The Astros were at Seattle and Los Angeles home against Oakland later Tuesday night. It was the second straight game where they scored runs and were shutout along the way. If he had started this season in this fashion, the whole narrative of the year would be quite different coming off his years of deceit that culminated in his season-long PED suspension.
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He joked Monday he would have to time his workout schedule better and Lovullo was not kidding.
“Mark gave me one of his bats”.
– Third baseman Pablo Sandoval was diagnosed with pneumonia Thursday after suffering through what was believed to be an upper respiratory infection for a few time, and now it looks as though his season is over. The Yankees scored four in their half of the first but could not climb all the way back. Home runs were again decisive in the victory. Sox 6-4. Gulp. The last two games, they did it in the first inning. Rebounding splendidly from an terrible August, the Angels have chased down the AL leaders with five games to play. Boston’s final run came on an RBI groundout by Josh Rutledge, who entered in the eighth inning for designated hitter David Ortiz.
O’Malley’s single to left-center broke a 4-4 tie and helped Seattle (75-83) snap a six-game losing streak.
Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, and Jackie Bradley, Jr. all had two hits for the Red Sox. After the Yankees plated all of their runs in the first, Porcello settled down to allow only two hits over the next seven innings.
Boston starter Rick Porcello almost blew his team’s fine start off New York Yankees starter Michael Pineda with four runs in the first but after a visit from pitching coach Carl Willis, he rebounded to finish strong.
New York is second in the division and was spared the possibility of Toronto clinching the title when it was rained out in Baltimore.
It’s hard to believe it would wind up being that, considering the Red Sox had put up a six-spot vs. Michael Pineda for Porcello in the top of the first, and he responded by giving four runs right back. Pineda (12-9, 4.24 ERA) at least showed the fortitude to pull himself together and allow only one run over his final five innings, but his wildly inconsistent outing didn’t inspire confidence.
Both teams did the bulk of their damage in the first inning. (The Yankees are schedule to open a three-game series with the Orioles at Camden Yards Friday). Lucas Duda hit two homers for the Mets, who hadn’t lost away from home since September 6, at Miami.
Duda hit a two-run shot off Ken Giles on an 0-2 pitch in the ninth before Giles retired Travis d’Arnaud for his 14th save in 18 chances.
Ellsbury swung at the first pitch and sent a ball to right, where it fell just short of the wall and Holt was able to haul it in. Between subpar production from those additions, along with a failure to build a reliable starting rotation and bullpen cost general manager Ben Cherington his job. During McCann’s subsequent at-bat, Gardner stole second base.
Earth to New York: most of us couldn’t give two hoots about the subway routes.
Rookie Arodys Vizcaino recorded his eighth save in nine chances.
Now the first attempt was admittedly a tough play. Vizcaino then struck out Matt den Dekker to end it. In fact, the fourth inning would prove the most danger he faced for the rest of the game, and that involved only an infield single and a hit batter.
Sandoval also endured an embarrasing moment in Atlanta in June, when he was benched for a game after violating a team rule by using his cellphone to “like” a woman’s photo on Instagram.
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“If he’s out there”, said a scout from an American League team, “he’s got to be the best candidate out there”. Watch it all and let the schadenfreude wash over you.
