The Weekly Rundown: 8/6/23 - 8/12/23
Dysfunction in Chicago, Michael Lorenzen's no-no, and more.
Happy Sunday!
It’s a delayed rundown today due to a busy wedding weekend, but better late than never! Plenty to get to today, so we’ll jump right in… after another shameless plug for my podcast.
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Thanks! Now for the rundown…
Dysfunction in Chicago
Tim Anderson’s fight with Jose Ramirez apparently wasn’t his first altercation this season. The White Sox shortstop, according to 670 the Score’s Shane Riordan, had a dust-up with catcher Yasmani Grandal the day before the All-Star break.
“Grandal wasn't in the lineup the day before the All Star break,” Riordan tweeted. “Wanted to just leave early. Made it very clear. Paraphrasing, TA said: 'Fuck him. If he doesn't want to be here, I'll pay for his flight.' Grandal walked over to TA in the tub and slapped him across the face.”
Grandal has since denied the report.
“This is unreal. Especially the fact that they said it was a day before the All-Star break,” he said, per NBC Sports Chicago’s James Neveau. “I’ll tell you one thing. The one thing I was thinking about that day, especially after that game, was ‘let’s go to this lake house I have rented with my family, because I haven’t spent a lot of time with them.’
“I know people need to do their jobs and they’re trying to put a story out, but I mean, it’s crazy to what extent people can go to just to put something out there,” he added. “I feel like they’re almost fishing.”
So believe whoever you want to believe, but former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton’s comments after being traded to the Yankees suggest the Anderson-Grandal altercation very well could have taken place.
"We came in with no rules," Middleton said of his time in Chicago, via ESPN. "I don't know how you police the culture if there are no rules or guidelines to follow because everyone is doing their own thing. Like, how do you say anything about it because there are no rules?
"You have rookies sleeping in the bullpen during the game. You have guys missing meetings. You have guys missing PFPs (pitcher fielding practices), and there are no consequences for any of this stuff."
That would help explain why the White Sox had to sell off all of their good players at the deadline and are 47-72 on the season. Great organization you’ve got there, Jerry Reinsdorf.
Lorenzen’s Philly Special
The Phillies’ deadline deal for pitcher Michael Lorenzen is already paying dividends. Lorenzen, an All-Star this season with the Tigers, tossed a no-hitter against the Nationals on Wednesday.
It was the fourth no-hitter of the 2023 MLB season and the 14th no-hitter in Phillies franchise history. You can check out the highlights below.
Maybe the coolest part: Lorenzen pitched the no-no in Vans cleats. That’s a first.
O’s Take An L
The biggest baseball story of the week had nothing to do with the events on the field. While the Orioles should have been making headlines for owning the first-place spot in the AL East, they were in the news for their perplexing decision to suspend team broadcaster Kevin Brown.
Brown was suspended indefinitely for speaking during a pregame broadcast about the club’s struggles in recent seasons. You can watch the clip below, but you won’t find anything worthy of a suspension. Not even close.
The news of Brown’s suspension set social media ablaze and spread like wildfire. Not a single person took CEO John Angelos and the Orioles’ side, because nothing about the suspension made a lick of sense.
Later, the crowd at Camden Yards broke into a “Free Kevin Brown” chant:
Brown returned to the booth later in the week, so about three weeks after he was issued his suspension. He released the following statement in which he shockingly stuck up for the Orioles:
“Unfortunately, recent media reports have mischaracterized my relationship with my adopted hometown Orioles,” Brown tweeted. “The fact is that I have a wonderful relationship with the organization, and our ownership and front office has fully supported me since 2019 when I first came aboard.
“I ask that everyone disregard the distracting noise of the past few days. I have worked closely with O’s SVP Greg Bader for the past four years, and Jon Angelos and I have a solid dialogue based on mutual respect. We are all good here in Birdland!”
I’d love to believe this was all just one big misunderstanding, but that statement reads like something out of a hostage tape. Just a strange situation all around.
The IL
Shane McClanahan, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
McClanahan was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list due to a left arm injury. The Rays later confirmed the ace, who at one point was an American League Cy Young frontrunner, will miss the rest of the season.
Starling Marte, OF, New York Mets
Marte is on the 10-day IL with a groin strain.
Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers
Jung was placed on the 10-day IL due to a left thumb fracture.
Carlos Rodon, LHP, New York Yankees
Rodon landed on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring strain.
Kevin Kiermaier, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Kiermaier was placed on the 10-day IL right elbow laceration.
Zack Greinke, RHP, Kansas City Royals
Greinke was placed on the 15-day IL with right posterior elbow soreness.
J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners
Crawford was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list.
Nestor Cortes, LHP, New York Yankees
Cortes is on the 15-day IL with a left rotator cuff strain.
Jose Abreu, 1B, Houston Astros
Abreu was placed on the 10-day IL with lumbar spine inflammation.
Phil Maton, RHP, Houston Astros
Maton is on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.
Dylan Carlson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Carlson was placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain and is expected to miss at least the next couple of weeks.
Dominant On The Bump
Johan Oviedo, Pittsburgh Pirates
7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians
7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 12 K, 1 BB vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 13 K, 0 BB vs. Colorado Rockies
Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB vs. Detroit Tigers
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners
7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 12 K, 0 BB vs. San Diego Padres
Michael Lorenzen, Philadelphia Phillies
9.0 IP (CG), 0 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 4 BB vs. Washington Nationals
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB vs. Cleveland Guardians
Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals
8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB vs. Tampa Bay Rays
George Kirby, Seattle Mariners
9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB vs. Baltimore Orioles
Jon Gray, Texas Rangers
7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB vs. San Francisco Giants
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
9.0 IP (CG), 5 H, 1 ER, 10 K, 2 BB vs. New York Yankees
Big Bombs
Dodgers star Mookie Betts hit a go-ahead grand slam vs. the Padres (6:25 mark below).
Red Sox infielder Pablo Reyes hit a walk-off grand slam against the Royals (6:50 mark).
Astros slugger Kyle Tucker hit a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning off Orioles star closer Felix Bautista.
Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos recorded the 200th home run of his career (1:45 mark).
Web Gem Of The Week
Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez robbed Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. of a homer and fooled everyone in the process.
Welcome To The Show
Mariners prospect Emerson Hancock was rock-solid in his MLB debut. In five innings of work, he allowed only one run on two hits and three walks while striking out three Padres hitters.
After 2,836 plate appearances in the minors over seven seasons, Weston Wilson made his big-league debut with the Phillies and notched his first homer in his first at-bat.
Quick Takeaways
Tim Anderson earning double the suspension (six games) of Jose Ramirez (three games) despite being the one who got knocked out is hilarious. Adding injury to insult, he was hit by a pitch in the forearm the very next game and missed the subsequent game due to the injury. He’s had better weeks.
Shohei Ohtani is starting to tire out from carrying the Angels. The two-way superstar missed his start today because of arm fatigue, though he homered to break out of his recent slump.
Is the Reds’ magic fading? They’ve lost eight of their last 10 and now sit in third place in the NL Central behind the Brewers and Cubs. They’re only one game back in the competitive NL wild-card race, but they need to snap out of this funk sooner rather than later.
Repeat what I just said about the Reds, but for the Diamondbacks. They’ve lost nine of their last 10 and are three games back in the NL wild-card race. The Dodgers are running away with the NL West.
The Mariners’ 1-2-3 punch of Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert is wildly underrated. And after Kirby’s gem on Saturday, I think it’s time to start considering him an AL Cy Young candidate. And no, I’m not just saying that because I’ll win $12K if he gets the award…I swear!
Rapid Fire
Outfielder Ramon Laureano was claimed off waivers by the Guardians after being DFA’d by the A’s.
The Red Sox DFA’d and later released lefty reliever Richard Bleier.
Both Chris Sale and Trevor Story returned from the injured list this week for the Red Sox. Sale allowed two runs on one hit while striking out seven Tigers hitters on Friday. Story went hitless in his season debut on Tuesday but has since notched three hits, including a double.
“King” Felix Hernandez was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.
Former slugger Jose Bautista officially retired after signing a one-day contract with the Blue Jays.
Thanks for reading. Catch ya next week!