June 28, 2021

1. MLB has its first violator under the new foreign substance policy

Fifth inning, in Chicago. Mariners pitcher Hector Santiago comes off the mound, the umpires accost him, check his glove, and he’s gone. The first player to be ejected under MLB’s new anti-foreign-substance enforcement policy.

And here he was after the game, explaining to the media that all he’s used is rosin — and so far it’s unclear if he’s guilty, if it was all a mistake, if more ejections will come, more suspensions, or when all the madness might clean itself up, as the most awkward baseball phenomenon in years enters its second week.

2. The Yankees had a bad weekend in Boston

Three-game sweep. Gerrit Cole has his worst start as a Yankee. They slip back into fourth place in the AL East.

Rafael Devers hit a mammoth home run in the first inning, on Sunday:

And the Red Sox even hit an accidental double:

A spectacular weekend for the Sox, and sticking sourly in the craw of Yankee fans — as they start to wonder if this team will have any real shot at the postseason.

3. And there were two separate door incidents at Fenway Park

The second was was a bit too on the money:

4. Yoenis Cespedes may have stolen lasers and a smoke machine

Carlos Beltran brings smoke machines and lasers to introduce a high-energy atmosphere in the clubhouse that he never got to manage, after being let go, and then, “The Mets are pretty sure Yoenis Cespedes took the smoke machines and lasers with him when he opted out of the 2020 season.”

Wow.

Why would Cespedes need a laser, when he already has a laser?

5. New MLB power rankings, as the month of June wraps up

The Giants are the first team to 50 wins, after walking off the A’s.

And here are the new power rankings:

6. Rare pitching feat of the weekend: A three-pitch inning

If you’re Javy Baez there, do you really jump the first pitch like that? Not sure of the unwritten rules, but you might be wise to just sit back and take a pitch.

7. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Zunino hit very high home runs at The Trop

How they avoided the many catwalks, we’ll never know.

8. The play of the weekend: Ke’Bryan Hayes

If you don’t remember, he was the guy who forgot to touch first base on a home run a few weeks ago, and was called out. And maybe one of the only promising bright spots in this last-place Pirates team:

9. The almost great play of the weekend: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Hard to say if this would’ve topped the Ke’Bryan Hayes play, but — there’s no one else in the league who could’ve done this. The reaction time. The height. The leap, the bare-handed snag.

No out recorded and he still makes the whole thing look pretty:

10. Joe Kelly has an alter ego named “Joseph”

Don’t think this “Joseph” was around, when he let a few pitches run high and inside in Houston last year.

Here he was this weekend, either Joe or Joseph, with mustache and bubble gum, getting checked by the umpires — charismatic all the way:

11. A colorblind kid can finally see, at the Reds game

What a great move by this kid’s parents, to provide this gift at the ballpark of a team who’s named for an entire color.

12. Historic streaks ending: D’Backs and deGrom

The Arizona Diamondbacks finally won a road game on Satruday night at Petco Park, breaking a streak that had become the all-time MLB record — 24 consecutive losses on the road.

And then in New York, the great Jacob deGrom, whose scoreless innings streak ended at 31. He has an ERA of 0.69. His own batting average is .414, after another hit this weekend. Completely unreal, every single time he goes out there.

13. Tommy Pham wins a settlement after suing the strip club where he was stabbed in 2020

More details in the article itself, but the short story of it is that Pham was badly stabbed last October, in the parking lot of a strip club in San Diego.

And now, he sued the club, and won a settlement. There was quite the quote from him, too:

14. Stat of the weekend, and possibly the whole year

This one for all you eerie number coincidence people out there.

15. Josh Naylor had a horrible injury, after an outfield collision

Skip past this video, if things like this are upsetting to watch:

16. Lastly, the Mexican baseball league produces another absolute gem

Dancing behind home plate, to avoid a tag. Baseball turning into the absurd. And the result — he’s called safe.

Enjoy your Monday, everyone. And see you here tomorrow.