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Tom Wilhelmsen error sets up Yan Gomes walkoff home run for Cleveland Indians [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 6:20 pm] Before the walkoff, came the muff. Seattle Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen, messing up a play that pitchers and first basemen across the league work have worked on time and memorial during spring training, muffed a flip from first baseman Justin Smoke in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday afternoon, dropping the ball for an unbelievable error that allowed the Cleveland Indians to score the tying run. It was right of Smoak to throw the ball, after a grounder came his way, and not try to beat Carlos Santana to the bag himself. Smoak's flip didn't have too much on it, or not enough. It wasn't too high that Wilhelmsen had to reach, and it wasn't too low that he had to stoop. Wilhelmsen wasn't late covering the bag, and Smoak didn't lead him too much. The ball hit him right in the leather. Everything about the play was right â except for the catch. Wilhelmsen, who came in 11 of 11 converting saves and really had pitched as well as anyone in ninth innings this season, just didn't catch it. After time was called Smoak bent over at the waste in apparent disbelief. The Mariners re-took the lead in the top of the 10th, but manager Eric Wedge chose not to use Wilhelmsen for another inning, and they lost on a three-run home run by Yan Gomes â Cleveland's backup catcher â in the bottom half. It was an exhilarating ending to one of the more entertaining games of the season. For one side, anyway. Wilhelmsen spoke matter-of-factly about his error, via Geoff Baker's Mariners Blog in the Seattle Times: âSmoakie made a great play and threw a perfect ball right to me,ââ Wilhemsen said. âI simply took my eyes off it and it fell out.ââ The Smoak homer nearly made everyody forget about that. But then the Mariners couldnât get anybody out in the bottom of the 10th and all their efforts went for naught. Smoak said the late loss clearly hurt in a clubhouse where many of the players seemed stunned and angry. It was a total capsizing by the M's, who probably won't en Phil Jackson: Future baseball coach? Zen adviser to MLB managers? [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 6:14 pm] Here's a fun fact: The number of NBA championships won by Phil Jackson as a basketball player and coach is more than every baseball team except the New York Yankees has won World Series rings. Jackson has won 13 NBA Finals. After the Yankees' 27 titles, the next highest is the St. Louis Cardinals, who have 11. That's a weird set-up for two weird tidbits: (1) Phil Jackson might want to be a baseball coach. (2) He's already an adviser to a couple MLB managers. The New York Times' magazine detailed at length how NBA teams are still chasing Jackson and how he can't really leave the game. One passage reads: "Jackson will almost certainly return to basketball. One of his other great talents is coming out of retirement." But about three-fourths into the story comes this baseball-centric nugget: Jackson has been serving as a kind of intersports guru, giving informal advice to an Israeli soccer coach â âAll soccer involves triangles,â Jackson says â as well as to a couple of baseball managers. He grew up playing baseball and still thinks he would make a good coach. He has told the owner of the Chicago White Sox â his former boss with the Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf â that heâs available. He seems to be only half joking. Phil Jackson, baseball coach. How crazy would be if the guy all these NBA teams are chasing made the jump â like a certain star player of his did â to baseball? Maybe Jackson could take over the Dodgers. L.A. fans could get behind that, right? I mean, they've already accepted Magic Johnson as their savior. OK, so Phil Jackson in baseball probably isn't not going to happen, but it is interesting to learn that Jackson is giving advice to MLB managers. Who do you think they are? I dunno, but it sure would be funny if it were Jim Leyland. Let's hope it's not Don Mattingly. That wouldn't bode well for Jackson's coaching prospects. Baseball is back. Don't miss anything. Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page. Dodgers say they have ‘no plans’ to fire Don Mattingly … but would they tell us if they did? [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 2:51 pm] With the Los Angeles Dodgers in last place in the NL West with a 17-25 record and a 4-11 record thus far in May, speculation is rising to new levels that manager Don Mattingly might soon be out of a job. Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports wrote a column Sunday with the ominous headline, "Ax soon to fall for LA's Mattingly," citing a scout and his own baseball instincts. The Dodgers, however, are denying that. The Los Angeles Times reports the team has "no plans" to fire Mattingly "when the team returns home Thursday or any time before then." That comes from an unnamed club official, spoken with Sunday night after the Dodgers lost to the Atlanta Braves 5-2, completing a three-game weekend sweep. It's funny, though, because when was the last time you heard, "Oh, yes, we DO have plans to fire our manager and we're going to do it on Wednesday?" Having "no plans" could mean they just don't have the press conference scheduled yet. Or haven't gotten around to ordering the "goodbye" cake. Here's more from Bill Shaikin of the Times: There has been some thought about whether the Dodgers should dismiss Trey Hillman, the bench coach picked by Mattingly. It is uncertain whether removing a coach would be considered the best solution at this point, or whether the Dodgers' plans would change if the team does not fare well in a series that starts Monday in Milwaukee. So, in essence, Don Mattingly isn't on the hot seat ... but he is totally on the hot seat. Should we start a what-day-will-he-get-fired pool? I'll take May 27. Baseball is back. Don't miss anything. Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page. Aroldis Chapman eats ’18′ Cuban pastries filled with cream cheese and guava, blows save [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 2:44 pm] What does it take for Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds to blow a save for a second consecutive appearance? How about Chapman being bloated from binging on "18," he said, of the yummiest Cuban pastries anyone could stuff in their face Sunday before the Reds faced the Phillies? And it was one of the Phillies announcers, also a Cuban expatriate, who sabotaged Chapman by bringing him the goodies! That's the story Phillies' Spanish-language broadcaster Rickie Ricardo told the 94-FM WIP morning show Monday. Friends with Ricardso since he came to the U.S., Chapman had asked him to pick up two boxes (100 total) of flaky Cuban pastries filled with cream cheese and guava from a place down in Union City, N.J. â described by Ricardo as a "Cuban stronghold." Two or three of these things would clog your arteries and send you into a food coma. Only, Chapman didn't stop at two or three, Ricardo said: âCould you imagine cream cheese and guava on a baked pastry? Well Chapman asked me for a box of 100, two boxes of 50. When I saw him on Sunday morning before the game, he was in the clubhouse, he had just eaten about 18 of them. He couldnât breathe! I looked at my partner, I said, âheâs ripe for the taking today.â The "Ripe Guava," or the "Flaky Pastry," is now the Philadelphia nickname for Chapman, who had come in with a 2.41 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings. Chapman, who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun with no problem, and not only while driving, was in the 95 mph neighborhood as the Phillies rallied for 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park. That 5 mph could mean a lot. It's up to the rocket scientists to formulate an equation as to how much each pastry cost Chapman from his 100 mph heater. Big BLS H/N: Deadspin Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and@bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page! Rangers Ballpark: A local’s guide to enjoying a road trip to the home of the Texas Rangers [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 2:28 pm] Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below. Planning a trip to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington? First things first, we just call it âthe Ballparkâ around these parts, and we never agreed to call it Ameriquest Field for those few years a while back, but I digress. The home of the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers is a beauty of a stadium, blending Texas tradition with architectural elements reminiscent of bygone eras, most notably a covered porch in right field that echoes Tiger Stadium and old Comiskey Park. The past three offseasons have included extensive technological upgrades and stadium renovations, enhancing the game day experience for fans and players alike. Pack your warm weather clothes and join me for some tips about my home away from home: 1. Location, locationâ¦location? While many other entries on this list can boast a vibrant downtown or quirky neighborhood full of unique characteristics surrounding their stadium, the same cannot be said for our fine establishment situated at 1000 Ballpark Way. Take a stroll down Randol Mill Road and youâll find yourself at either Cowboys Stadium or the Wal-Mart Supercenter, both emitting an equal sense of despair. Deciding where to stay on your trip basically depends on who you are and what you want to do â are you a family looking for an easy few days of baseball games and amusement parks? Keep it local and stay in Arlington. Rangers Ballpark is in close proximity to both Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor, so gather up the kids and the sunscreen and go say hello to Bugs Bunny and his pals. Not into roller coasters or water parks? Opt for D British Invasion! Busch Stadium pitcher’s mound flattened for Man City-Chelsea match Thursday [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 1:06 pm] Well, it's happened. Soccer finally has taken over the heart of the United States. The rest of the world's favourite sport is coming to Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday and it is flattening the pitcher's mound in order to make it happen. With the host baseball team having vacated the stadium on a road trip, Manchester City and Chelsea of the English Premiere League move in to play a "friendly" (exhibition) on the same field where David Freese won a car for leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series championship in 2011. EPL's season ended Sunday, with Man City and Chelsea taking second and third, respectively, in league play. So these are two of the best teams in the world, a good matchup for the first soccer game of any sort in Busch Stadium III history. But, as fans of soccer would tell you, big mounds of dirt and clay on the pitch aren't conducive to a good showcase, so the pitcher's mound has to go, as does a layer of dirt elsewhere on the infield. The Cardinals tweeted a photo of work being done to that end Monday. Of course, they'll put the mound back in time for the Cardinals' return (right? RIGHT?). Hey, the crew in St. Louis used to be expert at knocking down the pitcher's mound at Busch Stadium II for the St. Louis Football Cardinals. The mound always went back up, did it not? But the rest of the field's condition will depend on the weather. It's supposed to rain a lot before Thursday which, MLB.com reports, could lead to more divots being left behind. That worries some fans: Prediction: Carlos Beltran twists knee in first game back to Busch Stadium; every soccer ball in St. Louis is summoned for obliteration. â Matt Sebek (@MattSebek) May 20, 2013 One other note about the ground's crew, from MLB.com: Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and @bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page! Playing catch with kids in the stands is officially a baseball trend — now Bruce Chen is doing it [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 11:13 am] It's official! Pitchers playing catch with kids in the stands during batting practice is the hottest craze in baseball â sweeping the game faster than a team playing a three-game series with the Dodgers. (Sorry, Dodgers, but you have been swept three times in May). Actually, it's a trend that started with those Los Angeles Dodgers, when Hyun-Jin Ryu played catch with a young fan named Deuce last week. Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals was next to get caught on camera doing it. Now we find Bruce Chen of the Kansas City Royals, who did it over the weekend when playing the Oakland Athletics. Of course, the third time something happens it isn't as cool anymore. Just like with movies and Nas albums, the first one is still the best. But in this case, we'll point out two noteworthy things about Chen's effort: He's tossing the ball with A's fans, not Royals fans, which is a nice show of bi-partisan catch-playing. And he's playing with two kids, not just one. This tell us it won't be long before the kids are lined up to play catch during batting practice like they line up for autographs. BLS H/N: 7000 Coliseum Way via Cut4 Baseball is back. Don't miss anything. Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page. Robinson Cano surprises 13-year-old leukemia survivor with Wiffle ball game at MLB Fan Cave [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 10:43 am] A trip to the MLB Fan Cave in New York City to play Wiffle ball must have been fun enough for 13-year-old Nick D'Annibale, a seventh grader who happens to also be a survivor of leukemia. Just getting a chance to play in the street, semi-Willie Mays-style â to hit and pitch, with other baseball fans â some 18 months after being diagnosed, that alone made for a happy Friday. And then the ice cream van showed up, announcing its presence with the appropriate music box soundtrack. Car! Ice cream delay â those are the best. But then, instead of the Ice Cream Man, none other than Robinson Cano popped out of the van, wearing the same No. 24 that D'Annibale wore on his back. "I thought it was just going to be ice cream," D'Annibale said. On his own free time before the New York Yankees hosted the Blue Jays in the Bronx, Cano played Wiffle ball in the street with D'Annibale and the Fan Cave Dwellers. "I love Robinson Cano and he's one of the best second basemen in the league," D'Annibale said. Cano and D'Annibale traded swings, with the Yankees star giving a high-five and saying, "Whoa, you're better than me!" And the kid did seem to put some good swings on the ball. Watch. Nick's father, Joe D'Annibale, said the first year of his son's treatment was "really rough," but he's been better lately (Nick has been in school this year), even though there might be two more years of treatment ahead. Whoa, again. Send some good thoughts Nick's way, won't you? He's still got a long way to go. And the same to Robinson Cano. Visits like these make a big difference in another person's quality of life. Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813 and @bigleaguestew on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page! Manny Ramirez ‘moonwalks’ like Michael Jackson after losing balance in Taiwan [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 9:26 am] How is Taiwan ever going to repay the Western Hemisphere for Manny Ramirez? As Manny continues to hit like Manny, (he has seven home runs), he also provides Taiwan's nightly news with hysterical video clips. Now, it's hard to tell what is happening in this clip in total because of the language barrier and the overgrown graphics that make CNN or ESPN on NFL Draft day look spartan by comparison. It must be like "Blade Runner" in Tapei City. But here's the gist of Manny's Moonwalk: Manny takes a big swing on a foul ball, loses his balance, and prevents himself from falling on his bottom by walking backward until he finds his bearings. And it looks like he's moonwalking like Michael Jackson. (OK, it's kind of a stretch. But they did a nice job with the video cuts and "Billie Jean" sound clips.) It's just Manny being ... Michael. As showmen go, and as kinky hair goes, they are not dissimilar. There's also something going on with a foul ball and a fist bump and a broken bat that smells scrumptious to Manny. I've seen players smell a freshly broken bat before, but ... I don't know either. Just keep the highlights coming until Dennis Rodman figures out a way to get Manny home. Big BLS H/N: Manny Does Taiwan Baseball is in full swing! Interact with @AnswerDave, @MikeOz, @Townie813and@bigleaguestewon Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page! Target Field: A local’s guide to enjoying a road trip to the home of the Minnesota Twins [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 9:20 am] Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below. So youâre in Minneapolis and youâre looking to be entertained, eh? Well youâre in luck, fair visitor! Minneapolis is a jewel of a city, with beautiful parks and lakes, a thriving arts scene, and some of the Midwestâs finest restaurants. Nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, youâll surely find myriad ways of enjoying springtime, which this year takes place for nearly two full weeks before three months of oppressive heat give way to winterâs nine months of snow and passive aggression. Whatâs that you say, dear friend? Youâre in the mood for a baseball outing? May I convince you otherwise? We donât really do that anymore around here. For one, the Local Nine havenât given us much to cheer about over the past two years. Plus, I was actually still shoveling my driveway a week and a half ago. No, Iâm not kidding. So please forgive us natives for neglecting to realize that the 2013 baseball season has actually been going on for a while, and for ignoring that our team, while only playing .500 ball, is wildly exceeding our 90-loss expectations. So instead of hanging out at that admittedly beautiful ballpark downtown tonight, I would encourage you to seek out a rooftop bar in our sparkling urban playground, order yourself a nice seasonal beer, and watch as all of the beautiful 25-year-olds who work in Targetâs marketing department get off work and make tonight a wonderful thing. Huh? Youâre telling me that you still insist on watching Vance Worley struggle to make it through four innings tonight? I honestly donât know what to say to that. Itâs yo Matt Moore matches Babe Ruth with 8-0 start [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 8:46 am] Comparing pitchers by their individual won-loss record isn't useful, usually. First off, pitchers don't complete games like they used to â not even close â so the statistic lacks much of its former meaning. Besides, there are many other, better stats to go by when measuring how well someone pitches. However, when the name Babe Ruth is evoked, it's fun just to take a look anyway. Such is the case with Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays, who Sunday became the youngest left-hander, at 23 years old, to start a season 8-0 since Ruth did so at age 22 for the Boston Red Sox in 1917. (It's also fun to remind ourselves that Ruth was once a dominant pitcher, as well, before he became the Sultan of Swat.) Moore also set a franchise record by winning his ninth straight decision overall, edging teammate David Price. ''Historically speaking, it's been wonderful,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Moore's season. Looking beyond the record, has Moore outpitched the Babe? In many ways, yes: ⢠The Rays have won in each of Moore's nine starts; In the Babe's ninth start of 1917, he got shellacked by the White Sox in a loss for the Red Sox. Edge: MOORE. ⢠Moore's ERA is higher a tad, but when you consider the era, it's much better than the current league average. Ruth's is very good, too, but it's much closer to the league average. Edge: MOORE. ⢠Ruth pitched more innings during the respective streaks â 13 2/3 more, a substantial amount, and that's even with Moore getting an extra start. Edge: BABE. ⢠Ruth allowed no home runs, compared to seven allowed for Moore. This is what what accounts for the difference in OPS allowed. Of course, nobody was hitting home runs in 1917 like they do today. Not even Babe Ruth (yet). Still, Moore gave 'em up. Edge: BABE. ⢠Moore struck out almost one man per inning. The Babe's nowhere near him. Strikeouts are good, if not democratic. Edge: MOORE. ⢠Game score, a stat developed by Bill James that's a great way to figure out (for example) Wife douses husband with beer in Wrigley Field bleachers after he tries to protect her from homer [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 3:11 am] It started with a chivalrous act gone wrong, was followed by a beer bath and ended with a high-five. A couple caught the attention of baseball fans at Wrigley Field on Sunday and the ones watching at home on TV. Why? His-and-her beer baths! It happened when Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood hit a home run to left field in the fifth inning. A husband in the bleachers tried to protect his wife from the ball, but in the process spilled his beer on her. So, in return, she dumped her beer on his head. This was not a cheap lovers spat. The Cubs have one of the highest beer prices in the league â $7.25 for a small beer, so that's $14.50, minus whatever they had already gulped down. MLB.com caught up the couple afterward and the wife explained herself: "I just got livid," she said. "And took my beer and splooshed it in his face. I figured if I'm wet, he might as well be wet too." They both were in good spirits, laughing along. The wife agreed she got her payback, and the husband was happy to hear they were even. Then they high-fived. No beer was dropped in the process. Baseball is back. Don't miss anything. Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher, catcher combine for one of the coolest catches of the season [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 2:24 am] Usually when we're posting a crazy circus catch, it's a diving outfielder or a darting infielder. It's hardly ever the pitcher or the catcher. But in this case, it's the pitcher AND the catcher. You gotta see Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero and relief pitcher Josh Collmenter combining for the rare 2-1 pop-up put-out â on a bunt no less. It's one of the coolest plays so far this season. It sorta reminds me of a deflected pass in the NFL â with Montero knocking the ball up in the air, then Collmenter sweeping past to keep the ball afloat, then catching it on the move, barehanded. The score didn't reflect it â the Diamondbacks ended up losing to the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Sunday â but this was touchdown-worthy effort. Baseball is back. Don't miss anything. Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page. The Juice: Miggy smash! Cabrera homers three times, but Tigers still fall to Rangers [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 20, 2013, 1:29 am] The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more. Miguel Cabrera doesn't exactly need to remind us that he's really, really good at hitting baseballs. Coming into Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers, the reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown winner, already led baseball in batting average and RBIs. With an other-worldly display Sunday, the Detroit Tigers slugger showed why he's a Triple Crown candidate again. He hit three homers, going 4-for-4 and driving in five runs. He now has 11 home runs, which is one behind the AL lead. But here's the reality check: The Tigers still lost to the Rangers 11-8 in a matchup that many think we could see again come playoff time. The Rangers have the best record in baseball at 29-15, while the Tigers are in second in the AL Central at 23-19, behind the surging Cleveland Indians. En route to the victory, the Rangers pounded out 18 hits and scored 10 total runs in the fifth, six and seventh innings. Still, after the game, even Rangers manager Ron Washington was gushing about Cabrera's greatness: ''I've never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches,'' Rangers manager Ron Washington said. ''He's just a tremendous hitter. I'm very happy that he's headed to the airport.'' Phillies beat Reds with dramatic comeback: As good as Aroldis Chapman is, even this happens to him: Freddy Galvis and Erik Kratz hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the ninth Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies stunned the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2. The Reds went into the eighth inning up 2-0 after Homer Bailey pitched seven scoreless innings. The Phillies got on the scoreboard in the eighth, when Chase Ultey singled in Ben Revere. Chapman, the fire-throwing Reds closer, blew his second straight save, something he's only done once before in his career. MORE SCORES Indians 6, Mariners 0: Justin Masters Revenge of the Coors Field mound: Tim Lincecum takes mid-delivery spill during ugly outing [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 1:45 pm] Your browser does not support iframes. Ironically, it was less than 24 hours earlier that we rehashed Tim Lincecum's accusatory comments on the Coors Field mound in September 2010 that had everyone (myself included) turning into expert lip-readers. Of course that became temporarily significant again because of the interesting exchange between Troy Tulowitzki and Madison Bumgarner on Friday night after a baseball was taken out of play at Tulowitzki's request as he was running the bases. Rather than a continuation of bad blood, though, it turned out to be nothing more than an honest request and a miscommunication. Everyone went about their merry way heading into Saturday night's game in Denver. But maybe the mere mention of that incident stirred up some spirits at Coors Field. Well, that, or maybe Tim Lincecum just can't catch a break these days, because the struggling former Cy Young Award winner ended up taking an embarrassing tumble on that same mound in the fourth inning of Colorado's 10-2 victory. It happened right in the middle of his 1-1 delivery to Charlie Blackmon when his plant leg slipped right off the rubber. He's actually pretty lucky he didn't suffer a sprained ankle or even a knee injury considering the torque and pressure put on his lower leg, but he bounced up and carried on with the only downside to the mishap being a balk that awarded the runner second base. Well, I guess there was some downside to staying in the game, too, because the Rockies immediately went back to bouncing Lincecum. Their own pitcher, Tyler Chatwood, made Timmy pay for his balk by delivering a two-out, RBI single. Colorado tacked on a two more in the fifth on Wilin Rosario's two-run homer deep into the left field seats. When all was said and done, Lincecum had allowed six earned runs in five innings, which was better than Bumgarner's line the night before, but certainly not what the Giants needed during this uncharacteristically tough stretch for their starting rotation. Looking Cubs fan showcases tremendous hands while reeling in dangerous foul ball (Video) [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 12:39 pm] No beers were sacrificed in the attempt to catch this foul ball, but that's not to say there were no substantial risks involved. In fact, I would confidently say the Cubs fan seated front row in the upper deck at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon was willing to put a whole lot more than a beverage on the line to reel in a souvenir. Fortunately for him, he had two big things working in his favor as he leaned precariously over the railing with Ike Davis' foul ball slicing in his direction. The first would be his tremendous balance, as he managed to keep himself steady while extending his arms as far as they would go. The second are his exceptional hands. Seriously. That was all about the hands. Even Keith Hernandez, a Gold Glove first baseman in his day who knows how important soft hands are in fielding a baseball, was impressed by how easily the fan was able to snatch the baseball and secure it from that position. And Keith doesn't impress easy, folks, so that's a pretty solid endorsement. I'll throw my own endorsement in there as well. It was a terrific play. But I'll once again add that bringing a glove to the ballpark it still the best way to go. Also, kids, if you're reading, don't try copycatting that play at your local stadium or anywhere else. It's far too dangerous and not worth the risk for a baseball. If there's a railing in place, it's there for a reason. Looking for more baseball chatter? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter Also, check out the BLS Facebook Page Jason Heyward tips his helmet to Matt Kemp after home run-robbing grab (Video) [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 11:30 am] Your browser does not support iframes. Though he remains stuck on one home run through the Dodgers first 40 games, at least Matt Kemp can say he's taken the same number away from their opponents. The Gold Glove center fielder turned in one of the finest defensive plays we've seen in the first seven weeks on Saturday night, gliding into position, timing his jump, and then hanging in the air just long enough to bring back a Jason Heyward fly ball that wasn't quite ticketed for the bleachers, but definitely had enough juice to clear the wall. The play happened in the first inning with the game still scoreless. Heyward, who just returned to Atlanta's lineup on Friday after missing 23 games following an emergency appendectomy in Colorado, was making a bid for his third home run of the year. Another foot, maybe two, he has it, but instead all he could do was tip his helmet to Kemp out of respect for the play he'd just made. As the game continued along, it looked like Kemp's robbery might actually hold up as the most important play in the game. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth behind an excellent outing by Chris Capuano, before manager Don Mattingly turned to his set up man, Kenley Jansen. That's where things went south quickly, as Evan Gattis (two-run shot) and Andrelton Simmons parked back-to-back big flys in places Kemp couldn't reach to make it 3-1. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel closed things out in the ninth for his thirteenth save. Meanwhile, the Dodgers fell to 17-24 and seven games out of first as their incredibly frustrating season continued down the wrong path. Looking for more baseball chatter? Follow @bigleaguestew, @Townie813, @AnswerDave and @MikeOz on Twitter Also, check out the BLS Facebook Page Gerardo Parra’s home run leading off D-Backs 1-0 win was first of its kind in 50 years (Video) [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 4:25 am] Your browser does not support iframes. Home runs leading off baseball games aren't all that rare an occurrence in Major League Baseball. However, the one hit by Gerardo Parra on Saturday night is rare for a couple different reasons that just so happened to come together on the same night. 1. It came on the very first pitch of the game from Tom Koehler. Again, in and of itself, not all that unusual, but wait for part two. 2. It held up as the only run scored in the entire baseball game. That means the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins played a complete nine-inning game, and all of the offense came on the first of 236 pitches. The last time a baseball game followed that exact script was all the back on Sept. 2, 1963. The hitter that day? None other than Pete Rose, as the Cincinnati Reds knocked off the Mets 1-0 in Game 2 of a doubleheader. That's pretty remarkable when you think about it, but if you're to believe Parra, that may have been the way hitting coach Don Baylor had it drawn up all afternoon. From the Associated Press: Parra's home run to right-center field came on the first pitch from Tom Koehler (0-2) on Saturday. It was Parra's third career leadoff home run and it came on the advice of batting coach Don Baylor. ''I talked to him before the game and he said, 'Just swing first pitch' and he was right,'' Parra said. ''He's got more experience than me. Of course the game wasn't without other close calls offensively. In fact, the closest one came in the bottom half of the first inning when Chris Coghlan singled to right field and Derek Dietrich attempted to score from second. Gerardo Parra took care of that problem, too, recording his sixth assist of the season to end Miami's one and only true threat to break the shutout. ''The throw there, we've seen it a lot,'' manager Kirk Gibson said. ''It's unreal how good he is and how accurate and strong his arm is. It was a big play for us.'' For the record, the winning pitching back in 1963 was Jim Maloney. He wen Gerardo Parra’s home run leading off D-backs 1-0 win was first of its kind in 50 years [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 4:25 am] Home runs leading off baseball games aren't all that rare an occurrence in Major League Baseball. However, the one hit by Gerardo Parra on Saturday night is rare for a couple different reasons that just so happened to come together on the same night. 1. It came on the very first pitch of the game from Tom Koehler. Again, in and of itself, not all that unusual, but wait for part two. 2. It held up as the only run scored in the entire baseball game. That means the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins played a complete nine-inning game, and all of the offense came on the first of 236 pitches. According to Elias (via ESPN Stats), the last time a baseball game followed that exact script was all the back on Sept. 2, 1963. The hitter that day? None other than Pete Rose, as the Cincinnati Reds knocked off the Mets 1-0 in Game 2 of a doubleheader. That's pretty remarkable when you think about it, but if you're to believe Parra, that may have been the way hitting coach Don Baylor had it drawn up all afternoon. [Related: Rays snap Orioles' leading-after-seven streak at 109 games] From the Associated Press: Parra's home run to right-center field came on the first pitch from Tom Koehler (0-2) on Saturday. It was Parra's third career leadoff home run and it came on the advice of batting coach Don Baylor. ''I talked to him before the game and he said, 'Just swing first pitch' and he was right,'' Parra said. ''He's got more experience than me. Of course the game wasn't without other close calls offensively. In fact, the closest one came in the bottom half of the first inning when Chris Coghlan singled to right field and Derek Dietrich attempted to score from second. Gerardo Parra took care of that problem, too, recording his sixth assist of the season to end Miami's one and only true threat to break the shutout. ''The throw there, we've seen it a lot,'' manager Kirk Gibson said. ''It's unreal how good he is and how accurate and strong his arm is. It was a big play for us.'' For The Juice: Rays score six in ninth inning, end Orioles 109-game win streak when leading after seven [Yahoo! Sports: Blogs: May 19, 2013, 2:58 am] Your browser does not support iframes. The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more. The Baltimore Orioles have been basically untouchable when leading after seven innings over the past couple of seasons, but that all came to a stunning and screeching halt on Saturday. With a 6-4 lead entering the ninth, closer Jim Johnson, whose consecutive save streak ended at 35 on Tuesday, allowed a home run to Kelly Johnson, two walks, a single, before wrapping up his outing on Matt Joyceâs go-ahead, two-run double. Sidearmer Darren OâDay took over from there and allowed both of Johnsonâs inherited runners to score and then one of his own. All in all, it was a six-run rally for the Rays that turned Baltimoreâs lead into a 10-6 defeat, ending their remarkable 109-game winning streak in games they led after the seventh inning in the process. I suppose they knew it was coming eventually, but one has to believe there were a few shocked people in Baltimore's clubhouse after it got away to that extend. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria and the Rays couldn't have been more thrilled they were the team to finally end the late inning dominance. ''Their track record after seven innings has spoken for itself,'' Longoria said. ''They've been really good late in the game. And Jim Johnson has been as good as they come. To be able to get to him and then tack a couple more on and be able to win a game like that, especially here in this hostile environment, is really big.'' The Rays will hope to make it three really big wins on Sunday as they go for the series sweep. Another day, another walkoff: The Cleveland Indians are rolling and not even a blown save by closer Chris Perez can stop them. Despite Perez allowing back-to-back, two-out home runs in the ninth inning to Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak, which tied the score at four, Cleveland found a way to win again. On Friday |