September 10, 2021
1. Kris Bryant made a celebrated return to Wrigley Field today
It’s been a sad, nostalgic, wishing-he-were-back kind of afternoon, but a celebration nonetheless. A forever Cub, a beloved Chicago legend, back in town for a weekend with the best in baseball Giants:
Here was the tribute video on the video board, and a souvenir gifted number 17 from the manual scoreboard:
2. The Yankees are in absolute freefall
Six losses in a row. Ten losses out of their last twelve games.
And last night, they got swept at home in four straight by the Blue Jays, right on their heels in the Wild Card hunt. Things are looking bleak, for this collective human yo-yo of a team.
And how were they feeling in the dugout, on the brink of yet another loss, down 6–3 in the ninth inning? Well, here was Luke Voit:
3. The play of the night: Tyler Matzek with the kick stop and throw with the bases loaded
You might never see one quite like this again. Saving the game for a Braves team right in the thick of a divisional race.
4. Later in the game, Joc Pederson walked it off for the Braves
Tenth inning, bases loaded, and Joc wins it.
The Mets and Phillies both lost, so the Braves now hold a 3.5-game lead in the division (and 5.0 up on the Mets) — as the makeshift team rebuilt at the trade deadline comes through again:
5. The baseball swimmer of the night: Javy Baez
He perfected it in Chicago, and now that swim move has been unveiled with the Mets:
6. The Yankees and Mets series starts tonight, and will honor the anniversary of 9/11
Both teams need wins, desperately, and both teams will come together with many special gestures in honor of the 20th anniversary of the attacks.
The Mets’ first responder caps will be a perfect, fitting touch.
7. Kosuke Fukudome is still making primetime catches in Japan
Remember him? Debuted with an opening day three-run HR to tie the game, bottom of the ninth, for the Cubs in 2008.
He’s 44 years old, and somehow still out there:
8. And in Korea, Mike Montgomery threw a rosin bag at an umpire
As always, pitch to contact.
9. Trevor Bauer won’t play again in 2021
Not that it’s quite a surprise, but now it inches more closely toward becoming official.
10. Albert Pujols wraps up his return visit to St. Louis
And with a very nice photo, bound for the wall display of his now-teammate Max Scherzer:
And if you missed it, the other day:
11. An update to the Marcell Ozuna situation
Not a good year, for MLB players being good people off the field.
12. And lastly, the Wild Card standings, as we head into the weekend
Here’s the American League, with every team in the chase winning last night, but for the Yankees:
And then the National League, realistically a three-team race, between San Diego, Cincinnati and St. Louis:
