Vintage Kershaw re-emerges in win over A's

 

 MLB.com reports:

In his Opening Day start against the Rockies, Clayton Kershaw didn’t look like himself. His signature slider wasn’t breaking the way it normally does and his fastball didn’t have much life. The Rockies punished him for six runs (five earned) on 10 hits, both the most Kershaw has allowed in any of his nine Opening Day starts.

After a rough Spring Training that saw him post a 10.22 ERA in four starts and battle the same issues that popped up on Opening Day, there were plenty of reasons to be concerned with which Kershaw the Dodgers were going to get in 2021.

But in the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the A’s on Tuesday night, the 33-year-old lefty helped alleviate some of those concerns in a big way, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out eight over seven strong innings.

It was vintage Kershaw -- and you could practically hear a collective sigh of relief across the greater Los Angeles area. With eight strikeouts on Tuesday, Kershaw now has 2,743 in his career in the regular season and postseason combined. He passed Don Sutton (2,739) for most all-time by a Dodgers pitcher. Sutton is still the franchise’s all-time regular-season strikeout leader with 2,696, but Kershaw is right behind with 2,536.

“I thought he had everything working,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Just to see him get through seven innings, eight strikeouts and no walks, just a really stellar night.”

Read more HERE.

Tatis (shoulder) to IL; surgery not expected

 

 MLB.com reports:

All things considered, the Padres and Fernando Tatis Jr. appear to have averted disaster.

San Diego placed Tatis on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, a day after the superstar shortstop took a vicious hack at a pitch and crumpled in front of home plate in agony.

Tatis underwent further tests, including an MRI, on Tuesday, and Padres general manager A.J. Preller said those results indicate that Tatis will not require surgery -- which could have cost him several months and potentially ended his season.

On the swing, Tatis sustained a partial dislocation of his shoulder, and Tuesday's exams revealed a partial tear of his labrum. Those injuries will require rest and rehab to heal, Preller said, and the Padres wouldn't place a timeline on Tatis' return.

They have every reason to be cautious. Tatis, of course, signed a record-setting 14-year contract with San Diego in February after two brilliant -- but shortened -- seasons in the big leagues. Considering his ridiculous production across those two seasons -- .301/.374/.582 with 39 homers and 27 steals in 143 games -- any absence for Tatis would be crushing for a Padres team with World Series ambitions and the Dodgers to deal with in the National League West.

"Let's be real," said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. "You're not going to replace him. Now, can a group of eight, nine, 10, 11 guys step their game up a small percentage? Can we come together and pull for one another? ... Like I said, you're not going to replace him, but we believe in our guys."

Read More HERE.

For 6th time in 7 seasons, Max gets Opening Day start

 

 

The tradition continues -- Max Scherzer will be the Nationals’ Opening Day starter for the sixth time in seven seasons.

“He’s ready,” manager Dave Martinez said following the Nats’ 6-2 loss to the Mets on Sunday. “He’s the guy that gets everything started for us. He competes. We know what we’re going to get from him. He loves Opening Day, so he’s the guy we’re going to follow Opening Day.”

The 36-year-old Scherzer built up to 90 pitches against the Mets and Jacob deGrom, the same team and starter he will face on April 1 at Nationals Park. He pitched five innings, allowing four runs on six hits (including two home runs), with six strikeouts and one walk. Even though there were missteps with location on the homers, Martinez lauded the way Scherzer is “throwing the ball with less effort” this spring.

Belli shows shoulder is fine with 1st HR of '21

  

It didn’t take long for Cody Bellinger to show that his right shoulder feels just fine.

The Dodgers’ star outfielder made his second appearance in a Cactus League game since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder and had much better swings, including his first homer of the spring in the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 7-7 tie with the D-backs on Thursday.

“I think he’s seeing the baseball really well,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Certainly the results were good today, but more importantly, he’s feeling good and seeing the baseball.”

Bellinger took a big hack in his first plate appearance on Thursday, flying out to left field. He flied out to left field again in his second at-bat, but the ball left his bat with a 101.3 mph exit velocity. He got in the hit column with his third appearance, smacking a single to right field.

But in his final at-bat, a more timed-up Bellinger took the biggest swing of the day and crushed a homer off D-backs right-hander Keury Mella. The exit velocity was 107.3 mph, and the estimated distance was 373 feet.

Read more HERE.

Shohei Ohtani goes 464 ft off reigning Cy winner

 

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani has stolen the show for the Angels this spring and wowed yet again on Tuesday, crushing a two-run blast over the batter’s eye in center field off Indians ace Shane Bieber, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. The homer was estimated at 464 feet, and he cleared the 30-foot high batter’s eye in center field at Tempe Diablo Stadium for the second time this spring.

"It's pretty impressive," Angels manager Joe Maddon said of Ohtani, who went 2-for-3 in the Angels 17-8 win over the Indians. "Every swing he takes, it looks like he's going to hit the ball hard and he pretty much has. Everything has been up the middle or to left, which I like. He's been barreling up a lot of balls, obviously, and even with two strikes. We want to bottle this up, keep it for the next 10 years because he's feeling really good about himself."

Read more HERE.

MLB Is Set To Return, July 1st Spring Training 2.0 Starts!

On July 1st, all 30 Major League Baseball teams are set to officially begin preparing again for the 2020 season a mere 97 days after it was supposed to start.

The Red Sox will train and play at Fenway Park. JetBlue Park in Fort Myers has been grounded. The number of COVID-19 cases in Florida has spiked. 

According to MLB, players will undergo coronavirus testing upon arrival, then begin workouts if they test negative. Players, coaches and support staff will be tested for COVID-19 every other day during training camps, the regular season and postseason. Anybody testing positive will be quarantined. Two negative tests are reportedly required for a return. Players will also receive temperature/symptom checks at least twice per day, and antibody testing will be conducted approximately once per month.

Three Rockies, including 4-time All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon tested positive for the virus earlier this month.

Are you ready for the return of baseball? This is going to go down as the strangest season in the history of the game.

Rookie Phenom Pete Alonso Hits 53rd Homer, Sets New Record!

CNN reports:

Slugger Pete Alonso has been a bright spot in an otherwise so-so season for the New York Mets. And now he's broken Major League Baseball's rookie home run record.

"Polar Bear," as he's nicknamed, hit his 53rd home run during this past Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves. The record-breaking blast came in the third inning against Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz.

The fan favorite and 2019 Home Run Derby champion raised his arms to the sky as the ball soared over the wall at New York's Citi Field. Mets fans gave him a standing ovation as he rounded the bases.

"To be a part of Major League Baseball history, to be number one out of every single guy that ever played the game, it's humbling and it's such just a ridiculously awesome feeling," an emotional Alonso told reporters after the game. "That moment was just pure magic."

"I didn't know that I was going to be overcome with all that emotion," added Alonso, who got teary on the field as fans cheered him. "At that point, might as well just let it out."

Alonso bested another New York player -- Yankees star Aaron Judge -- in becoming MLB's all-time home run leader for rookies. The Yankees outfielder had set the record in 2017 with 52 home runs.

The Mets won Saturday's game 3-0. Although the team was officially eliminated from postseason contention earlier this week, at least Alonso gave their fans something to celebrate.