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Bisons split double header

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The Bisons split a double header with the Rochester Red Wings a night ago. Deck McGuire took the mound in game one of the affair as the team looked to claw their way back to the .500 mark. Unfortunately despite a strong start the Herd still fell 6-3.

McGuire looked dominant in the first four innings as he only allowed two walks and no runs. Unfortunately things went south from there. He managed to work through six innings which was critical with a depleted bullpen, but he gave up six runs four of which were earned. He lost his command a bit leaving his sinker up and over the plate which is of course a recipe for disaster. The Red Wings strung together six hits in the last three innings to overcome the three run deficit they faced.

The three run lead the Bisons had was earned off the bat of Brad Glenn. His first inning bomb kept the team alive, but the offense went cold from that point on. Glenn has been hitting the ball hard since his call up getting the barrel on seemingly every pitch he swings at. He has now eclipsed the 100 at bat mark for the season in Buffalo, and is hitting a remarkable .377 with a 1.001 OPS.

In the second game of the double header Raul Valdes took the ball. He did a great job to get through 5 innings after throwing over 50 pitches in the first two frames. He managed this while on an 80-85 pitch limit. Valdes worked his way out of a great deal of trouble allowing eight base runners but only two runs in his five innings of work. This turned out to be good enough behind a balanced offensive attack from the Herd. The team came away with a 7-3 victory to earn the split. This was the first start of the season for Valdes, but with the return of Liam Hendriks and eventually Sean Nolin he may not get another for a while.

Brad Glenn was again the offensive hero as he notched another three hits and two RBI's for the Bisons. With the return of Kevin Pillar and Anthony Gose from Toronto plus Glenn from the DL the Bisons now have a much deeper stronger lineup. The offense which had been struggling finally has the pieces to take advantage of the opportunities they have been getting.

Now midway through the season the Bisons have a much different looking roster then they started with. The entire pitching rotation has changed, and with the all of the call-ups the lineup has taken a much different shape as well. This does not however mean the team is in bad shape. In fact there is now a surplus of good hitters especially in the outfield where a five man rotation can be expected. According to manager Gary Allenson some guys may be unhappy with the playing time they get out there. I would expect to see Pillar, Gose, Darin Mastroianni, and Glenn getting the most time with Adron Chambers filling in.

P.J. Walters will make his first start of the season for Buffalo today as the team concludes the five game set with Rochester. Again the team will be looking to get back to .500 and stay relevant in talented IL North division.


Streamer Report: Streaming Options for Monday

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Ray offers some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Monday, including Nathan Eovaldi and Chase Whitley.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Monday's Streamers

Nathan Eovaldi, Marlins vs Phillies

Chase Whitley, Yankees vs Blue Jays

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week.

I think this was the best weekly performance for the Streamer Report since I started it last year.

Pitcher

IP

H

ER

BB

K

W/L

ERA

WHIP

Jaime Garcia

7

5

1

2

6

W

1.29

1.00

Henderson Alvarez

7

7

2

2

6

2.57

1.29

Jake Odorizzi

5.33

3

2

2

5

3.38

0.94

Tyler Matzek

5

10

3

2

0

L

5.40

2.40

Roenis Elias

7

3

1

0

6

W

1.29

0.43

Jon Niese

6

8

3

1

3

L

4.50

1.50

Kevin Gausman

6

5

0

1

5

W

0.00

1.00

Chase Whitley

5

5

2

1

2

W

3.60

1.20

Danny Duffy

7

3

2

1

5

L

2.57

0.57

Collin McHugh

6

4

0

3

6

L

0.00

1.17

Charlie Morton

6

8

6

2

6

L

9.00

1.67

Jarred Cosart

8

6

0

1

2

W

0.00

0.88

Rubby de la Rosa

7

4

1

1

7

1.29

0.71

Jake Odorizzi

7.33

1

0

2

10

W

0.00

0.41

Totals

89.66

72

23

21

69

2.31

1.04

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy advice, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown for all your fantasy baseball and football needs.

Blue Jays bolster their outfield: Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar recalled, Erik Kratz optioned, Brett Lawrie placed on DL

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Sunday's game between the Blue Jays and Reds saw Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista leaving the game due to injury. Bautista experienced hamstring tightness and is still day-to-day until MRI results come in later today, while Lawrie's injury was immediately diagnosed as a finger fracture. Because the Blue Jays don't expect Bautista to play in tonight's game against the Yankees, a series of moves were made to bring up some outfielders.

To create two spots on the 25-man roster, according to pretty much everyone on the beat, the Blue Jays placed Lawrie on the 15-day disabled list (although he will be out longer than that) and optioned catcher Erik Kratz to Buffalo. Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar have been recalled to fill those two spots. Although Gose reported to Buffalo just two days ago after his latest optioning, Lawrie's placement on the disabled list waived the normal 10-day minimum for optional assignments.

Once word of Bautista and Lawrie's injuries circulated in the Bisons pressbox, we thought that Pillar would be a prime candidate for a callup. Since being sent down to triple-A in mid-June, Pillar had been hitting .391/.429/.609 with the Bisons. He hit a two-run homer (with Gose on third) right out of Buffalo's Coca-Cola Field yesterday afternoon. He went 1-for-4, but he also hit a solid line drive that went right at the left fielder for an out.

Manager Gary Allenson liked his attitude after being sent back down, saying that "he's been on a mission since he signed to prove everybody wrong that they made a mistake of drafting [him] so low."

The infield currently consists of Edwin Encarnacion at first, a Munenori Kawasaki and Steve Tolleson platoon at second, Jose Reyes at shortstop, and Juan Francisco at third. One would expect further roster moves in the coming days, perhaps to bring up a second backup infielder.

UPDATE

Jose Bautista will remain day-to-day with a diagnosis of a mild hamstrain string (or was it a mild hamstring strain?), according to Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell.

Yankees Weekly Preview: AL East lead up for grabs

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After a sweep of the division leading Blue Jays last week, the Yankees head to Toronto just one and a half games back of the leaders in prime position to supplant them atop the standings.

While the Yankees week didn't exactly end on a bright note (how can Tanaka lose?!?!), they did still sweep the Toronto Blue Jays and now sit just 1.5 games back in the division at 39-35.  This week, they'll face the Blue Jays yet again (this time in the Great White North) before heading back to the Bronx for a weekend home stand against archrival Boston.

The Blue Jays and Red Sox

Blue Jays: 1st in AL East (42-35), 3rd in runs scored, 2nd in OPS (.765), tied for 1st in wRC+ (112), 24th in ERA (4.15), 26th in FIP (4.09), 28th in xFIP (4.28)

Red Sox: 4th in AL East (35-41) 24th in runs scored, 22nd in OPS (.687), 24th in wRC+ (88), 11th in ERA (3.60) 8th in FIP (3.60), 11th in xFIP (3.67)

Quick hits

Unsung Jays taking flight: We all known how well Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista can hit, but they've been getting a lot of help from lesser known members of Toronto's lineup, namely Adam Lind and Juan Francisco.  Lind is hitting .338/.414/.511 with a 157 wRC+ this season, all well above his career averages.  Francisco has hit for a bit less average, but a lot more power, notching a triple slash of .245/.326/.555 with a 141 wRC+ and 12 homers on the year.  They'll probably come back to Earth as the season wears on, but right now, their production has given the Jays one of the best offenses in the league.

Lester and Lackey carrying Sox rotation: While the Red Sox have not followed up their World Series win with a stellar start to 2014, that certainly can't be blamed on their top two arms, Jon Lester and John Lackey.  Lester and Lackey sport nearly 6.0 fWAR combined (2.9 for Lester and 2.7 for Lackey), and have done their parts to keep the Sox within striking distance.  Lester has managed a 2.83 FIP while racking up the K's (ninth in the majors in strikeouts), while Lackey has compiled a 2.90 FIP due to his great control (1.65 BB/9) and his ability to limit the long ball (8.0% HR/FB).  These two will present major obstacles when the Sox roll into the Bronx this weekend.

Napoli rolling since return: Since returning to the lineup on June 8th, Mike Napoli has given the Red Sox a much needed offensive boost, as he's accumulated a .275/.339/.412 triple slash with a 109 wRC+ in that span.  He's been on a tear for much of the season, sporting a 123 wRC+ and a .793 OPS for 2014.  Overall, Napoli has been one of the few offensive bright spots for Boston - Grady Sizmore and Jackie Bradley Jr. have both been awful (each has a wRC+ under 70), Daniel Nava's hitting ability has fallen off a cliff (65 wRC+) and Dustin Pedroia has been just average (99 wRC+).

Yankees weekly notes

Jeter heating up at the plate: While Derek Jeter has struggled for much of this season, he's finally shown some life at the plate over the past two weeks, hitting .321/.351/.377 with a 101 wRC+ over that time period.  He's still only hitting .271 with an 81 wRC+ on the year, but hopefully the past fourteen days have been a sign that Jeter is finally coming to life.

Battle of bullpens in the Bronx: The Yankees and the Red Sox have two of the best bullpens in the league based on fWAR, with the Sox first and the Yankees a close second.  The Yankees pen has been so good mainly because of three men: Dellin Betances (1.8 fWAR), Adam Warren (1.0), and David Robertson (0.9).  All three are in the top 20 for relievers (as are Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller for the Sox), and Betances leads the pack.  While the Yankees pen is only 11th in the league in FIP (mainly due to some ugly innings from the likes of Matt Daley and Alfredo Aceves), they're striking out just about everyone (David Robertson has a 16.05 K/9, and Dellin Betances a casual 15.00).  With Shawn Kelley now back in the mix, the bullpen should continue to be a major strength.

Prediction: 4-2 (2-1 vs. Toronto, 2-1 vs. Boston)

The Yankees have a great chance to take the division lead this week.  David Phelps and Chase Whitley have been better of late, and if those two pitchers can keep it up, and Hiroki Kuroda can keep up his solid pitching over June (3.33 FIP this month) then the Yankees will have a shot to bring out the brooms against the Blue Jays yet again.  While they will face the Red Sox's best two pitchers when they return to New York, Boston has been pretty bad on the road (just 15-22).  Look for Chase Whitley to give the Yankees a good shot to take two out of three (shockingly, I'm picking Nuno to lose and Tanaka to win).

How do you think the Yankees will fare this week?  Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments below!

Pitching matchups

Monday, June 23:  Chase Whitley (3-0, 2.56 ERA, 3.95 xFIP) vs. Marcus Stroman (3-2, 5.14 ERA, 3.70 xFIP)

Tuesday, June 24: David Phelps (3-4, 4.13 ERA, 4.20 xFIP) vs. Mark Buehrle (10-4, 2.32 ERA, 4.22 xFIP)

Wednesday, June 25: Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 4.23 ERA, 3.76 xFIP) vs. Drew Hutchinson (5-5, 3.86 ERA, 4.03 xFIP)

Thursday, June 26: Off

Friday, June 27: Vidal Nuno (1-3, 5.90 ERA, 4.30 xFIP) vs. Rubby De La Rosa (2-2, 2.84 ERA, 2.92 xFIP)

Saturday, June 28: Masahiro Tanaka (11-2, 2.11 ERA, 2.31 xFIP) vs. Jon Lester (8-7, 3.14 ERA, 3.18 xFIP)

Sunday, June 29: Whitley vs. John Lackey (8-4, 2.96 ERA, 3.16 xFIP)

Poll
How do you think the Yankees will fare this week against the Blue Jays and Red Sox?

  94 votes |Results

Yankees lineup vs. Blue Jays - Manny Banuelos placed on the disabled list with blister

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Hopefully the Yankees can do to the Blue Jays tonight what they did to them when they were in the Bronx last week. After the series with the Orioles, they could use the win.

The Yankees lineup looks a little different with Derek Jeter getting the day off in Toronto. Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, and Jacoby Ellsbury are at the top of the lineup. Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann and Kelly Johnson are in the middle of the order. Brian Robers, Ichiro Suzuki, and Brendan Ryan round out the bottom of the lineup.

Manny Banuelos was supposed to start for the Trenton Thunder today, but he's been placed on the disabled list instead. The lefty had been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery before suffering from a "tired" arm that he seemed to be getting passed. He had actually said the other day that he was ready for more work than the three-inning limit the Yankees have had him on all season. Now this.

Thankfully it's just a blister:

The Yankees have released outfielder Mikeson Oliberto from Low-A Charleston. The righty was only able to hit .186/.256/.343 in the Sally League at the age of 23. They also released outfielder Cody Grice, who spent last year in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, however, he was assigned to Tampa again at the age of 24 to open the season.

Poisoned Peacock Gets Buchanan His Shot at the Show

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Jake Buchanan has graduated to The Show, if only for a spot start. Meanwhile, Rodon remains unsigned. Catch up with how all of the Pack alumni are doing in the bush below.

Until Carlos Rodon signs with the White Sox, Jake Buchanan is the top pitching prospect who once hurled spheres for N.C. State. Buchanan became the latest Pack alumnus to make the majors Saturday, picking up a spot start for Brad Peacock, who is overcoming a bout with food poisoning.

The start didn't go well for Buchanan or the Astros. Houston managed just one hit in getting blanked 8-0; Buchanan gave up eight hits, three walks, and five earned runs over 4.1 innings. He didn't strike out anybody. Despite the inauspicious debut, he's on the 40-man roster and is likely to get the call next time the Astros need an arm in the rotation.

Here's a look, in table form, at all the Pack alumni currently toiling away in the minor leagues. (Note: the wRC+ stat shows how a player's runs created compares to league average; 132, for example, is 32% above the league baseline. Age +/- shows a player's age relative to other players at that level of the minors.)

Player/Level

Average

On Base%

Slugging%

Walk %

Strikeout %

wRC+

Age +/-

Trea Turner/A-

.308

.400

.385

10.0

20.0

132

-0.4

Brett Austin/A

.222

.300

.333

10.0

60.0

80

-0.4

Danny Canela/A

.278

.304

.352

3.6

21.4

86

+1.5

Danny Canela/A-

.303

.410

.424

15.4

20.5

145

+1.6

Chris Diaz/A

.210

.290

.242

7.8

15.8

57

+1.6

Ryan Mathews/A

.236

.279

.441

5.9

26.5

96

+2.5

Pratt Maynard/A+

.230

.290

.377

8.7

23.2

72

+1.3

Harold Riggins/AA

.259

.344

.440

9.5

38.1

127

-0.2

Aaron Bates/AA

.125

.300

.250

20.0

30.0

67

+5.4

Jonathan Diaz/AAA

.165

.340

.278

16.8

14.0

80

+1.9

  • Turner is 5/5 in stolen base attempts.
  • Austin's K rate is alarming, but hey it's just 10 plate appearances.
  • I am claiming Canela because it makes my table look bigger. He struggled a bit at Kane County, got sent down to extended spring training in Arizona, and resurfaced in Boise, where he's back to his walk-drawin' old self. Given his positional limitations, Canela is going to have to really, really perform well to last for long.
  • This is Diaz's second year at West Virginia in the South Atlantic League (and perhaps his last year in professional baseball).
  • Despite repeating the same level and being nearly three years older than the average player in the Midwest League, Mathews' walk percentage has dropped nearly four points and his K rate has gone up almost six percentage points. Anyone need bible salesman with a little pop in his bat?
  • Maynard has spent two stints on the DL and amassed just 69 plate appearances, but, even with the wee sample, it's still a little concerning that his walk and strikeout rates so far this season are the worst of his minor league career.
  • The lowest BABIP Riggins has posted in his pro career at any stop was .385 in 2012. When he doesn't swing and miss, good things happen. Still, his .416 BABIP this year would seem to be unsustainable, making his already not-especially-noteworthy-for-a-first-baseman numbers a tad less noteworthy.
  • After being jettisoned to the independent leagues a year ago, Bates is back in MiLB (and off to a slow start through a scant 10 plate appearances). Ride them buses back to the Bigs, big man! It would be a pretty special story if he made it back after a five-year absence from The Show, and it is a lottery ticket of a longshot.
  • Diaz has had two stints with the Blue Jays this season but might need to add to that sub-Mendoza line average to get a third. The man's BABIP in AAA is .175, which is the most #ncstateshit luck ever. His BABIP was over .300 last year in AAA, so surely his luck will turn.

And the pitchers:

Player/Level

K/9

BB/9

HR/9

BABIP

LOB%

ERA

FIP

Age +/-

Eric Peterson/RK

11.57

0.00

0.00

.429

75.0

3.86

2.21

+0.4

Josh Easley/A

6.75

2.08

1.04

.276

64.4

3.63

4.50

+1.2

Cory Mazzoni/RK

15.75

2.25

0.00

.500

66.7

4.50

0.25

+3.2

Jake Buchanan/AAA

5.19

1.18

0.71

.291

66.6

3.54

3.93

-2.9

Alex Sogard/AA

5.79

4.10

1.69

.218

68.9

3.38

5.63

+1.5

James Gillheeney/AA

4.50

1.93

0.00

.267

80.0

1.29

2.86

+1.5

James Gillheeney/AAA

10.73

4.44

0.92

.370

63.5

5.36

4.08

-0.9

Eric Surkamp/AAA

10.31

2.09

0.98

.388

69.4

4.54

3.44

-1.0

  • Peterson has just made two appearances and likely won't throw much in his first year in the minors after logging 20 appearances spanning more than 50 innings for the Pack.
  • Easley put up video game numbers after signing a year ago (5-0, 0.59 ERA with four saves) but has fallen off precipitously in 2014 in large part due to a K rate that has been cut almost in half (12.6 to 6.75). Hope his wing is OK.
  • Anthony Tzamtzis (not tabled because I didn't want to break it) made one appearance this year back on June 15th. He hit two batters, walked one, and uncorked a wild pitch. Mascots everywhere are comforted that at this rate-an outing every other month or so-they are probably safe. Probably.
  • Mazzoni shows us the joy of the small sample size. Rehabbing his umpteenth injury down in the Gulf Coast League, Mazzoni has a 0.25 fielding independent pitching mark compared to a 4.50 ERA through his one appearance. Mazzoni has a big league arm if he can stay healthy. Expect him back in AA soon.
  • At nearly three years younger than the average AAA player, Buchanan still has a bit of projection left in him. For a pitch to contact guy that relies on impeccable command, first-start jitters are the enemy. If he gets an extended look, he has a chance to eat innings in the back end of some team's rotation.
  • Alex Sogard remains left handed with a pulse.
  • Gillheeney has been left handed with a pulse over two levels.
  • To write off Surkamp as left-handed organizational fodder would probably be a bit harsh. He has the components of a guy that could get another shot at the show, as his FIP indicates. With some good luck instead of bad luck, he'd have an ERA under three. So, Steven, go on dreaming about that ChiSox rotation bookended by former Pack lefties.

Patrick Peterson and Logan Jernigan have yet to log any innings. The same is true for Andrew Woeck, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. As a senior recovering from surgery, I'm guessing Woeck got a box of used pencils as a signing bonus, but at least he gets his foot in the door.

All eyes are now turned to the Rodon watch. I will just go on believing he'll be back for his senior season until he signs. He has until July 18th to crush my dream.

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Cubs vs. Reds, Game 1: Preview and Predictions

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Cincinnati heads North to face their NL Central rivals.

Cincinnati Reds 



@ Chicago Cubs

Monday, June 23, 2014
Wrigley Field

Alfredo Simon v. Jeff Samardzija

COMPLETE COVERAGE >

Rather wild weekend series, eh?

Fresh off taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays in a series that saw big hitting, bad defense, and a pair of stellar pitching performances backing up a failure you won't forget for years, the Cincinnati Reds set out for Chicago, where the Cubs await.  It'll be the first stop on a 3 city, 10 game road trip for the Reds, and they'll look to continue the momentum they've developed since the healthy returns of Mat Latos and Joey Votto to the dugout.

Standing in their way tonight will be Jeff Samardzija, who has cooled off significantly after a torrid start to his season.  While his overall season numbers are still quite good, Samardzija has gone just 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and .880 OPS allowed over 22 IP in his last 4 starts the last 28 days, though that is weighed upon heavily by a start against the Milwaukee Brewers that saw him allow 8 ER in just 3 IP.  Against the Reds so far in 2014, Samardzija has allowed just 4 ER in 12.2 IP, and that'll be the kind of performance he'll be looking for this evening (though his 1.58 WHIP against the Reds in those innings suggests there's been some tap-dancing around runners on base.)

Taking the mound for the Reds will be Alfredo Simon and his league leading 10 arbitrary designations in a category that means nothing.  Seriously, Samardzija has a better ERA, more IP, better K/9, better K/BB, more bWAR, more fWAR, better FIP, better xFIP, better ERA+, better ERA-, higher GB %, and better HR/9 than Simon; Simon has 10 wins, Samardzija has 2.  Anyhoo, Simon will face the Cubs for the 2nd time in 2014, and he'll look to replicate something akin to the 6 IP, 2 ER, winning performance he had against them in GABP on April 29th.

Gone are the early season pitching-friendly conditions in Wrigley, though, and tonight's game will see mid 70's temperatures with upwards of 70% humidity and a chance for storms.  If the wind is blowing out, look out, as Jay Bruce has been June Brucing (and is still looking for his first career dinger off Samardzija).

Go Reds!  They're peteyhendrix's favorite team!

Bullpen Log

Reliever6/186/196/206/216/225 day totals
Carlos Contreras
1.0, 8p
1.0, 9p
2.0 IP, 17 pitches
Logan Ondrusek
1.1, 11p0.1, 10p

1.2 IP, 21 pitches
Sam LeCure
0.1, 4p0.1, 9p

0.2 IP, 13 pitches
J.J. Hoover2.2, 39p



2.2 IP, 39 pitches
Jonathan Broxton
0.2, 21p1.0, 23p

1.2 IP, 44 pitches
Manny Parra
0.2, 12p0.0, 4p

0.2 IP, 16 pitches
Aroldis Chapman
1.1, 20p0.2, 33p
1.0, 18p3.0 IP, 73 pitches
Jumbo Diaz0.2, 7p
1.0, 31p

1.2 IP, 38 pitches

Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki named captains for Home Run Derby

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The 2014 Home Run Derby at Target Field has its captains and also a new format to determine a champion.

With MLB's annual Home Run Derby now three weeks away, the league announced that Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki will be the captains during the event on July 14 at Target Field.

Bautista and Tulowitzki are also currently the top two vote-getters in MLB's All-Star voting and will have the chance to determine the other four participants from their respective leagues. Fans can still make suggestions on who should be named to the Home Run Derby while the captains and MLB will consult this week to decide who will participate.

Bautista has hit 15 home runs this season, which puts him 10th in the American League. His Toronto teammate Edwin Encarnacion's 24 long balls currently lead the majors. Colorado's Tulowitzki trails only Giancarlo Stanton in home runs among National Leaguers with 18 on the season.

This will be Bautista's third Home Run Derby appearance after the Blue Jays slugger participated in 2011 and 2012. Tulowitzki will be making his first Derby appearance and will become just the seventh shortstop to ever take part in the event; Hanley Ramirez was the last to do so, in 2010.

The Home Run Derby will also feature a new format involving 10 players and seven outs per round. Following the opening round, batters will compete head-to-head in bracketed play against an opponent from their own league, with the winners of the AL and NL semifinals squaring off in the final round to see who will be crowned the 2014 Home Run Derby champion.

With Yoenis Cespedes possibly getting a chance to defend his title and batters like Stanton, Encarnacion, Yasiel Puig and Miguel Cabrera standing as potential participants, this year's Derby will likely feature its fair share of entertainment, long balls, and bat flips.

The 2014 Home Run Derby will take place at 8 p.m. ET on July 14 at Target Field and be televised live on ESPN.


Mets trade rumors: Daniel Murphy drawing interest from Blue Jays, Giants

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The two division leaders appear to have interest in acquiring the 29-year-old Mets second baseman.

New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy is reportedly drawing interest from a number of teams, including the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jaysaccording to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.

Both the Giants and Blue Jays rank towards the bottom of baseball in terms of production from the keystone despite currently sitting on top of their divisions. Brandon Hicks hit .172/.289/.339 for the Giants before being replaced by the recently called up Joe Panik, who profiles more as a utility player than a regular second baseman. The Blue Jays, who had a scout in Miami to watch the Mets this weekend (possible coincidence), have mixed-and-matched the likes of Steve Tolleson, Munenori Kawasaki, and Brett Lawrie to little avail.

Murphy, who is making $5.7 million this year, is on pace for the best season of his career. In 340 plate appearances, the 29-year-old is hitting .298/.353/.417 with a 120 OPS+, 119 wRC+, .339 wOBA, and 2.2 WAR. He is currently pacing the National League with 92 hits, and is on pace to score 100 runs and steal 23 bases as well. He is eligible for free agency following next season.

While the Mets should be sellers at next month's deadline considering their current standing and roster construction, there appears to be some hesitation to concede within the front office. Per Martino:

My understanding in talking with Alderson and other Mets officials over the past few weeks is that the team does not consider itself a seller. The National League East is too mediocre and unpredictable, as evidenced once again by the Mets’ winning three of four against the Marlins, and pulling to within five games of first-place Washington. Is this a good team? Of course not; they’re 34-40. But, in the weird world of 2014 baseball, they’re not buried, either.

Murphy is no stranger to the trade block. The Mets apparently shopped him at the winter meetings in December, but were unable to find a reasonable return package. Murphy's value appears to be much higher at the moment considering the season he is having, so for a team that is best-suited to contend in 2015 or 2016, now would seem to be the most opportune time to deal Murphy.

One roadblock in moving Murphy could be the Mets' lack of a quality replacement candidate at second base. New York has a pair of possible replacements in the upper minors with Dilson Herrera and Matt Reynolds, though the Mets' most likely move would be to shift the 22-year-old Wilmer Flores, who has played mostly shortstop this year, over to second base for the remainder of the season.

Jose Bautista day-to-day with mild hamstring strain

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The Blue Jays are optimistic the slugger won't miss too much time with the injury.

The Blue Jays are optimistic slugger Jose Bautista will only miss a few days after suffering a mild hamstring strain in Sunday's game against the Reds.

Jays manager John Gibbons told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi on Monday afternoon that the outfielder will miss "hopefully just a couple days" as Bautista tries to rest the injury and avoid any long-term absence from Toronto's lineup.

The 33-year-old is having another strong campaign for the Jays and is hitting .305/.433/.526 with 15 home runs in 338 plate appearances this season. He has walked 59 times to just 48 strikeouts in 2014 and leads the Jays in batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored.

According to Davidi, the Jays plan to pair Anthony Gose with Kevin Pillar in right field while Bautista is out of the lineup.

In 2013, Bautista hit .259/.358/.498 in 118 games before finishing the year on the DL with an injury to his left hip. Indeed, poor health has nagged Bautista for a few straight seasons now, with a left wrist injury holding the Dominican Republic native to just 92 games in 2012.

Bautista hit more than 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011, and even with the recent injuries the past two years, he has still belted more than 25 home runs in each of the last four seasons.

The Jays also lost third baseman Brett Lawrie to injury on Sunday as the 24-year-old was placed on the DL with a broken finger. Lawrie's injury will keep him out far longer than Bautista, and the Jays plan to platoon Juan Francisco and Steve Tolleson at third base in Lawrie's absence.

With Bautista ailing and Lawrie out for an extended period of time, the injuries are starting to pile up for the Blue Jays. Jose Reyes did return to the team's lineup Monday night after fouling a ball off his shin on Saturday, however, and assuming Bautista is able to return to the club's lineup without much trouble, Toronto's prospects shouldn't change too much at the top of the AL East.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 8: Dumpster fire part deux

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Hey, at least they managed to score some runs tonight!

It was the start of another big showdown with the first-place Toronto Blue Jays as Chase Whitley took the mound for the Yankees against Marcus Stroman at Rogers Centre. Apparently the Jays were really mad about the sweep last week because they took the Yankees behind the proverbial woodshed and really did a number on them.

Our journey to Hell begins in the bottom of the first, when Adam Lind followed up a Melky Cabrera double with a run-scoring single. Then in the second things completely went to hell. After Whitley loaded the bases, Jose Reyes grounded into a fielder's choice to make it 2-0.  Cabrera singled in two more to make it 4-0. Adam Lind followed with a three run homer that brought in Cabrera and Reyes to make it 7-0. Game over, find out what else is on television. Joe Girardi tried desperately to get a little more length out of Whitley, sending him out for the third and fouth innings. Whitley made it through the third okay, but he was mercifully pulled after a Dioner Navarro single scored Toronto's eighth run.

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees put forth another odious effort on offense again tonight. Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer in the third. That's just about it. Stroman cruised through the lineup with ease allowing only a total of four baserunners in his eight innings of work. The Yankees managed to plate a second and third run in the top of the ninth courtesy of a Yangervis Solarte RBI single and a Kelly Johnson bloop double . Basically the most meaningless runs ever. So take solace in this, Chase: you weren't the only guy out there in a gray uniform that had an awful night.

Whitley was certainly going to have a bad start at some point. After all, pitching to a 2.5 ERA as an unheralded rookie isn't something that's done with too much frequency. That being said, you had hoped it wouldn't have been a drubbing to this degree. The game was basically out of reach by the third inning, not that it could be assumed the paltry Yankees offense would do much more than it did if they weren't in a massive hole. Oh well. Whitley just needs to move on and make the necessary adjustments for his next start. Even with this awful start his numbers are more than good enough to not be concerned about his place in the rotation at the moment.

As for the offense, with each passing day it's more and more obvious that it needs an immediate and significant boost. Waiting on players to start hitting like their career lines suggest doesn't seem to be working. Whether it's via trade or a promotion from within, something needs to be done. I try not to be too reactionary, but holy hell it just seems to be happening again and again that this team can't manage anything of note off of an opposing starting pitcher. It's maddening.

Game two of the series begins tomorrow at 7:07 PM. David Phelps and Mark Buehrle are your probables.

Box Score for Masochists

Jose Bautista named AL captain for the Home Run Derby

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MLB.com had this:

Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays and Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies have been named captains for the 20th Gillette Home Run Derby.

I'll admit, I can watch the Home Run Derby for a few minutes and then I get bored. I don't see the excitement that others do.  Add Chris Berman makes it that much tougher to watch. But, I'm glad Bautista gets this honor, he deserves it. I'd imagine he'll pick Edwin Encarnacion for his team.

And the are changing the format of the Derby:

Five players from each league will bat in the opening round, with seven outs instead of the usual 10. The player who hits the most homers in each league will automatically receive a bye to the third round (semifinals). The next two players from each league with the most homers will square off against one another in a head-to-head matchup in the second round.

Shortening the first round is a good idea, it seems to last forever. But....I'm not a fan, so the shorter the better.

And, if you are interested enough, you can vote on who makes it to the Derby.

Mesoraco is a Deus. CIN 6, CHI 1.

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With the bases loaded and the game on the line, the Reds' catcher hit the ball so falcoing far you could hear Joey Votto screaming about it.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Devin Mesoraco just played the role of an amalgamation of Matt Christopher heroes, and it was quite a sight to behold.  Mes was plunked twice, pitched around once, hit by a Darwin Barney follow-through swing, victim of a poor check-swing decision early, backstop to a foul-ball to the same hand he was hit on earlier, and fortunately still standing in the batter's box when the bases became loaded in a tight game in the Bottom of the 9th.  Well, in the kind of clutchy grittastic performance that would endear any classic catcher into the memories of coaches and youngsters everywhere, Mesoraco responded with a grand slam in that Top of the 9th scenario, and that put the game out of even the stretchy length of Logan Ondrusek's right arm.

Props to you, Devin, for homering in your 4th consecutive game and taking home yet another JNMHSotG award.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Billy Hamilton, who went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored, the original go-ahead RBI in the 9th, and a "double" that was the product of being absurdly fast while the Cubs blindly Cub'd; Alfredo Simon, who threw 7 innings of 1 run, 5 K, 1 BB, 5 hit ball; and Todd Frazier, who went 3 for 5 with a triple, run scored, RBI, TOOTBLAN, and stolen base.

Key Plays

  • Before most viewers could let the foam die down a bit on their first beers, the Cincinnati Reds had banged across the first run of the game.  Hamilton led off with a grounder that went just out of the reach of 2B Darwin Barney, and Hamilton motored around to 2B before the RF could corral the ball with any chance of a throw.  Frazier then followed with a triple to the wall in RF, scoring Hamilton.  The Reds let every chance to score Frazier go by, though, as Jeff Samardzija pitched his way around the middle of the order.  Reds led, 1-0.
  • In the Bottom of the 6th, Anthony Rizzo continued on his season-long Joey Votto impersonation tour by clubbing an opposite-field dinger over the wall in left.  Game tied, 1-1.
  • In the Top of the 9th, the Reds decided that whatever they did, it had to be funky, so Chris Heisey led off with a pinch-hit single, Hamilton smashed an RBI single up the middle on the one, and after Votto & Frazier drew walks as the bass dropped, Mesoraco took the Reds to the bridge with a quadradinger just over the protective fencing in left-center.  That did it.  Reds won, 6-1!


Source: FanGraphs

Other Notes
  • For the first time in the 2014 season, the Cincinnati Reds are over the .500 mark.  At 38-37, the Reds sit just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot in the National League.  Like I said, get your popcorn ready.
  • Mesoraco now leads all MLB catchers in OPS (1.035), is 2nd in HR (13), and has just 3 fewer RBI than the catcher with the most in the majors (Miguel Montero, who has 41).  Aside from Derek Norris, Mesoraco has nearly 75 fewer AB in 2014 than any of his peers on that list.
  • Title tunes.

Esmil Rogers throws 5 scoreless innings, Bisons win again

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The Bisons won again tonight beating Rochester 4-2. This was the teams sixth win their past seven games as they were able to take advantage of the struggling Red Wings. Esmil Rogers earned his second win of the year for Buffalo tossing five scoreless innings.

Despite holding Rochester off the board Rogers did not look particularly sharp. He allowed seven base runners including three walks, and without some timely defense those mistakes would have been runs. Rogers was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning when Darin Mastroianni made a remarkable catch on the warning track. The play ended the inning which otherwise would have seen no less than three runs score. Brad Glenn also chipped in defensively making a smooth sliding catch to end a comeback effort for the Red Wings. This play served as a nice cap to yet another strong day for Glenn.

The Herd got on the board early with a two strike, two out, RBI hit by Glenn in the first. This hit extended Glenn's hitting streak to eight games and he is showing no signs of slowing down. He later added another hard hit single up the middle showing the ability to hit the ball wherever it is pitched. This is becoming a bit of a cliché for hitters, but Glenn truly has shown the ability to hit to all fields, which is impressive.

Andy LaRoche and Adron Chambers both added solo home runs to help the Bison's cause. The team likely would have put a few more runs on the board, but three poor base running decisions helped to cut their rallies short. The Herd will look to build off the strong start to this home stand as Columbus comes into to town for a four game set. Liam Hendriks will be making his first start since his disaster outing in Cincinnati.

Blue Jays Trade Rumors: Jeff Samardzija, David Price

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Jon Morosi writes, once again, about the possibilities of the Blue Jays trading for Jeff Samardzija, telling us that Jays pro scouting director Perry Minasian was at Wrigley Field to watch Samarzija's start last night (I do sometimes wonder about the value of having a scout watching a guy pitch in person, in this day and age. All games are on TV. You can get a good feel for the break of pitches. You can get a ton of information off MLB GameDay and Brooks Baseball. Is there a lot more to be gained by having a scout sitting in the stands, other than it gets Morosi to speculate. But I digress).

Morosi also tells us:

Furthermore, the Cubs have evaluated the Jays' farm system, and there are strong indications they would trade Samardzija to Toronto if the Jays offered Triple-A right-hander Aaron Sanchez, Double-A left-hander Daniel Norris, and Class-A center fielder Dalton Pompey.

Yeah, if I was the Cubs I'd gladly trade Jeff for those 3 players. I know I tend to overvalue our prospects but, from the Jays side, that price is too steep for me.

Morosi goes on to say that the Jays would prefer David Price or Cole Hamels to Samardzija, figuring that Samadzija might not fare as well in the AL East (who would?) and that Price and Hamels have a longer history of success. I think I'd rather have Price, if the cost was equal.

Morosi does make a mistake in the column, saying that we received J.A. Happ from the Phillies in the Halladay trade. No Jon, we got him from the Astros. But it is an understandable mistake.

We have a month to go before the trade deadline and, as long as the Jays don't fall out of the race, there will be a fair bit of pressure on Alex Anthopoulos to made a deal, especially if J.A. Happ continues to look terrible.

Poll
Who would you prefer the Jays get in a trade, if the cost was more or less equal?

  1448 votes |Results


Red Reposter - Smiling Side of .500 Edition

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The Reds are a winning baseball team. I like the sound of that.

Billy Hamilton has been nothing short of a revelation as the everyday CF and leadoff man for the Cincinnati Reds this year, and MLB.com's Phil Rogers took note.  With 31 stolen bases to his name and a portfolio of turning would-be plays into how'd-he plays, Hamilton's ability has begun to be noticed by opposing managers and fans alike, too, and it's been remarkable to watch that materialize.  He's another month of comparable production to being treated like Devin Hester was for the Chicago Bears in his prime, a player who needs next to nothing to be able to completely change the course of a game.  My current favorite Hamilton stat:  as a LH hitter against RHP in 2014, he's now hitting .295/.332/.426 with 3 HR in 198 PA.  That's amazing, period, but considering he came up as an exclusive RH hitter and didn't begin switch hitting until he got to Single-A Dayton, it's nearly unbelievable.  If only his more "natural" RH line against LHP would get better (.224/.254/..328 in 73 PA)...

Brandon Phillips was held out of the Reds' game against the Chicago Cubs last night due to a bruised heel suffered in Sunday's win over the Toronto Blue Jaysand it seems the Reds & their 2B still don't exactly know the severity of the injury.  There are two things that scare me about this situation.  First, there's just really Skip Schumaker and Ramon Santiago on the roster as "capable" 2B (with nothing else in the high minors), and that's a pretty precarious situation should this thing end up being serious.  Second, BP has a history of trying to play through these sort of nagging injuries (see 2013's super-slump after playing with an injured wrist), and that history usually includes him hitting at a level worse than even Schumaker & Santiago could produce when healthy.  Part of me hopes he just rests through the All Star break and comes back healthy and raking for the stretch run.

This has floated around for a day or so (so you may have seen it elsewhere), but it's still a remarkable look into what goes through an introspective mind during the course of a baseball season:  Jay Bruce opened up to C. Trent Rosecrans in an impromptu talk about the hitting process, working through slumps, and where Jay sees himself in his baseball career, and it's the kind of read that will make you read everything Bruce says for the rest of his career in a new light.  Props to C. Trent for not feeling the need to whittle that down to snippets & quick quotes, since the full read gives it the true stream of consciousness feel.

C. Trent also thinks Todd Frazier would make a prime candidate for the NL Home Run Derby team, which captain Troy Tulowitzki will pick himself.

Grant Brisbee didn't know Charlie Scrabbles was on the Mets, and he also has no idea who the "celebrities" are in the Taco Bell All-Star Something Something Softball Game.

Finally, Mike Hessman - who belted 25 dingers as a member of the 2013 Louisville Bats - recently clubbed his 400th career minor league home run, and MiLB.com has been keeping track of his chase for history.  It's a pretty cool way to document a pretty cool feat.

The Reds are over .500, healthy, and just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.  The Spring bummers are over, and it's going to be a damn fun Summer around these parts.

Who's Up, Who's Down On the Blue Jays: Batters

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A look at how the Blue Jays hitter have performed over the past two weeks.

This time around, I'm doing this mostly for me, as I've been a little disconnected with the team. Going to games is great fun, I enjoy live baseball more than almost anything, but being away from home and away from the day to day stuff on the site, I'm not as plugged into how the individual players have been doing.

Anyway, over the past 2 weeks the Jays are a pretty sad 4-8. Our batters have hit .252/.326/.395, and have averaged 4.1 runs per game. Considering they were averaging 5.5 runs per game in May, it has been quite the drop off.

Batters

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Dioner Navarro

Dioner played in 11 of the 12 games, starting 8 of them. He hit ..286/.306/.400 with 4 doubles, 7 RBI, 1 walk an 8 strikeouts. Not a terrible couple of weeks. Would love to see some walks. Would like to see some more power, but all in all, not terrible.

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Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin started all 12 games. He hit .313/.365/.625, with 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, 3 walks and 10 strikeouts. He did seem to be slumping in Baltimore and at the start of the Yankee series, but he hit a home run in that last game in New York and he's been on a tear since.

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Juan Francisco

Juan played in 11 games, starting 8. He id seem to be playing himself out of the lineup, until Brett Lawrie got hurt and now he is an everyday player again. He hit .222/.300/.519 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 3 walks an 15 strikeouts. Hard to complain about a .519 slugging average, but then 15 strikeouts in 30 plate appearances isn't optimal. I like him as a DH much more than I like him at 3B, but what are you going to do?

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Jose Reyes

Jose played in all 12 games, starting 11. He couldn't even get a full day off when he was hurt. Hit .163/.226/.245 with 1 double, 1 home run, 2 RBI, 1 steal, 4 walks an 7 strikeouts. It is almost fair to say that as Reyes goes, so go the Jays, but I hate to put it all on his shoulders.

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Brett Lawrie

Poor Brett, hit on the hands 3 times in the past two weeks? How unlucky can you get. Started 10 games before going on the DL. Hit.258/.378/.355 with 1 home run, 3 walks an 5 strikeouts. I like the OBP.

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Melky Cabrera

Melky started all 12 games. Hit ..313/.370/.458 with 4 doubles, 1 home run, 6 RBI, 5 walks and 5 strikeouts. Even better hitting .458/.519/.750 over the past week. Looks like he's back to the guy we saw at the start of the season.

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Colby Rasmus

Off the DL, has started the last 6 games. Hit .333/.385/.542 with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 4 RBI, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. Not much to complain about, but he still tends to be the whipping boy on Twitter.

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Jose Bautista

Jose started 11 of the games, before sitting out yesterday. Hit .286/.432/.400 with 4 doubles, 5 RBI, 8 walks an 5 strikeouts. Which amazingly enough felt like a slump for the guy. Giving him an 'around' arrow just because he's set the bar so high for himself. Anyone else on the team would get an up arrow for those numbers.

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Adam Lind

One of the walking wounded, Adam played in 8 games, starting 5. He hit .429/.478/.618 with 1 double, 1 home run, 5 RBI, 2 walks an 3 strikeouts. When he's been healthy he's been great. We really owe John Gibbons a pat on the back for keeping him on the bench against lefties.

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Josh Thole

Played in 4 games, starting 2. Hit, well, nothing, .000/.111/.000 with 1 RBI, 1 walk in his 9 plate appearances. He hasn't had a hit in a month. Doesn't play much, and hasn't made the case that he should play more.

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Steve Tolleson

Steve played in 10 games, starting 3. Hit .100/.143/.100 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Yeah we need a second baseman badly.

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Munenori Kawasaki

Played in 7 games, starting 6. Hit .174/.240/.261 with 1 triple, 2 walks an 5 RBI. Small sample size and all, but I don't think he is the answer.

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Anthony Gose

Went down, came back up, started 7 games in the past 12. Hit .333/.455/.333 with 1 steal, 1 caught, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts. Have to love the guy when he gets on base 46% of the time.

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Erik Kratz

Played in 6 games, started 4. Hit .154/.214/.308 with 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 walk an 2 strikeouts. And he's back in the minors. I do like him behind the plate.

Kris Bryant, Javier Baez Named To Futures Game

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The Cubs' top two prospects are both going to play in this prestigious showcase of minor league talent.

Iowa Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Javier Baez were named to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, an annual event that pits the top US-born prospects against the top prospects from the rest of the world.

Bryant being named to the team is not a surprise at all, since,  with his home run in this afternoon's Iowa Cubs game. in 74 games, Bryant has hit 27 home runs. He led the Southern League in all three triple-crown categories before his promotion to Iowa, batting .346 (with a .448 OBP) and 58 RBI.

Baez was the Cubs' top prospect coming into this season, but he's struggled a bit at Iowa. Still, he's shown signs of turning it around lately and he still has 11 home runs in just 65 games. He's still one of the top 10 prospects in all of baseball.

Both Baez and Bryant were first-round picks by the Cubs. Baez was the ninth overall pick in 2011 out of a Jacksonville, FL high school and Bryant was the second overall pick out of the University of San Diego.

While they are teammates in Iowa, Baez and Bryant will be playing on opposite teams in this game.

Beyond Bryant and Baez, there are a ton of great prospects in this game. The Rangers' Joey Gallo will challenge Bryant for the best power in the game. Baez will probably come off the bench for the World team behind the Indians' Francisco Lindor. The Blue Jays' Daniel Norris will pitch for Team USA, and he's been mentioned in trade rumors for Jeff Samardzija.

Really, there are too many great prospects to name them all, so check out the complete roster here.

The Futures Game will be played on Sunday, July 13 at 4 p.m. Central time at Target Field in Minneapolis. That's the Sunday before the All-Star Game. You can watch the game on MLB Network.

Who's up, Who's down: Blue Jays pitchers

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A look at how the Blue Jays pitchers performed over the past two weeks.

Over the past two weeks our pitchers have a 4.90 ERA, with the 4-8 record. There were some good starts ruined by bad offense but we've also had some lousy pitching.

Pitchers

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R.A. Dickey

R.A. made 2 starts, both losses, but he really didn't pitch all that bad. 0-2, 3.14 ERA, 14.1 innings, 15 hits, 2 home runs, 4 walks and 11 strikeouts. Batters hit .268/.323/.429 against him. Both games were 1-run losses. If we were hitting like last month, we'd be very happy with those starts.

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Mark Buehrle

Mark made 2 starts, one that was sort of bad (4 earned in 6.1 innings) and one that was sort of good (2 earned in 6 innings) but both losses. He was 0-2, with a 4.38 ERA, 12.1 innings pitched, 14 hits, 2 home runs, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. Batters hit .280/.321/.460 against him. He was getting some luck with balls staying in the park for him, earlier in the season, had to think that wouldn't continue all season long.

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J.A. Happ

He made two starts, one was good, one was awful. He was 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA, 10 innings, 14 hits, 1 home run, 4 walks an 11 strikeouts. Batters hit .333/.383/.500 against him. In the good game, he went 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, no walks and 1 earned. The bad start (of course, against the Yankees), he went just 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 4 walks an 7 earned.

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Drew Hutchison

Drew had  1 great start (7 shutout innings) and one bad start (4.1 innings, 4 earned). In all 1-1, 3.18 ERA, 12 hits, 4 walks an 6 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. Batters hit ..293/.347/.366 against him. A bit more consistency would be ok by me.

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Dustin McGowan

Dustin made 4 appearances, out of the bullpen, and was amazing. 1 win and 2 holds with a 1.80 ERA. He faced 18 batters, allowed 2 hits  and 1 walk, with 5 strikeouts. Batters hit  .118/.167/.294 against him. There was the one home run against. He's been great since moving to the bullpen.

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Casey Janssen

Casey only got into 2 games, since we were so awful these past two weeks. He picke up his 12th save. Only faced 8 hitters, giving up just 1 single, no walks with 3 strikeouts. I'm hoping he'll get more save chances over the next couple of weeks.

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Steve Delabar

Down and up and down again, Steve pitched in 2 games, 1.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks. Batters hit .286/.500/.286 against him. All-Star one year, can't find the strike zone the next.

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Aaron Loup

Loup pitched in 5 games, 4.1 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 walks with 4 strikeouts and 2 earned. He faced 20 batters, who hit .235/.350/.294 against him.

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Brett Cecil

Brett pitched in  3 games, 2 total innings, before going on the DL. He gave up 6 hits, 1 walk with 1 strikeout over those 2 innings. Faced 12 batters, who hit .545/.583/.727 against him.

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Sergio Santos

Came off the DL and pitched in 4 games, 3.1 innings, allowing just 2 hits, no walks with 1 k. He faced 12 batters, who hit .167/.167/.333 against him. A couple more weeks like this and Gibby will start trusting him again.

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Marcus Stroman

He made 3 starts. 2 were good, 1 wasn't. The strike zone in his game against the Yankees was just awful. Over the 3 games, he was 1-2, with a 3.06 ERA. In 17.2 innings, he allowed 16 hits, 3 home runs, 4 walks with 13 strikeouts. Batters hit .239/.278/.433 against him. He's quite good, as a starter.

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Todd Redmond

He pitched in just 2 games, 5.1 innings. I figured he would have had more work with all the mop up games we've had. He had 5.06 ERA. He faced 21 batters, who hit .158/.238/.316 with 1 home run, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Hard to figure out how he could have given up 3 earned with that sort of batting line against.

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Chad Jenkins

I think there should be a Twitter account "is Chad Jenkins in the majors today".  Right now he is. Pitched in 5 games, 4.2 innings, allowed 8 its, 5 earned, 1 walk and no strikeouts. He faced 24 batters who hit .348/.375/.391 against him. If he wants to stay up with the big league team, he has to do better than that.

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Liam Hendriks

Came up to make a spot start, was terrible, and was sent back down. Pitched 1.2 innings, allowed 6 hits, 6 earned, 1 home run, 1 walk with no strikeouts. The good news was that the Jays made a great come back. I'd be happy if we down see him again.

Rob Rasmussen also pitched in 1 game, going 3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk,  1 home run and 3 earned.

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 7: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

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First it was bad. Then it was pretty good. Then it got bad again.

There was a moment tonight when it looked like the Yankees may have turned a corner. They fell behind in the fourth inning when Dioner Navarro sent a David Phelps offering deep to right field for a three-run homer before falling behind further when woeful infield defense on the part of Derek Jeter allowed Colby Rasmus to clear the bases on a single to right and then safely retreat to first base after being briefly caught in a rundown. Jeter attempted to atone for his mental mistakes by clubbing a solo homer in the sixth inning to pull the Yankees to within five. Brian Roberts got in on the dinger party with a two-run shot of his own in the seventh. Brett Gardner doubled and Jeter walked before a Jacoby Ellsbury single plated Gardner. Suddenly, the Yankees found themselves on the receiving end of some poor infield defense when a Jose Reyes throwing error allowed Mark Teixiera to reach while Jeter and Ellsbury came around to score.

David Phelps lasted only five innings, giving up six earned runs in the process. You can probably argue that some of those shouldn't be earned because of infield disaster, but the official scorer decided not to be so kind. Matt Thornton worked a clean inning before giving way to Dellin Betances for two innings. The big right-hander struck out two and worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in his second inning of work.

After clawing their way back from down six runs, there was a glimmer of hope that the Yankees' offense could scratch their way to a stolen victory. They did the hard part in tying the score, so how hard could one more run be? Very hard, apparently. Brett Gardner reached on a single in the ninth inning and moved to second on a Jeter groundout. Ellsbury grounded out to send Gardner to third but Teixeira struck out to end the threat. Adam Warren came on to work the ninth inning and he didn't get to stay long. Reyes greeted Warren with a leadoff double and another defensive miscue by the Yankees on a Melky Cabrera sacrifice allowed Reyes to come around to score. Miscommunication between Yangervis Solarte and Warren caused some hesitation about which of them would field the ball. Solarte grabbed it and rocketed it past first base. There was no need to hurry the throw. Only Reyes' run mattered at that point. It was ballgame, nonetheless.

Jeter's homer was his second of the year and Roberts got his third. Someone look up the prices of milk/eggs/bread/gas the last time those two homered in the same game. Solarte's game-ending error was his seventh on the season. Teixeira and Carlos Beltran were the only Yankees to go hitless, but Teixeira did reach on the all-important error that tied the game. Beltran's season average dropped to .216. Phelps struck out seven batters, but his season ERA now sits at a fairly ugly 4.35.

While the game was at its worst, I decided some Microsoft Paint was in order to properly describe how things were going. It's not as meaningful now that they ended up scoring six runs but the general principle is still relevant, I think. I present to you a diagram of awful. Enjoy.

The Yankees get another crack at the Blue Jays tomorrow when Hiroki Kuroda takes on Drew Hutchison at 7:07 pm.

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