2. Chris Sale throws the third immaculate inning of his career
He just came back after a long, long time on the IL, and already he’s doing this. Nine pitches, three batters, three strikeouts.
3. Catch of the night: Vladdy Guerrero Jr.
The guy’s not just a home run slugger, but at times brilliant in the field, even at first base — watch the second camera replay on this one:
4. “Sch” players are doing very very well in new cities
That has to be a stat, doesn’t it? Now presenting: schWAR
5. Gavin Weir is the superstar of the Little League World Series
Haven’t watched a minute of it, as usual, but this kid is apparently throwing a no-hitter almost every other time he takes the mound, and dominating for Team South Dakota:
And check out the delivery:
6. Trevor Bauer’s administrative leave continues once again
You would think that MLB would go ahead and suspend him for the rest of the season, given that that appears to be the plan — but it sounds like some protocol with the players’ union makes it easier to do it this way: two weeks, then two more weeks, then another two more weeks, and so on.
It’s still unclear how this will all resolve, but not a good situation at all.
7. Roster news and updates: Rhys Hoskins and Asdrubal Cabrera
The former is out for the year, about to undergo abdominal surgery, as the Phillies’ chances in the NL East are all but done.
And then Asdrubal Cabrera, two-time All Star, 30.3 career WAR, was just put on waivers by the D’Backs so he might be able to get onto a playoff team — and in swooped the Reds.
8. The Dodgers sweep the Padres, and San Diego’s woes continue
A shutout, to complete the sweep, at Petco Park. And it’s getting hard to remember a dream season that’s turned as quickly into nightmare as this one.
That electric, most fun team in baseball, suddenly not having it anymore — with just over a month left to turn the whole thing back around.
They’re 13.5 games back of the Dodgers now, 2.0 back of the Reds, and we’ve come a long way from this tweet two weeks ago:
9. From Japan: The baseball fight of the week
Far less gruesome than the typical American-style beer belly brawl in the stands of a major-league ballpark. Over in Japan, they keep it costumed, cartoonish, classy.
10. And lastly: 48-year-old former Twins third baseman Corey Koskie is trying to make a baseball comeback
They might need to boot up a sequel to The Rookie, if he ever advances past the Loretto Larks, an amateur baseball team on the outskirts of Minneapolis.
