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 OK, 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.
Late-inning wins were the story of Wednesday’s MLB games
Thursday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes a slew of late-inning wins, the most important NL East players, and Alex Gordon’s position switch.
Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images
* * *
It’s early in the 2017 MLB season, but we’ve already had some real excitement. Wednesday’s games featured four that were won with late-inning hits, and two of those were extra-inning walkoffs. Matt Kemp helped make sure Bartolo Colon’s start against his former team, the Mets, wasn’t wasted with this go-ahead two-run double in the 12th inning that put Atlanta up 3-1. Elsewhere with a go-ahead hit was Francisco Lindor, who made just a little bit more noise with his at-bat than Kemp did: Whereas Kemp hit a bases-loaded double, Lindor hit a grand slam to give the Indians a ninth-inning lead over the Rangers and, eventually, the win.
Lindor’s blast was his second dinger on the day, and also made up for an earlier error in the game that allowed the Rangers to plate two runs. Sandy Leon was also in the business of atonement for the Red Sox against the Pirates: Leon blew through a stop sign at third earlier in the evening and was thrown out at the plate when the Sox could have had Leon at third, Dustin Pedroia at second, and Andrew Benintendi up in a game that was, to that point, 0-0. In the bottom of the 12th, though, Leon went deep with a three-run shot over the Green Monster, giving Boston a walkoff win.
George Springer wasn’t making up for any past sins: Dude just had a tremendous Wednesday. He drove in the two runs that brought the Astros to extras in the first place, and then in the 13th, hit a three-run homer to give Houston the win and their first 3-0 start to a season since 2001.
- These, according to Grant Brisbee, are the five most important players in the National League East. He used to call them the “bellwether” players, but no one clicks on articles that use “bellwether” in the headline.
- Bryce Harper had two hits, drove in two runs, and made an impressive sliding catch against the Marlins in a game that the Nationals won by — you guessed it — two runs.
- If for some reason you ever need to slide like a baseball player, do not slide like any of these people.
- X-rays were negative on Rich Hill’s hand after he was hit by a pitch while batting.
- Lance Lynn’s velocity hasn’t come back after Tommy John surgery, and Viva El Birdos is wondering how much they should worry.
- He was heading in the wrong direction for a bit there, but Justin Verlander is right back on a Hall of Fame track.
- Alex Gordon is moving over to right field, where his arm can do some more damage to the opposition.
- Alexei Ramirez apparently used to eat a pregame snack while with the White Sox, and we made it to see how it is. Oh, also, it’s a Krispy Kreme doughnut sandwich full of mayonnaise.
- Stephen Piscotty was somehow hit by three baseballs in three minutes.
- The Rangers did not allow one of their players to wear No. 69. The Rangers are not nice.
- The Rangers are 0-3, though, and we can only assume it has something to do with not allowing said player to wear said nice number.
See More:
