June 10, 2021
1. Clutch hit of the night: Luke Williams’ first career HR is a walk-off
Phillies down 1–0. Ninth inning. Two outs. A runner on first. And just like that, a loss flips inside out, on the spot. As Luke Williams hits his first career home run, in his first career start, and the Phillies win 2–1:
When you do that, there is indeed crying in baseball:
2. And in Detroit, Jake Fraley robs a walk-off HR
Watch this one with audio on, the broadcaster goes nuts:
Double play, and the Mariners went on to score five runs in the eleventh inning and win it, 9–6.
3. Awful broadcast call of the year: “DOUBLE PLAY!!!”
Try not to laugh challenge:
4. Gerrit Cole silences doubters, detractors, Donaldson
The buzz of major-league baseball all day was the imminent “sticky stuff” crackdown drama, the Gerrit Cole stuttering non-answer from Tuesday, how his start would play out, and just where all this would go.
Michael Kay, for one, chimed in on his afternoon show:
Weirdly (and I think coincidentally), Donaldson was then seen wearing some sort of “rib protectors” during batting practice:
And in their first head-to-head since the tension began (Donaldson calling out Gerrit Cole, among others, for undue usage of illegal substances), Cole won the day with ease:
And the Yankees win going away, with a home run barrage — and Cole finishes with nine K’s in six innings, with or without sticky stuff:
5. Ozzie Albies is absurdly fast
This clip almost looks fake, sped-up, doctored, something. But nope, it’s completely real, Ozzie Albies completely outrunning a hard-hit ball on the infield:
6. Gio Urshela hit a ball that flew in two different directions
Have never quite seen one like this, beyond those “Jabulani” soccer balls from the 2010 World Cup. Watch the replay for the second angle — an absurdly wicked spin on the ball:
7 . Another awful Joe West call
Not quite a daily category just yet, but who among us doesn’t love a good “WTF Joe West?” moment:
That’s what the Phillies get in return, after their fuzzy green mascot gave a cowboy hat as a gift:
8. Quote of the day: Yu Darvish (Cubs beat Padres 3–1)
“I don’t usually drink by plane, but today I do.”
The full text, poorly translated on Twitter:
“I had a second loss with 3 hits and 2 runs in the 7th inning ahead of the Cubs game. I remembered my three years in Chicago, where I experienced both heaven and hell, and threw it with gratitude to various people. And now to New York. I don’t usually drink by plane, but today I do. When I said that, Lamet brought me a drink immediately. I’m a good man.”
And a follow-up tweet:
“I’m drinking whiskey, but when it’s gone, Lamet gave me whiskey, ‘Are you still drinking?’ A nifty man.”
Also, during the game he used Anthony Rizzo’s walk-up song from Wrigley — watch him cracking up at the end of this clip:
9. Fernando Tatis Jr. interviewed on the Dan Patrick Show
Patrick: “Could you tell if pitchers put something sticky on the baseball?”
Tatis: “I’ve seen pitches this year I’ve never seen in my life.”
10. Defensive plays of the night: Jansen, Mullins, Renfroe
One-run lead, ninth inning, man on second, and Jansen snags a line drive right at him, for the walk-off win in Pittsburgh:
And then Cedric Mullins, a beautiful diving catch, and Hunter Renfroe doing what he does best, from right field.
11. Randy Arozarena hit a 400-foot single off the wall in center
He drove in two runs on the play, but still — always run out of the box, kids:
An image from later that game, to sum it up quite perfectly:
12. Fan catches of the day: A mom and a “cool cat”
First, a mom catching a ball off the bounce, with a baby hanging in the balance:
And then out in Oakland: “That’s a cool cat right there.”
13. Giancarlo hit a huge HR, the Yankees bats re-awakened
Stanton hit two home runs last night, with a double, the Yankees scored nine runs, and the panic buttons being hit all over New York this past weekend might, for a moment, still be intact:
14. Joc Pederson mocked the Fernando Tatis Jr. HR trot
Former Dodgers know to never stop screwing with Padres:
15. Controversy in Oakland: A non-catch at the wall
Ruled to be not a catch, and two runs score. What do you say?
16. Lastly — Today in wholesome baseball: Vin Scully, Mookie’s batting glove, and a rainbow on the field
