couldn't come soon enough for Cincinnati Reds fans (not to mention De La Cruz himself) but come it finally did on the evening of June 6, 2023; and, as far as debuts go, well - it could have gone better. I mean, after being welcomed to Cincinnati with a standing ovation before his first plate appearance (photo on right) and reaching base 3 straight times on 2 walks and a double, the 21-year old slugger/speedster actually was retired on his last 2 trips to the plate. But that's O.K. Nobody's perfect. Imperfection notwithstanding, yet another ho-hum baseball season for Reds fans suddenly has become really interesting in a hurry. Not only has Elly done nothing but live up to his billing as one of baseball's best and most exciting prospects, his arrival has sparked the Reds in a major way. In fact the Reds have been so successful since Elly came aboard that if they're not careful, they're going to have their fans worried about having enough money for playoff tickets.
But wait. Part 2 of our look at dreads in the MLB this year isn't all about Elly De La Cruz. So, in addition to him let's take a look at some 34 other MLB players with dreads in all at work and at play in this dread gallery - featuring photos mostly from the first 2 months of the 2023 season.
After being retired on his first two trips to the plate, Ruiz singled to lead off the 8th, sparking a 2-run rally as the A's came from behind to win on opening night 2-1 over the Angels.
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2. After losing on opening night, the Houston Astros celebrate their 2022 World Series championship before their 2nd game of the season on Mar. 31. Pitchers
, two key contributors to the championship, take their turns receiving their World Series rings from Astros owner Jim Crane. Valdez, whose beginner dreads during the first half of last season suddenly became long dreads midway through the season, has continued his outstanding pitching in 2023. But not so for Montero, who has followed the best year of his career in 2022 with what so far has been his worst ever.
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4. Jean Segura, a member of the Philliesfrom 2019 to 2022, makes his first appearance back in Philadelphia on Apr. 10 after signing with the Miami Marlins during the offseason. After receiving his 2022 NL championship ring from Phillies owner John Middleton before the game, Segura acknowledges the warm welcome from Phillies fans before his 1st at bat in the 2nd inning. The 17 postseason ghames he played in 2022 were the first of his 11-year career.
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5. Not an uncommon occurrence for any baseball players with dreads, as Raimel Tapia gets a taste of his dreads as he hits a single for the Red Sox in the 4th inning of their spring training game against the Blue Jays on Mar. 10. Tapia's time with the Red Sox didn't last for long. After appearing in 39 games, he was released by the team on June 11 - and then signed by the Brewers 3 days later.
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7. On this swing in the bottom of the 6th on May 10th
Ronald Acuna gets
all of this belt-high fastball and crushes his 7th home run of the season to get the Braves on the board and cut the Red Sox lead to 2-1. Statcast measured the blast at 470 feet, and as of June 30 it's the 11th longest ball hit in MLB this season and the longest by anyone with dreads:
https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/10/1b11928b-e41433ea-69a10f3c-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Despite Ronald's 2-for-4 night, raising his BA to .347, the Braves lost to the Red Sox 5-2.
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8. In the bottom of the 3rd of the Guardians' 9th home game of the season on Apr. 23 Josh Bell connects on a 2-2 pitch then watches his drive clear the wall in left field for his 1st home home run of the season. It came immediately after Jose Ramirez's 2-run HR had put the Guardians in front 2-1. Bell later had an RBI double (his first game of the year with more than 1 RBI) as he and Ramirez combined to drive in 6 of Cleveland's 7 runs in a 7-4 win over the Marlins.
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9. With the bases loaded and 2 out in the top of the 6th at Denver on June 10
Fernando Tatis Jr. leaps away from a 96 MPH fastball headed at his thigh and winds up on the seat of his pants. No problem though. Two pitches later Tatis lined a 2-run single to RF to give the Padres a 3-2 lead, putting them ahead to stay. Fernando went 2-for-5 and the Padres held on to win 3-2 for their 3rd straight win; but at no point during their
very disappointing 2023 season so far have they won more than 3 in a row.
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10. Diamondbacks 2B
Ketel Marte has a couple of eventful at bats during a series at Oakland in mid-May. In the 5th inning on May 15, as C Shea Langeliers watches the ball go foul off to the right, Marte's bat leaves his hands (photo above) and goes back toward the backstop. It was the 4th straight foul ball in the bat (after the first 2 pitches were balls), and Ketel would hit 4 more foul balls for 8 in a row before striking out to end the inning and leaving the bases loaded. The D-backs didn't score again in the game but held on to win 5-1.
In the top of the 12th the next night on May 16 a high, inside fastball on a 0-1 count has Marte ducking out of the way (right photo). On the next pitch Ketel was retired on a soft line drive caught by the pitcher, finishing the game 3-for-7. The A's won it 9-8 on an Esteury Ruiz RBI single in the bottom of the 12th (which we'll see later in the DG).
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11.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s helmet has been off on more than a few occasions this season. These two came in the Blue Jays' home series vs. the White Sox in April. In the bottom of the 3rd on Apr. 24 Guerrero carries his helmet on his way to 1st base (photo above) before tossing it away as he grounds into a double play, ending a threat and keeping the Chicago lead at 2-0. Vladdy went 1-for-5 as the Blue Jays came back to win 5-2.
In the bottom of the 3rd two days later on Apr. 26 Guerrero makes it only three or four steps out of the batters box before his helmet starts coming off (photo on right) - this time with a better result as his 2-out double down the RF line on a 3-2 pitch drives in 2 and ups the Toronto lead to 3-0. Vladdy later hit another double later and finished 2-for-5 as the Blue Jays blanked the White Sox 8-0 to sweep the 3-game series.
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12.
Ketel Marte gets caught right in the middle of blowing a bubble as the ball is hit to him in the bottom of the 1st at Miami on Apr. 15. After making a great diving catch of the hard one-hop smash off the bat of Jon Berti, Marte gets back to his feet, but this throw to 1st base is too late to retire the speedy Berti, who gets credit for an infield single. More impressively, Ketel kept his bubble intact through the entire play. Berti got as far as 3rd base but was stranded as the Marlins left the bases loaded in the 1st. Marlins won the game though 3-2 over the Diamondbacks.
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13. In the top of the 2nd on opening day in the District a hard grounder off the bat of
Ronald Acuna turns into
CJ Abrams' 1st error of the season instead of the inning-ended double play that it should have been. The error allowed the Braves to load the bases, and they scored 3 runs before the inning was over. It was the beginning of a horrible game for Abrams. He later committed 2 more errors and went 0-for-4 at the plate as the Nationals dropped their opener to the Braves 7-2.
As of the end of June CJ is now up to 13 errors on the season, second most by anyone in MLB. But let's cut him some slack. He's 22 years old. He'll get better. Trust me.
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14. Now
that's more like it!
Earlier in the game CJ hit his 1st home run of the season, a 3-run shot, as the Nationals whipped the Twins 10-4 to improve to 7-13.
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15. In the top of the 4th at Seattle on May 22 after a smash up the middle off the bat of A's 1B Ryan Noda hits the mound and gets past Luis Castillo, J.P. Crawford is there to make the juggling pickup and - with his dreads going up and down and left and right - throws off balance to 1st for the out. Crawford went just 1-for-5 at the plate in the game, but the Mariners didn't need him on this night in their 11-2 spanking of the A's.
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16. After charging a one-hopper and fielding it halfway between 2nd base and the mound,
J.P. Crawford throws to 1st and has 2nd base umpire Nate Tomlinson fearing for his life as he ducks to avoid being hit by the ball. The throw was in plenty of time to retire Meibrys Viloria (who?) for the 1st out in the bottom of the 10th at Cleveland on Apr. 9. The runner at 2nd to lead off the inning moved to 3rd on the play but was stranded and the game continued ....... leading to a thrilling conclusion which we'll see later.
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17. This time it's
Josh Bell who's covering up for self-preservation as SS Tim Anderson of the White Sox forces him out and tries to turn a double play in the top of the 2nd on May 18. The throw ended up a bit wide of 1st base, but I don't know if it glanced off Bell or not. The next batter did ground into a double play to end the inning, but the Guardians ended up winning 3-1.
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18. Known much more for his bat than his glove,
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. surprisingly isn't bad on defense, actually winning a Gold Glove award for his defensive play at 1st base in 2022. Here at Anaheim on Apr. 9 he makes a nice catch on a in-between hop to save 3rd baseman Matt Chapman an error and record the final out in the bottom of the 5th, keeping the Angels' lead at 6-0. Seemingly unimportant at the time, the play made a difference, and there'll be more on that later.
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19. When you're losing 9-0, the last thing you want to do is get injured. Fortunately for
Esteury Ruiz his unsuccessful attempt to catch a drive by Rays C Christian Bethancourt leading off the bottom of the 7th on Apr. 9, which ended up with him faceplanting into the CF wall at Tropicana Field, did not result in any injury. He was able to immediately retrieve the ball after it caromed off the wall and hold Bethancourt to a double.
The Rays held the A's to 1 hit on the afternoon and won 11-0 to sweep the 3-game series and improve to 9-0.
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20. Tigers LF Akil Baddoo slides home safely in a cloud of dirt and chalk while Pirates P
Luis Ortiz tries not to fall on top of him on a play at the plate in the bottom of the 3rd at Detroit on May 16. A
very wild pitch by Ortiz sent Baddoo headed toward the plate, and the throw from C Jason Delay to Ortiz was nowhere in time:
bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/a771d606-11eb-49fd-bc36-8e316482ba6e.mp4That upped the Tigers' lead to 4-0 and completed the scoring for the evening. It was arguably the worst performance of the season for Ortiz so far, as he allowed 7 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs in 3 IP and dropped to 0-2.
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21. After this play Astros P
Framber Valdez no longer needs to worry about pitching a no-hitter on opening night. Valdez does the best he can; but after fielding a weak grounder off the bat of White Sox CF Luis Robert near the 3rd base line with 1 out in the top of the 1st, his strong, off-balance throw to 1st is too late. Valdez retired the next two batters, so Robert did not score. And nobody else did either against Framber even though he allowed 6 hits in 5 IP. But the Astros lost their opening night on Mar. 30 to the White Sox 3-2.
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22.
Gregory Soto's first game in a Phillies uniform didn't go as well as he would have liked - to say the least. With the bases loaded on a single and 2 walks in the bottom of the 4th, Soto fields a weak grounder off the bat of Rangers 1B Nathaniel Lowe - in almost the exact same spot in front of the plate as
Framber Valdez in photo #21 - and flips the ball home; but it's too late, and Josh Smith scores to put Texas in front 6-5 - after which Gregory remains on his knees in bewilderment:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-03/30/446801fa-cf1ba36b-b2542b59-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 The Rangers had already scored 5 runs in the inning to tie the game when Soto entered with nobody on base needing to record just one out to end the inning. But after he retired none of the 4 batters he faced, he was removed, and the Rangers ended up scoring 9 runs in the inning and went on to win 11-7, with Soto being charged with the L.
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23. With the Twins leading the White Sox 3-0 on Apr. 12,
Nick Gordon is the middle man on an easy 6-4-3 double play grounded into by 3B Hanser Alberto for the first two outs of the top of the 9th. The Twins lost the shutout when the next batter homered but held on to win 3-1.
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24. Things are a bit more difficult for
Nick Gordon playing CF here on May 13. He gets to the shallow fly ball off the bat of Cubs RF Seiya Suzuki in time and has a great chance to make the diving catch; but the ball bounces off the heel of his glove before he hits the ground and then rolls away from him after he hits the ground, allowing Suzuki to reach 2nd with a double leading off the top of the 2nd. It was no worries for the Twins though, as the next three batters were retired and they went on to roll to an 11-1 victory over the Cubs.
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25. A fly ball by Diamondbacks RF Jake McCarthy has Red Sox LF
Raimel Tapia on his belly with his lower legs parallel to the ground in the bottom of the 5th on May 27. Somehow his hat stayed on. Tapia almost made a tremendous play here, actually getting his glove on the ball just above the ground at the fullest extent of his dive; but he couldn't catch it, and McCarthy was able to reach 2nd with a double.
Raimel fared no better at the plate, going 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts; but the Red Sox still won 2-1, with Kenley Jansen picking up his 11th save of the season.
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26. With the Orioles tied with the Pirates 1-1 on May 12, CF
Cedric Mullins makes a diving catch to take a hit away from Jack Suwinski for the 1st out in the top of the 7th:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/12/30e2beb7-5678a54b-69acec96-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4The play became even more important when the next batter homered to put the Pirates in the lead.
But this wasn't even the best of it for Mullins on this night. Hardly .....
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27. ..... After flying out his first time up and hitting a single in the 3rd inning, Mullins gets his 2nd hit of the game, diving into 3rd with a triple with 2 out in the 5th (left photo) as 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes awaits the late throw. But Cedric didn't score after either his single or triple. Then in the 7th after hitting a line drive into the RF corner off of
Jose Hernandez, Mullins celebrates after stopping at 2nd base with a double (right photo). This time Cedric did score, the first of 2 runs in the inning that put the Orioles ahead 3-2 .....
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28. ...... Needing the home run to complete the cycle as he bats with 2 on and 2 out in the 8th, Cedric gets the home run (!!) on this swing (photo above), upping the Orioles' lead to 6-2 with the 3-run shot. Here now - in a minute and 24 seconds - are all 4 of Cedric's hits:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/12/a37449f4-87610ef0-ac2b08ef-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4
29. Here's
Cedric Mullins one more time, with a great look at his dreads this time - no helmet, no hat, no skull cap - on Apr. 26 vs. the Red Sox. On base 3 times during the game, this is the only time he scores, his helmet flying off his head as he dives home on a sacrifice fly by RF Anthony Santander for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st. On his way back to the dugout, Mullins taps fists with manager Brandon Hyde.
Cedric also contributed an RBI single in the 4th inning, helping the Orioles defeat the Red Sox 6-2 and take 2 out of 3 in the series.
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30. Always a welcome sight for Mariners fans is
Luis Castillo's favorite mode of celebration, dropping down on his left knee and a fist pump with his right hand - most often seen after a big strikeout. In the top of the 3rd on opening night (Mar. 30, photo above) Castillo celebrates after striking out LF Steven Kwan of the Guardians to end the inning. After giving up a leadoff single that nearly took his head off, Castillo bounced back immediately, striking out the side to keep the game scoreless. It was the only hit he allowed in 6 IP. He had to settle for a no decision though, as the Mariners didn't score either until the 8th, when a 3-run homer gave them the 3-0 victory.
Then on May 22 Luis assumes his position (photo on right) after striking out Jace Peterson with 2 men on base to end the top of the 4th and keep the Mariners' lead at 5-0. Castillo also struck out the next batter he faced leading off the 5th to record the 1,000th strikeout of his career. He ended the evening with 8 strikeouts in 6 IP and allowed 4 hits and 0 runs, improving to 3-2 as the Mariners won 11-2.
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31.
Gregory Soto yells out loud (photo above) after striking Marlins' slugger Jorge Soler on a 99 MPH fastball to end the top of the 9th and keep the game tied 2-2 at Philadelphia on Apr. 12. Soto faced one more batter in the game and struck him out for the 1st out in the 10th ...... and then was relieved and then charged with the loss when the runner on base to start the extra inning scored after he left the game. Then at Chicago a week later on May 19 Soto accepts congratulations from starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (photo on right) as he walks back to the dugout at the end of the bottom of the 7th. After Walker left the game with 2 on and 1 out, Soto came on and retired 2 batters in a row to strand the runners and keep the Phillies ahead 5-2. Gregory's day was done after just those two batters, and the Phillies held on to defeat the White Sox 5-2 and take 2 out of 3 in the series.
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32. At Chicago on May 6, after retiring the first 2 batters in the bottom of the 7th only to let the next 3 get on base,
Huascar Brazoban takes off his hat and runs off the mound after striking out Seiya Suzuki (#27) on a 3-2 pitch to escape the jam and keep the Marlins in front 2-1:
bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/27d989b3-5428-4bd3-a3e7-72ee4f61d8f9.mp4Brazoban's effort went for naught though as the Cubs scored 3 in the bottom of the 8th to knock off the Marlins 4-2.
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33.
Fernando Tatis Jr. raises him arm in triumph (photo above) after his drive off of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw clears the wall in left-center for his 3rd home run of the season, tying the game 1-1 at Petco Park on May 5; and upon returning to the dugout he is presented the Padres' home run sombrero by teammate Rougned Odor (photo on right). Tatis hit a 2-run homer his next time up - also off Kershaw - to give the Padres a 3-1 lead, and they went on to win 5-2. A look at both home runs:
https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/05/9a7fcc5e-3796d0c5-963192db-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4The sombrero home run celebration started when the Padres went to Mexico City for a 2-game series with the Giants at the end of April. But unfortunately they retired it (for now) after only 3 weeks.
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34. Biting the hand that once fed him,
J.P. Crawford connects for his 2nd career grand slam (photo above), turning a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 Mariners lead over the Phillies in the top of the 2nd on Apr. 26. And upon returning to the dugout, J.P. celebrates the Mariner way (photo on right), wearing the swelmet and lifting the 30-pound trident (they're both 'a Mariners thing'):
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/26/2a1d0f9b-75ebc1b5-0964ca8d-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 The home run came in Crawford's 2nd game back in Philadelphia since the Phillies traded him to the Mariners at the end of the 2018 season. A satisfying moment for sure for J.P., who went 3-for-4 on the night; but the Phillies wound up getting the last laugh, coming back from a 5-2 deficit to defeat the Mariners 6-5.
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35. In Minnesota, aka the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you wear the 10,000 Rakes fishing vest and pretend to go fishing whenever you hit a home run for the Twins - as demonstrated here by
Nick Gordon after his first 2 home runs of the season on back-to-back nights at Chicago on May 2-3. After tying the game on May 2 with a pinch hit blast leading off the top of the 8th, Gordon reels one in (photo above) in the dugout next to P Pablo Lopez:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/02/f9588e8d-1b41baaf-8e79d2ed-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... 24 hours or so later Nick gives the cameraman a look at the back of the vest (photo on right) after his solo home run in the 4th gives the Twins a short-lived 4-3 lead. Unfortunately for Nick neither homer was in a winning cause. After losing 3-2 to the White Sox on May 2, the Twins lost again the next night 6-4.
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36. I'll spare you the Nationals' 'Founding Fathers' prop - an 18th century era wig with long white hair - worn by their home run hitters. Instead let's just see
CJ Abrams celebrating as he rounds 3rd and heads home (left photo) and then is congratulated by all the players he drove in (right photo) - Stone Garrett (left), Lane Thomas (#28), and Victor Robles (#16) - with his 1st career grand slam at Citi Field on Apr. 27:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/27/fc95e204-23792df3-4c839314-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... It turned a 7-4 deficit into an 8-7 lead and was the Nationals' only hit during their 5-run 8th inning. Unfortunately the bullpen could not hold the lead. The Mets came back with 2 in the bottom of the 8th and won 9-8.
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37. No doubt Brewers home runs would be better celebrated by having the hitter (or why not the whole team) take a swig from a quarter barrel in the dugout; but lacking that ......
Raimel Tapia jumps for joy as he approaches home plate (left photo) after taking Diamonbacks ace Zac Gallen deep and breaking up a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 5th on June 21; and upon returning to the dugout Raimel officially becomes a dreadhead cheesehead for the first time:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/20/9c4d3664-1a691203-de6c8010-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... It was Tapia's first hit since joining the Brewers a week earlier and snapped an 0-for-15 skid since his last hit for the Red Sox back on May 30. Unfortunately for Brewers fans this was all they had to cheer for all day. They were held hitless the rest of the game, and Arizona came back to win 5-1.
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But of course baseball isn't always fun and games full of happy moments. In a game where even the very best fail 7 times out of every 10 there's no shortage of disappointing, frustratating, aggravating, and infuriating moments and plenty of hardships and adversities .......
38. Having already struck out his first two times up against Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen on May 8,
Jean Segura is in no mood to have umpire Mark Ripperger call him out on strikes on his third time up on a pitch he thought was low and inside. Jean responds by angrily spiking his helmet, and Ripperger immediately throws him out of the game:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/09/fdea6999-1bfee301-f473b5c4-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... Segura's strikeout ended a Marlins threat in the 5th and kept the score tied 1-1. The Marlins went on to lose 5-2 but came back to win the next 2 games in the 3-game series.
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39. It's the worst feeling in the world for a closer when he blows a lead in the 9th inning. And to do it two days in a row? Man, that feels like the world is coming to an end.
At Fenway Park on May 12
Kenley Jansen, after allowing the game-tying single to the previous batter, cleans the dirt out of his cleats on the back of the mound (photo above) while waiting for Nolan Gorman to round the bases on his pinch-hit 2-run homer that gives the Cardinals an 8-6 lead. It doesn't happen often, but Kenley just didn't have it on this night. He faced 4 batters, retiring none of them, and was relieved after allowing 3 hits, a walk, and 3 runs en route to his 1st loss of the season. And then less than 24 hours later Jansen sits dejectedly in the dugout (photo on right) after another disastrous top of the 9th in which he allowed 3 runs again and blew a 3-1 lead. The 8-6 and 4-3 defeats got the Red Sox started on a 4-game losing streak. But if it's any consolation, Kenley - ever since these two games and as of July 9 - has not blown any more save chances.
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40.
Rafael Montero wastes no time getting his season off to a bad start. Shortly after the Astros take a 1-0 lead over the White Sox on opening night with a run in the bottom of the 7th, Montero blows the lead in the top of the 8th, here waiting for C Yasmani Grandal to finish rounding the bases on his game-tying home run. Although Montero was not charged with the L, the Astros lost 3-2 as the White Sox scored 2 in the 9th. Usually pitching 1 inning per outing this season, Rafael has held the opponent hitless in only 9 of his 37 games so far as of July 9.
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41. In his first game back with the Diamondbacks on May 17 after spending a month in the minors,
Luis Frias fails (spectacularly) to get the job done, immediately blowing a 3-0 lead. After walking the first 2 batters in the bottom of the 7th, Frias waits for A's RF Ramon Laureano to finish rounding the bases on his 3-run homer. Luis never got the chance to pitch that new ball he is holding, as he was removed from the game after facing just the three batters. For Diamondbacks fans it was all's well that ends well though, as the D-backs scored 2 in the 9th to win 5-3, with
Miguel Castro picking up the save. But as for Frias, this certainly didn't help convince the Diamondbacks to keep him on the team. And 10 days later he was sent back to the minors (Reno).
42. At the beginning of the season the Colorado Rockies had two pitchers with long dreads. But after the way
Jose Urena and
Dinelson Lamet pitched, they probably have Rockies fans hoping never to see anybody with dreads pitching for the Rockies ever again. At Denver on Apr. 7 Urena hands the ball to manager Bud Black (photo above) after a 2-run triple by
CJ Abrams ends his start with 2 outs in the top of the 3rd. Jose began the game giving up home runs to the first two batters he faced, then allowed 2 more runs in the 2nd before Abrams' hit knocked him out with the score 6-1. In the 5 games he started this season Urena had to be relieved mid-inning in 4 of them.
Then on the same mound 4 weeks later Black takes the ball from Lamet (photo on right) in the top of the 9th after Dinelson can't even get 3 outs with a 7-run lead on May 3. After walking 3 of the 4 batters he faced, Lamet was out of there, but the Rockies did hang on to defeat the Brewers 7-1.
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43.
Josh Bell wants to slam his bat into the ground (left photo) - but thinks better of it - after striking out on a high fastball with 2 on to end the the top of the 5th at Chicago on May 17. After (gently) discarding his bat and his helmet, Bell removes his batting gloves (right photo) before heading out to his position at 1st base with the Guardians still trailing 4-1. Josh walked with the bases loaded his next time up in the 7th and finished with 2 RBI for the second time this season (see photo #8 for the first), but the Guardians fell to the White Sox 7-2.
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44. Hard to believe, but even
Ronald Acuna has had a disappointing moment or two during 2023. After popping out to end the top of the 8th at Toronto on May 12, Acuna stands and drops his helmet - but not yet his bat - halfway between home plate and 1st base, completing a 1-for-4 night. Ronald wasn't the only man in a Braves uniform feeling sad on this night. Blue Jays ace Chris Bassitt stymied the Braves, pitching a complete game 2-hit shutout as Toronto won 3-0.
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45. The first half of the 2023 season has been Disappointing (with a capital D) for
Johnny Cueto, as his first game in a Miami Marlins uniform ends early on Apr. 3. After Cueto allows a home run to the first batter of the game and then a 3-run homer in the top of the 2nd, concerned teammates - including
Jean Segura - gather around as trainer Ben Potenziano talks to Cueto on the mound and then escorts him off the field with a biceps injury. An injury that has taken him 3 months (and counting) to overcome. Even worse, and tragically .......
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At some point during his rehabilitation assignment with the Marlins Class AAA team in Jacksonville the unthinkable happened, as Johnny said goodbye to the dreads he had been growing for the last 13 years (since 2010). This is a screenshot of a post from his Instagram account that was dated June 2. And if you can bear to watch it, here's the link to that post:
instagram.com/p/CtAg_UcsG3o/?hl=en
I mean, I know that all good things have to come to an end; but why this one?
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46. Sadly, Cueto wasn't the only pitcher's name added to the ex-dread list this season.
Dinelson Lamet (right photo) pitches his last inning with dreads on May 3; and after spending all season prior to June 16 in the minors,
Touki Toussaint (left photo)
makes his first appearance with the Guardians - and his last with dreads - on June 16, allowing 2 runs in 4 innings vs. Arizona .....
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After spending two weeks on the injured list, Lamet lost his dreads before going to Class AAA Albuquerque for a rehab assignment in mid-May. Here he is (right photo) back with the Rockies on June 11 - and pitching no better without dreads - before being released for good on June 22.
After being let go by the Guardians one day after he pitched for them and then being claimed off waivers by the White Sox, Toussaint showed up looking like this (left photo) for his next appearance on June 16.
With the paucity of starting pitchers with dreads in MLB this year, it was tough to take to lose Cueto, Lamet, and Toussaint all in a 4-week span. Wow.
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47. The Braves' road trip to New York and Miami that began on Apr. 28 turned into a painful one for
Ronald Acuna. On the 3rd pitch of the 2nd game of a doubleheader on May 1 - after hurting the Mets with 3 hits and 3 runs in the 1st game - Acuna is down (photo above) after taking a 93-MPH fastball from Tylor Megill off of his upper back near his shoulder. Then against the Marlins 3 days later Ronald writhes in temporary agony (photo on right) after hitting the first pitch thrown by
Huascar Brazoban off of his left knee for a foul ball. Ronald toughed it out, finishing the at bat, but struck out 3 pitches later to end the top of the 6th.
Acuna left the game after both of these injuries but was back in the starting lineup the next day both times.
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48. Two days after helping
Johnny Cueto off the field, Ben Potenziano's services are needed again - to the disappointment of Marlins fans - after CF
Jazz Chisholm slides head first into 2nd base in the bottom of the 1st and collides with the leg of Twins 2B Kyle Farmer. As he is tagged out trying to steal 2nd base, Chisholm's head bends back before coming to rest to the side of Farmer's leg, and he ended up having to leave the game with a shoulder stinger. But he was back for the Marlins' next game two days later on Apr. 7. This, of course, was from the first month of the season, when Jazz had his hair in baby dreads before switching over to braids.
And one other thing, boys and girls ..... If at all possible, don't slide head first into a base. You put yourself at much greater risk for injury when you do that. And if you go in feet first, you'll also find that the defender won't be so eager to stand in your way.
49. What was initially described as a sprained thumb has turned into an ordeal for Padres C
Luis Campusano. Just when it looked like he was going to get a chance to be the team's starting catcher in mid-April, he injured his thumb - not in a game, but during practice while catching in the bullpen. After the injury took its time not healing, surgery was done on May 12, and here he is watching from the dugout during the game vs. the Royals on May 15. As of July 9, he is now eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list, and he's now on course to return sooner than later. With Martin Maldonado having recently cut off his dreads, Campusano is now the only catcher with dreads on a MLB roster.
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50. The easiest way to suffer an injury in baseball is to be hit by a pitch, and that's what happens to
Ketel Marte in the top of the 1st on April 15 - a few minutes before he was seen blowing a bubble (photo #12). Trying to check his swing and not strike out on the 4th pitch of the game, Marte had no chance to move out of the way, and the ball struck his right foot. He was O.K. though and came in to score the Diamondbacks' 1st run later in the inning before they eventually lost to the Marlins 3-2.
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51. It happened to
Ronald Acuna 3 days earlier, and now it's J.P. Crawford's turn to experience the feeling like your knee is on fire after hitting a foul ball off of it in the bottom of the 7th on May 7. Manager Scott Servais and a member of the medical staff can't do a thing to help as Crawford waits for the pain to subside. J.P. got up and finished the at bat and lined into a double play. He finished the game too, in which the Mariners defeated the Astros 3-1, but then missed the next 2 games before returning on May 10.
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52.
Nick Gordon isn't as lucky as Acuna and Crawford. After fouling a ball off his right leg at Dodger Stadium in the top of the 5th on May 17, Gordon too goes down in agony then gets up to finish his at bat. But after he struck out, he was removed from the game, and it was discovered he had suffered a broken leg (tibia), putting his season on hold. The most recent update says he is no longer wearing a cast, but it seems he still is a long way away from being able to play again. Hopefully before the season is over.
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53. A few minutes after his slick defensive play (photo #18) in the bottom of the 5th on Apr. 9,
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. takes a pitch off his left foot (the shin guard not helping him one iota) with 2 on in the top of the 6th, and the excruciating pain sends him hopping on his right foot out of the batters box toward the Blue Jays' dugout on the 1st base side ......
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54. ..... and then down on all fours and then eventually all the way down to the ground with his helmet off and his dreads sliding around in the grass. It took nearly a full minute for the pain to lessen, but Guerrero did get back on his feet and take his base ..... and he scored on the very next pitch, as Matt Chapman hit a grand slam to begin the Blue Jays' comeback from the 6-0 deficit. Playing on the same field that his father starred on every year while with the Angels (2004-09), Vladdy went 2-for-5 and scored 2 runs, raising his BA to .439 on the Jays' season-opening 10-game road trip. The Jays scored 10 straight runs to go up 10-6, then blew the lead in the bottom of the 9th before winning 12-11 in 10 innings to take 2 out of 3 in the series and finish 6-4 on the road trip ......
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55. ...... A couple of hours before Guerrero had his owie in Anaheim, over in Pittsburgh on Apr. 9
Oneil Cruz suffered the worst and most hideous injury of the season (not including pitchers being struck by line drives) by anyone - dreads or not. Trying to score on a ground ball by 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes and extend the Pirates' 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 6th, Cruz, not sure of whether to slide or not, slides late and goes into the right leg of White Sox C Seby Zavala, immediately causing him to scream in agony ......
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56. ..... With his helmet already gone (leaving his head halfway between 3rd and home) Cruz's dreads eat dirt as he writhes on the ground near home plate (photo above). A moment later, as the medical staff tends to Oneil (photo on right) the benches clear and a scuffle ensues nearby, with the Pirates angry and unfairly blaming Zavala for the injury:
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The injury was exactly what it looked like - a broken leg (fibula) near his ankle, and he underwent surgery the next day. He was placed on the 60-day injured list and is now eligible to return. But the recovery time for this injury is at least 4 months, and Oneil (the last I heard) is still on schedule to be back in action sometime near the end of August.
I did not see the play live, but this one was hard to take. Hopefully Cruz will make a full recovery.
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57. With 2 out and a runner at 1st in the top of the 5th at Oakland on Apr. 4, a fly ball by
Jose Ramirez puts CF
Esteury Ruiz and 2B Tony Kemp on a collision course. Fortunately, other than Ruiz having the glove knocked off his hand, no damage was done. They just slightly bumped into each other and both remained in the game. By the time the left fielder retrieved the ball Ramirez had a double, and the runner scored, giving the Guardians a 3-2 lead. But the A's came back to win it 4-3, with Kemp scoring the tying run in the 6th then driving home the winning run on a single with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th.
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58. With
Jean Segura playing shallow at 3rd base and SS Joey Wendle positioned close to 2nd base, neither are in position to catch this pop fly to very short LF by Jeff McNeil of the Mets leading off the top of the 5th at Miami on Apr. 1. And as they come together Segura steps on Wendle's leg and crashes hard into the turf. Once again, fortunately, neither player was injured. By the time the left fielder retrieved the ball McNeil was on his way to 2nd and slid in barely in time with a double. It started a 2-run rally that broke a 2-2 tie, and the Mets went on to win 6-2.
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59. No matter who you are, running into 6-foot-2, 245-pound Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is never a good idea; but with runners at 1st and 3rd in the 5th inning of a scoreless tie at Kansas City on Apr. 5, 2B Cavan Biggio risks life and limb to catch a fly ball that Guerrero also has his sights on about 20 feet into the outfield right on the 1st base foul line. No collision thankfully and no harm done. The Royals ended up not scoring in the inning. Vladdy had a good night at the plate, contributing 2 singles and a solo HR and scoring 2 of the Blue Jays' runs in their 3-0 win over the Royals.
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60. LF Alex Call could have made the catch easily, but instead
CJ Abrams ranges way out into shallow LF (left photo) and makes an easy play difficult. Despite the distraction Call hangs on to retire Rockies DH Charlie Blackmon for the 1st out in the bottom of the 5th on Apr. 9. Two weeks later on Apr. 25 in the bottom of the 6th at Citi Field Abrams and Call again have a failure to communicate; but again neither injury nor harm happened, as Abrams is able to hang onto a fly ball (right photo) by SS Francisco Lindor in shallow LF despite Call bumping into him and knocking his hat off.
The Nationals lost the game to the Rockies 7-6 but won the game vs. the Mets 5-0.
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61. As mentioned earlier in photo #30,
Luis Castillo's start on opening night was clear sailing - except for one play - this one in the 3rd inning, as a line drive off the bat of Guardians RF Will Brennan doesn't take his head off, but it does deflect off his head and knocks his hat off (left photo), leaving him wandering around on the mound for a couple of seconds contemplating how lucky he is to still be alive. After showing the trainer where the ball struck him (right photo) Luis remains in the game:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-03/30/d6cbf765-46aaaf74-935aca09-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4I've watched that video about a dozen times and I still can't tell what exactly happened; but obviously the ball just grazed him, thankfully. It was the only hit Castillo allowed in 6 scoreless IP as he got a no decision in the Mariners' 3-0 victory.
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62. Having never used a PitchCom before,
Prelander Berroa needs - and gets - help setting it up from pitching coach Pete Woodworth before making his first ever appearance in a Mariners uniform during a spring training game on Feb. 24. Not that it matters, but Berroa struck out the first 2 batters he faced and pitched 2 scoreless innings to pick up the W in a 3-2 victory over the Padres. After making his pro debut at age 17 in 2017, Berroa is pitching at the Class AA level this season for the second straight season.
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63.
Lawrence Butler has something on his phone to show to his teammates in the minor leaguers corner of the A's locker room before their spring training game against the Reds on Mar. 1. That's
Esteury Ruiz on the left and Pablo Reyes next to him. And unfortunately I have been unable to identify the player next to Butler. Ruiz, of course, made the A's roster. Reyes didn't and was traded to the Red Sox in May. And as for Butler, after having a very nice 1st half of the season playing at the AA level for the first time in his career, he recently was promoted to Class AAA Las Vegas. So just maybe the fans in Oakland will have a chance to see his dreads before the team leaves town.
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64. A couple of shots here from the World Baseball Classic played this year between Mar. 8 and Mar. 21, right in the middle of spring training.
Ronald Acuna celebrates with a yell (left photo) after losing his helmet while scoring from 1st base on a double and increasing Venezuela's lead to 9-1 over Puerto Rico in the 5th inning on Mar. 12. But there was nothing for
Johnny Cueto to be happy about a couple of nights later. After blanking Puerto Rico for the first 2 innings, he allows 4 runs in the 3rd without retiring anyone and then takes out his frustration on his gum (right photo), tossing it away as he heads to the dugout after being taken out of the game. Puerto Rico won the game 5-2 to eliminate the Dominican Republic from the tournament in the final game of group play. Venezuela advanced to the knockout stage but lost in the quarterfinals. Japan defeated the USA 3-2 in the championship game.
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65.
Miguel Castro begins his 10th MLB season with his 6th different team, making his 2023 debut in the 7th inning at Dodger Stadium on Apr. 2 in a Diamondbacks uniform. It's also the re-debut of his dreads, which he had grown from 2017 until last season. Traded from the Mets to the Yankees just before the beginning of last season, Castro suddenly found himself on a team that doesn't allow long hair, so his dreads had to come off. But after signing with Arizona after last season, he wasted no time putting them back on, picking up right where he left off with (I'm guessing) same locks he had cut off. And the world is a better place for it.
In his first game with the dreads back Miguel entered a 1-1 tie and got 5 outs in the 7th and 8th innings without allowing a hit or a run, beginning a remarkable run of success in road games. The D-backs scored a run in the 9th to win it 2-1.
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66. After coming on in the bottom of the 9th at Pittsburgh on May 20 to preserve a 1-run lead,
Miguel Castro throws balls on his first 2 pitches to pinch hitter Rodolfo Castro (no relation) and then gets a pitch timer violation to make the count 3-0. Then he takes a timeout and takes off his hat. But it's not to let everyone see how long his dreads are. Instead he needs to get his PitchCom device properly positioned inside his size 7-3/4 hat, as C Gabriel Moreno looks on ......
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67. ..... Miguel's dreads go every which way (photo above) after he delivers a pitch during his Castro vs. Castro duel. I'm surprised that batters haven't complained about his dreads being a distraction. Miguel ended up losing the duel, walking Rodolfo on a 3-2 pitch. But a few minutes later all ended well as Miguel, after striking out the next three batters in a row, sets to shake hands with Moreno (photo on right) after getting his 4th save of the season:
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Castro allowed no runs in 5 appearances on the Diamondbacks' road trip from May 15-24, picking up 2 saves and a win and helping the D-backs finish 6-3 on the trip. Miguel has been amazing on the road this season. In his first 18 road appearances he has allowed just 5 hits and 1 run in 16.1 IP for an ERA of 0.55! Too bad he doesn't pitch like that at home too.
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68. After getting his 1st hit of the season on his previous at bat,
Luis Campusano gets his 1st RBI of the season on this swing (photo above) his next time up, lifting a fly ball to deep CF for a sacrifice fly and upping the Padres' lead to 5-1 over the Rockies in the bottom of the 5th on Apr. 1. And then an hour or so later Campusano shakes hands with closer Josh Hader (photo on right) after the final out of the Padres' 8-4 victory. After beginning the season 0-2, the Padres picked up their 1st win in Campusano's 1st game of the season; and they would go on to win his first 4 starts, allowing 4 runs or fewer in all of them, before losing 11-2 on Apr. 14, his last game before suffering his thumb injury.
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69.
Huascar Brazoban, hatless as usual after finishing an inning, taps fists with C Nick Fortes (photo above) after striking out Nick Castellanos for the final out of the Marlins' 8-4 road win over the Phillies on Apr. 11. Then at Miami on June 3 Fortes gets to celebrate with the Marlins' other pitcher with dreads, shaking hands with rookie
George Soriano (photo on right) after the last out of a 12-1 laugher over the A's. Even though it wasn't a close game Soriano was credited with his 1st career save because he pitched the last 3 innings of the game (allowing 1 run).
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70. About 3 hours after getting his World Series ring (photo #2),
Rafael Montero has some more to celebrate (photo above), slapping five with Yordan Alvarez after getting the last out and picking up the save in a 6-3 victory over the White Sox. Alvarez had the biggest hit of the game, a 3-run double in the 7th that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. Then on Apr. 15 Montero celebrates with manager Dusty Baker (photo on right) after getting the last out - and escaping a bases loaded jam - of the Astros' 8-2 home win over the Rangers.
After recording a career high 14 saves last season, Rafael has only the one so far in 2023. He was still reliable throughout April; but for the next two months almost all of his outings were either bad or really bad before he was relegated to pitching non-important innings in his few appearances since then.
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71. Gregory Soto and 3B Alec Bohm congratulate each other after Bohm made an excellent defensive play for the final out of the game at Denver on May 13, giving the Phillies a 7-4 win over the Rockies and giving Soto his 1st save in a Phillies uniform. After picking up 18 and 30 saves for the Tigers in 2021-22, this was Gregory's only save so far this season, as the Phillies are using him in a setup role rather than as the closer.
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72.
Martin Maldonado celebrates with C Cesar Salazar and P Bryan Abreu after the final out of the Astros' 5-2 road win over the Braves on Apr. 23. Abreu picked up the save, and Salazar caught the bottom of the 9th after Maldonado was pinch hit for in the top of the 9th, with PH Corey Julks hitting an RBI single with 2 out to give Houston a 3-2 lead. The win gave the Astros a 3-game sweep of the Braves in the weekend series.
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73. Back in the old days starting pitchers were
expected to finish what they started. But now you hardly ever see the starter on the mound for the last out of the game. One of those rare instances happened at Minute Maid Park on May 21, with
Framber Valdez shouting for joy (left photo) and then walking off the mound pleased and relieved (right photo) after striking out Ramon Laureano of the A's for the final out of the Astros' 2-0 victory. The 4-hit shutout - with no walks and 7 strikeouts - was Valdez's 2nd career shutout ......
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Now that's not something you see every day.
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75. Pinch hitting in a tie game at Atlanta on May 10,
Raimel Tapia reaches down and lines a curve ball (photo above) into the RF corner for an RBI double to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead with 2 out in the 7th. Then, after the Red Sox tacked on 2 more runs in the 9th, Tapia congratulates Kenley Jansen (photo on right) after Jansen strikes out Travis d'Arnaud to get the save - his 9th of the season and the 400th save of his career:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/10/69c869d1-74d6668e-8b362624-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 It was Kenley's first appearance in Atlanta since picking up 41 of those 400 saves during his only season in a Braves uniform in 2022.
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76. With his dreads reduced on Apr. 18,
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exults at the end of the game, raising both arms skyward after recording the 1-3 putout at 1st base for the final out of the Blue Jays' 4-2 road win over the Astros. Vladdy earlier broke a scoreless tie with his 3rd home run of the season in the 4th inning, and the Blue Jays would go out to a 4-0 lead before hanging on.
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77.
Nick Gordon and SS Carlos Correa hug after Correa catches a popup off the bat Willie Calhoun for the final out in the bottom of the 9th at Yankee Stadium on Apr. 14. It was fitting that Correa record the last out, as it was his 2-run double in the 8th that gave the Twins a 4-3 lead (which ended up being the final score). It was the Twins' 2nd win over the Yankees in as many nights, giving them two wins in a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2014. But the Yankees won the next two afternoons to split the series.
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78. As they do in one form or another, 2B
Ketel Marte and SS Geraldo Perdomo celebrate with each other first before joining the rest of their teammates after every Diamondbacks win this season - with matching socks and shoes (left photo) no less after the 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Apr. 2, a win that gave the Diamondbacks a split of the 4-game, season-opening series at Dodger Stadium; and then with a little dance (right photo) after the 8-3 win on May 21 that gave Arizona a 2-1 series victory in Pittsburgh. Perdomo, who later in the season turned his hair into a partially-braided, partially-straight look pretty much unique to him, recently made his first All-Star Game appearance; While Marte, also deserving of a selection, got snubbed.
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79. Early season victories by the Orioles brought the braids of SS Jorge Mateo and the dreads of
Cedric Mullins together for a leaping, waist-high five celebration - in Detroit (photo above) after a 5-3 win over the Tigers on Apr. 30 and in Toronto (photo on right) after an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in a game in which Mullins went 5-for-6 with 3 RBI.
But it's a less-often occurrence these days. When Mullins returned after missing the first 3 weeks of June due to injury, it was about the same time the Orioles decided they couldn't wait for Mateo to break out of his long batting slump and took him out of the starting lineup.
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80.
Oneil Cruz's first opening day in MLB was a smashing success. On the road vs. the Reds on Mar. 30 Cruz led off the game with a flyout to the warning track in LF. Then in the 3rd inning nobody can make the catch as he high fives 1B coach Tarrik Brock (photo above) after smashing a 101-MPH Hunter Greene fastball 425 feet into the RF seats to tie the game at 1. After walking his next 2 times up (and scoring once), Oneil lifted another fly ball to the warning track in the 8th for a sacrifice fly that broke a 4-4 tie and drove in the winning run. And then after the final out Oneil towers over his fellow infielders (photo on right) - Rodolfo Castro on left, Ke'Bryan Hayes on right, and Carlos Santana (#41) - as they come together for a ring-around-the rosie celebration:
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81. Even though he led MLB with 42 saves in 2022, it was out with the old and in with the new for
Emmanuel Clase in 2023, changing the dye color of his dread tips from brown to blue. And something else new is that he now has two, instead of one, teammates with dreads to celebrate with after getting the game's last out. After the Guardians score 3 in the top of the 9th to take a 3-2 lead on May 1 and Clase retires the Yankees in order in the bottom of the 9th, Clase high fives
Jose Ramirez (photo above) after getting his 10th save of the season. Ramirez had a single in the middle of that rally. Then on May 7 after finishing the Guardians' 1-hit shutout of the Twins and getting his 12th save, Clase gets the glad hand from
Josh Bell (photo on right). Usually on the field playing 1B for the final out, Bell, in his 1st season with the Guardians, has to come from the dugout to greet Clase this time after spending the day as the DH. He and Ramirez had RBI singles in the 1st inning to drive in the game's only 2 runs.
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82.
Jose Ramirez and
Josh Bell have the last word in the Guardians' first walk-off win of the season vs. the Mariners on Apr. 9. Jose manages to keep his helmet on as he races home with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th on a grounder to 2nd by Bell, just barely getting his hand on home plate with an excellent slide past C Cal Raleigh (photo above). Not believing Ramirez could have touched the plate, Raleigh comes over late and puts a tag on Jose (photo on right); but it's to no avail, as you'll see in the video (next photo) that Jose's hand clearly touched it as he went past .......
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83. ...... Bell went 0-for-6 in the game, lowering his BA to .086 in the early going. But when your weakly-hit grounder brings in the winning run in a game nearing the 4-hour mark, everyone treats you like a hero. It's all smiles from his teammates, and then Oscar Gonzalez comes in trying to douse him with the water bottle.
With the 7-6 victory, the Guardians avoided the sweep after the Mariners took the first 2 games of the weekend series.
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84. Walk-off wins are fun when the game is tied, no doubt; but they're much better even when you're trailing and you come from behind to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a single bound. Exhibit A: right here -
Jose Ramirez on May 28. With runners on 1st and 2nd and the Guardians down to their last out in the 9th and on the brink of falling 8 games below .500, Ramirez comes through in a big way, driving in both runners with a double between the right and center fielders to give the Guardians a 4-3 win over the Cardinals and leave him ecstatic as he waits for his teammates to come mob him:
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85. Almost unbelievably the Athletics reached Memorial Day this year having won only 10 of their first 55 games; and 7 of those 10 wins were by only 1 run. They have
Esteury Ruiz to thank for two of them. On the last day of April Ruiz flips his bat (photo above) and his teammates rejoice as he hits an RBI single in the bottom of the 9th to defeat the Reds 5-4. First to congratulate Esteury is Tony Kemp, who prepares to dump the bucket of bubble gum on his head (photo on right) before the rest of his teammates join the celebration:
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A couple of pitches before his game winner, Ruiz pretended that he was hit by an inside pitch when the ball actually had hit his bat for a foul ball. But after a replay review, the HBP was overturned and Esteury was ordered back into the batters box, which on this day was a good thing for the A's. With the win, the A's finished April with a 6-23 record.
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86. 2 weeks later
Esteury Ruiz celebrates his 2nd walk-off game winner of the season, this time with a skull cap over his dreads. With the bases loaded and no out in the bottom of the 12th, Ruiz hits a line drive too hot for the SS to handle to give the A's a 9-8 victory over the Diamondbacks:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/16/e06f95a1-90c8cb37-6367fe44-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4
Esteury also got his 20th stolen base of the season in the game and scored a run as the A's came back from an 8-4 deficit. The win boosted Oakland's record to 10-34 midway through May but would be their last for a while, as they went on to lose their next 11 in a row.
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87.
Jean Segura began the night on Apr. 28 with only 1 RBI in his first 23 games in a Marlins uniform. But after he gets RBI #2 on a single in the 7th to tie the game, he gives Miami a 3-2 win over the Cubs with another RBI single in the bottom of the 9th ...... and then his dreads take an absolute beating. A couple of teammates douse him with small bottles of water, and Jazz Chisholm launches a tray full of full cups of Gatorade into the air and on top of him, leaving him wringing his dreads out (photo above). A moment later Jean is still dripping and squinting his eye (photo on right) as he is congratulated by Jesus Sanchez:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/28/43b423fe-7acf3b25-cd9f1156-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ......
and that wasn't all ..... It gets worse .....
Mercy. If that's the way his teammates are going to treat him, it's a good thing Jean doesn't have any more walk-off RBI this season.
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89. Like Daddy, Like Vladdy ...... just like his father (right photo) did 16 years ago, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holds the trophy after winning MLB's Home Run Derby at Seattle (left photo) on July 10, one day before the All-Star Game. It looks like the size of the trophy has shrunk a bit since Vladimir Sr. won his when he was 32 years old at San Francisco in 2007; but addition to the trophy Junior gets to don a cool jacket and chain too. Junior almost won the Derby 4 years ago, when he was a 20-year old rookie but settled for 2nd place. But now 24, he takes home the title, edging out Randy Arozarena of the Rays in the final round. One other thing. Vlad Jr. certainly worked a lot harder for his crown than his dad. Vlad Sr. needed to hit just 17 home runs to win his. But with all the rules changes since then, Junior had to hit (an exhausting) 72. Here's what Vladdy had to say when he was interviewed on ESPN's Sportscenter after the event:
youtube.com/watch?v=omWj5uLpByM
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To say that Elly De La Cruz has taken baseball by storm since his debut with the Reds on June 6 is an understatement. Already he has given us thrills, chills, and highlights galore - enough to fill up a whole dread gallery all by itself. But here, for now, let's just take a quick look at what his first week in the majors was like .....
90.
Elly De La Cruz didn't waste much time taking care of the business of getting his 1st MLB hit. Not during his first plate appearance, it came on his second time up in the bottom of the 3rd on June 6, connecting on a high fastball on an 0-2 count (photo above) and driving it with an exit velocity of 112 MPH between the center and right fielders, then wisely putting on the brakes at 2nd base (photo on right) and settling for a double. The 112-MPH exit velocity was the hardest ball hit by any Reds player all season:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/06/5d89bc5e-7ba18a67-cf661949-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... De La Cruz had already scored his 1st run back in the 1st inning; but unfortunately he didn't score here, as he was stranded at 2nd base ......
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91. Having struck out for the last out in the 8th, De La Cruz was not part of the Reds come-from-behind rally in the bottom of the 9th. But he certainly was part of the celebration, as he and his teammate congratulate fellow rookie Matt McLain on his game-winning RBI single, which gave the Reds a 9-8 victory over the Dodgers:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/06/8fc6f9d2-2f39490c-3885a341-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 The Reds trailed 8-3 in the 4th inning and were down 8-6 starting the 9th before scoring 3 to win it, with McLain going 3-for-6 and De La Cruz going 1-for-3 with 2 walks.
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92. Day 2 of the
Elly De La Cruz Experience included his 1st RBI and his 1st home run, and what a blast it is! With the Reds trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the 1st, De La Cruz ties the game instantly, hitting a high fastball so far that there's no need to run hard. Elly admires his 458-foot drive (left photo) to the back row of the RF seats before beginning his trot around the bases (right photo):
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/07/ccc960d0-999ad297-b783897d-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... With an exit velocity of 114.8 MPH, the home run surpassed his double from the night before as the hardest ball hit by a Reds player all season .....
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Don't ask me how his helmet stayed on. Elly came in to score on the next pitch on a single by Spencer Steer, cutting the Dodgers' lead to 6-4. The Reds ended up winning 8-6 on Will Benson's 1st major league home run - a 2-run shot - in the 9th.
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94. In game 3 of the series the next day .... another day, another first for De La Cruz, and this time his helmet cannot stay on his head on his 1st career stolen base. After leading off the 2nd with his 1st single, he steals 2nd easily, coming to a stop at the bag while his helmet keeps going for another 8 feet:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/08/4f4d7a11-42aadb9b-017bbf8f-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Elly remained at 2nd for the rest of the inning though, and Reds batters had a tough time of it all day against Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers won 6-0 to keep the Reds from sweeping the series.
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95. On the 4th day Elly came back down to Earth for a minute. He struck out, then struck out again and then again. By the time he singled (and scored) in the 8th the Reds were down 7-2 and it was too little too late in a 7-4 loss at St. Louis. Then in game 2 of the weekend series on June 9 Elly was back to doing Elly things, here diving in past C Andrew Knizer to score from 1st base on a 2-run double by Spencer Steer that upped the Reds' lead to 7-0 in the 7th. The 3rd base coach wanted him to stop at 3rd base, but Elly wasn't having it:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/10/5af39a88-992ded1f-bf69988b-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4De La Cruz had an RBI single earlier in the game; and during an interview after the 8-4 victory, when he was asked if he was the fastest man in the world, he said that he was. Hmm, I'm not sure he's that fast; but hey, nobody's perfect.
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96. 24 hours or so later it's a different catcher but the same result on another
Elly De La Cruz mad dash toward the plate. In a tie game with 1 out in the 8th a grounder to SS sends Elly flying home, and he is safe as Willson Contreras can't catch the short-hop throw:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/11/7704b9e5-d477ea90-dd6784a0-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ..... A good throw there and it's likely Elly is out. It turned out to be the winning run. De La Cruz had a hand in 3 of the Reds' runs - hitting an RBI single to tie the game 2-2 in the 3rd; walking, stealing 2nd and scoring to tie it 3-3 in the 6th; and then walking and scoring in the 8th - in the 4-3 win over the Cardinals.
It was on to Kansas City to begin Elly's 2nd week in the majors, and, uh ..... he went 0-for-12 in the series against the Royals. That's baseball. But the highlights have hardly slowed down since then. On June 23 he hit for the cycle - getting all 4 hits by the 6th inning - in front of a sellout crowd of 43,000+ in a wild 11-10 home win over the Braves. It was the first cycle by a Reds player in 34 years. Defensively Elly recently set a new record for the fastest throw by an infielder to record an out - and then broke that record a couple of days later. And then there was this one from a couple of weeks ago ......
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97. At Milwaukee on July 8 and after having just given the Reds a 6-5 lead with an RBI single with 2 out in the 7th, De La Cruz steals home, diving across the plate (photo above) as the throw from P Elvis Peguero gets past C William Contreras. Oh, I forgot to mention that he also stole 2nd base and 3rd base just before this. On his way back to the dugout Elly does a celebratory leaping high five with TJ Friedl (photo on right) before joining the rest of his stunned and amazed teammates. Here's the whole sequence:
youtube.com/watch?v=GT42mCeAII4 ..... Don't know what the pitcher was thinking there, but Elly said thank you very much. With the feat De La Cruz became the first player in a Reds uniform in 104 years to steal 3 bases in one inning; and he was the first player on any team in 54 years to steal 3 bases with the same batter at the plate. The 8-5 win over the Brewers improved the Reds' record to 23-7 since Elly joined the team.
Ah, but the Brewers certainly learned their lesson, as they stopped him cold the next weekend, not allowing him to get on base at all (0-for-12) in a 3-game sweep at Cincinnati.
With a 2-month head start, Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll deservedly is the runaway frontrunner in the race for NL rookie of the year. But there's still enough time for De La Cruz to change the voters' minds.
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98. What's this?
Elly De La Cruz isn't the only player with dreads to steal home this season? Nope. He isn't even the first. 9 days earlier on June 29
Jose Ramirez pulled it off at Kansas City and did it the old-fashioned way - while the pitcher was delivering a pitch. After reaching 3rd with 1 out in the 10th inning of a tie game, Ramirez watches
Josh Bell strike out and Andres Gimenez get to an 0-2 count and then decides to take matters into his own hands, trying to beat Aroldis Chapman's pitch home. He didn't, as C Salvador Perez has ball in glove waiting to tag him out (photo above). But Jose dives in front of the glove then moves his hand back and touches the plate before Perez can put the tag on him (photo on right). The umpire called him out, but thank goodness for instant replay:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/29/c9628dac-5d2e3111-c485fa82-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... Unfortunately for Jose this effort went for naught, as
Emmanuel Clase couldn't hold the lead, allowing a 2-run double in the bottom of the 10th as the Guardians lost to the Royals 5-4.
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99.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tries his best to avoid the tag (photo above), but he's a dead duck at 3rd base as Matt Duffy tags him out then tries not to squash him (photo on right) in the top of the 3rd at KC on Apr. 4. Guerrero was trying to go from 1st to 3rd on a single to LF by Matt Chapman; and you know, Vladdy, you would have been safe had you been running hard the whole way instead of speeding up when you got to 2nd. No worries though. Bo Bichette scored ahead of Guerrero on the single to tie the game at 1, and the Blue Jays went on to defeat the Royals 4-1.
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100.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had another interesting night on the bases a week later against the Tigers on Apr. 12. After walking with 2 out in the bottom of the 1st, he tries to score on a drive off the RF wall by Matt Chapman. But C Eric Haase already has the ball (photo above) with Vladdy still far away from the plate, and he's out by a mile, losing his helmet while trying to avoid the tag (photo on right), and the game remained scoreless .....
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101. ..... Then in the bottom of the 4th Haase thinks he has Guerrero out again (left photo), this time in a rundown between 3rd and home; but instead 3B umpire Erich Bacchus is calling interference (right photo) on Tigers 3B Ryan Kreidler and awarding Guerrero home plate with the tying run. Vladdy was on 2nd when the play began and lost his helmet on his way to 3rd while jumping over the ground ball hit by Whit Merrifield. He then rounded 3rd and headed home, not realizing that SS Javier Baez had kept the ball in the infield. Vladdy was an easy out but got bailed out when Bacchus determined that Kreidler ever so slightly got in Vladdy's way as he came around 3rd. Anyway, it's easier to just watch the play than listening to me try to describe it:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/12/0f3c9c17-b2ff868b-993db1a3-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 ..... It was the Blue Jays' only run until Guerrero scored the first of 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, and the Blue Jays won it 4-3 with a run in the 10th.
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102.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could simply have gone into 2nd base standing up. But what fun would that have been? Instead, after hitting the first pitch in the bottom of the 4th on May 13 into the right-centerfield gap, Vladdy takes flight way short of 2nd before sliding safely into the bag - a play that had the Blue Jays' TV announcers chuckling:
bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/55db41bf-99b0-44c9-a96a-57cbcc8fb162.mp4 ...... There is no truth to the rumor that there was a Richter scale reading in Toronto after Guerrero hit the ground. Vladdy's double began the Blue Jays' comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He scored later in the inning then had a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2 in the 7th, and the Jays went on to defeat the Braves 5-2.
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103. Off goes the helmet of
J.P. Crawford as he tries to beat the throw to 3rd (photo above) in the top of the 3rd at Oakland on May 3. It's gonna be close ... Crawford gets to the base safely, barely before Jace Peterson gets the tag on him (photo on right). J.P. went from 1st to 3rd on a single to LF by Jose Caballero with no outs in the 3rd but then stayed there for the rest of the inning as the next three batters were retired, keeping the game scoreless. The Mariners trailed 2-1 in the 9th but tied it up, and then Crawford had a single to drive in the final 2 runs of the Mariners' 5-run rally in the 10th as they defeated the A's 7-2 .....
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104. Back home in Seattle 2 days later on May 5
J.P. Crawford keeps his helmet for a while, but eventually it comes off during a rundown between 1st and 2nd in the bottom of the 9th, with both he and 3B Alex Bregman smiling after Bregman tags him out to finish a 3-6-3-5 double play and end the game:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/05/da47cebd-69577b1a-fd1777ab-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... The Astros got a 2-run home run in the 9th to break a 4-4 tie and end the Mariners' 4-game winning streak.
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105. A strong throw from C Ryan Jeffers gets to
Nick Gordon just in time, and he puts the tag on Corey Julks of the Astros (braids not dreads) on a stolen base attempt for the 2nd out in the top of the 3rd on Apr. 9. It was one of the few highlights in the game for the Twins. They were held to just 2 hits in their 5-1 home loss to the Astros.
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106. This is one of those times where the baserunner would've actually been better off sliding head first. In the bottom of the 4th on Apr. 1 Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers looks like he's going to be safe stealing 2nd base; but after catching a throw that looked like it was going to be too high,
Ketel Marte barely has to move his glove as Freeman slides right into the tag for the 3rd out of the inning. The umpire called Freeman safe, but thank goodness for instant replay. Great timing by the photographer on this shot. It was one of the few things that didn't go right for the Dodgers in their 10-1 whipping of the Diamondbacks.
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107. After getting his 2nd RBI of the game on a FC groundout that gives the Nationals a 5-4 lead in the top of the 5th,
CJ Abrams takes off on the first pitch and easily steals 2nd base, already touching the bag before the throw comes to SS Luis Rengifo. It was CJ's 1st SB of the season. He made it to 3rd on a wild pitch on the next pitch before being left on base. No worries though. The Nats held the Angels scoreless the rest of the evening to win 6-4 at Anaheim on Apr. 10.
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108. After getting the game's 1st hit - a single with 2 out in the top of the 1st at Seattle on Apr. 1 -
Jose Ramirez wastes no time getting into scoring position, easily picking up his 1st stolen base of the season on the first pitch to
Josh Bell, losing his helmet upon impact with the ground. There was no throw to 2nd base because the catcher dropped the ball while taking it out of his glove. Bell walked but both he and Ramirez were left on base. The Guardians defeated the Mariners 2-0.
And I can't not mention how much better Jose's dreads look here than when they're reduced (photo #98).
109. It wasn't until May 1 that
Raimel Tapia got his 1st stolen base in a Red Sox uniform. Entering a tie game against his former team - he played for the Blue Jays in 2022 - as a pinch runner with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, Tapia dives safely into 2nd and looks up to see the ball getting past SS Bo Bichette and bouncing into center field. Raimel got up and advanced to 3rd but was stranded there as the next two batters were retired, with the score remaining tied 5-5. The Red Sox won 6-5 on an Alex Verdugo home run leading off the bottom of the 9th.
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110. 6 days later at Philadelphia on May 6
Raimel Tapia picks up his 4th SB of the season (photo above), beating the throw to SS Trea Turner at 2nd base in the 8th inning. But once again, after reaching 3rd base with 1 out, he was stranded. The Red Sox were already ahead 7-4 though and held on for their 8th straight win.
Less than 24 hours later Tapia gets caught stealing for the first time (photo on right) as Turner puts the tag on him to end the top of the 4th. Batting 3rd in the starting lineup for only the 2nd time in his career, Raimel singled with 2 out in the 4th but had no chance on his steal attempt thanks to a perfect throw by C J.T. Realmuto. It was Tapia's only hit of the game, and the Phillies ended the Red Sox winning streak with a 6-1 victory.
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111. At Philadelphia on Apr. 11
Jean Segura singles with 2 out in the 2nd and - after CF Cristian Pache bobbles the ball - decides to go to 2nd. But he shouldn't have, as Pache recovers quickly and gets the throw to Trea Turner in plenty of time, and he's out by at least 5 feet. Jean, who lost his helmet well before arriving at 2nd, tries to avoid the tag then tries to convince the umpire to call him safe, but to no avail. Segura finished 2-for-5 in the game, and the Marlins, who lost to the Phillies 15-3 the night before, bounced back with an 8-4 win over the Phillies .....
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112. .... 4 nights later
Jean Segura gets some good news from the umpire this time, advancing safely from 1st to 3rd on a single by Nick Fortes with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th. As Diamondbacks 3B Josh Rojas keeps the tag on him, 3rd base coach Jody Reed alerts him to not come off the bag. Moments earlier Segura broke an 0-for-12 slump with an RBI single to tie the game 2-2. And a moment later - on the next pitch following a pitching change - he came in to score on a single by Luis Arraez. The Marlins held on for a 3-2 victory, their 4th win in a row.
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113. In the bottom of the 1st at Oakland on May 26
Esteury Ruiz, after leading off with a single, has his helmet come off and fall right in his face as he beats the throw to SS Mauricio Dubon for his 27th stolen base of the season. A moment later Ruiz lost his helmet again after sliding into 3rd while advancing on a fly ball for the 1st out of the inning. But neither of the next two batters could drive him in, and he was left on base. The A's went on to lose their 9th in a row, falling to the Astros 5-2.
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114. With this edition of
Ronald Acuna's dreads still in its early stages, the only time you get a good look at them is when his hat/helmet is off. One of those times is here in the top of the 1st at St. Louis on Apr. 5. After leading off with a single, Acuna runs out from under his helmet about halfway between 2nd and 3rd as he comes in to score on a double by the next batter, Matt Olson, as C Andrew Knizer reaches for the late throw home:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/05/a46ecd4d-89178170-be1aab29-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 The Braves took a quick 1-0 lead and led for the rest of the afternoon. Ronald went 2-for-5, raising his BA to .370 in the early going, as the Braves improved to 5-1 with a 5-2 victory over the Cardinals.
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115.
Cedric Mullins' dreads extend to their fullest on this play at 2nd base at Fenway Park on Apr. 2. After bringing the Orioles to within 6-5 on the Red Sox with a 2-run single in the 7th, Mullins loses his helmet sliding into the base on a FC grounder by Adley Rutschman. Cedric was out on the forceout, but his legal slide harasses 2B Christian Arroyo, causing him to drop the ball and preventing him from turning a double play. Mullins finished with 3 RBI, having hit his 2nd home run of the season back in the 5th inning to tie the score 3-3; but the Red Sox went on to win 9-5 .....
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116. A couple of days later on Apr. 5 the fans at Fenway Park get a great look at Oneil Cruz's much longer (than Mullins) dreads flowing at full blast after his helmet comes off just before he dives into 3rd base and collides with the foot of 3B Rafael Devers. The play started with Cruz at 1st base and another runner on 3rd with no outs in the 7th. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to LF, with Cruz advancing to 2nd on the throw home; and when the throw home was off target and nowhere near the catcher, Oneil, noticing that nobody was covering 3rd, raced to 3rd, with he, Devers, and the ball all arriving at the same time. Oneil would have been out, but Devers lost control of the ball while making the tag. Cruz was shaken up on the play but stayed in long enough to score on a double by Carlos Santana a couple of batters later before then leaving the game:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-04/05/1d83a354-1f15c7b5-c290a187-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Cruz's run made the score 4-0, and the Pirates went on to win 4-1; and Oneil was back in the lineup for the Pirates' next game, their home opener on Apr. 7.
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O.K. Let's finish off this dread gallery was some dreads vs. dreads encounters .....
117. I couldn't find a video of this play from June 7; but it's not too difficult to figure out what happened. On 1st base after drawing a 2-out walk in the top of the 4th, Ketel Marte (dreads reduced) gets picked off trying to steal 2nd, and instead of continuing on all the way to 2nd, he just stops and lets CJ Abrams tag him out to end the inning (Please let me know if that's not what happened). It was the 1st caught stealing of the season for Marte, but it certainly didn't spoil what he did the rest of the game. He went 3-for-4 and scored 2 runs to help the Diamondbacks defeat the Nationals 6-2.
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118.
CJ Abrams is at it again here in the top of the 3rd on Apr. 14.
Jose Ramirez hits one into the RF corner with 2 out and tries to make it a double. But a strong throw from Lane Thomas arrives in the glove of Abrams just in time, and he quickly puts the tag on Ramirez to end the inning and keep the game scoreless ......
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119. ..... Then a little later it's
Jose Ramirez's turn to tag out
CJ Abrams. On 2nd base after stealing it with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th, Abrams stupidly tries to advance to 3rd on a grounder to 3rd off the bat of Victor Robles (what was he thinking?). CJ can't avoid the tag by Ramirez (photo above) and is an easy out and Jose, after taking a couple of steps forward to gather himself, throws to 1st (photo on right) and barely misses retiring Robles for a double play.
The Nationals led 3-1 at the time but the Guardians tied it in the 7th on a
Josh Bell home run and a bases loaded walk to Ramirez. The Guardians then scored again in the 8th and held on to win 4-3, with
Emmanuel Clase picking up the save.
120. As
Martin Maldonado watches the ball go harmlessly into the air,
Esteury Ruiz is howling in disappointment in the bottom of the 7th on May 27. Not because his helmet has come off again, but probably because he got a good pitch to hit - a curveball right in the middle of the plate - and didn't do anything with it. The popup to the 1st baseman ended the inning and kept the Astros ahead 2-1. It was a hitless day for both - Maldonado 0-for-3, Ruiz 0-for-5. 6 days after shutting out the A's,
Framber Valdez beat them again, holding them to 4 hits and 1 run in 6 IP to pick up his 5th win in the Astros' 6-3 win.
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121. On a play on which
Esteury Ruiz hits a ground ball no more than 40 feet, he ends up ..... at
3rd base being tagged out by
Jean Segura. Huh? Yep. In the top of the 6th at Miami on June 2 after P Edward Cabrera fields Ruiz's dribbler then throws it past the 1st baseman (score it a single and an error), Ruiz tries to make it to 3rd base; but the strong throw from RF Jesus Sanchez gets to the glove of Segura in time, and he puts the tag on Esteury for the 1st out of the inning:
bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/ad757f76-f55a-4b8b-bc94-a29132601990.mp4 ...... With the A's down by 4, perhaps Ruiz should have stopped at 2nd base; but it likely wouldn't have mattered. The Marlins went on to defeat the A's 4-0.
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122. Like brothers from another mother,
Ronald Acuna and
Jean Segura have had their share of playful encounters over the years. In this one from the bottom of the 5th on Apr. 27 Acuna, caught between 2nd and 3rd when what he thought was going to be a wild pitch doesn't roll far enough away from the catcher, waits for Segura to tag him out .... And after the tag unexpectedly is put on the top of his head, Acuna replies with a swift - but soft - kick in Segura's rear. This play is the first clip on this Twitter video, with a couple of previous encounters shown after that:
twitter.com/Cut4/status/1651702073958842370 ......
All the kidding aside, it turned out to be an important mistake by Acuna. Although the Braves had already scored 4 runs in the inning, his out helped the Marlins get out of the jam with no further damage. Still trailing 4-0 in the 9th, the Marlins exploded with 5 runs to stun the Braves 5-4.
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123. The Marlins' second trip to Atlanta this season was at the beginning of July, and
Ronald Acuna and
Jean Segura once again did not disappoint. After doubling with 2 out in the 7th on July 2, Acuna gets his 2nd SB of the game and 39th of the season and promptly slaps Segura in the back of the leg. Jean responds immediately, shoving the helmet of Ronald's head (left photo):
instagram.com/p/CuNUqkUAtEi/ .....
After the two are separated, Ronald raises his arms in triumph (right photo), claiming victory in this round of their ongoing duel. Acuna was stranded at 3rd, keeping the Atlanta lead at 4-3; but the Braves went on to win 6-3 and sweep the 3-game series.
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124. Whether in DC or San Diego,
CJ Abrams was unable to catch
Fernando Tatis Jr. stealing in the Nationals' two series vs. the Padres this season. In the top of the 5th at Nationals Park on May 25 Tatis easily steals 2nd base, as the throw to Abrams is way late and wide to the right (photo above), getting past Abrams and hitting Tatis in the butt. The ball didn't roll far enough away for Fernando to advance to 3rd, but he scored later in the inning anyway to increase the Padres' lead to 4-1. After the Nats scored 5 in the 8th to take a 6-5 lead, the Padres came right back with 3 in the 9th to win it 8-6.
Then in the bottom of the 5th at Petco Park 4 weeks later on June 24 the throw to Abrams is bad again, as CJ has to take it on a hop (photo on right) while Tatis dives in for his 3rd SB of the season vs. the Nationals and his 14th overall. Fernando ended the inning stranded at 2nd base though. In a rare dominant pitching performance by the Nationals, neither Tatis nor any other Padres runner got as far as 3rd base in a 2-0 Washington win.
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125. In the bottom of the 4th at San Diego on June 7
J.P. Crawford and
Fernando Tatis Jr. meet briefly at 2nd base to see whose dreads are longer. As Tatis slides in feet first to get his 7th SB of the season, Crawford can't get his glove in front of Fernando to make the catch, and the ball gets by them and bounces into center field, allowing Fernando to get up and go to 3rd. Two pitches later he scored on an RBI single by Juan Soto, making the score 5-0. In a battle of teams that both won playoff series last year (before the World Series, that is) but who both have been disappointing so far this season the Padres whipped the Mariners 10-3 to improve to 29-33, with the Mariners falling to 30-31.
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And finally ....
126. In the District on July 6
Elly De La Cruz lifts up his glove after putting the tag on
CJ Abrams at 3rd base for the last out of the 5th inning ....... or maybe not. Thank goodness for instant replay. After stealing 2nd base a few pitches earlier, Abrams decides he's going to steal 3rd too. He takes off too soon though and gets picked off. But he doesn't give up on the play and keeps going to 3rd; and De La Cruz, with the ball in plenty of time, puts his glove too far in front of the bag, allowing CJ to reach around him and get to the base ahead of the tag. The umpire called CJ out, but replay said otherwise:
mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/06/62bd6fd7-2ce14aad-03604b81-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ......
It turned out to be a huge play, as Alex Call stole 2nd on the play, and he and Abrams both scored moments later on a single by Lane Thomas to put Washington in front 2-1. But this was a really tough series for the Nats. The Reds came back from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits in this game and eventually won 5-4 in 10 innings to sweep the 4-game series.
94. In game 3 of the series the next day .... another day, another first for De La Cruz, and this time his helmet cannot stay on his head on his 1st career stolen base. After leading off the 2nd with his 1st single, he steals 2nd easily, coming to a stop at the bag while his helmet keeps going for another 8 feet: mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/08/4f4d7a11-42aadb9b-017bbf8f-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4
95. On the 4th day Elly came back down to Earth for a minute. He struck out, then struck out again and then again. By the time he singled (and scored) in the 8th the Reds were down 7-2 and it was too little too late in a 7-4 loss at St. Louis. Then in game 2 of the weekend series on June 9 Elly was back to doing Elly things, here diving in past C Andrew Knizer to score from 1st base on a 2-run double by Spencer Steer that upped the Reds' lead to 7-0 in the 7th. The 3rd base coach wanted him to stop at 3rd base, but Elly wasn't having it: mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/10/5af39a88-992ded1f-bf69988b-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4
98. What's this? Elly De La Cruz isn't the only player with dreads to steal home this season? Nope. He isn't even the first. 9 days earlier on June 29 Jose Ramirez pulled it off at Kansas City and did it the old-fashioned way - while the pitcher was delivering a pitch. After reaching 3rd with 1 out in the 10th inning of a tie game, Ramirez watches Josh Bell strike out and Andres Gimenez get to an 0-2 count and then decides to take matters into his own hands, trying to beat Aroldis Chapman's pitch home. He didn't, as C Salvador Perez has ball in glove waiting to tag him out (photo above). But Jose dives in front of the glove then moves his hand back and touches the plate before Perez can put the tag on him (photo on right). The umpire called him out, but thank goodness for instant replay: mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-06/29/c9628dac-5d2e3111-c485fa82-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 ...... Unfortunately for Jose this effort went for naught, as Emmanuel Clase couldn't hold the lead, allowing a 2-run double in the bottom of the 10th as the Guardians lost to the Royals 5-4.
99. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tries his best to avoid the tag (photo above), but he's a dead duck at 3rd base as Matt Duffy tags him out then tries not to squash him (photo on right) in the top of the 3rd at KC on Apr. 4. Guerrero was trying to go from 1st to 3rd on a single to LF by Matt Chapman; and you know, Vladdy, you would have been safe had you been running hard the whole way instead of speeding up when you got to 2nd. No worries though. Bo Bichette scored ahead of Guerrero on the single to tie the game at 1, and the Blue Jays went on to defeat the Royals 4-1.
100. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had another interesting night on the bases a week later against the Tigers on Apr. 12. After walking with 2 out in the bottom of the 1st, he tries to score on a drive off the RF wall by Matt Chapman. But C Eric Haase already has the ball (photo above) with Vladdy still far away from the plate, and he's out by a mile, losing his helmet while trying to avoid the tag (photo on right), and the game remained scoreless ..... 
102. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could simply have gone into 2nd base standing up. But what fun would that have been? Instead, after hitting the first pitch in the bottom of the 4th on May 13 into the right-centerfield gap, Vladdy takes flight way short of 2nd before sliding safely into the bag - a play that had the Blue Jays' TV announcers chuckling: bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/55db41bf-99b0-44c9-a96a-57cbcc8fb162.mp4 ...... There is no truth to the rumor that there was a Richter scale reading in Toronto after Guerrero hit the ground. Vladdy's double began the Blue Jays' comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He scored later in the inning then had a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2 in the 7th, and the Jays went on to defeat the Braves 5-2.
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