Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
The Blue Jays will be just fine without Jose Bautista
Saturday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the Blue Jays’ home run tear, stories of America’s first female baseball writer, and Vin Scully’s thoughts on socialism.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
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The news came down yesterday that José Bautista would be headed to the disabled list after he and the outfield wall at Citizens Bank Park had a sudden and unpleasant meeting. His sprained left big toe is the culprit, and it’ll keep him out of action for two weeks. Normally this would inspire gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, but Bautista’s 2016 season hasn’t been what most people expected or wanted. He’s hitting .230, which isn’t great, with 12 home runs. His game is about more than homers, and he brings so much more to his team than that, but still.
Despite that, Toronto isn’t hurting for home run hitters. Just last night, Michael Saunders smashed three home runs against the Orioles, giving him 15 on the year. Edwin Encarnación has been red hot, hitting six in his last seven games. He’s got 18 total homers now. And you can’t forget reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson, who has been heating up. He’s hit three home runs in the last four games. Even Kevin Pillar has hit a few homers recently, including two in one game against the Phillies. This is an impressive offensive outburst for all these guys, and even though it might not be completely sustainable, the Jays love to hit home runs and they won’t stop trying to hit them.
The Jays have been rolling lately. They beat the ever loving crap out of the Phillies in three of four games last week, after being shut out in the first. In those three games, they scored a total of 31 runs, hit 11 homers, and all three wins were by 5 runs or more. Granted, it’s the Phillies, who are in the midst of an impressive free fall, but those are not insignificant wins. Then they opened their weekend series last night by stunning the Orioles 13-3. They’re just one game back of the Orioles now in the AL East, and they have another two games against them this weekend. It’s going to be a close race between the Jays, the Orioles, and the Red Sox in the AL East for the rest of the season, but don’t be surprised if you wake up Monday and see a new name at the top of the division.
- The College World Series starts today, and we’ve got you covered. Jeff Gray went over the schedule for both brackets, each team’s chances of winning it all, and he looked at the most important questions going into this weekend.
- It may feel like it’s come very quickly for the Royals, but they have some important decisions to make before their window of opportunity starts to close.
- The strikeout is king, and it’s not going anywhere. In fact, it represents a fundamental change in the way the game has been played.
- Ella Black, America’s first female baseball writer (back in 1890!), was both mysterious and awesome, and Cara Giaimo wrote all about her at Atlas Obscura.
- When a foul ball fell into his cup of beer, this Cubs fan did the only thing it made sense to do: CHUG.
- The Padres are in hot water again, and this time they’re receiving criticism from the Filipino community.
- A foul ball absolutely destroyed a reporter’s laptop in the press box at Camden Yards last night. Destroyed, as in the laptop was in actual pieces.
- To save them from disappearing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, Grant Brisbee says the Pirates need their pitching magic to change course.
- Vin Scully has thoughts on socialism. Who knew?
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