It’s Friday, and we’ve got 15 games under the lights. Should we dig in? People, we should dig in …
Friday’s scores
Nola dominates again
Every game’s important for the Phillies, who are locked in a tight race in the NL East and in the NL wild-card fray, so it was good news for them that 25-year-old ace Aaron Nola was on the mound against the Mets. Good news indeed …
Nola’s got good velocity and command of a full repertoire. Just ask Jose Bautista about his changeup …
With that gem against the Mets, Nola becomes the youngest Phillies pitcher to log five or more double-digit strikeout starts in a season since Ray Culp in 1963 (via STATS). Now for a look at Nola’s updated numbers on the season …
Additionally, Nola has struck out more than one-quarter of opposing hitters and has yet to allow an unearned run on the year. Also of note …
Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are justifiably receiving a lot of NL Cy Young hype right now, but Nola deserves to be in that discussion as well. Right now, though, he’s surely more concerned with pitching the Phillies into the playoffs.
Reds walk it off in extras
The visiting Giants and host Reds went 11 innings on Friday. It was a stellar clash of bullpens, as a total of eight relievers combined for nine scoreless innings, until Phillip Ervin did this to a Ray Black slider …
Fun win for the Reds and a painful loss for a Giants team that’s trying to hang around in the NL playoff derby.
Scherzer pitches Nats to second straight win
Can the Nats get a little something going before time runs out? Cy Young frontrunner Max Scherzer twirled six scoreless innings and struck out seven en route to the win. Bryce Harper had three hits and picked up career RBI No. 499 and 500.
Ramirez joins elite company with homer
Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez — thanks to his excellent plate production, defense and baserunning — is among the leading AL MVP candidates in 2018. Speaking of Ramirez, here he is homering in the early innings against the Orioles on Friday evening …
That’s his 37th homer of the season, and that ties him at the moment with Boston’s J.D. Martinez for the MLB lead. That blast is also significant on another, lower level …
Yep, J-Ram is indeed listed at 5-foot-9. Given that we still have six or so weeks left of regular season, Ramirez is very likely going to climb this list of diminutive sluggers in the games to come. By the time we’re done, he may well be second only to Hack Wilson on said list.
As for the defeated Orioles, this pretty much sums up their 2018 …
Yeesh.
Red Sox win No. 87
The mighty Red Sox snapped their stunning and appalling one-game losing streak with a comeback victory over the Rays on Friday. With the win, they match a season-best mark of 51 games over .500. They’re also back to a 115-win pace, which means they’re still on target to make a run at the all-time wins record of 116.
In this one, Xander Bogaerts had three hits and wound up a home run shy of the cycle. The shortstop is now batting .280/.355/.518 on the season. Elsewhere, four Boston relievers combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Don’t despair, Rays, for you get the highlight. Here’s Mallex Smith making a snare at great personal discomfort …
Hey, the dude can also hit.
Quick hits
- One major-league GM thinks Nationals OF and pending free agent Bryce Harper will sign with the Phillies this coming offseason. Read more here.
- Indians manager Terry Francona says RHP Trevor Bauer (fractured fibula) could rejoin the rotation in four to six weeks.
- The Rangers have received 3B Sherten Apostel from the Pirates to the complete the recent Keone Kela trade.
- The Rangers have received LHP Josh Javier from the Diamondbacks to complete the recent Jake Diekman trade.
- The Red Sox have activated Ian Kinsler from the disabled list and placed Rafael Devers on the DL with a left hamstring injury.
- The Cubs have placed Mike Montgomery on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. As a corresponding move, lefty reliever Randy Rosario is coming back up from the minors. Tyler Chatwood will take the start in place of Montgomery Saturday.
- As expected, the Astros have activated George Springer from the disabled list.
- The Mariners have promoted infielder Gordon Beckham to the big-league club to help fill in for Jean Segura (paternity leave).
- AL MVP watch | NL MVP watch
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