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As White Sox get ready to trade, Rios could be their best chip

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Alex Rios is not Vernon Wells. People were understandably confused about this for awhile. There were some obvious parallels in their careers: they stood side-by-side in the Blue Jays outfield after signing big extensions, and when both fell flat, the Jays rushed to get rid of them in hopes of clearing up financial obligations and trying something new. But whereas Wells has been one of the worst players in baseball the last three years, Rios' was able to change his trajectory.

The low-point in Rios's career was 2009, the second season of his seven-year $69.835 million contract with the Jays. Though he showed some decline in power in 2008, the following season he completely lost his approach. For months he struggled, and experienced perhaps the lowest day of his major-league career in Toronto that June. In a game versus the Angels, Rios struck out five times, a rare platinum sombrero. Later that night, Rios was videotaped swearing at a man who heckled him for refusing to autograph for a child as he left a Jays' charity event.

"The way you played today Alex, you should feel lucky that someone wants your autograph,"the heckler yelled as Rios walked to his car. "You're a bum! You forget where you come from!" Someone snickered in the background, reciting his batting average.

Rios apologized publicly for losing his cool when the video surfaced, but his struggles on the field continued. While there was nothing to indicate that he was a clubhouse cancer or a problem of any kind beyond his play failing to match the size of his contract, the fact that he was hitting only .264/.317/.427 was bad enough for the Blue Jays to put him on waivers in the aftermath of the July 31 trade deadline.

Then-general manager J.P. Ricciardi claimed that the move wasn't personal and all about financial flexibility, though the fact that Rios was on waivers just 16 months after inking a massive contract seemed to point to something larger. The Jays stuck to their story, but their explanation seemed like the kind of pre-packaged hand-waving intended to avoid questions about Rios's ability or makeup.

Still, the Blue Jays found their buyer.

Much in the same way that we'll never know if Ricciardi was telling the truth about his reasons for looking to get rid of Rios, we'll also never know if then-GM Kenny Williams of the White Sox actually meant to acquire him. The Sox certainly didn't need another outfielder; they had Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, DeWayne Wise, and Carlos Quentin, and had even traded another outfielder, Brian Anderson, to the Boston Red Sox before the deadline. Ozzie Guillen seemed shocked to find out that Williams had claimed Rios, and scrambled to tell his outfielders how he planned to utilize them going forward.

For more White Sox conversation, visit South Side Sox

What seems most plausible is that Williams claimed Rios in an attempt to block an acquisition by the Tigers, who were leading the AL Central. Williams probably assumed that Ricciardi and the Jays would decide to keep Rios, as typically happens when it turns out that a claiming team has no intention of making a trade. Instead, the Jays took advantage of claims not being revocable and chose to give Rios to the White Sox, forcing them to take on the $59.7 million he was owed for 2010-2014.

And so Rios was the White Sox' accidental outfielder, but there was still a chance that he could help the team catch the Tigers, who had a two-game lead -- except he didn't. Rios' struggles continued, and he hit .199/.229/.301 in 41 games with the Sox, which not only led to a lot of second guessing about his ability, but also about the large sum of money that he was owed over the next four seasons.

Fortunately, things got better. While there's absolutely no disputing that Rios was dramatically overpaid in 2009, and again in 2011, in other seasons there has been little reason to regret acquiring him, accident or not. In 2012, Rios had the best offensive season of his career, and there was no question that he earned his $12 million paycheck. He hit career-high 25 home runs, had a 125 OPS+ (also a career high), and became the first player in franchise history to have two seasons with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He stayed healthy, playing 157 games, continuing a streak of staying off of the disabled list that stretched back to 2006. Last season's roster had a lot of surprises, including A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko having career seasons well past their prime, but Rios's comeback, which even earned him some MVP votes, was easily the most unexpected.

Still, critics were concerned that this season would bring trouble for Rios, who seems to struggle in odd-numbered years. Instead, he's been the most productive hitter in the White Sox lineup. He leads the team in OPS+ and is second in hits, home runs, and stolen bases. His defense has been sharp and he's played in 74 of their 75 games. Just as it did before, Rios' performance is dictating his future as the deadline looms, but instead of being viewed as a bust shackled to a massive contract, Rios is one of the most attractive pieces that the White Sox have to offer to buyers this season.

Just 10 days ago, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said that the team wasn't ready to sell, even though they had received plenty of calls. Hahn felt that there was still time for his team to erase the 9.5 game deficit that separated them from the first-place Tigers, but after losing five of their eight games since then, it seems that confidence is gone. The Sox still have many intra-division games left, including 19 games against the Tigers (in an odd quirk of the schedule, the two clubs have yet to meet this season), so while there's a slim chance that they can quickly improve their record in the coming months, Jon Heyman reported yesterday that Hahn is ready to sell and would entertain offers on every on the roster except for Chris Sale and Paul Konerko.

It's hard to fathom how the White Sox have fallen so far so fast; they weren't expected to be able to replicate their production from last season, but a collapse of this magnitude was unexpected. Somehow a team that was fourth in runs scored per game and slugging last season has struggled to put runs on the board and get on base. By just about any offensive metric, including the home runs they've always excelled at, the Sox are one of the bottom-three offenses in the league, a side effect of under-performing veterans, struggling youngsters, and bad luck. They've also been lousy defensively, and the even though the pitching has been the season's sole bright spot, there just hasn't been enough evidence that the roster should remain intact post-deadline.

Jesse Crain (Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports )

Even though they can't seem to figure out how to win as a team, the Sox still have several players that could bring back considerable value at the trading deadline. Despite being on the disabled list with a rib injury (he's expected back soon after the All-Star break), there is a good chance that starting pitcher Jake Peavy fetches a decent return next month. Reliever Jesse Crain, who at one point made 29 consecutive scoreless appearances this season, and closer Addison Reed, who has 21 saves on the season, could be moved to teams that need help in the late innings. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez might catch the attention of some teams since he's hitting .280 with 18 stolen bases and has a reputation for strong defense, and designated hitter/first baseman Adam Dunn is hitting .278/.415/.620 in June and could be enticing to a team like the Orioles, which has gotten little of their designated hitters. A resurgent Gordon Beckham might also draw interest. But Rios is undoubtedly the best all-around player on the team.

Rios is owed $12.5 million in 2014, and there's a $13.5 million team option/$1 million buyout on his contract for 2015. While he might seem a little expensive, he's currently playing well enough to justify being the 15th -highest-paid outfielder in the majors. There are also contenders in need of a reliable outfielder, which increases the likelihood that a team will be willing to take on the expense.

The Giants could use a replacement for Angel Pagan, who is out 12 weeks with a hamstring injury, and would have salary room to carry Rios next season as they remove Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum from the payroll. The Nationals could use a right-handed outfielder both to make up for the absence of Bryce Harper and as Jayson Werth insurance. The Rangers, who are currently toying with putting Jurickson Profar in the outfield, might be looking for a more conventional solution as David Murphy continues to struggle, especially since he and Nelson Cruz are both free agents after the season. And though it seems strange to think of the Pirates as buyers after 19 seasons in the wilderness, they could use more production from right field than Travis Snider, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata, and others have given them.

It's impossible to predict what the Sox could get in return. Rios also has a six-team no-trade clause, which could inhibit negotiations with some potential buyers. While the specifics seem hazy for now, it seems inevitable that Rios and some of his colleagues are in their final weeks with the White Sox.

Wherever Rios does end up, it will be bittersweet. He's made it very clear that he'd like to stay in Chicago and that it will be sad if the team is dismembered, but at the same time, he'll likely end up on a roster making a push for the postseason, something he's yet to experience in his ten years in the majors. Unlike before, Rios is the type of player that teams want to acquire to tip the scales on the final push towards October.

One thing is for certain: This time, no one is going to claim Alex Rios by accident.

More from SB Nation:

Brian Cashman: A-Rod should "shut the (bleep) up"

Kemp makes game-winning catch, is awesome

A brief history of Carlos Marmol and the Cubs

MLB trade deadline basics

Alex Gordon attacked by moth

Brisbee: Should Puig make the NL All-Star team?


Are the Blue Jays looking to trade for a starting pitcher?

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Scott Ferguson, on TSN.ca, talks Blue Jay trade speculation, suggesting the Jays are looking to trade for a starting pitcher, since Brandon Morrow won't be back for a bit and Chien-Ming Want is a 'stop gap'. Go read it and come back and discuss.

I'm ready to give up on Chien-Ming but last night was an example of why I hate pitching around guys in the first few innings. Buck and Pat talked about how great Ortiz hit about him and Wang sure didn't seem to want to pitch to him. Which was too bad, Wang had a great first inning, then lost the aggressiveness and it all went bad. If he hadn't pitched around Ortiz, what was the worst that could happen? A solo homer. But he pitched around Ortiz, lost the strike zone and it all went downhill.

Anyway, Scott suggests the Jays might be interested in Edinson Volquez, Ricky Noasco, Matt Garza or Yovani Gallardo (but since he has the Jays on his 'no trade' list, he's a long shot). I have doubts, I can't see us giving up more prospects, but never I guess.

The trouble is that, if Morrow or Happ aren't able to pitch for us for a bit, we really don't have anyone ready to take Wang's spot, if we decide he's gotta go. The choices are:

  • Chad Jenkins left last night's Bison's game with a "tweaked lat muscle" or something, not that he's been great, he has a 7.48 ERA in Buffalo, in 5 starts there, since being sent back down.
  • Ricky Romero? I don't think that will happen anytime soon.
  • Thad Weber has made 3 good starts in Buffalo, 20 innings, 2 earned, 11 hits, 3 walks and 18 strikeouts. I'd guess he'd be the next one to get a shot.
  • Sean Nolin is looking pretty good in New Hampshire, but I can't see him coming up again
  • Marcus Walden has a 3.23 ERA in NH. He doesn't strikeout many, 42 in 92 innings.
  • Then, of course, there are the rest of the starters in Buffalo: Justin Germano, Claudio Vargas and Dave Bush, but none of them are pitching particularly well.

So do you think there is a trade coming?

Justin Miller, former Blue Jays pitcher, found dead at age 35

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According to a Tampa Bay Times article, former Blue Jays reliever Justin Miller was found dead this past Wednesday night at around 10:30. He was just 35 years old. His former teammate Bob File tweeted the news Friday evening.

The right hander from Torrance, California was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fifth round of the 1997 amateur draft before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1999 in a three-way trade that involved former Blue Jay Henry Blanco. Miller, along with Eric Hinske, was involved in the first trade completed by then-general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who had dealt closer Billy Koch to the Athletics in December 2001.

Miller made his major league debut with the Blue Jays on April 12, 2002 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, getting the win coming in relief of Brian Cooper. He made three more appearances in relief before being converted into a starter for much of the rest of 2002. He went through shoulder surgery and did not pitch in 2003, re-appearing in 2004 to make 15 starts. Miller made his best career start that year, tossing an eight-inning two-hit shutout against the Anaheim Angels on September 8. He spent much of 2005 in AAA Syracuse, making just one appearance with the Blue Jays before electing free agency.

Miller played briefly in Japan for he Chiba Lotte Marines, then returned to Major League Baseball with the Marlins, GIants, and the Dodgers. His last professional appearance came on July 23, 2011 for the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Underneath his uniform, Miller was known for his love of tattoos. One of the most known of his tattoos is the one that reads "I Love Billy Koch", which spanned his buttocks. Koch, who had signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in 2005, encouraged Miller and his wife by offering a $1500 reward. In 2004, after complaints from batters, Major League Baseball instituted the "Justin Miller rule" that forced him to wear long sleeves on the mound.

After his retirement from playing, he founded Justin Miller’s Legacy Baseball/Softball & Personal Training in Clearwater, Florida where he coached and trained.

Miller leaves behind his wife Jessica and sons Joseph, 18, and Johnnie, 7.

Blue Jays 5 Red Sox 7: Just Frustrating

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Blue Jays 5 Red Sox 7

So that was frustrating.

Josh Johnson wasn't good, trying to nibble at the corners and not getting the calls. And not getting the help he should have from the defense. He game up 8 hits, 2 walks and 5 earned with 5 strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Though it really shouldn't have been 5 earned, cause Colby Rasmus really could have, should have, been given an error on that deep fly. Colby had to run a long way to get a glove on it but when he did, he should have closed the glove.

Josh left the game with us down 5-0.

But we came back.

In the 5th, a Maicer Izturis single and a Emilio Bonifacio walk set up RBI singles from Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion and a sac fly from Adam Lind.

In the 6th, Rajai Davis singled, stole second, went to third on a J.P. Arencibia ground out and scored on an Izturiz sac fly.

In the 7th, Edwin homered to tie the game. All looked good.

But, Neil Wagner gave up singles to Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia to start the inning. There is a discussion to be had about why Steve Delabar was used yesterday with us down by 3 and then Neil Wagner is used today in a tie game, but we'll do that later. Though I'll admit it pisses me off.

Brett Cecil came in to relieve Wagner (Brett pitched in yesterday's loss too) and got a strikeout before walking Mike Napoli and giving up a single to Jonny Gomes to put the Red Sox ahead again. Darren Oliver came in for Cecil and Walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia to put the Sox up by two. And that was the game.

We couldn't manage another come back. Davis did single in the 8th but J.P. hit into a double play. And we didn't manage a baserunner off Red Sox closer Andrew Miller in the 9th.

Jay of the Day is Edwin (.289 WPA).

Suckage goes to Johnson (-.227), JP (-.204, though he made a nice tag on David Ortiz at the plate), Cecil (-.128) and Wagner (-.103).

Some good news:

We had a good GameThread, 45 commenters posted 1168 comments. Pikachu led the way with 161. Great work in a losing cause.

#Commenter# Comments
1Pikachu161
2Thorkun85
3MjwW79
4Lutherie73
5Super Bass Hallways71
6ABsteve62
7GrandMasterDickey55
8TonyWalsh46
9MapleMan42
10GatorJay38
11Tom Dakers37
12Minor Leaguer35
13fishedin33
14Janz_V8432
15Belisarius30
16Bowling_Guy2527
17Brett4PM27
18fatpuppy22
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21Hathorian16
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23SuckaMD15
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25MartsB14

MLB Teams' Best Players, and Value Added

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Tomorrow marks the halfway point, calendar-wise, of the 2013 season. 3 months have passed, and 3 months have yet to play out. Soon some of the best players in baseball will be recognized for their first-half achievements through selection to the All-Star game. The trade deadline looms on the horizon, with the proverbial countdown clock officially set to 31 days and counting.

For today though, I wanted to look at the manner in which teams have been winning. Unlike other sports, players on a baseball team are distinctly separated into two groups, those who pitch, and those who don't. Everyone, other than the designated hitter in the American League, fields, and all except pitchers in the AL run the bases.

From the hitting side, 9 players hit on a regular basis for each team. Given that every team gets at least 27 plate


appearances per game, and each starter can theoretically get 3 each, the weight gets spread around. A player who hits three solo home runs does incredibly well, but if the rest of the lineup produces all outs, the overall outcome is weak. If instead every other hitter in the lineup singled in each of his at bats, a few runs may score, but depending on the types of outs the other players make, that lineup could also produce a weak offensive output.

Rarely can one player on a team carry his club at the plate, it takes a solid effort from at least a couple of players over the course of weeks of games to score enough runs to win on a consistent basis. Despite this, given the midway point of the season, it's interesting to look at the most valuable position players from each team thus far, and get a sense of their contributions in comparison to their team's overall success or lack thereof. Here is a list of each team's current compiled position player fWAR and each team's top fWAR position player (For a more complete table visit this link):

fWAR

fWAR

Angels

11.4

Nationals

3.2

Mike Trout

4.5

Ian Desmond

2.2

Astros

1.6

Orioles

15.9

Jason Castro

1.9

Chris Davis

4.3

Athletics

11.4

Padres

13.1

Josh Donaldson

3.2

Everth Cabrera

3.6

Blue Jays

9.3

Phillies

6

Jose Bautista

2.7

Chase Utley

1.9

Braves

11.2

Pirates

11.3

Evan Gattis

1.8

Andrew McCutchen

3.2

Brewers

9.6

Rangers

9.2

Carlos Gomez

4.2

Adrian Beltre

2.1

Cardinals

12.3

Rays

14.2

Matt Carpenter

3.7

Evan Longoria

4.3

Cubs

8

Red Sox

16.5

Anthony Rizzo

1.4

Dustin Pedroia

3

Diamondbacks

10.2

Reds

11.6

Paul Goldschmidt

3.3

Joey Votto

3.3

Dodgers

9.1

Rockies

11.5

Carl Crawford

2

Troy Tulowitzki

3.9

Giants

14.6

Royals

7.9

Buster Posey

3.2

Alex Gordon

1.8

Indians

12.5

Tigers

14.1

Jason Kipnis

2.9

Miguel Cabrera

5.1

Mariners

3.3

Twins

5.4

Kyle Seager

2.7

Joe Mauer

3.5

Marlins

0.8

White Sox

1

Marcell Ozuna

2.2

Alex Rios

2.3

Mets

4.3

Yankees

4.4

David Wright

3.8

Brett Gardner

2.6

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Most of these names are expected; league MVP candidates like Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, and Mike Trout lead their respective teams in value, garnering a sizeable percentage thus far. Low team position player fWAR does not imply poor results in the win-loss columns as proved by the Washington Nationals, a team underperforming their talent, but one that has accumulated wins due to their pitching, not their hitting.

Every position on the diamond other than pitcher is represented in the list of top players, highlighting the face that no one position dominates the game, especially when looking at overall value including fielding and base running. Some surprising names include Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins, Kyle Seager of the Mariners, Evan Gattis of the Braves, and Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals. Ozuna began the season in high-A Jupiter before making his way to Double-A, and finally to the majors as a fill in for an injured Giancarlo Stanton. Nonetheless, the young right fielder has compiled more fWins than the entire White Sox team; in fact it's more than double. Kyle Seager has followed a steady path upwards since his call up to the show improving in all three slash line categories, increased the rate at which he walks, all while limiting his strikeouts. Despite the numerous busts in the Mariners lineup this season, Seager has carved out a spot for himself in Seattle's lineup everyday. Matt Carpenter is the do-it-all man for the St. Louis Cardinals. He, like Seager, can play multiple infield positions, but instead of third base, Carpenter has found a home at second base, combining a near .400 on base percentage with a low walk rate of 13.3% to make himself a tough out for any pitcher. In addition, Carpenter has shown prowess on the defensive side with a 7.0 UZR/150, 5 DRS, and 1.3 FRAA in the field this season.

Now that we've perused the top position players, let's talk pitching.

fWAR

fWAR

Angels

4

Nationals

6

C.J. Wilson

1.3

Jordan Zimmermann

2.5

Astros

3.2

Orioles

2

Bud Norris

1.6

Wei-Yin Chen

1.1

Athletics

5.4

Padres

-0.3

Bartolo Colon

2

Eric Stults

1.7

Blue Jays

2.1

Phillies

6.5

Mark Buehrle

0.7

Cliff Lee

3.4

Braves

5.8

Pirates

4.2

Mike Minor

1.8

Francisco Liriano

1.4

Brewers

0.9

Rangers

9.7

Yovani Gallardo

0.9

Derek Holland

3.4

Cardinals

9.8

Rays

4.8

Adam Wainwright

4

Alex Cobb

1.3

Cubs

7.3

Red Sox

7.4

Jeff Samardzija

2.5

Clay Buchholz

2.9

Diamondbacks

5.5

Reds

7.5

Patrick Corbin

2.3

Homer Bailey

2.5

Dodgers

4.6

Rockies

7.8

Clayton Kershaw

3.1

Jhoulys Chacin

2.3

Giants

3.1

Royals

5.3

Madison Bumgarner

1.6

James Shields

2.2

Indians

3.8

Tigers

13.4

Justin Masterson

2

Max Scherzer

3.3

Mariners

5.4

Twins

2.5

Felix Hernandez

3.3

Mike Pelfrey

0.8

Marlins

3.4

White Sox

7.1

Jose Fernandez

1.6

Chris Sale

2.6

Mets

6.4

Yankees

8.1

Matt Harvey

3.9

Hiroki Kuroda

2.1

Teamplayerpitching_medium

When it comes to pitching, a few teams distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. The Tigers, Cardinals, Yankees, and Rangers all have winning records, and all currently or have at one point in the season held the top spot in their respective divisions, but they have done so through starting pitching. Tigers' righty Max Scherzer has compiled the same if not more fWins than numerous teams in the league. The Yankees may not occupy the top spot in the AL East, and have about as much money sitting on the DL as they do on the field, but between Hiroki Kuroda, C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and others, the Yankees have kept the ship afloat. The Cardinals win in all aspects of the game, but none better than starting pitching. The Red Birds have three of the best pitchers in baseball in their rotation, Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller, and Lance Lynn. The most interesting team of this bunch has to the San Diego Padres. The Friars stand just around the .500 mark, but have done so not with their trademark pitching, but instead in other aspects of the game. The Padres have the only negative pitching value in baseball at -0.3 fWins.

It's fascinating to see which teams have relied heavily on one or two specific players either in their lineup or rotation in order to win this season, which teams spread it out, needing only solid numbers from numerous players to compile victories. Teams win in different ways, and while most would like to have every player in their lineup play at a high level, some teams, like the Angels from a position player standpoint or the Phillies from a starting pitching standpoint rely heavily on one player in particular.

. . .

Big thanks to Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus for the data used in this article.

Ben Horrow is a writer for Beyond the Box Score, That Balls Outta Here, and Summer Pastime.


You can follow him on twitter @Summerpastime.

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When good managers make bad decisions: bullpen edition

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There are things that managers do that just drive me crazy.

Let's take the last two days.

Thursday, Chien-Ming Wang is terrible, puts us down by 7 and is gone after 2.1 innings. It does put the manager in a bad spot, because he has, at least, 6.1 innings to navigate through. And it isn't like the old days when all relievers could pitch 3, 4 even 5 innings when needed.

So Aaron Loup comes in, I have no problem with that, someone has to take over for Wang. Then, to start the 4th, Juan Perez comes in, great move, down by 7 use the newest guy. And that he could go 3 innings (and 3 great innings), that's big. Perez shows the manager he could be tried in higher leverage spots.

After his 3 innings, we are down by 5 and we bring in Brett Cecil. Now, to me, Brett is one of the big three in the pen, Cecil, Delabar and Janssen are the guys that should get the highest leverage spots. No way Brett should be in this game, unless Brett needs the work, which he didn't. We have Neil Wagner and Dustin McGowan in the pen. Down by 5, one of those two should be used.

Anyway, Cecil does his inning and we score 2 in the top of the 8th so in the bottom of the inning, we are down by 3 with one inning to try to come back. Do we go with Wagner or McGowan? No Gibby goes with Steve Delabar. Steve Delabar whose last 10 outs were all strikeouts.

When Delabar entered that game, we had a 3.5% chance to win. He pitches a scoreless inning and we have a 4% chance of winning.

Then we have Friday's game. We have a tie game in the bottom of the 7th inning. Pretty high leverage spot. We have a 40.6% change of winning. And, maybe because we used Delabar yesterday, we go with Wagner. Two singles later, we have a 27.3% chance of winning. Cecil comes in. He worked Thursday in a low leverage spot. He's in in a tough spot now. Now, the wild pitch likely should have been blocked. But maybe, if he was rested, if he wasn't used down by 5 a day before, maybe he does a better job.

Anyway, Thursday down by a bunch we use our best relievers and leave Dustin McGowan and Neil Wagner (and I'm not trying to rag on these two, I think they are both good relievers, just that we have others that should get first shot at our high leverage spots) to sit.

Yesterday, in a tie game, about as high leverage a spot you could possibly have, Wagner pitches, Delabar watches. I don't get this. You have to use Delabar there, unless you don't think he can go, after pitching the inning yesterday.

And Dustin McGowan? I have no idea what kind of game Gibbons wants to use him in. If we aren't going to use him, why is he on the team? Unless there is something they aren't telling us. I'd imagine, if there were an injury, they would be happy to DL him. Personally, I thought he has looked quite good, in the few appearances he's had. In 4.1 innings, he's allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Yeah, there has been 2 home runs, but lets use him and see what he can do or lets dump him. If we gave up on everyone that allowed 2 runs in a stretch of 4.1 innings, we'd be running through the pitchers pretty quick.

I'd love to hear Gibbon's thinking on Dustin.

But, beyond that, let's use out best pitchers in the highest leverage spot and, if at all possible, keep them out of games that are already virtually decide.

Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 2: Jose Bautista is the One Who Knocks

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Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 2

"You clearly don’t know who you’re pitching to, so let me clue you in: that is not the Green Monster, Boston. I am the monster. A player misses his spot and gets blown up, and you think that of me? No! I am the one with knocks!"– Jose Bautista, June 29, 2013

Yes, Joey Bats had it going on Saturday, crushing, and I mean CRUSHING, two home runs over the Monster at Fenway Park, leading the Blue Jays to a 6-2 victory over the Red Sox.

The first, a solo blast off of Boston starter Felix Doubront, was a no-doubter to left that landed not in the bleachers but on Lansdowne St. The 2-0 heater was right down the chute and Bautista made no mistake smashing the windshield of Sully the Southy or some other unlucky fan.

In the eighth, Junichi Tazawa let a forkball catch too much of the upper part of the zone and Bautista jumped all over it, just missing the lighting fixtures in deep left-center. That two-run shot put the Jays back in front after the bullpen had coughed up a 2-0 lead in the seventh.

And in the ninth, just for good measure, Bautista ripped a groundball through the legs of third baseman Jonathan Diaz. Diaz, a former Jays’ prospect making his major league debut, was unfairly credited with an error, stealing an RBI from Bautista as Reyes scored from first on the play (Bautista would then be thrown out trying to take third base). Look, I get that it went through his legs, but if a ball is hit hard enough that it goes all the way to the wall, it was probably a degree of difficulty play for the infielder and maybe not worthy of the error. Craig Breslow can handle the ERA hit.

Anyway, Bautista’s day ended with a 2-for-4 line with a walk, plus the two homers and three RBI, though really he should have had three hits and four RBI. He also stole a base after the walk, his sixth of the year without being caught, because Felix Doubront seemed to forget baserunners don’t just disappear once on base. Oh, we’re not done – he had an outfield assist, too, cutting down Shane Victorino at home.

Other Hitters
But we’re not done talking about Joses – Reyes also had a great game, beyond just looking very steady at shortstop. Reyes had a pair of hits, joining Bautista and Lind (three hits) in the multi-hit game department. Lind actually tripled in the eighth, believe it or not, though he was stranded, and singled in the game’s opening run in the first.

Rajai Davis also chipped in with a hit and two walks, stealing a base and being thrown out once. He’s really not a big downgrade from the way Melky Cabrera was playing, enough so that I’d say you’d gladly take a month of Davis to ensure a better Cabrera later on.

J.P. Arencibia did his J.P. Arencibiest, striking out twice to push his K:BB ratio to 87:8, the 17th worst since 1900 for any player with at least 200 plate appearances. He also allowed a wild pitch to sneak through his legs. However, and I hope commenters are reading the entire paragraph and not skipping ahead to comment, Arencibia also made a few great plays in the field. He did a fine job framing Esmil Rogers’ low pitches, blocked the plate beautifully on TWO plays at the plate and saved an errant Colby Rasmus throw from going awry and allowing another run to score.

Speaking of The Truth (a nickname I’m toying with for Colby Rasmus since he’s become one of the biggest Three True Outcomes guys in baseball), he had an awesome diving stab to save a run in the fifth that is probably GIFd somewhere out there.

Esmil Rogers
Is everyone back on the Rogers train now? The other week at RotographsI took a dive into Rogers’ profile and concluded that what he’s done is probably sustainable for a fourth or fifth starter type. His sinker is for real and the combination of enough strikeouts, limited walks and hella groundballs should play anywhere. However, I warned that his Rays-Red Sox-Tigers stretch made him a no-buy for fantasy purposes.

Well, if you owned him today you walked away happy, as Rogers shut the Sox out over six innings. He allowed six hits and a lone walk, striking out six and showing an appreciable composure with men on base (although he was obviously aided by a few nice plays from his teammates behind him).

I was going to dive into the pitch data but it’s still ‘unadjusted’ which means the sinkers and fastballs are tough to tell apart. I can say, though, that he did an excellent job of keeping the ball in the lower third, and when he missed he usually missed for a ball rather than over the heart of the plate.
Location

That pitch plot shows him hitting the heart a bit more than I remember, but you can see him keeping the ball down, at least.

Another impressive point was him coaxing eight whiffs with his slider in just 19 pitches. My article had concluded that he was using a regular fastball and a sinking fastball, a slider as an out pitch and a curveball as a show-me fourth offering, and that profile worked really well on Saturday even as the curveball usage grew.

For fantasy reasons, I still wouldn’t start Rogers when he draws the Tigers. But for baseball reasons, I’m getting more and more confident that the Jays have found a back-end starter here. Yes, the three-straight homers in Tampa were troublesome, but you’re talking about a one-inning blip over an otherwise stellar six starts.

The Bullpen
From there, John Gibbons went to Murtaugh for the seventh, but Darren Oliver got in some trouble. Oliver saved himself by throwing Salty out at home on a squeeze play, but left with a pair of runners on base when Gibbons went to Steve Delabar.

I don’t have a major issue with Delabar coming in against Jacoby Ellsbury, a lefty, because Delabar is split-neutral (or even reversed-split). He allowed a pair of singles, the second of which scored both Sox runs and coughed up the lead, but settled in from there, stirking out four of the next five batters. He finished with 1.2 innings, four strikeouts and no runs of his own. He also gave Mike Napoli his beautiful, beautiful Golden Sombrero.

Neil Wagner threw the ninth and allowed a walk but coaxed a game-ending double play.

Dodgers 6/29/13 minor league report - Zach Lee goes 7 scoreless as Lookouts pitch another shutout

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Minor League Player of the DayRHP Zach Lee- Lee had one his poorest starts of the year on June 19th, going only 4 innings, allowing 6 runs, 8 hits, a walk and striking out 5. Lee bounced back this week with two strong starts, in this one, he went 7 shutout innings and gave up just 2 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts for his 6th win of the year.

AAA– Albuquerque scored early and held on to a 1-run win as the Isotopes defeated Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 3 to 2.Dee Gordon scored 2 runs, Alex Castellanos went 2 for 2 and drove in a run. Nick Buss doubled and had 2 RBI.Matt Palmerpicked up the win andKelvin De La Cruz got his 4th save.

AA – Zach Lee and Onelki Garcia combined for a 3-hit shutout pitching the Lookouts over Stars (Mariners) to a 4 to 0 victory. As mentioned above Lee pitched a great 7 innings and then Garcia closed the door, going 2 innings with a hit, a walk and 3 strikeouts. SS Osvaldo Martinez went 3 for 3 with a home run and 2 runs scored. Joc Pederson had no hits and a walk, he also stole 2 bases. Jon Garcia is now 0-5 in his first two games in AA.

HiA – Back to back 2 run innings were too much for the Quakes as the JetHawks (Astros) won 4 to 2. Jon Michael Redding started and had a good outing, 4 IP, no runs, 3 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. But the JetHawks scored 2 runs in the 6th and 2 more in the 7th and that was too big a deficit for the Quakes. Scott Schebler went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. And Darnell Sweeney drove in the two runs as he went 1 for 4.

LoA– With 4 runs in the last two innings, the Loons won their 5th straight, 4 to 3, taking the first game of their series aganst the Lugnuts (Blue Jays).Arismendy Ozoria started for the Loons and gave up 2 runs in 3 innings. For a while it looked like the 2 runs would stand up until the top of the 8th when walks to Aaron Miller and James Baldwin surrounding a fielder's choice to Brandon Dixon loaded the bases with no outs. 2 ground outs scored the tying runs and then a wild pitch scored the go-ahead run. The Loons scored another run in the 9th that would ultimately be the difference. The Lugnuts would score a run in the bottom of the 9th but it would be too little, too late.

Rookie – Ogden has played Idaho Falls six times in 2013 and tonight they won for the 6th time. Tonight the Raptors beat the Chukars (Royals) 8 to 6. Starter Zach Birdmade his Ogden debut and he wasn't sharp going 5 innings giving up 4 runs, 5 hits and 4 walks with no strikeouts. Kyle Hooper got the win and Jose Agusto Diaz got the save. Jesmuel Valentin, Hank Yates, Jesus Valdez and Kyle Farmer all had 2 hits, Farmer and Yates both hitting .375 in the early season.

DSL – The Dominican Dodgers lost 4 - 2 to the Mariners. Ariel Sandoval wen 2 for 4, with a double and stolen base. Francisco Martinez started and had a good start with 5 IP with 2 runs, 1 earned, and 4 strikeouts. 16 year-old Jairo Pacheco had a 2 inning stint with no runs, 1 hit and 3 strikeouts.

Coming up– LHP Jonathan Sanchez (who can opt out of minor-league contract if not on MLB roster on July 1st) pitches for the Isotopes, LHP Chris Reed tries to continue the great starting pitching for the Lookouts, LHP Ted Lilly starts his rehab with the Quakes, RHP Chris Anderson to make his second start for the Loons, RHP Scott Barlow will pitch for the Ogden Raptors, Arizona Dodgers starter is not known.

Minor League Transactions – Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of RHP Jose Dominguez from Albuquerque Isotopes, Dodgers optioned RHP Peter Moylan to Albuquerque. For more on Dominguez, see here. Albuquerque Isotopes activated RHP Sean White and utility man Elian Herrera on Saturday and Friday, respectively and put RHP Kyle Cofield on the disabled list. Dominican Dodgers SS Bernys Almarante was put on the 60-day disabled list.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap


Early Trade Deadline Ponderings

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As I looked at Ryan Dempster's game log for this 2013 season I saw, much to my dismay, that he's already faced the Blue Jays twice and I wrote previews about him twice (here and here). Due to me not wanting to beat the horse dead with talk of Dempster, I decided to look at some Blue Jays who could be traded before the deadline at the end of July and next time I'll look at players Alex Anthopoulos may look at acquiring.

Players the Blue Jays Could Trade

Mark DeRosa

Shocker right? On a team that is trying to contend for a postseason spot, a player that brings little more to the team than "veteran presents" is the first candidate to be shipped out. If the Blue Jays are going to stick with this 8-man bullpen business then wasting a precious roster spot on Mark DeRosa is poor roster management. With a $750,000 salary (and team option of equal value next season), DeRosa could be shipped to a team that needs infield help or more presents. It's clear the Blue Jays do not need either considering almost half the team is an infielder at this point.

DeRosa's line of .216/.311/..402 is actually not that horrific (all things considered) and he could probably net a B to C grade prospect or another reliever that Anthopoulos seems to love.

Possible destinations: Yankees, Reds.

Emilio Bonifacio

Although Maicer Izturis could also be shipped instead, the play of Bonifacio has been so astoundingly bad that I put him here over Izturis. Being paid $2.6 million, Bonifacio has been absolutely awful in a Blue Jays uniform. Batting .206/.237/.309 this season combined with defense that resembles high school baseball at times, Bonifacio has no place on a contending teams' roster. With such a surplus of infielders, Emilio is starting to be a waste of a 25-man roster spot with Kawasaki, DeRosa, and Izturis all ahead of him in the 2B depth chart.

When Brett Lawrie comes back there will need to be some serious movement with the big league squad. Optioning Kawasaki won't solve the issues as there will still be three second basemen who all aren't very good. Aside from his speed off the bench, it's hard to see how he will help the Blue Jays going forward. I think Alex Anthopoulos would be happy to get rid of Bonifacio for a bag of balls at this point unless he thinks that 2011 wasn't a fluke for Emilio. Once again, a lower grade prospect or reliever would be a fine return for the soft hitting second baseman.

Possible Destinations: Yankees, Reds, Marlins (HA!), Mariners, Angels.

J.P. Arencibia

Not many things in the sports world get me very agitated, but thinking about how comfortable JPAwful is in the starting catcher spot for a team trying to make the playoffs is gag-worthy. Hitting .192/.241/.342 in June with a K% over 30% and Josh Thole sitting on the bench receiving no opportunity to prove himself has frustrated plenty of Blue Jays fans. It isn't possible that Toronto is willing to go into a playoff game with Arencibia behind the plate, is it?

You have to think there are teams out there that either think Arencibia's power is enough to give him a starting job or to acquire him as a young controllable back-up (which is how he should be used!). It's tough to say what Arencibia could get the Jays in the trade market (post a comment with your guesses).

Possible Destinations: Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers.

Darren Oliver

The 42-year-old lefty was convinced to come back for another season to try and get a ring by the Blue Jays brass. As it turns out, Toronto has two LOOGY's being paid a combined salary that is one third of Oliver's $3 million and performing better to boot. Oliver's 2.78 ERA is not terrible, but his strikeouts are down, his walks are up, he's been injured, his velocity is still dropping and the Blue Jays already have a surplus of relievers with half of the 8-man bullpen of the left-handed variety. Something will have to happen to the bullpen eventually, because Toronto is handicapped with their 3-man bench, but who the odd man is remains to be seen, with a trade being a possible solution.

There's probably some agreement between Oliver and Anthopoulos that the pitcher won't be traded during his last season in the big leagues, similar to the ultimatum talked about at the beginning of the year where Oliver (supposedly) said he would only play for Toronto or Texas. The Rangers already have two solid left-handers in the bullpen so it's doubtful they are interested in Oliver's services.

Possible Destinations: About 15 teams that need a reliable left-hander out of the bullpen.

Let us know in the comments who the Blue Jays need to get rid of before they make a march towards the playoffs in the second half of the season.

Poll
Who should the Blue Jays trade before the Deadline

  267 votes |Results

Blue Jays sign catcher Ramon Hernandez

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The Blue Jays signed free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez, and will send him to Buffalo.

Hernandez is 37. He started the season with the Dodgers, hitting .208/.291/.438 in 48 at bats, before being released. He was traded to LA at the start of the season for Aaron Harang.

Ramon was a AL All-Star in 2003, hitting .273/.331/.457 with 21 home runs and 78 RBI with Oakland. In 15 major league seasons he has a .263/.327/.417 line with 169 home runs and 757 RBI in 1526 games. He has played for Oakland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Diego, Colorado and Los Angeles Dodgers.

He gives us a bit more depth, in case of an injury in Toronto.

In other minor news, the Orioles traded for our old friend Eric Thames. I'm not sure what their plans are for him, but I hope he does well, except, of course, any time he might play against us.

Adam Lind injury: Blue Jays 1B leaves game with back tightness

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Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind left Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning with mid-back tightness, the team announced on their Twitter page.

Back issues have plagued Lind throughout the past few seasons. He started experiencing back spasms in 2011, as noted by Aaron Gleeman of Hardball Talk. The back injury forced Lind to spend time on the DL in 2011, and the issue reoccurred in 2012, earning Lind another stint on the disabled list.

The injury problems hampered Lind at the plate, as he hit .251 in 2011 and .255 in 2012. The left-handed hitter has revived his career this season, hitting .329/.388/.550 in 250 plate appearances.

Lind's resurgence has helped the Blue Jays climb back into contention, as the team entered Sunday's game with a 40-40 record after starting slow this season. However, Toronto still sits in last place in the AL East, and a serious injury to Lind would deal a blow to their playoff aspirations.

More from SB Nation:

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

Mets may limit Harvey’s innings

Scherzer’s 12-0 start best since 1986

Yankees, Red Sox interested in Michael Young

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Around the Bases: Yasiel Puig sets Dodgers rookie record, Jeff Mathis hits walk-off grand slam

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Nationals 13, Mets 2: Washington roughed up Zack Wheeler, tagging the starter for five runs in 4 2/3 innings to give the right-hander his first major-league loss. Gio Gonzalez countered with seven scoreless innings, only allowing three hits while fanning seven Mets.

The Mets brought in backup catcher Anthony Recker to pitch the ninth inning, which did not impress Ian Desmond, who blasted a homer off the windows of the stadium club seats.

Royals 9, Twins 8: David Lough went 4-for-4, hitting three doubles and the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the eighth inning. Lough became just the fifth Royals player in history to collect four extra-base hits in a single game. Johnny Giavotella collected three hits in his first game of the 2013 season.

A Royals fan made an impressive catch during the fourth inning, falling over backwards to snare a foul-ball with his glove.

Royalsfanhof_medium

Indians 4, White Sox 0: Justin Masterson threw his league-leading third complete game shutout of the season, allowing six hits while striking out eight White Sox. The victory moved Cleveland into a virtual tie with Detroit for first place in the AL Central.

Marlins 6, Padres 2: Jeff Mathis clubbed a walk-off grand slam for Miami, his second home run of the season and the second grand slam in the catcher's career:

Nathan Eovaldi tossed six scoreless innings for the Marlins for his third quality start in June.

Braves 6, Diamondbacks 2: Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer off Arizona starter Trevor Cahill, while Brian McCann and Dan Uggla also smacked homers off the right-hander. The Braves improved to a major league-best 28-11 at home, while the Diamondbacks have gone 22 straight games without a win from a starting, the longest streak in the majors since the Padres went 25 games without a win in 2009, according to STATS Inc.

Athletics 7, Cardinals 5: Oakland battered Jake Westbrook for six runs on ten hits in four innings. Jed Lowrie went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Seth Smith, Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Donaldson all had multi-hit games. Carlos Beltran, Alan Craig and Matt Carpenter all hit homers for St. Louis.

Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4: Toronto first baseman Josh Thole committed an error on a Shane Victorino groundball in the ninth inning, which allowed Jonathan Diaz to score the game-winning run.

Thole entered the game in the second inning as a replacement for Adam Lind, who left with a mid-back injury. Jose Bautista had tied the game for the Blue Jays in the top of the ninth inning with a solo homer off Koji Uehara, his fourth game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later this season, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Angels 3, Astros 1: Josh Hamilton drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double, extending the Angels winning streak to six games. C.J. Wilson threw seven innings to earn his fourth straight victory, striking out 10 for this third double-digit strikeout game of the season.

Rays 3, Tigers 1: Jeremy Hellickson recorded his fifth win in the month of June, tying Matt Moore, David Price and Scott Kazmir for most victories in a month in Rays history. Both benches were warned early in the game, when Rick Porcello hit Ben Zobrist with a pitch in the first inning. Miguel Cabrera yelled at Fernando Rodney in the tenth inning of last night's game after the closer threw up-and-in against the third baseman.

Rays manager Joe Maddon handled the situation in his own way, sending out the following Tweet after the game.

Puzo wrote a number of novels and screenplays about the Mafia, and is best known for writing The Godfather.

Rangers 3, Reds 2: Yu Darvish out-dueled Mat Latos, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings to earn his first victory since May 16. Texas scored their first two runs on an Elvis Andrus squeeze bunt; Devin Mesoraco could not handle the Latos throw after Adrian Beltre slid into the catcher, which allowed Leonys Martin to score.

Dodgers 6, Phillies 0: Yasiel Puig went 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring two runs and finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Puig finished with 44 hits in June, breaking Steve Sax's Dodgers' record for most hits in a single month. Puig's 44 hits rank as the second most hits in the first month of a player's career:

Pirates 2, Brewers 1: The Pirates' winning streak is still alive, thanks to Russell Martin. The catcher came in as a pinch-hitter and singled home the winning run in the 14th inning to beat the Brewers, 2-1, and extend the Pittsburgh winning strak to nine games. The Pirates will now head into July with the most wins in the majors as they go in search of their first winning season in 21 years.

Giants 5, Rockies 2: The Giants may be in fourth place in the NL West, but they are just three games out of first place after beating the Rockies. Colorado will be disappointed not to have won to move within one game of first-place Arizona, but Madison Bumgarner's seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball was enough to snap San Francisco's six-game losing streak. The only good news for the Rockies is that Michael Cuddyer extended hitting streak to 27 games.

Cubs 7, Mariners 6: True to Cubs form, Chicago almost blew a six-run lead on Sunday. True to Mariners form, they couldn't finish the comeback. The Cubs led 7-1 after four innings, but the Mariners started to chip away at Edwin Jackson, then they really beat up the Chicago bullpen that has blown 16 saves this season. It wasn't enough, though, The Cubs held on. Barely.

Orioles 4, Yankees 2: The Orioles rode the long ball to upend the Yankees as Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Nate McLouth all hit solo homers. That, along with six solid innings by Chris Tillman and three shutout innings from the bullpen was all Baltimore needed to stay within 2.5 games of Boston for the AL East lead.

More from SB Nation:

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

Mets may limit Harvey’s innings

Scherzer’s 12-0 start best since 1986

Yankees, Red Sox interested in Michael Young

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Dodgers 6/30/13 minor league report - Griggs and Dixon help Loons win 6th straight

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Minor League Player of the Day– Great Lakes 3B Brandon Dixon hit his first home run and also doubled as he drove in 5 runs to lead Great Lakes to their 6th straight win.

AAA– LHP Jonathan Sanchez won his second start as the Isotopes took 3 out 4 and defeated Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 5 to 3. Sanchez pitched 5 scoreless innings, with 3 hits, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. RHP Josh Wall has struggled in June, giving up 13 runs in 11.1 innings pitched while both walking and striking out 8 batters. OF Alex Castellanos went 1 for 4 with a walk and a double. SS Justin Sellers went 1 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

AA – Lookouts were looking for another win over the Stars (Mariners) but 2 solo shots in the bottom of the 9th give the Stars the 5 to 4 win. RHPYimi Garcialost his 4th game as he let a 4-3 lead become a 1-run loss. LHP Chris Reedstarted and struck out 7 in 5 IP but also walked 4, while giving up 2 runs and 2 hits. LHP Michael Thomasgave up a solo shot to tie the game but the Lookouts were able to rally. OF Jon Garcia had his first two hits in AA, going 2 for 4 with a triple. OF Brian Cavazos-Galvezand 1B Angelo Songcowent 1 for 4 and each had an RBI.

HiA Quakes didn't have a lot of good things happen on Sunday as they lost to the JetHawks (Astros) 17 to 3. This game featured two Dodgers making their rehab appearances, OF Carl Crawford and LHP Ted Lilly. For more on their games, please read Ronit Shah's article here. OF Scott Schebler hit his 12th home run of the season. Two position players, Pedro Guerrero and Scott Wingo both pitched in the blowout loss, Wingo was the more successful of the two.

LoA– Earlier this week RHP Scott Griggs' former college team UCLA won their first NCAA baseball title, today, Griggs finished a nice week by helping the Loons win their 6th straight, 8 to 5, over the Lugnuts (Blue Jays). The Loons who did not play well during the first two months of the season, completed their most successful June, going 18-9. While no one questions Scott Griggs stuff, 57 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched, the same problem with control that has followed Griggs from UCLA, is an issue at Great Lakes (26 walks). However, Griggs' last 3 appearances, he has pitched 7 innings, with just 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 walks and 15 strikeouts. 1st round pick Chris Anderson made his second start, going 2.1 innings, with 1 hit, 3 runs, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. As noted above, Brandon Dixon hit his first home run and also had a double and 5 RBI. 5 other Loons had 2 hits, includingAaron Miller.Corey Seager went 1 for 3 with a double and 3 walks.

Rookie Raptors were looking for their 7th win against the Chukars (Royals) but this time, their bullpen couldn't hold a late lead, losing to the Chukars 6 to 5. RHP Scott Barlow made the start, giving up 8 hits, a walk, 2 runs and 3 strikeouts. But after a 2-run top of the 8th that gave the Raptors a 2-run lead, the Chukars scored 2 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to win the game. 3B Alex Santana went 1 for 3 with a walk. 4 Raptors had 2 hits including Joey Curletta and Brandon Trinkwon.

Rookie ArizonaArizona Dodgers went to the 10th before losing to the Angels 4 to 3. Errors and a passed ball led to the loss as all the runs the Angels scored were unearned. RHP Javy Guerra made a trip to Arizona to start his rehab assignment and he had a clean 3 inning start. RHP Victor Arano lost the game but he did strikeout 4 in his 4 IP. At the plate, 1B Justin Chigbogu made a bid for a promotion has he hit his 5th home run, .342/.381/.848, and went 2 for 5.

Coming up– LHP Aaron Laffey starts for the Isotopes, RHP Andres Santiagogoes for the Lookouts, RHP Garrett Gould takes the mound for the Quakes, LHP Tom WIndle makes his starting debut for the Loons, and RHP Francisco Villa leads the Raptors. Arizona Dodger starter not known.

Minor League Transactions – Los Angeles Dodgersrecalled RHPChris Withrowfrom Albuquerque; Albuquerque assigned RHP Javy Guerra to Arizona for a rehab assignment; Los Angeles Dodgers assigned OF Carl Crawford and LHP Ted Lilly to Rancho Cucamonga for a rehab assignment; Rancho Cucamonga placed RHP Pedro Baez (biceps) on 7-day disabled list; Rancho Cucamonga activated C Pratt Maynard and RHP Lindsey Caughel from disabled list; C Johnathan Linares was assigned from Great Lakes to Ogden; C Austin Cowen was assigned from Ogden to Great Lakes; C John Cannon was assigned from Rancho Cucamonga to Ogden; C Dimitri Papantonopoulos was assigned from Arizona to Ogden.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

Baby Bomber Recap 6/30/13: RailRiders hit four homers in win over Red Sox

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Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 9-6 vs Pawtucket Red Sox

CF Corey Patterson 3-5, 2B, HR, RBI, SB - first homer with SWB
2B Walter Ibarra 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K
RF Fernando Martinez 0-3, 2 RBI - batting .421/.511/.763 over seven games with SWB
DH Randy Ruiz 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K - fifth homer with SWB
1B Dan Johnson 1-5, 2 K
LF Thomas Neal 0-5, 3 K - batting .359/.375/.385 over his last ten games
3B Josh Bell 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, K, E5(5) - fourth homer with SWB
SS Addison Maruszak 2-5, HR, RBI, 3 K - second homer this season
C Bobby Wilson 2-4, RBI, K

Jose Ramirez 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - one groundout, four flyouts
Matt Daley 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB
Mike Zagurski 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K - 25 of 42 pitches for strikes
Jim Miller 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

The Red Sox tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a three-run eighth by the RailRiders put them back ahead and they stayed there for good. The game was a bit of a slugfest with 22 combined hits, but the RailRiders' bats prevailed with four home runs in the game. David Huff starts for SWB tonight at 6:15 pm.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 4-5 vs. Binghamton Mets

LF Ramon Flores 1-4, HR, RBI, BB - fourth homer of the season
3B Reegie Corona 0-5, 2 K
RF Tyler Austin 0-5, 2 K
1B Kyle Roller 1-4, BB, 3 K - batting .274 this season
SS Carmen Angelini 1-4, BB, 2 K
DH Andrew Clark 1-5, K - batting .359 since being acquired
2B Jose Pirela 2-4, 2B
C Francisco Arcia 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, pickoff - second homer with Trenton
CF Cody Grice 1-3, BB, 2 K, E8 - fielding error

Michael Pineda 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HB - three groundouts, zero flyouts
Rigoberto Arrebato 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Cesar Cabral 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB
Danny Burawa 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, E1

A three-run homer by Arcia in the sixth inning tied the game, but Arrebato gave up the go ahead run in the bottom of the same inning. Pineda made two big mistakes that ended up over the fence, which really represented the first time he'd struggled since beginning his rehab assignment. Sean Black gets the start for Trenton today at 7:00 pm.

High-A Tampa Yankees: Game suspended for rain

Joel De La Cruz starts for Tampa against the Dunedin Blue Jays today at 6:30 pm.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: Postponed for rain

Evan Rutckyj gets the start for the RiverDogs tonight at 7:05 pm.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 6-2 vs. Aberdeen Ironbirds

SS John Murphy 0-2
SS Jose Rosario 1-4, 2B, RBI, K
DH Michael O'Neill 2-4, 3 RBI, BB, K - batting .278/.395/.306 in his last 10 games
CF Brandon Thomas 1-3, 2 BB
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-4, BB - batting .289 with SI
3B Kale Sumner 1-5 - batting .366 this season
C Isaias Tejeda 0-4, BB, K, PB
LF Daniel Lopez 2-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB
1B Bubba Jones 2-5, K
2B Hector Crespo 2-4, RBI, BB

Rookie Davis 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 EP - four groundouts, zero flyouts
Andrew Benak 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Dillon McNamara 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Charles Haslup 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, K

A solid pitching performance all around coupled with 12 hits and two multi-run innings helped Staten Island to their sixth win of the season. The Yankees play a doubleheader against the Cyclones beginning tonight at 6:00 pm.

Coming Soon to A Stadium Near You: Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets

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Throughout the minor league season, I will be writing about a prospect every Monday who has reached the AA level or higher that could be on your fantasy roster by season's end, and what you should know about them. With Zack Wheeler reaching the Majors (and it appears to stay), two of the Mets' future Big 3 have reached Flushing. Noah Syndergaard was recently promoted from High-A to AA. Could we see him by this time next year, and what could he do for fantasy owners when he arrives?

The Basics

Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 240 lbs.
On 40-Man Roster: No
Age as of 7/1/13: 20 (Turns 21 August 29)

His History

Syndergaard was drafted by the Blue Jays out of a Texas high school in the supplemental first round of the 2010 draft, and signed with the team for a bonus of $600K, which was below-slot. The team sent him to their Gulf Coast League affiliate for the rest of the 2010 season, where he threw just 13 innings across 5 starts to end his season.

The team held him back at their spring training complex until the Appalachian League started its' season in mid June, and he struck out 37 and walked 11 over 32 innings pitched before a promotion to the Northwest League (short-season A). 18 more innings with 22 strikeouts and 4 walks there for Syndergaard before being sent to his first full season assignment in the Midwest League. After 9 innings pitched there before the end of the year, Syndergaard finished his first full season as a professional with 68 strikeouts against 18 walks in 59 innings pitched, and a very solid 1.30 GO/AO ratio across all stops.

The Blue Jays returned Syndergaard to Low-A Lansing for the 2012 season, and included him in their piggybacking system where he would start one game, and in his next turn would come on in relief for the 6th inning and pitch until the end of the game. He ended up starting 19 of his 25 appearances, striking out 122, walking 31, and posting an excellent 2.16 GO/AO ratio across 103.2 innings pitched.

Syndergaard ended up being one of two key prospects in the trade that brought R.A. Dickey to Toronto this past offseason, and so the Mets moved Noah up to High-A to start his 2013 season. He has kept up his strikeout per inning ways, mowing down 64 batters in 63 innings there before being promoted to AA on June 23rd. So far, in two starts, he has 16 strikeouts and 3 walks in his 11 innings for Binghamton.

The Scouting Report - Scouting reports are gathered from other internet sources and written reports, unless otherwise noted.

Syndergaard features a fastball which sits in the mid-90s, with reports that the pitch can touch 96-97 at times. It is considered to a very heavy pitch, generating a ton of sink from the downward plane he is able to achieve with his height. He also features a curveball which has been graded out as a potential plus pitch down the line, although reports from the start of the season noted that it still needs work on its' consistency. Syndergaard also throws a changeup, although that pitch also sounds like it needs some work to become an average offering in the Majors, and its' success could determine how close Syndergaard gets to his potential ceiling as a #2 starter (#2-#3 for fantasy owners).

What's Keeping Him From Contributing Now?

Syndergaard JUST arrived in AA in the past few weeks, and will need to pitch more at that level before a promotion to AAA, let alone the Majors, could be in the cards. There is unfortunately no game video of Syndergaard on MILB.tv so far this year, so it's hard to tell with my own eyes whether he has made steps forward with his offspeed pitches yet. He isn't on the 40-man roster, although it seems very unlikely that when the time comes for him to be ready, the team isn't likely to hesitate.

When Could He Arrive?

He seems to me like he could get a cup of coffee at the end of 2014 if he continues to improve while at AA this year. If the team decides to send Syndergaard to AAA to start his 2014 campaign, that timeline could move up considerably. Realistically, he seems most likely to establish himself in the 2015 season.

What Could He Do For Fantasy Owners Once He Gets There?

Sign me up for a pitcher who could potentially strike out nearly a batter per inning while also providing a high strikeout rate in the NL East. He should provide excellent ratios to go with those strikeouts as well. Syndergaard would probably be a #2 starter in most rotations, but could slot in very nicely as the Mets' #3 behind Harvey and Wheeler very soon.

Sources

Baseball America
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Reference
Fangraphs

For more about Syndergaard and the Mets, head over to SBNation's Amazin' Avenue. You can follow me on Twitter at@jasonsbaseball.


The 2013 Induction Ceremony at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

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At half-past-five on the morning of Saturday, June 29, I set off--with several friends in tow--from Toronto for tiny St. Marys, Ontario to attend Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Induction Day. The early trip was well worth it, as I got to be a part of the ceremony honouring former Blue Jays George Bell and Rob Ducey, former Expo and current Jays minor league coach Tim Raines, Canadian baseball pioneer Nat Bailey, and Blue Jays broadcaster Tom Cheek for their contributions to baseball in Canada.

The day began with a media event at the Lind Sportsplex in St. Marys, which overlooked a quarry that has been turned into a swimming pool for the town. There were representatives from the major sports networks, the local news stations, as well as Blue Jays video bloggers from Back in Blue, who cut a short video review of the day.

At the media event, I sat down at a table to talk with Rob Ducey, but I batted behind the Canadian Baseball Network's Alexis Brudnicki, who cleared the bases with her interview that you could read here. He spoke about the great work that Baseball Canada has done since his playing days and the difficulty of playing for Toronto as a Canadian.

I did not want to repeat any of her questions so I asked Ducey about the time in 2000 when he was traded from the Phillies to the Blue Jays on July 26 then back to the Phillies on August 7.

"I was happy I got traded back to Toronto, at that time they were in a pennant race," Ducey reminisced, "but within a week I went from throwing all my red garb out, getting blue garb, and then having to get rid of that! It was almost like an inconvenience--like, 'guys, make up your mind!'"

Next, I went to speak with Shirley Cheek, Tom's widow. Shirley was a wonderful person to speak with and she loved to speak about her late husband because she understood how important he was to the baseball fans in Canada.

During our talk, she told me that she and the Cheek family will be at the Rogers Centre on July 2 for a ceremony to honour Tom. Interestingly, I haven't seen any announcement from the club about it, so consider this your notice to make your way to the game this Tuesday! Jeff Cheek, Tom and Shirley's son, will be throwing out the first pitch, and all her grandkids will be there wearing Blue Jays gear with "CHEEK" on the back.

The induction ceremony itself was next and was held in a big white tent pitched, appropriately, on a baseball diamond. TSN's Rod Black was the emcee and was fantastic, softening up the capacity crowd by cracking a few jokes about Rob Ford, Lance Armstrong, and Brett Lawrie among others. He then called on the inductees, a bunch of invited guests like Tom Henke, Jim Fanning, and Cito Gaston, and several fans from the audience up to the front for an impromptu singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Being that it was Canada Day weekend, Black wrapped up his introduction by delivering a very good speech about being Canadian.

Bob Elliott then followed with a somewhat awkward recap of baseball in Canada since last year's ceremony--I could not discern whether he was trying to be funny or whether he wasn't comfortable speaking that morning. Then Jim Fanning, the Expos' first general manager and twice field manager, gave a speech giving praise to the Hall's founders and told a few stories about the early years of the Expos. He sympathized with Shirley Cheek having had to first sit through the weather at Jarry Park when her husband was broadcasting for the Expos, then having to do the same in Exhibition Stadium when Tom Cheek moved to Toronto.

The inductees (or their representatives) came next. Rob Ducey led off, and like the ones who would follow, spoke a lot about the support he received from his family, especially mom and his coach-turned-step-father Ed Heather, who had given him a chance to play professionally by convincing him to stay in baseball instead of returning to his beloved game of fast-pitch softball.

Canadian baseball historian Bill Humber then spoke for the family of Nat Bailey, who were not able to make it to the ceremony. Humber spoke about Bailey's entrepreneurial spirit, going from a peanut vendor at a Vancouver arena to the founding of the White Spot chain of restaurants. He was a successful restaurateur, but baseball was still in his heart, so he put in a lot of time and money to support baseball in Vancouver. In his recognition, the current Vancouver Canadians, who are the short-season A affiliates of the Toronto Blue Jays, play in Nat Bailey Stadium. Humber got a big laugh from the crowd after dropping a Munenori Kawasaki reference.

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Shirley Cheek and Jeff Cheek accepting Tom Cheek's induction into the Hall of Fame. (Photo by Minor Leaguer)

Tom Cheek was the next candidate to be inducted, and his son Jeff--who has his height--stepped up to the lectern to speak, with his mother Shirley standing right beside him for support. He spoke about his father's tremendous work ethic (something that is definitely needed to call 4,306 consecutive regular season games) and how as a young man he called every game available to hone his craft, including Friday night league bowling. He also thanked Dave van Horne for being the person who invited Cheek up to the broadcast booth after seeing him calling the game into a tape recorder down at Jarry Park.

"Behind every man is a stronger woman, my dad had that," Jeff said as he turned to his mother, choking up a bit. To him, the ceremony was as much about his father as his mother. Kevin Glew wrote about his encounter with the two Cheeks in a piece for the Canadian Baseball Network.

George Bell went up to the plate next and promised a short speech, but ended up giving a long--but great--one. Bell, known for being unpredictable with a mic placed in front of him, was unpredictably frank and funny. He thanked each one of his managers: Bobby Mattick for making him a left fielder, Bobby Cox for playing him every day, and Cito Gaston for guiding his teams to winning seasons. He even included the person who he apparently had a feud with, saying that he had nothing against Jimy Williams, but "when someone touches your territory, you get mad." Bell also talked about how Paul Beeston approached him in 1990, and seeing how miserable he seemed to have been feeling, told the 1987 MVP that it was time to leave Toronto.

"I'm a real Blue Jay," Bell said to the captive audience, "I consider myself Canadian," then went on to thank scouts Bob Engle and Al Lamacchia for convincing the Blue Jays to acquire him for $25,000 in the Rule 5 draft. Bell ended his speech by saying "I don't want to say too much more, I might run out of English."

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Montreal Expos legends Jim Fanning, Claude Raymond, and Tim Raines. (Photo by Minor Leaguer)

TIm Raines ended the players' speeches with a fantastic one of his own. He mostly focused on his family, and got emotional when he talked about how his parents had to miss the event because of health issues. He spoke about how he owed a lot to his mom while his dad was out making money for the family: "sure dad was the man, but mom was the backbone for many of us athletes." Unfortunately, his young daughters were also ill, so they were also not able to attend the ceremony.

Then Raines turned to talk about the Expos fans. He seemed to have absolutely loved his time in Montreal saying that only Youppi was the only one to get more publicity than he. In a nice touch, he apologized to Francophone fans for not speaking French fluently enough, then rattled off the few French words he knew.

The speech got emotional in a few instances, especially when he spoke about his return to the Expos for a second stint in 2001. In the Home Opener at Olympic Stadium, batting sixth, Raines stepped up to a rousing standing ovation, which lasted 5-6 minutes. The loud crowd at the Big O shook up the pitcher enough that he walked Raines on four pitches, who then promptly scored from first base on an Orlando Cabrera double. Melissa Couto wrote about The Rock in her piece for the Canadian Press.

Another long-time Blue Jays broadcaster received recognition on Saturday. Jerry Howarth was the winner of the Jack Graney Award for excellence in Canadian broadcasting. He was unable to attend the ceremony as the Blue Jays were in Boston, but according to Shi Davidi, the Blue Jays will be honouring him at the Rogers Centre on August 11. How fitting it is that Howarth's name plate appears right beside his late partner's on the trophy.

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The Jack Graney Trophy. (Photo by Minor Leaguer)

Induction Day was a fantastic celebration of baseball in Canada and great fun, to boot. It had a very small and intimate atmosphere, unlike Cooperstown. This was my first time visiting St. Marys, and I left wondering why it took me so long to go. Outside the Hall it is a really nice small town with a beautiful waterfall right downtown. It's certainly worth a day trip out there as you can also stop by for a show in nearby Stratford, especially if you don't need to head out at half-past-five.

Who Are Ya: Jose Alvarez

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HAPPY CANADA DAY! R.A. Dickey will take on 24-year-old left hander Jose Alvarez today at the Rogers Centre. Alvarez signed as a amateur free agent from Venezuela 8 years ago by the Red Sox, then he was traded to Miami, and finally to Detroit never having much success in the minors. He's had a pretty good start to his major league career this year allowing 7 runs in three starts getting 7 strikeouts in his debut. He's in the Detroit rotation because Anibal Sanchez is on the disabled list currently.

Alvarez throws the five main pitches pretty evenly averaging high 80's on his hardstuff which could be why he hasn't been to the majors before this year. Command will be important for Alvarez as will be his secondary pitches if he's to have any success with Detroit. A good review by Fangraphs of Alvarez's first start can be found here.

A little preview of what we can expect to see from Alvarez:

Slider

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via cdn.fangraphs.com

Changeup

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via cdn.fangraphs.com

Jose Alvarez throws his changeup a lot (35% of the time against right handers) so one of the keys will be avoiding whiffing on the heavily used pitch by the left hander. You can see he locates the changeup on the outer half of the zone getting 37% whiffs/swing thus far in his career:

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There isn't a lot out there about Alvarez and it looks like he's a AAAA pitcher that will need to have great command to survive in the big leagues.

The lineups have already been released so no need to wonder if Adam Lind will play today after leaving yesterday's game with back problems.

Mark DeRosa hitting fourth doesn't inspire too much confidence in the team, but at least Josh Thole gets the start today (small victories even if it's against a lefty). In his 3 starts, lefties have hit Alvarez harder than righties, but almost nothing can be read into that except the fact that his changeup is easily his best pitch. You'd have to imagine Adam Lind would be in this game if he wasn't hurt considering Thole, Rasmus, and Kawasaki are all starting.

No rant today because Canada Day should be full of positive stuff only (and because I don't have time to look for a good one). For the "Find the Link" :

Find the link between Jose Alvarez and the player drafted #11 in the same draft as Russ Adams.

Enjoy watching the game or celebrating Canada Day or both! Hope you all have a great day.

International Signing Day

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Today is International Signing Day. Here is an open discussion thread to share news and signing information. Here are some informative links for you:

Matt Garrioch's International Signings Preview
TheAncientMariners's International Prospects Report. WARNING: slow loading, but chock full of information and videos.
Jonathan Mayo's 2013 Top 30 International Prospects List

Toolsy outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres, and third baseman Rafael Devers may command the largest bonuses, but there are three other players I am keeping a particular eye on:

Luis Barrios, LHP: From Colombia. Very projectable but already throws fairly hard with a clean delivery. Linked to the Braves like many Colombian prospects often are.

Lewin Diaz, 1B-OF: From the Dominican Republic, a left-handed bat with explosive, if raw, power potential and good hitting skills for his age. Reportedly linked to the Twins.

Joan Mauricio, SS: From the Dominican Republic, a left-handed bat with athleticism and projectability. Unclear who he is linked to although today's Baseball America Bed Badler report indicates it may be the Houston Astros.

Those three would be key targets for me if I were running a team.

International Bonus Pools for 2013-2014

1. Astros$4,943,700
2. Cubs$4,557,200
3. Rockies$4,213,800
4. Twins$3,908,600
5. Indians$3,636,900
6. Marlins$3,395,200
7. Red Sox$3,179,900
8. Royals$2,988,100
9. Blue Jays$2,817,100
10. Mets$2,664,600
11. Mariners$2,580,000
12. Padres$2,500,800
13. Pirates$2,426,000
14. Diamondbacks$2,355,700
15. Phillies$2,289,700
16. Brewers$2,227,300
17. White Sox$2,168,300
18. Dodgers$2,112,900
19. Cardinals$2,060,600
20. Tigers$2,011,200
21. Angels$1,993,700
22. Rays$1,976,500
23. Orioles$1,959,400
24. Rangers$1,942,700
25. Athletics$1,926,100
26. Giants$1,909,900
27. Braves$1,893,800
28. Yankees$1,877,900
29. Reds$1,862,100
30. Nationals

$1,846,900

Around the Bases: Monday's scores and highlights

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Less than half of the league hit the field on Monday, but plenty of highligh ensued in the seven games that took place. Below are the MLB scores and highlights from Monday.

Nationals 10, Brewers 5: Remember when Bryce Harper was on the disabled list? It sure seems like Harper doesn't because he hit a home run on his first swing since coming off the disabled list over the weekend. Harper missed all of June with a left knee injury and, after letting the first pitch go by, the slugger hit his 13th home run into left field while sending the Brewers to their sixth-straight loss.

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Yankees 9, Twins 4: Andy Pettitte entered the game needing two strikeouts to become the Yankees' franchise leader in the category and the lefty eventually fanned Justin Morneau in the fifth inning to surpass Whitey Ford for his 1,958 strikeout as a New York Yankees pitcher. Robinson Cano had two home runs to help make Pettitte's record-breaking night a good one as the Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak.

Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4: Andrew Brown hit a two-run single to left-centerfield in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Mets the win in a game that lasted an incredible five hours and 13 minutes. Cody Ross opened the top of the 13th with a home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead, but Josh Collmenter struggled with his location in the bottom of the 13th, walking two and giving up two en route to the eventual loss.

Marlins 4, Padres 0: Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez pitched a career-high eight innings and tied a career-high 10 strikeouts as Miami shutout the Padres. Jeff Mathis had a three run double for his seventh RBI in two games as the Marlins won their sixth of seven games.

Reds 8, Giants 1: The Giants recent slump continued after the Reds pounded rookie Michael Kickham for seven earned runs. Todd Frazier did much of the damage, leaving no doubts about his 10th home run before finishing the game with four RBIs. Heavy rain began in the sixth inning and, after a nearly two hour rain delay, the game was called.

Blue Jays 8, Tigers 3: Toronto had a happy Canada Day as R.A. Dickey pitched seven innings and Jose Reyes hit a three-run home run to send Detroit home with a loss, putting them a half-game behind the Cleveland Indians for the AL Central lead. Dickey started off the season a bit up and down, but has increased the velocity on his knuckleball and put up his third-straight quality start in this outing.

Rays 12, Astros 0: After a rough go around in June, Matt Moore was definitely looking for the calendar to change over. It worked, too, as he shut out the Astros for seven innings while striking out nine. Virtually everyone on the Rays got in on the party as the team finished with 17 hits and eight different players driving in a run. The Astros couldn't get any offense going against Moore, either, collecting just two hits in the game.

More from SB Nation:

Royals discuss trade for Chase Utley

Will the Pirates' best record in baseball be enough?

Bryce Harper returning from disabled list

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Game 82 Preview: Tigers at Blue Jays

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Detroit Tigers (43-38) at Toronto Blue Jays (41-41)

Time/Place: 7:07 p.m., Rogers Centre

SB Nation blog:Bluebird Banter

Media: Fox Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Pitching Matchup: RHP Doug Fister (6-5, 3.50 ERA) vs. RHP Chien-Ming Wang (1-1, 5.24 ERA)

PitcherGSIPK/9BB/9HR/9WHIPFIPSIERAfWAR
Fister16103.06.991.400.351.202.823.172.9
Wang422.14.032.821.211.574.844.070.1

Note: every time I go anywhere, my replacement game previewers add more work for me in these posts. Any feedback on the table above (including its position within the thread) is greatly appreciated, as always.

When he's on, Wang is a groundout-inducing machine. His career ground ball rate is 59.3% and he has allowed ground balls at a 63.6% clip in four starts in 2013. Opposing batters are hitting .280 off Wang on ground balls this season, a number you would expect to go down now that Jose Reyes is off the disabled list. Muneori Kawasaki might have been a nice spark plug while Reyes was on the DL, but an elite-level defender he is not.

Of course, when Wang isn't inducing ground balls at a near-60% clip, he is likely getting hit around like he did in his last start against the Boston Red Sox. He allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings at Fenway Park. The outing ballooned his ERA from a stellar 2.61 to its current 5.24. It was damp and rainy, which may have had something to do with his awful fastball location, but outings like this are nothing out of the ordinary for him.

As you might expect with an extreme ground ball pitcher like Wang, he relies heavily on his two-seam fastball to create weak contact. He has relied on the two-seamer even more than usual this season, throwing it a Bartolo Colon-esque 75% of the time. Opposing batters are hitting .299 off the fastball, but the .419 slugging average, .119 ISO, 68.8% ground ball rate, and .290 BABIP all suggest that grounders are finding holes. Meanwhile, he also throws a curveball, slider, and changeup between 8 and 15% of the time. He saves the curveball for righties and the changeup for lefties, with the slider primarily used in two strike counts.

Speaking of starters being victimized by seeing-eye grounders, Fister is allowing an absurd .298 average on ground balls in 2013 compared to a .152 average on fly balls. Even more telling is that Fister has allowed more doubles on grounders (six) than fly balls (five), and has only allowed a slugging average of .409 on fly balls this season. It helps that he has only allowed four home runs on the year, and this trend might not be sustainable. Regardless, it's definitely a trend worth watching: Fister has allowed at least nine fly balls in seven starts this year, and has yet to allow more than three runs in any of those outings.

Outlook

Wang has been excellent against the Tigers in his career, winning five of his six career starts with a 2.54 ERA. However, he hasn't faced them since 2007. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta are the only two Tigers hitters with more than 10 at-bats against Wang, and both have had a decent amount of success. That said, Wang has fared much better than most people expected this season despite a good showing at the World Baseball Classic in March. He seems to have that heavy two-seamer working again, which is bad news for opposing hitters.

It's tough to judge how good the Blue Jays' offense is given that Jose Reyes has only played in 15 games this season, not to mention a slew of other injuries. Even after yesterday's three-hit outburst, he is still only hitting .280 with one extra base hit and zero steals since returning from the disabled list. Is he completely healthy? That remains to be seen, but I wouldn't bank on him stealing any bases tonight. Between Fister's ability to slow an opposing team's running game and the return of Alex Avila behind the plate, expect Reyes, Rajai Davis, and others to stay put on the basepaths.

Prediction

Fister pitches well again but gets victimized by a lack of run support... again.

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