Here’s your
morning baseball briefing:
Game
of the Day for Wednesday July 24:
Kansas City Royals 5,
Baltimore Orioles 4
Comeback
wins are always nice, especially at home, and especially when a player whose
error inadvertently led to two unearned runs plays a big role in that
comeback. Kansas City first baseman Eric
Hosmer homered in the first inning, but had a costly fielding error in the
fourth that resulted in a two-run home run for the next batter, Baltimore
catcher Matt Weiters. Hosmer redeemed
himself in a big way later, and with his team trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the
eighth, he hit a towering game-tying two-run home run, and shortstop Alcides
Escobar singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Royals
walked-off winners. Redemption always
feels better at home.
Rest of
the day’s scores:
Consecutive
days with a walk-off win (where the home team scores the winning run in the
ninth inning or later that immediately ends the game): 2. The Kansas City Royals were the only team to walk-off
winners on Wednesday.
A.L. MVP
Watch: Prince Fielder, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Yesterday: 2-4 with a homer and 3 RBI
Season: .269, 17 HRs, 74 RBI
On pace
for: .269, 27 HRS, 119 RBI
N.L. MVP
Watch: Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Yesterday: 1-3 with a homer, 3 RBI, and 4 walks
Season: .315, 22 HR’s, 83 RBI and 65 runs scored
On pace
for: .314, 35 HRS, 134 RBI and 105 runs
scored
A.L. Cy
Young Watch: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
Yesterday: Complete game, 5-hitter, 1 earned run allowed in win vs.
Boston
Season: 5-5 with a 3.75 ERA, but third complete game in his last 5
starts
On pace
for: 8-8 with 121 strikeouts, but he
missed seven weeks with a sore arm
N.L. Cy
Young Watch: Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates
Yesterday: 7.2 shutout innings, 2 hits allowed, 8 strikeouts in a win
vs. Washington.
Season: 10-4, 2.23 ERA with 92 strikeouts
On pace
for: 16-6 record. 2.24 ERA with 150
strikeouts
News &
Notes: Seattle Mariner’s manager Eric Wedge had what was described
as a “very mild stroke” on Wednesday and was released from the hospital and is
expected to make a full recovery. He
missed the entire three-game series with Cleveland is needs more rest before returning
to the dugout.
History –
1951 World Series
Winner: The New York Yankees beat the New
York Giants 4 games to 2.
The Yankees
and Giants met for the fifth time in the World Series, with the Giants wining
in 1921 & 1922 and the Yankees winning in 1936 & 1937. The Yankees won their division by five games
and this would be Joe DiMaggio’s final season, with the young rookie Mickey
Mantle slated to make the move from right field to center to replace him. The Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers finished tied
atop the National League, and in Game 3 of a three-game playoff, trailing 4-1
in the bottom of the ninth, they won the pennant on a thrilling walk-off home
run by Bobby Thompson (dubbed “The Shot Heard Round the World”) to advance to
play their hated rival the Yankees. The
Yankees had won the previous two World Series and the Giants stood in their way
of a three-peat. This was also the first
World Series appearance for rookie Willie Mays, future hall of fame centerfielder
for the Giants.
The teams split the first two games at Yankee Stadium before
moving back to the Polo Grounds which the Yankees shared with the Giants as a
rent paying tenant from 1912-1922. A fly
ball in Game 2 ended the series for Mantle as his knee blew out when his cleat
got caught on a drain pipe. DiMaggio
made the catch and immediately called for a stretcher. The teams split Games 3 & 4 with
identical 6-2 records, and the Yankees pounded the Giants 13-1 in the pivotal
Game 5 as Gil McDougal hit a grand slam and Eddie Lopat pitched a five-hitter
for his second series win.
The Yankees led the series 3-2 for Game 6 at Yankee Stadium,
and Hank Bauer (substituting for the injured Mantle) hit a bases-clearing
triple in the sixth to break the game open give New York a 4-1 lead. The Giants scored twice in the top of the
ninth to pull within 4-3, but Bauer sliding catch on a sinking line drive ended
the game and the series. It was the
Yankees third straight title and 14th overall, and last for Joe DiMaggio, who
won titles in his first four years, and his last three. For the series the Yankees outscored the
Giants 29-18 and outhit them 49-46. Hall
of Famers in this series included for New York: manager Casey Stengel, first
baseman Johnny Mize, catcher Yogi Berra, outfielders Joe DiMaggio & Mickey
Mantle, shortstop Phil Rizzuto, and pitcher Whitey Ford; and for the Giants:
manager Leo Durocher, and outfielders Willie Mays and Monte Irvin.
Tomorrow: 1952 World Series – New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
Trivia -
Today’s Question: Of
all the players with the most World Series rings as a player, who is the top
player on that list that never played with the Yankees?
Yesterday’s
Question: Yogi Berra has the record for most
World Series wins as a player, but who has the second most?
Answer: Joe DiMaggio with 9. In
fact, the top 19 players with the most World Series rings all played most, if
not all of their careers with the New York Yankees.
Vegas Bet: Lastly, here’s an
actual bet you can make at a Las Vegas Sports Book:Over/Under 5 innings pitched by Mets rookie Zach Wheeler vs. Atlanta.
Yesterday’s
Bet: Over/Under
10 combined runs allowed &
strikeouts by Tampa Bay starter David Price against Boston tonight.
Result: Under. Price struck out 4 and allowed 1 earned run.
Standings
| American League East | National League East | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Boston | 61 | 42 | - | L 1 | Atlanta | 57 | 44 | - | W 1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 60 | 42 | ½ | W 1 | Philadelphia | 49 | 52 | 8 | L 4 | |
| Baltimore | 57 | 45 | 3½ | L 2 | Washington | 48 | 53 | 9 | L 6 | |
| N.Y. Yankees | 53 | 48 | 7 | L 1 | N.Y. Mets | 44 | 53 | 11 | L 1 | |
| Toronto | 45 | 55 | 14½ | L 7 | Miami | 37 | 62 | 19 | L 1 | |
| American League Central | National League Central | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Detroit | 56 | 44 | - | W 4 | St. Louis | 61 | 37 | - | W 3 | |
| Cleveland | 53 | 48 | 3½ | W 1 | Pittsburgh | 60 | 39 | 1½ | W 4 | |
| Kansas City | 47 | 51 | 8 | W 2 | Cincinnati | 58 | 44 | 5 | W 1 | |
| Minnesota | 43 | 55 | 12 | L 1 | Chi. Cubs | 45 | 54 | 16½ | W 1 | |
| Chi. White Sox | 39 | 59 | 16 | L 3 | Milwaukee | 42 | 58 | 20 | W 1 | |
| American League West | National League West | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Oakland | 59 | 42 | - | W 1 | L.A. Dodgers | 53 | 47 | - | W 6 | |
| Texas | 56 | 45 | 3 | W 1 | Arizona | 52 | 49 | 1½ | L 1 | |
| Seattle | 48 | 53 | 11 | L 1 | Colorado | 49 | 53 | 5 | W 1 | |
| L.A. Angels | 47 | 52 | 11 | W 1 | San Francisco | 46 | 55 | 7½ | L 1 | |
| Houston | 34 | 66 | 24½ | L 1 | San Diego | 45 | 57 | 9 | L 1 | |
Thursday July 25 Schedule with probable pitchers in parentheses. My picks to win
are highlighted. Yesterday’s picks: 11-4 Overall:
542-407
Times EST
| 12:10 PM | Atlanta | Maholm (9-9) | @ | N.Y. Mets | Wheeler (3-1) |
| 12:35 PM | Pittsburgh | Burnett (4-7) | @ | Washington | Gonzalez (7-3) |
| 2:05 PM | N.Y. Yankees | Kuroda (9-6) | @ | Texas | Wolf (1-3) |
| 2:10 PM | San Diego | Volquez (7-8) | @ | Milwaukee | Gallardo (8-8) |
| 2:10 PM | Detroit | Verlander (10-7) | @ | Chi. White Sox | Peavy (7-4) |
| 3:10 PM | Miami | Eovaldi (2-1) | @ | Colorado | Nicasio (6-4) |
| 7:07 PM | Houston | Bedard (3-7) | @ | Toronto | Buehrle (5-7) |
| 7:10 PM | Tampa Bay | Hellickson (9-3) | @ | Boston | Lackey (7-7) |
| 7:15 PM | Philadelphia | Kendrick (9-6) | @ | St. Louis | Lynn (11-5) |
| 8:10 PM | Baltimore | Gonzalez (8-3) | @ | Kansas City | Guthrie (9-7) |
| 9:40 PM | Chi. Cubs | Villanueva (2-6) | @ | Arizona | Miley (6-8) |
| 10:05 PM | L.A. Angels | Wilson (10-6) | @ | Oakland | Straily (6-3) |
| 10:10 PM | Minnesota | Correia (7-6) | @ | Seattle | Iwakuma (9-4) |
| 10:10 PM | Cincinnati | Latos (9-3) | @ | L.A. Dodgers | Greinke (8-2) |
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