May 13, 2022
1. The Nationals blundered their way into a bizarre double play
5–6–1, then 9–6.
2. The Yankees put on a spectacular show in Chicago
Winning big last night, in a game that was still tied as late as the seventh inning — the first of a four-game set against the White Sox.
The home run party started in the first, with Giancarlo Stanton silencing the ballpark’s proudest heckler:
Then he went deep again in his next at-bat.
Aaron Judge hit one about 460 feet.
The White Sox kept it close, it went back and forth, with a feeling a bit like the “Field of Dreams” game last summer — and then the Yankees blew it wide open for good.
3. A pitchers’ duel to watch tonight: Brewers vs. Marlins
Corbin Burnes, last year’s NL Cy Young winner, going up against the current MLB leader in ERA (by a long way, too).
4. Clayton Kershaw heads to the IL with joint inflammation
He was supposed to start tonight’s game, one of those perfect showcase Friday nights at Dodger Stadium — but just this afternoon came a bit of bad news:
5. The defensive play of the day
Not the majors, but the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians affiliate).
And the runner-up — Nick Gordon in the Twins’ outfield, the same day he pitched a scoreless inning on the mound (in a blowout loss, the earlier game of the doubleheader):
6. The Nationals have a disaster promotional partnership
The fact that any MLB team is pairing with a cryptocurrency seems an incredibly poor choice, considering just how much money you can easily lose with this stuff.
And, well, it’s not just in theory:
7. Anthony Rizzo made his first return to Chicago since the trade
South Side this time.
8. Bryce Harper is injured, and still homered
It doesn’t seem to affect his swing, but still — if he’d like to, he could take time off to let it heal, take a rest, but he’s taking full advantage of that designated hitter rule in the National League.
9. And the Phillies had a big win out in L.A.
A six-run lead that they lost late, with a huge Dodgers rally, and then they rallied right back the next inning.
10. The stat of the day: The Yankees future bodes well
And this coming before last night’s win, too.
11. Checking in the whereabouts of Addison Russell
This year down in the Mexican League, he’s batting:
.491 • 1.491 OPS • 6 HR
He hit for the cycle recently, too — and so maybe there’s hope he’ll find his way back to the major-leagues, after all.
12. And lastly, Wander Franco comes from a world of Wanders
There’s a tongue-twister in here somewhere.
