Between significant debuts and important “milestones”, the third week of Major League Baseball flows by in the name of balance. No team manages to make a gap in the six divisions and even the strongest teams on paper show some weakness. This is the case of Los
Angeles Dodgers (11-7), who lead the National League West by two points over the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. Roberts’ Californians end the week with a tied record (3-3) but above all with two home defeats against their rivals Parents (9-9) despite the many home runs scored especially by Muncy (3) e Ohtani (2). The Padres, who recalled the blue player to MLB this week Brett Sullivan
(protagonist of a crackling start to the season in Triple-A with two five-hit games and a triple line of .472/.500/.619 accompanied by a home run), have hit the beauty of eleven home runs in the last six games (four only in 8-7 success on Friday in extra innings against the Dodgers) and seem to have found the spirit that was missing throughout 2023. The Los Angelesnians are experiencing difficulties in the pitching mound especially in a bullpen yet to be registered and in a rotation that also loses the speed and quality of Bobby Miller, stopped by an inflammation of the shoulder. He could return soon Walker Buehlerwho has already started his stint in rehab while to review Clayton Kershaw several more weeks are needed.
With the arrival of Brett Sullivan, and waiting for the Blue Jays closer to return from injury Jordan Romano (it could be activated as early as tonight), the colony of players who wore blue in the latest editions of the World Baseball Classic is swelling. Among these, excellent signals come from Sal Frelick, Brandon Nimmo e Vinnie Pasquantinoboth recovering after a slow start. Frelick he was among the protagonists of the excellent streak of matches of the Milwaukee Brewers (10-4) who between Tuesday 9 and Saturday 13 April won four consecutive games against Cincinnati
Reds e Baltimore Orioles (on Sunday they lost the chance of the sweep stopped by Cedric Mullins e Colton Cowser) thanks to the launches of Freddy Peralta and precisely to the performances of Frelick who batted 10-25 with a double, three runs batted in and a steal and, thanks to these performances, he aims to regain the role of first hitter of a lineup that has Christian Yelich e William Contreras items in great shape.
The recovery of Brandon Nimmo coincided with that of the
New York Mets (7-8), who have won four games out of six against Atlanta
Braves (9-5, Spencer Strider out for the entire season following ligament surgery in his throwing elbow) and Kansas City
Royals. In addition to Nimmo (10-26, two doubles, a triple, two home runs, nine runs batted in), author of a 4-4 draw last Monday against the Braves, also on the mound for the Mets Pete Alonso (4 home runs) and another old acquaintance of the Italian national team as Adam Ottavinowho pitched two innings with three strikeouts without allowing any runs against the Royals.
For i Royals (10-6), in addition to the pitchers Cole
Ragans e Brady Singerand to the hitters Bobby Witt Jr e Salvador Perez (Saturday he beat the 250th home run in career), excellent week for Vinnie Pasquantino decisive Wednesday, April 10 in the rookie’s 11-2 win over the Astros Spencer Arrighetti with a career-high 3-3, 1 double, 1 home run and five home runs, contributing to an 8-19, 2 doubles, 2 home runs and nine home runs week. In this period the Kansas City team won four games against the Astros (sweep) and Mets after achieving 7 consecutive victories between Thursday 4th and Thursday 11th April. The lineup of manager Matt Quatraro and pitching coach Brian Sweeney is practically tied in the standings with the Cleveland
Guardians (10-5) coming off a stressful week for the pitching mound, forced into overtime against the Chicago White Sox (2-13; in addition to Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada also lost due to injury) by Dominic
Fletcher e Nicky Lopezand then come on New York Yankees (12-4), the first team this year to reach double figures in wins.
The Guardians won two of three games against the White Sox, then, on Sunday, with walk-offs of Andres Gimenez they avoided a home sweep against the Yankees of the hot ones Anthony Rizzo (9-25, doubles, three runs batted in), Anthony Volpe (7-22, double, home run, five runs batted in), Juan Soto (8-22, two doubles, two home runs, and eight home runs) e Alex Verdugo (7-20, three doubles, home run, two runs batted in), which during the week (two more victories against the Marlins) did nothing but certify the qualities of an attack that is difficult to face. Having archived the Yankees, the Cleveland team is preparing to face from this afternoon (hours 17 Italian; live TV and streaming on Sky Sport e Now with commentary in Italian) i Boston Red Sox (9-7) at Fenway Park with a bullpen game expected in at least two of the four games in the series. Monday 15 April
it is a special day, for at least two reasons: Boston marks the eleventh anniversary of the attack on the Boston Marathon which took three lives and injured two hundred and fifty people; on the same day the MLB celebrates the Jackie Robinson Day complimentary to Jackie Robinsonwhich on this day of 1947, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, wearing the Brooklyn Dodgers uniform for the first time, wrote the history of modern MLB by becoming the first black player to debut in Major League Baseball, breaking the racial barrier. As every year, on Jackie Robinson Day the players and coaches of all teams wear the number 42 – which belonged to Robinson – as a symbol of the fight for equality and a reminder of the figure and contributions made by Robinson to baseball and society.
Having digested the home sweep against the Orioles, and the four consecutive defeats from Tuesday 9th to Friday 12th, the Red Sox enter their third consecutive home series with two successes against the Los Angeles Angels, with a Tyler O’Neill in great form (7 home runs, MLB-leading) but no Trevor Story which ends the season early. The departures Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck e Garrett Whitlockin shape, will try to keep the Red Sox in the wake of the Yankees.
Another match broadcast in live on Sky Sport channels (and streaming on NOW) concerns Tampa Bay Rays (9-7) e Los
Angeles Angels (7-8), on the pitch Thursday 18 April at 19. The two teams have already faced each other in Anaheim earlier this week, with the Rays winning two out of three games thanks to the exploits of Isaac Paredes,
Harold Ramirez e Jose Caballero. Troutalone, is not enough.
The week just ended brought the debut in MLB, with the Baltimore Orioles (9-6), the 20-year-old Jackson Holliday (son of Matt Holliday and a top-three prospect in MLB) on Wednesday, April 10 in a 7-5 win over the Red Sox. He hit his first hit on Sunday in a 6-4 win over the Brewers to end a 0-13 start. His Orioles are in great condition and are the fittest of all Colton Cowser, who broke the deadlock during the week by beating 10-23 with four doubles, as many home runs and twelve runs batted in at home. The starter is also highlighted Corbin
Burnes while the thirty-five year old closer Craig Kimbrel he is experiencing a new youth: on Thursday 11 April against the Red Sox he reached altitude 1200
strikeout in his career (the only one to have achieved it having played all the games of his career as a substitute) and obtained his second victory of 2024, on Sunday 14th against the Brewers he converted the third safety out of four opportunities thanks to a three-strikeout exit.
Kimbrel and Salvador Perez were not the only ones to have achieved important personal goals. THE Pittsburgh Pirates (11-5) opened the week with the 100° career home run by Bryan
Reynolds (Monday 8 against the Tigers) and they closed it yesterday with the 300°
of the thirty-seven year old Andrew McCutchen in the 9-2 comeback win against Cousins Philadelphia Phillies (8-8). I Detroit Tigers
(9-6), one of the surprises of this start of the championship, recovering yesterday Minnesota Twins (6-8) from 0-3 to 4-3 with a big inning in the fourth inning, they delivered to the manager A. J. Hinch victory number 800 in career. The Tigers have managed a complicated schedule well and are preparing to host the Texas
Rangers (8-8) first in the west but after some empty runs against some Houston
Astros (6-11) in timid recovery and dragged by Jose Altuve, Jeremy Rock, Kyle Tucker e Jordan Alvarezand against the Oakland
Athletics (7-9) returning from three consecutive series wins and notable individual performances like those of Shae Langelier (three home runs on Tuesday in the 4-3 win over the Rangers), Lawrence Butler (home run and walk-off hit Friday against the Nationals) e Mason Miller (three saves out of three this week with 7 strikeouts on 3 pitches).
Among the on-fire players we also find Michael Busch
of the Chicago Cubs (9-6) hit home runs in his last four consecutive games. Also thanks to him the Cubs won the last two games against the Mariners, remaining tied in the NL Central with the Cincinnati
Reds (9-6) of Elly Dela Cruz (also with four home runs in the past week).
Positive week for the young prospects of our movement Samuel Aldegheri, Alessandro Ercolani e Ettore Giulianelli.
The twenty-two year old left-handed pitcher from Verona dominated in his team’s victory on Saturday 13 April Jersey Shore BlueClaws against the Hickory Crawdads obtaining the first victory of the season with six shutout innings, just two hits conceded (two singles) and seven strikeouts without allowing bases on balls.
Aldegheri’s personal success followed that of the 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Alessandro Ercolani, who made his debut on Wednesday, April 10 against the Winston-Salem Dash (an advanced Class A organization affiliated with the Chicago White Sox). The pitcher of the Greensboro
Grasshoppers He threw four scoreless innings, leaving just two hits and one walk against five strikeouts for a total of sixty-two pitches.
In single A, after his debut last April 5th, the Romagna player Ettore Giulianellitwenty-one year old right-handed pitcher of the Palm
Beach Cardinalsbetween Tuesday 9th and Sunday 14th April he made two more outings with his team, both against the Daytona Tortugas, totaling 2.2 shutout innings with no hits conceded but with five bases on balls conceded and as many strikeouts scored.
Luca Giangrande
RANKINGS
STATISTICS
Below are the next live TV broadcasts (Sky
Sport) e streaming (NOW) in Italy of MLB matches:
Monday 15/04 (ore 17) Boston Red Sox – Cleveland Guardians
Thursday 18/04 (ore 19) Tampa Bay Rays – Los Angeles Angels
Photo: Vinnie Pasquantino (Kansas City Royals) hits a home run in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s April 10 game against the Houston Astros. Credit: Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images North America
2024-04-15 10:43:42
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