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Daily Clips

August 7, 2018

LOCAL

Junis enjoys better command in Royals' loss

Right-hander racks up 8 strikeouts, but bats struggle vs. Cubs

August 6, 2018 By Jordan Wolf/



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Glass says Royals in good hands with Moore

Owner impressed with young talent, believes club will contend in 2020

August 6, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



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Zobrist, daughter Blaise Royal in Kansas City

August 6, 2018 By Jordan Wolf/



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Cubs prevail in new friendly confines as Royals receive little relief in loss

August 6, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star



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Part of Royals lore, Ben Zobrist receives hearty welcome in return to KC

August 6, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star



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Ben Zobrist has a lasting connection to the Royals; it’s his daughter

August 7, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic



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MINORS

Chasers Best Bees 5-4 In Rain-Shortened Triumph

Jack Lopez hits seventh homer of 2018, Schwindel extends hit streak to team-best 14.

August 6, 2018 By Omaha Storm Chasers



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Rohlman Named Pioneer League Player of the Month

August 6, 2018 By Idaho Falls Chukars



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Royals Fall in Series Opener in Danville

Braves beat Royals 4-2

August 6, 2018 By Burlington Royals



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NATIONAL

History Watch: Five unheard-of baseball feats that we could see in the 2018 season

August 7, 2018 By Jayson Stark/The Athletic



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Managers on the move?; Mets need to make a decision; mystery man for Red Sox; more notes

August 7, 2018 By Ken Rosenthal/The Athletic



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Ankiel eyeing comeback as reliever in '19

August 6, 2018 By David Adler/



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Nats complete deal with reliever Holland

August 7, 2018 By Jamal Collier/



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A's get Fiers from Tigers for players to be named

August 6, 2018 By Eric He/



[pic]MLB TRANSACTIONS

August 7, 2018 •.



LOCAL

Junis enjoys better command in Royals' loss

Right-hander racks up 8 strikeouts, but bats struggle vs. Cubs

August 6, 2018 By Jordan Wolf/



Right-hander Jakob Junis was largely able to keep the Cubs' powerful lineup in check on Monday night. The Royals' bullpen, however, was not.

Junis allowed one run on a wild pitch and five hits across five innings in the Royals' 3-1 loss to the Cubs at Kauffman Stadium, a promising outing spoiled by a homer surrendered immediately after he was pulled from the Interleague series opener.

"I thought it was better than a lot of my previous outings I've been having," Junis said. "Finally commanded my fastball and got ahead of hitters, and let my slider play off that. So all in all, it was pretty good."

Junis threw just 87 pitches, but manager Ned Yost knew better than to push him.

"By the end of the fifth inning that was it," Yost said. "You could tell he was starting to labor there. But he made big pitches. Slider was really, really good -- strike-to-ball, it starts on the corner and fades away, and guys bite on it.

Javier Baez was 0-for-2 against Junis heading into the sixth, but when reliever Kevin McCarthy came on, Baez took over. On the first pitch, Baez hammered his 25th home run to deep center on an 84-mph slider. Statcast™ projected the homer to travel 414 feet with an exit velocity of 106 mph.

"It was just a bad pitch," McCarthy said. "Cement-mixer slider that stayed down the middle and he got it."

Baez did more damage against the bullpen in the eighth, sending an RBI double down the left-field line off Jason Hammel to make it a two-run lead. That run was charged to Brian Flynn.

The Royals' lineup continued to struggle against Cole Hamels at home, mustering just one run in six innings against the newly acquired ace. In four career starts at Kauffman Stadium, that's the only run Hamels has allowed in 26 innings, and it came off the bat of Alcides Escobar, who knocked in Rosell Herrera with a single to left field in the second inning for the game's first run.

In the fifth, the Royals got something going with singles by Drew Butera and Alex Gordon before Hamels plunked Salvador Perez on the left foot to load the bases with two out. But Hunter Dozier grounded out to first to end the threat and Kansas City managed just two singles over the final four innings.

"He's tough on us," Yost said of Hamels. "Good fastball, not overpowering, but spots it extremely well. Pounds fastballs in, cutters in, good curveball."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED

Junis navigated out of potential trouble in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Ben Zobrist grounded out, though first baseman Butera, normally the backup catcher, made an impressive throw home to get Addison Russell. Junis then got Jason Heyward to ground to third baseman Dozier, whose charging stop and throw to Butera ended the inning.

"Previously, I've been in those types of situations, I've given up a double or a home run or something, extra-base hits to cash in those runs," Junis said. "To get the ground ball and Drew to throw home and get the force, and then to get Heyward to ground out and get out of it, that's huge."

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS

Gordon wasted no time making another highlight reel catch, as the left fielder charged in from left to make a nice sliding catch to rob Cubs leadoff batter Anthony Rizzo of a single in the first inning.

HE SAID IT

"It's a step in the right direction. I was struggling before, and I think I'm making strides and building off previous outings. Hopefully I can keep moving forward." -- Junis, on his fourth straight start allowing four or fewer earned runs since returning from the disabled list

UP NEXT

Royals right-hander Brad Keller (4-4, 3.39 ERA) will start the second game of the series against the Cubs at 7:15 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. The rookie racked up a career-high nine strikeouts in his last start, a no-decision against the Tigers on Thursday. The Cubs will counter with former Royals prospect Mike Montgomery (3-4, 3.90 ERA), who is 2-0 in three games (two starts) against Kansas City.

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Glass says Royals in good hands with Moore

Owner impressed with young talent, believes club will contend in 2020

August 6, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



The 2018 Royals are on a club-record pace for losses, but team owner David Glass told by phone on Monday that general manager Dayton Moore has his "100 percent support."

"He absolutely does have my support," Glass said. "We all need to, myself and the fans, hang with Dayton. He built us into a [World Series] champion before and I am certain he will do so again. I think he's the best GM in the business."

Glass said he is dismayed by this season. The Royals entered Monday's series opener against the Cubs on pace to lose 112 games, which would shatter the club record of 106 in 2005, a season before Glass hired Moore.

"Losing [stinks]," Glass said. "No one is pleased with this. But in talking with Dayton and our baseball operations people, we believe we are headed in the right direction."

Glass said he is encouraged by the amount of young talent evident in the low Minors. Glass said he also has been impressed with some of the prospects he has seen in person -- he has often made the 30-minute drive from his home in Bentonville, Ark., to Springdale, home of the Royals' Double-A Northwest Arkansas team.

"I think that young talent is the real deal," Glass said. "I think we are stocked with good young talent from [Class A] Lexington and below to Double-A. I've had a chance to see that talent coming through Northwest Arkansas and it's impressive. You have Khalil Lee [ranked as the club's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline]. And this [Nicky] Lopez kid [No. 7 prospect] that we sent to [Triple-A] Omaha, he's going to be a good one.

Glass added he was pleased with the positive reviews of this year's MLB Draft in which the Royals used their first five selections on college pitchers.

"It's no secret that our pitching hasn't been very good," Glass said. "But we've got those college kids and they will develop faster [than high school picks]. We've got a chance for all of this talent to really come together at once and come up together, like Dayton was able to do with the last group.

"I think the fans are really going to enjoy this next group of kids, just like they did the last one. The fans in Kansas City are great and they're knowledgeable -- they can recognize the talent and they will support us in this process. I think it will be a lot like 2013, and 2014, and 2015, when the fans really related with the players."

Glass said he believes this rebuild will be different than Moore's first with the Royals.

"When I look at it, I see Dayton rebuilding it with the idea of sustaining that success over a long period," Glass said. "He's really focused on stuffing the pipeline with talent so there doesn't have to be a winning period and then dropping off to a losing period. He wants to sustain the success and you do that by really focusing on continuously stocking the system."

And how long does Glass believe it will be before the Royals are contenders again?

"I think by 2020, we'll be right in the middle of it again," Glass said.

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Zobrist, daughter Blaise Royal in Kansas City

August 6, 2018 By Jordan Wolf/



It makes sense that Cubs utility man Ben Zobrist would choose Kansas City for his daughter's first baseball game, considering her connection to the city and the Royals.

Zobrist welcomed his daughter, Blaise Royal Zobrist, to Kauffman Stadium on Monday as he returned to the place where he captured his first World Series title and welcomed his third child in 2015. Zobrist received a warm ovation prior to striking out in his first at-bat and he logged two hits with a run scored in the Royals' 3-1 loss.

In just a matter of days, Zobrist reached monumental milestones in his personal and professional life in Kansas City. It was just the next day after the World Series championship parade when Blaise was born.

Now a member of the Cubs, Zobrist is happy to look back on the memorable -- if not hectic -- period in his life, and his daughter's connection to it all.

"She was there, even though she doesn't realize it," said Zobrist, a catalyst at second base for the Royals in their title run three years ago. "She was a part of it, and just to know that she was with us even though she doesn't remember it is special for our family."

As for the middle name, it was only fitting that the Zobrists would pick something so tied to that stop in Ben's career. While it may have been brief, it's an experience he'll never forget -- even more so now that he has a constant reminder.

"We just loved it," Zobrist said. "We thought it worked for either a boy or a girl, and we were excited to put it in there at some point. Especially once we won, it was just like, you know what? She will never remember, she won't know. But we all will."

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Cubs prevail in new friendly confines as Royals receive little relief in loss

August 6, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star



The chants rained down from the announced crowd of 32,339 on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.

“MVP,” some shouted.

“Let’s go,” cheered others.

Most were not meant for anyone wearing a Royals uniform, but instead for the visiting Cubs as the teams began a three-game series one day after the locals returned home from a 3-7 road trip. In fact, Cubs fans were the most vocal of those gathered. They cheered so enthusiastically when Royals made outs that these confines might as well have resembled the friendly ones located 520 miles away on the North Side of Chicago.

The Royals received little relief. The din of “Let’s go, Royals” was outdone by the “Let’s go, Cubbies” chant. The outsiders were the ones rewarded Monday night, as the Royals lost to the National League Central Division-leading Cubs 3-1.

On a night where a 22-minute rain delay caused just a minor inconvenience in the fourth inning, the Royals were hurt most by their bullpen after it took over in the sixth inning. Kevin McCarthy threw a first-pitch slider to the Cubs’ Javier Baez and was forced to pay when it stayed in the middle of the zone. The ball cracked off Baez’s bat with an exit velocity of 105.8 mph, no doubt about its trajectory as it hurtled an estimated 415 feet to center field and into the outstretched glove of a man wearing an unbuttoned Cubs jersey in the Pepsi Porch.

“It was just poor execution,” McCarthy said.

The homer was Baez’s 25th of the season and it drove in his team-leading 87th run. He added to that total in the eighth with an RBI double off Jason Hammel, who had just entered the game in relief of Brian Flynn.

“If you don’t throw this guy a strike, he is still going to attack,” manager Ned Yost said. “You don’t have to throw this guy a strike. ... He’s just dangerous. He’s like Salvy. You just never know. He’ll swing at pitches way out of the zone. But if you make (mistakes) he’ll drive it out of the ballpark.”

Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis, who in his last outing against the White Sox allowed four earned runs but received a win, had long been removed from Monday’s decision. He departed after five innings, the game tied 1-1. The only run scored against Junis crossed the plate on a wild pitch that advanced former Royals second baseman Ben Zobrist from third base after he hit a triple to lead off the fourth inning.

Junis struck out eight and yielded five hits in five innings, the last of which elevated his pitch count to 87. After punching out Cubs left fielder Ian Happ to start the fifth, Junis allowed Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr. to stroke back-to-back singles. He then walked first baseman Anthony Rizzo on four straight balls thrown away from the left-handed hitter.

But the Royals defense nipped the threat within minutes. Zobrist hit a ground ball to first base, where Drew Butera fielded and threw the ball to catcher Salvador Perez to cut down Almora at the plate for the second out. When the next batter grounded a ball to the left side, third baseman Hunter Dozier scooped it off the grass and threw to first base to throw out Jason Heyward and end the inning.

“To get the groundball and Drew to throw home and get the force, and then to get Heyward to ground out and get out of it, that’s huge,” Junis said.

The Royals, whose 76 runs scored after the All-Star break ranked fifth among American League teams entering Monday, mustered little against Cubs starter Cole Hamels, whom they faced twice this season and achieved mixed results against when he was still with the Texas Rangers.

Like the last time he pitched in Kauffman Stadium on June 19, Hamels constrained the Royals to one unearned run. This time, however, he allowed one earned run on seven hits and struck out two batters in six innings. Alcides Escobar was the only one to mar his line, as he roped an RBI single that scored Rosell Herrera and opened the scoring in the second inning.

“He’s tough on us,” Yost said. “Good fastball, not overpowering but spots it extremely well. Pounds fastballs in, cutters in, good curveball.”

Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi were the only Royals starters not to record hits against the Cubs as the Royals fell to 34-78.

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Part of Royals lore, Ben Zobrist receives hearty welcome in return to KC

August 6, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star



In the waning moments of his three-month tenure with the Royals three years ago, second baseman Ben Zobrist had limited time to revel.

His attention was split between winning a World Series championship and the well-being of his wife, Julianna, who was pregnant with their daughter Blaise. She was days away from giving birth to the couple’s third child.

Yet Julianna watched in New York as Zobrist scooted around the bases and scored in the 12th inning of what became a World Series-clinching Royals 7-2 defeat of the Mets in Game 5. She watched him celebrate, his glove lost in abandon on the Citi Field infield as the winners of the 2015 World Series converged around closer Wade Davis. Later, she and the couple’s two oldest children, Zion and Kruse, joined the mayhem.

The entire time, Zobrist said on Monday afternoon in Kansas City, “my wife basically held (the baby) in.”

It’s a story he’s told often in the years since his name became a part of Royals lore. But he seemed happy to tell it again sitting in the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, where the Royals were hosting him and the Cubs. His daughter, who was given the middle name Royal as homage to the family’s brief time in Kansas City, was set to attend her first game here. The moment, he said, felt special.

“It’s a special place for me,” Zobrist, 37, said. “It holds a special place in my heart and in our family’s heart.”

Zobrist spent some of his formative years living with his parents and siblings in Belton. He’d never been to a major-league game until he visited Kauffman Stadium for the first time in the early 1980s.

Now it was Blaise’s turn.

Shortly after Royals starter Jakob Junis threw out the first pitch and retired Anthony Rizzo to start the game, Zobrist received a loud welcome as he stepped into the batter’s box for his first at-bat. Although the crowd’s favor was mostly skewed toward the Cubs, Royals fans joined in the ovation.

After joining the Royals in a trade with the Oakland Athletics on July 28, 2015, Zobrist batted .284 with 16 doubles, one triple and seven homers and scored 37 runs in 59 games. He helped the Royals retain an already dominant lead over the Twins in the division on their way to clinching the division crown and continued to provide a boost in 16 games in the postseason. He batted .303 with eight doubles and two homers and knocked in six runs during the Royals’ championship run.

“You can see why he would ingratiate himself with a fanbase,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who also managed Zobrist in Tampa Bay from 2006-14. “He does it wherever he goes.”

Zobrist later hit a lead-off triple to the right-field corner in the fourth inning. He dashed around the bags as Rosell Herrera relayed a throw to second baseman Adalberto Mondesi and slid safely into the base on the bang-bang play. He scored on a wild pitch, tying the game 1-1 shortly before a pop-up shower forced a 22-minute rain delay with two outs in the inning.

With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Zobrist reached on a fielder’s choice. He chopped a ball to first baseman Drew Butera, who threw to catcher Salvador Perez to prevent Albert Almora Jr. from scoring.

It was Zobrist’s first time playing in Kansas City since he signed with the Cubs in December of 2015. He’s been named an All-Star and the 2016 World Series MVP in the time that’s elapsed. And after putting together one of the worst seasons of his career last year, the switch-hitting Zobrist has re-emerged as a table setter for the Cubs. He entered Monday’s game batting .310 with eight homers and 43 RBIs in 92 games.

“It’s a special kindred you have with the fans when you get to be there in the moment that matters most to them and be part of that,” said Zobrist, who went 2 for 5. “I’ll always have that (here) and I’m grateful for it.”

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Ben Zobrist has a lasting connection to the Royals; it’s his daughter

August 7, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic



They still come up​ to Ben​ Zobrist​ with stories. They​ still​ want to​ offer thanks.​​ It doesn’t matter that it was nearly three years ago now, or that he spent all of 98 total days as a Royal, or even that he’s since won another World Series in Chicago, breaking a 108-year drought in the process. Kansas City fans still walk up to him, he says, always with a singular message.

We miss you. Thank you so much.

“It’s a special kindred you have with the fans when you get to be there in the moment that matters most for them … ” Zobrist said. “I’ll always have that.”

Zobrist, 37, was sitting on a bench inside the visitors’ dugout Monday afternoon, his first trip back to Kauffman Stadium since the 2015 World Series.

His Chicago Cubs were preparing to open a three-game series. He spent most of the afternoon studying video inside the clubhouse.

Yet if he needed a reminder of just how long it had been — or why he remains a cult favorite here — he had an important one coming to watch a 3-1 Cubs victory on Monday night.

His youngest daughter, Blaise Royal, was born just days after the Royals defeated the New York Mets in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series. In November, she will turn 3 years old. So on Monday, the Zobrist family brought Blaise to her first game at Kauffman Stadium, returning to the ballpark that offered inspiration for her middle name.

“She was along for the ride, even though she didn’t know it,” Zobrist said. “My wife basically held her in. It was a nerve-wracking time for everybody. We obviously wanted her to arrive safely. But at the same time, we wanted to win a World Series.

“It was the first one I got to win, and it just has a special place in my life.”

The story still inspires smiles inside the Zobrist household. On July 28, 2015, Zobrist was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Royals in a pre-trade-deadline deal that fortified the Kansas City lineup. Three months later, he was heading to his second World Series after homering against Toronto’s David Price in a decisive Game 6 of the ALCS.

The catch, of course, was that his wife, Julianna, was due to give berth to their third child at any moment. One of the greatest moments of their lives was coming at the worst possible time. The Royals responded by adding 20-year-old infielder Raul A. Mondesi to their World Series roster — just in case.

Julianna responded by praying — and making jokes on Twitter.

Zobrist batted .261 with three walks and four doubles in the World Series, helping the Royals handle the Mets in five games. His daughter’s timing was even better. She waited for the series to conclude; she waited for the championship parade in downtown Kansas City; she waited one extra day for the family to return to their offseason home in Nashville. The thankful parents did the only thing that made sense, putting the name “Royal” on their daughter’s birth certificate.

“We just loved it,” Zobrist said. “We thought it worked for either a boy or a girl. We were excited to put it in there, ‘specially once we won.

“It was just like: ‘You know what? She’ll never remember; she will never know. But we all will. And she was there, even if she doesn’t realize it.’”

His daughter has no knowledge of her place in Royals lore, of course. Neither does she fully understand the wild turn of events that followed. Zobrist, a free agent and Illinois native, signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Cubs in the months after the 2015 World Series. He marked his first season in Chicago by winning another world championship, claiming MVP honors as the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908.

“Whirlwind time period,” Zobrist said.

The past two years have offered relative calm. He’s under contract with the Cubs through next season. His family is rooted in Nashville and Chicago. The kids are starting to grow up.

Zobrist remains the same versatile weapon as ever, offering a veteran presence in a talented Cubs lineup. He battled through injuries in 2017, and each day he stares Father Time in the face. Yet he entered Monday batting .310 with a .395 on-base percentage while appearing in 92 games. He has made 35 starts at second base, 23 in right field and another three at first base. On Monday, he started at second base and finished 2 for 5, drawing a standing ovation before his first at-bat.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon has elected to ration Zobrist’s playing time in an effort to keep him healthy, fresh and involved. In some ways, it is a return to his roots as a super-utility player who helped glamorize the role during his early years in Tampa Bay.

“He’s probably the one that changed that perception a little bit,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of the utility role. “[He was] an everyday player, but it was a guy that played every day at a different position.”

Zobrist remains a popular player in Chicago for his Midwestern sensibilities and his central role in the club’s 2016 World Series championship.

He also retains an emotional connection to Kansas City, even if the time was short.

He spent the first part of his life in Belton, Mo., going to games at then-Royals Stadium while his father attended nearby Calvary Bible College. He viewed his 2015 return as a homecoming of sorts.

“To come back and be a part of the team,” Zobrist said, “to help them win a championship was really fun.”

In some ways, Zobrist still feels at home when he returns here. He connects with the Midwestern vibe, he said, which is partly why he was attracted to Chicago. He feels a kinship with the people.

It is those same people who approach him in Chicago and elsewhere. It is those same people who walk up to say thanks.

“It’s a Midwest team,” he said. “So it just feels very home-like to me.”

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MINORS

Chasers Best Bees 5-4 In Rain-Shortened Triumph

Jack Lopez hits seventh homer of 2018, Schwindel extends hit streak to team-best 14.

August 6, 2018 By Omaha Storm Chasers



Omaha shortstop Jack Lopez hit a 419-foot big fly to left and starter Trevor Oaks earned his team-best eighth victory of the season in the Storm Chasers' 5-4 rain-shortened victory over the Salt Lake Bees on Monday night at Werner Park.

The start of Monday night's game was initially delayed a little over an hour before Oaks took the mound. The rain would return, however, and the game was called due to inclement weather with one out in the bottom half of the fifth.

Omaha started the scoring in the first inning. After back-to-back singles from LF Billy Burns and 2B Nicky Lopez , DH Paulo Orlando put the Storm Chasers ahead 1-0 with an RBI groundout. After three Salt Lake runs in the second, Lopez put Omaha back in front with his a three-run homer, his seventh of the season. 3B Humberto Arteaga drove in the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single up the middle in the fourth.

First baseman Frank Schwindel (2-3) extended his hit streak to 14 with his two knocks, the longest such stretch by a Chasers batter this year. Since July 22 he has hit .410 (25-61) with 12 runs, ten doubles, five homers and 14 RBI. SS Jack Lopez (2-2, R, HR, 3 RBI) and RF Elier Hernandez (2-2, 2 R, 2B) also recorded multi-hit efforts for Omaha.

Oaks (5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 K) earned his eighth victory of the season after five innings of work. Salt Lake reliever Tyler Stevens suffered his fourth loss of the season.

The two teams will finish their four-game set on Tuesday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m. CT. Omaha is anticipated to give the ball to RHP Jorge Lopez (3-3, 6.19), while Salt Lake is set to send LHP Jose Suarez (0-3, 5.59) to the mound

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Rohlman Named Pioneer League Player of the Month

August 6, 2018 By Idaho Falls Chukars



Chukars First Baseman Reed Rohlman has been selected as the July Pioneer League Player of the Month.

It was a special month for the sweet swinging left handed hitter as Rohlman hit .426 with 4 home runs and 37 RBI's for the month. Rohlman also added 10 doubles and 3 triples in the month. It was also a good power month for Reed, who had an .508 On Base % and a .703 Slugging %. Rohlman had 15 multi hit games during the month of July.

Rohlman currently leads the Pioneer League with 49 RBI's as well as 18 doubles to lead the circuit. He is tied for the league lead with 25 extra base hits. Rohlman was selected to the 2018 Pioneer League vs Northwest League All-Star game.

Rohlman was selected in the 35th round of the 2017 draft by the Kansas City Royals out of Clemson University.

The Chukars return to Melaleuca Field on August 17th vs the Great Falls Voyagers after a 7 game road trip to the state of Montana. 4 games against Great Falls and 3 against the Billings Mustangs.

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Royals Fall in Series Opener in Danville

Braves beat Royals 4-2

August 6, 2018 By Burlington Royals



The Danville Braves (25-20) defeated the Burlington Royals (14-30) by a score of 4-2 on Monday night.

Burlington jumped out to the early lead, scoring single runs in each of the first two innings. Michael Emodi had an RBI single in the first, scoring Jackson Lueck. Lueck then singled in Colby Schultz to make it 2-0 in the second.

From that point on, Danville scored four unanswered runs to win the game 4-2.

The second game of the series in Danville will be Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

WP - Zach Seipel (3-0)

LP - Josh Dye (0-3)

Save - Connor Simmons (2)

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NATIONAL

History Watch: Five unheard-of baseball feats that we could see in the 2018 season

August 7, 2018 By Jayson Stark/The Athletic



July​ is​ for trade​ rumors. August is for​ history.

For years​ now,​ that’s been our​ motto.​ We recommend​ it highly.

You​​ can only overdose on J.A. Happ trade rumors for so long, you know. Then it’s time to take a nap, clear your head and remember something way more important:

There’s a season going on out there. For a few special players in our midst, history is hanging in the balance, and you probably never even noticed.

So join with us now as we hone in on those players through this special August presentation of our History Watch – and give you something to occupy your attention now that you no longer have to devote every waking second to checking Ken Rosenthal’s Twitter feed.

CAN’T CATCH THE TROUT

Apparently, Mike Trout is pretty good at baseball. What the heck, you’ve probably caught on, but it never gets old to remind you of that. Because he’s pretty good at baseball, it’s impossible to do one of these August History Watch columns unless you start with him.

The tough part is that just about everything Trout does in Anaheim at this point is historic, potentially historic or possibly even ridiculously historic. So there are roughly 87 ways to look at what could make this year especially ridiculously historic for him – assuming he can will his sore wrist to heal up ASAP. But how about this:

He’s on a path to lead his league in Wins Above Replacement (baseball-reference version) for the fifth time.

Now perhaps you’re curious about what other position players have led their league in Wins Above Replacement five times. Not shockingly, it’s a cool list:

Babe Ruth 10

Willie Mays 9

Ted Williams 6

Rogers Hornsby 6

Barry Bonds 6

Mickey Mantle 5

Albert Pujols 5

Alex Rodriguez 5

OK, definitely heard of them. But now here’s the ridiculously historic part. Today is Trout’s 27th birthday. But since it’s August, this is still considered his age-26 season. So how many position players in history have led their league in WAR five times by this age?

None, of course.

Who does that? Only this guy does that. In fact, just four position players have ever even led their league in WAR three times by their age-26 season:

Mantle 4

Mays 3

Hornsby 3

Stan Musial 3

Definitely heard of them, too. So Mike, keep icing that wrist. Us Mike Trout historians need something to do this fall!

NO WAY, JOSÉ

All that Trout-ian history aside, the American League MVP race gets more fascinating by the day. And that brings us to José Ramírez – yet another dude with a chance to do something that would seem impossible for most humans we know:

He could lead the American League in homers…but also extra-base hits…and also stolen bases…all in the same season.

Wait. Seriously? Yep. In real life. Ramírez currently leads the AL outright in extra-base hits (with 65). And he’s tied for the lead in homers (with J.D. Martinez, at 33) and steals (with Dee Gordon, at 26). Want to know how rare this would be? Of course you do.

— Guys who led their league in extra-base hits and steals in the same season (live-ball era): Just Alfonso Soriano in 2002, Stuffy Stirnweiss in 1945 and Chuck Klein in 1932.

— Guys who did that in the dead-ball era: Honus Wagner (four times) and Ty Cobb (twice).

— And, finally, guys who led in homers and steals in the same season (any era): Klein in 1932, Cobb in 1909 and Joltin’ Jimmy Sheckard in 1903.

But now comes the important stuff. When you ask who has led in all three of those exotic departments in the same year, only one of those names is still standing. That would be Klein in ’32. That was 86 years ago, if you’re not subtracting along with us at home.

Ah, but Chuck Klein did it in Philadelphia, for the Baker Bowl Phillies. And José Ramírez works in Cleveland. So…

Who has pulled this off in the history of American League, you ask? Nobody has done that, we reply!

That’s nobody. As in ever. Sure, it helps Ramírez’s stolen-base quest that he isn’t going to have to swipe 50, let alone 100, to lead the league in steals. But Klein (20 SB in 1932) wasn’t exactly Rickey Henderson, either. So the heck with the old-fashioned triple crown. This is the triple crown we should all be watching over the next eight weeks.

A JOB FOR A CARPENTER

It’s always been a stupendous idea to have the home-run champ and a great leadoff hitter on the same team. Just usually, they’re not the same person.

But then Matt Carpenter came along.

The Cardinals’ sweet-swinging No. 1 man surged into a tie with Nolan Arenado for the NL lead in homers over the weekend with 29. And that got us to wondering:

Has any leadoff man in modern history ever won a home-run title?

Guess what? That answer, shockingly, is: Nope!

Rickey Henderson never did it. Alfonso Soriano never did it. Charlie Blackmon never did it. Pete Rose and Ichiro never did it. In fact, almost no one has even come close.

The most games started in the leadoff hole by any home run champ since 1900? That would be a whopping 22 games, by Dwight Evans in 1981, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And Carpenter is going to lead off in well over 100 games if he stays healthy (and at the top of the order).

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for close calls, that won’t take long, either. Once you get past the dead-ball era almost a century ago, exactly one player has even finished second in his league in home runs while leading off in at least half his team’s games. That would be Brady Anderson in 1996, the year he stunned America (and himself) by hitting 50.

But Mark McGwire whomped 52 homers that year. And now we’re especially glad he did, because it means that, unbeknownst to most of civilization, Carpenter has put himself in perfect position to do something no one has ever done. And he’s primed to pull this off.

He leads the National League in homers since May 1, since June 1 and since July 1. So what about this feels fluky?

The correct answer is: None of this. So eat your heart out, Rickey!

JOEY VOTTO, ON-BASE MACHINE

In Cincinnati, some things never change. They still believe Pete Rose was wronged by Bart Giamatti. The Bengals are still trying to figure out how to defend Joe Montana. And Joey Votto just reached base. Again.

We can’t say for sure if Votto was born on base. But let’s just say he doesn’t need a GPS to find his way on base. It’s all he does. Every stinking year.

He’s on pace to reach base 297 times this year. After 324 last year. And 294 the year before that. And 314 the year before that. And, well, you get the idea

If he gets to 300 again this season, it would be the fourth time he’s done that. And did you know that just 11 other men in history can say they’ve gotten on base via hit, walk or HBP 300+ times in four different seasons?

It’s true. You can look it up. Except we already did. Eight of them are Hall of Famers (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Wade Boggs, Stan Musial, Jimmie Foxx, Jeff Bagwell and Rogers Hornsby). Todd Helton hasn’t reached the ballot yet. And the other two are Rose and Barry Bonds, who got detoured on their own road to Cooperstown by stuff we don’t need to get into this week.

But for Joey Votto, this is an every-year phenomenon. If he can stay out of the way of fastballs boring in on his knees and keep reaching base at his current clip, that would make 1,230 times on base over the last four seasons. And the list of hitters who have gotten on base that many times or more over any four-year period is a great one:

It feels sometimes as if we take Joey Votto for granted. It’s about time we stopped that. So here at August History Watch World Headquarters, we’re just doing our part.

NOLAN KEEPS ROLLIN’

If Nolan Arenado wins another home run title and another Gold Glove, he’s going to join three luminaries named Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt and Ken Griffey Jr. in the 3+-HR Title/6+-Gold Glove Club. And that’s a beautiful little piece of trivia unto itself.

But that’s not what loyal tweeter Nick Gaetano (@YeahClickClack) wants us to write about this week. He must be one of those old-school tweeters because he wants us to mention that the Rockies’ spectacular third baseman has a shot at driving in 130 runs.

And why is that notable? No, not because somebody is still excited about RBIs, but because if that happens, it would be the fourth consecutive year in which Arenado knocks in 130 or more. So no matter what you think RBIs tell us about him, baseball, life in Colorado or the fate of humankind, that’s still an amazing feat, because he’d join this group:

Ruth 7 (1926-32)

Gehrig 5 (1930-34)

Griffey 4 (1996-99)

Sammy Sosa 4 (1998-2001)

Ryan Howard 4 (2006-09)

That’s all the men in history who have ever done this. And you can dump on RBIs all you want, but A) somebody has to drive in these runs, and B) Arenado owns a .336 career average with runners in scoring position, a figure topped by just Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew over the last 45 seasons, according to Stats LLC.

But now the more realistic news: Arenado would need to drive in 49 runs in the Rockies’ last 50 games to get to 130. And that’s a lot to ask. But let’s say he even gets to 120. Ready for a list of all the men in history with 120+ RBIs and Gold Gloves in four straight seasons?

Ken Griffey Jr.

[You’ve reached the end of this list]

So for all you retro RBI fans out there, this tidbit is for you. But for the rest of the planet, we offer this bit of worldly philosophizing:

Even if we know now that RBIs don’t mean what they used to in this sport, you’d be wrong to conclude they’re meaningless. And that’s especially true when the man driving in the runs is Nolan Arenado, a fellow who continually does his part to keep us August History Watchers in business. What could possibly be more meaningful than that?

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Managers on the move?; Mets need to make a decision; mystery man for Red Sox; more notes

August 7, 2018 By Ken Rosenthal/The Athletic



And​ you​ thought we​ had action on the​ managerial merry-go-round​ last​ off-season, when three​ postseason​ qualifiers were​ among the​​ six teams to make changes.

This off-season might be just as lively and perhaps downright hairy, considering the large number of teams likely to ponder changes and the potential for one or more October surprises.

The Toronto Blue Jays seem destined to move on from John Gibbons. The Los Angeles Angels likely will need to replace Mike Scioscia, who — as I reported on Saturday — is expected to step down.

The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals face decisions on their respective interims, Jim Riggleman and Mike Shildt. The Baltimore Orioles must determine whether to offer Buck Showalter another contract. Ditto for the Los Angeles Dodgers with Dave Roberts, though such a move would appear fait accompli.

The strong post-All Star performances of several of the Rangers’ younger players would appear to enhance the chances of Jeff Banister returning for at least the remaining year on his contract. Mickey Callaway is expected to stay with the New York Mets, according to Newsday. Dave Martinez, another embattled first-year manager, might be less secure if the Washington Nationals fail to make the postseason.

The wild card for every club pondering a change is the possibility of hiring an established manager who is out of work. Joe Girardi, John Farrell, Mike Matheny and Dusty Baker all are available. Showalter, Gibbons and Scioscia might join them, though USA Today reported that Scioscia plans to retire.

Teams rarely hesitate to change players, coaches and managers when intriguing options emerge; the Chicago Cubs dumped Rick Renteria, now with the White Sox, for Joe Maddon. Teams also created a new layer of uncertainty last off-season by demonstrating a postseason berth does not guarantee job security.

If the Cubs flop in the playoffs, would they consider a move to Girardi — a former Cub, Northwestern graduate and Illinois native — when Maddon still has one year and $5 million left on his contract?

Maddon helped the Cubs end their 108-year championship drought with a victory in the 2016 World Series and has led the team to three straight appearances in the NLCS. But only one principle seems to apply as the managerial merry-go-round starts to spin again.

Anything goes.

The postseason format: time for change?

Powerful teams that end up in the wild-card game often hear the familiar refrain: If you don’t like it, win your division. One team executive, though, points out the flaw in that argument, saying all divisions are not created equal.

No, the executive is not from the Yankees, who are on a 101-win pace yet seem destined for the wild-card game. His point is simply that the Cleveland Indians hold an advantage over teams from the AL East and West largely due to geography. The Indians play in the AL Central, where every other club is retooling at some level.

The Indians face the easiest schedule in the AL, according to Elias. The contenders in the West, meanwhile, actually have it tougher than those in the East. The Red Sox face the fourth easiest schedule, the Yankees the fifth easiest. The Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics face the fifth, seventh and eighth most difficult, respectively.

One solution to the imbalance, the exec says, would be to seed the postseason qualifiers by record regardless of where they finish in their divisions. The adjustment would force the Indians to try to win as many games as possible rather than coast to the AL Central title. It also would prevent a repeat of what happened in the NL in 2015, when the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs played in the wild-card game after winning 98 and 97 games, respectively. The Cubs won that game, then got swept in the NLCS by the New York Mets, who won seven fewer games during the regular season yet had home-field advantage for the series.

The exec had another idea that would offer incentive to out-of-contention teams to stay intact at the deadline and keep pushing in August and September: Award a draft pick to any team that fails to reach the postseason yet finishes over .500 for the season. The draft pick would provide compensation to teams that declined to trade veterans for prospects at the non-waiver deadline.

Message to Mets: make a decision

During the off-season, I wrote Mets fans should reserve judgment before accusing their team of not spending money. The Mets then invested $88 million in Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Anthony Swarzak and Jason Vargas, bringing their two-year total in free agency to $224.7 million, second only to the Cubs.

No matter — the Mets did not spend particularly well.

The non-waiver deadline offered another test for the club, an opportunity to retool quickly by trading right-hander Jacob deGrom and/or Noah Syndergaard in a market starved for quality starting pitching. The Mets passed, moving only potential free-agent reliever Jeurys Familia and infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera. And while the club showed a certain logic by holding off on more dramatic moves until a new general manager is in place, it will be out of excuses this off-season.

If the Mets want to build around deGrom, Syndergaard and Co., then they will need to reinforce their bullpen and upgrade at catcher, center field and possibly first base, while determining whether Amed Rosario and Jeff McNeil are the answers at short and second, respectively. Such a plan would require a significant plunge into the free-agent market, not the patchwork job the club attempted last off-season.

If the Mets are disinclined to take on such risk — a position that would not be unreasonable — then they will need to commit to rebuilding by trading some combination of deGrom, Syndergaard and righty Zack Wheeler, among others. Such a plan would require a strong, forward-thinking GM operating with minimal interference from ownership — a departure from how sources describe the team’s current style.

The choices are clear. The Mets need to pick one or the other, and stop going halfway.

Hidden motive for Pirates?

A rival executive had a theory on why the Pirates were uncharacteristically aggressive at the deadline: The team, facing declining attendance at PNC Park, had to spark their fan base.

The Pirates’ average home attendance has been in free fall, dropping from 30,847 in 2015 to 18,550 this season, according to baseball-. The current average would be the team’s lowest since 1996, the year after the last players’ strike ended.

If the Pirates added right-hander Chris Archer and reliever Keone Kela for business as well as baseball reasons, it would demonstrate the power of a disgruntled fan base to effect change. Team president Frank Coonelly, however, said the team’s eroding attendance was not a factor in its decision-making.

“Our trades at the deadline reflect our strong belief in our core group of players and desire to improve the club for this 2018 stretch run and for the next several years,” Coonelly told The Athletic. “The increased depth of talent that we have accumulated without our system made this direction possible at this time.

“As always, (owner) Bob Nutting was actively engaged in our process and has been driven by a strong desire to bring a World Series champion back to Pittsburgh.”

Why Billy remains in Cincy

ESPN’s Buster Olney and ’s Mike Petriello were among the media members who suggested the Cincinnati Reds trade center fielder Billy Hamilton before the deadline, saying his speed could make him an asset for a contender both as a defender and base-runner.

Valid points, except for one thing:

In January 2017, Reds owner Bob Castellini said, “I hope Billy Hamilton is with us forever.” According to sources, Castellini’s affection for Hamilton remains a factor for the Reds in trade discussions, though a deal before the deadline was not out of the question.

The Reds had other reasons for keeping Hamilton — they did not want to part with another outfielder after trading Adam DuVall and losing Scott Schebler to a shoulder injury and Jesse Winker to season-ending shoulder surgery. Team officials say Castellini would approve the trade of Hamilton for an appropriate return. But considering that Castellini seems to over-value Hamilton, who is batting just .226 with a .601 OPS this season, it’s fair to ask what type of return would satisfy the owner.

In any case, the window to move Hamilton likely is gone. The Reds will need to decide this off-season whether they want to keep him for his final year of arbitration and give him a raise from his current $4.6 million, or make him a free agent by declining to tender him a contract.

Mystery man emerges for Red Sox

Right-hander Ryan Brasier made his debut for the Red Sox on July 9, nearly five years after his last major-league appearance for the Los Angeles Angels.

Turning to his players in the dugout, Sox manager Alex Cora cracked, “I know you don’t know who this guy is. He was our closer in spring training. You were gone at that time.”

Cora was referring to the tendency of established major-leaguers to leave the park once they are removed from spring training exhibitions, rather than wait until the games are over. But quickly, the Sox players saw what Cora had told them: This guy is good.

Brasier, who turns 31 on Aug. 26, threw a scoreless ninth in a 5-0 victory over Texas in his debut, then stunned his teammates by touching 100 mph the next night. In 11 appearances, Brasier has held opponents to a .483 OPS, averaging 97.2 mph with his fastball while also throwing an effective slider. While he appears to be benefiting from some batted-ball luck, Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Brasier was almost like a deadline acquisition for his bullpen.

So, how did the Sox find him?

Brasier, the Angels’ sixth-round pick in 2007, made seven major-league appearances in ‘13, but otherwise kicked around the minors before spending last season with Hiroshima in Japan. He still was without work in January when he visited Arizona to attend a friend’s bachelor party and took time out to throw a bullpen session for about a half-dozen interested clubs.

Special assignment scout Steve Peck represented the Sox, liked what he saw and recommended Brasier to vice-president of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum, who signed the pitcher to a minor-league contract. The Sox were the only team to show serious interest, Brasier said, and still they did not complete the deal until March 11.

As Brasier waited — “sitting on my couch,” as he put it — he pondered retirement, not wanting to join an independent league. He is married with two young children and considered pitching in Mexico, but the Sox offered him a lifeline. Brasier quickly graduated from the minor-league side to major-league games in spring training and has not stopped impressing the team since.

Around the horn

*The San Diego Padres saved more than $750,000 by allowing right-handers Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles to leave on waiver claims on Sunday, not to mention the $200,000 Ross will earn for each start between 20 and 29 (he currently is at 22).

The departures of Ross and Lyles will create opportunities for younger pitchers, with manager Andy Green saying the team was “one big step closer to the future.” Still, the Pads have now parted with four major-league pitchers of varying qualities, including lefty reliever Brad Hand and righty Adam Cimber, and received only catching prospect Francisco Mejía in return.

Mejía might not remain at catcher, but the Padres are banking on his offensive potential. Ross and Lyles had only limited trade value, so perhaps the team did well simply to move their salaries. The Pads, though, had the worst record in the NL even with the four pitchers who are now gone. Without them, their season might turn even uglier.

*The Athletics did not exactly take a financial plunge with their recent acquisitions, but their trades for relievers Jeurys Familia and Shawn Kelley and right-handed starter Mike Fiers amounted to approximately $5 million in additional salary for 2018, according to a source.

The A’s opened the season with a major-league low $65.9 million payroll. The players’ union filed a grievance to MLB in February, claiming the A’s, Pirates, Miami Marlins were not spending their revenue-sharing money in the fashion mandated by the collective-bargaining agreement.

*Sitting in the visitor’s dugout before Friday night’s game at Fenway Park, Yankees first basemen Greg Bird and Luke Voit wondered aloud, “How many Hall of Famers have played here?”

It was a fascinating question, considering Fenway opened in 1912. And according to research by STATS LLC, the number of Hall of Famers to play at Fenway — 145 — is as impressive as you might think.

When I relayed the answer to Bird the next day, he asked the next logical question, “How many Hall of Famers are there total?” The answer, according to the Hall’s website: 323 people have been elected to the Hall, including 226 former major-leaguers, 35 Negro league baseball players and executives, 22 managers, 10 umpires, and 30 pioneers, executives, and organizers.

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Ankiel eyeing comeback as reliever in '19

August 6, 2018 By David Adler/



Rick Ankiel is ready to kick his Major League comeback attempt into gear.

After telling Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown last week that he was "toying with" the idea of trying to return to the pros as a pitcher -- more than five years removed from his last Major League game and nearly 14 years after his last pitching appearance -- the 39-year-old was more definitive Monday in a TV appearance on Fox Sports Midwest, saying he's serious about making a comeback on the mound.

"I'm starting to get the itch," Ankiel said. "And you know, when I take a look at pros and cons, I can make a whole list of pros. I've got nothing on the cons. Zero.

"My kids want to see me play. I'm at a place now, personally, I couldn't care less if I throw the ball off the backstop. It really doesn't matter. We've talked about it. And when you take a look at baseball, the game has swung back around to my style of pitching -- you talk about the big curveball, fastballs up. So I feel like, why not come back as a lefty reliever and put one more chapter in the book?"

Ankiel's initial comments came after he pitched in relief -- and struck out the only batter he faced with a high fastball -- in the Bluegrass World Series in Louisville, Ky., where his team of former big leaguers faced off against college teams.

Pitching in an amateur tournament is far from the same as being in professional game shape, but Ankiel said Monday that he plans to take the next three to four months to get into the best pitching shape he possibly can, and "see what it feels like."

Any sort of professional pitching comeback for Ankiel would be an amazing success story, not just due to his age and time out of the Majors, but because of the anxiety issues he has dealt with on the mound in the past.

The left-hander's final Major League pitching appearance came on Oct. 1, 2004. He's one of baseball's most prominent players to have dealt with "the yips." After finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting for the Cardinals in '00, Ankiel famously lost control of the zone during the postseason that year. He threw five wild pitches in one inning of Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Braves and threw five more pitches to the backstop in his next start in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the Mets.

The yips derailed a promising pitching career, but Ankiel managed to convert into a slugging outfielder and make it back to the big leagues with St. Louis in 2007. He had two 20-homer seasons and played until '13.

Now, Ankiel works with players who are suffering from similar issues, and he has been throwing regularly as he coaches them. That's what got a comeback attempt on his mind, as the ball continued to feel good coming out of his hand. Brown reported that Ankiel's fastball topped out at 89 mph during his Bluegrass World Series cameo.

"I want to take this seriously," Ankiel said Monday. "If I feel like I can suppress the anxiety -- which I feel like I can -- and everything's a go, I feel like, why not?"

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Nats complete deal with reliever Holland

August 7, 2018 By Jamal Collier/



The Nationals stood pat at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, a show of confidence from the front office that it believed the roster was good enough to make a run toward the postseason in the final two months of the season. Yet the club did decide to add to the roster on Tuesday, signing free-agent reliever Greg Holland.

Holland could help the Nationals absorb the loss of two relievers, Brandon Kintzler and Shawn Kelley, in the past week. Kintzler was traded to the Cubs before the Deadline and Kelley was traded to the A's on Sunday. Washington is betting on a bounce back from Holland, who signed with the Cardinals just before the season and was unable to find a groove on the mound. In 32 appearances, he posted a 7.92 ERA and never settled in as the team's closer. MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman was the first to report on Sunday that an agreement had been struck.

St. Louis released Holland this week as he struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness. Washington had interest in Holland during the past two offseasons, but its bullpen has been a strength. Although Holland could add experience and depth, he also brings some uncertainty.

Right-hander Jimmy Cordero was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Holland.

The Nats do have more help on the way in the bullpen, with Sean Doolittle still working his way back from a stress reaction in his left foot and right-hander Koda Glover recovered from his right shoulder injuries and striking out 12.7 batters per nine innings in the Minors.

Washington could almost certainly use another arm in its rotation, but with Stephen Strasburg working his way back from a pinched nerve in his neck, the club may be comfortable with the three-time All-Star being its only addition. Strasburg will throw a bullpen session on Thursday, his first time throwing off a mound since the injury.

Where the Nationals could look to add help is at catcher. Matt Wieters hit his first home run since April 29 on Sunday, but in 16 games since coming off the DL, he has a .480 OPS. The Nats explored some options to upgrade at catcher before the Deadline and expect to do so again this month, according to a source.

The Nationals are likely to remain active in August, searching for upgrades to help complement their team, especially after winning eight of their past 11 games, including five of their past six. In two of the past four years, they have added relievers in August that have ended up making their postseason roster. So if they sense a deal for a player who can help their late postseason push, they will not hesitate to take advantage.

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A's get Fiers from Tigers for players to be named

August 6, 2018 By Eric He/



The non-waiver Trade Deadline may be in the rearview mirror, but the A's are not done making moves as they continue their unexpected postseason push.

On Monday they acquired right-hander Mike Fiers from the Tigers in exchange for two players to be named or cash. Oakland designated left-hander Jeremy Bleich for assignment to clear a spot on its 40-man roster.

The A's, who entered Monday with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Mariners for the second American League Wild Card spot, finalized the deal for Fiers a day after winning their sixth straight game and completing a sweep of the Tigers in Oakland. There is a chance Fiers will makes his A's debut during the upcoming two-game series against the Dodgers, according to general manager David Forst.

Forst added during a conference call that the A's were looking for starters. The rotation has been makeshift for much of the season, with 12 pitchers getting a start; Sean Manaea is the only current starter who began the season in the rotation. Two -- Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill -- began the season in the Minors, and Edwin Jackson joined the team midseason.

But Anderson, Jackson and Cahill combined to allow no earned runs in the A's sweep of the Tigers over the weekend. It was the first time the A's didn't allow an earned run in a three-game series since 1918.

"I didn't realize our starters would go out and have the best three-game series in 100 years," Forst said.

Still, Forst decided to be aggressive -- even after the Deadline -- to bolster a rotation that has struggled to pitch deep into games. Only once since July 4 has a starter gone seven or more innings.

The A's and Tigers finalized the deal under the 48-hour deadline on Monday morning after the A's made the waiver claim on Fiers.

Forst said Fiers not being a rental played a role in the A's interest.

"The fact that he was under contract for next year was a factor in the conversation," he said.

Forst said that Fiers' repertoire will play well at the Coliseum, thanks to his ability to induce fly balls.

The move is the latest in a string of trades the A's -- who have baseball's best record since June 16 and have entrenched themselves in a postseason race -- have made to improve the pitching staff. They acquired Jeurys Familia from the Mets before the Deadline, and on Sunday they acquired Shawn Kelley from the Nationals to bolster their already strong bullpen. Forst said they might not be done, pointing out that in 2014, the A's traded for Adam Dunn on the last day of August.

"It's hard to be aggressive when the opportunities are so limited," Forst said. "We will continue to look. Through August, even into September, there may be ways to augment the roster."

Forst was impressed by how Fiers has been pitching of late. Before leaving Wednesday's start early, Fiers recorded consecutive quality starts against the Astros, Red Sox and Indians. The A's were interested in him before the Deadline, but the two teams could not come to an agreement in time.

Forst did not comment on which players might be sent to the Tigers, but said they are not on the 40-man roster. The A's have also not announced moves to get both Fiers and Kelley onto the 25-man roster, so it is likely two players will be sent down before Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.

Fiers, 33, went 7-6 with a 3.48 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 21 starts with Detroit this season. With 26 walks in 119 innings, he ranks eighth in the AL with 1.97 walks per nine innings. He is 49-53 with a 4.06 ERA in 162 games (144 starts) in his big league career.

Fiers was selected by the Brewers in the 22nd round of the 2009 Draft. He has pitched for Milwaukee, Houston and Detroit in eight Major League seasons. He was dealt to the Astros just before the non-waiver Trade Deadline in 2015, and he went 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) with Houston the rest of that season. He signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Tigers as a free agent after the '17 season.

Bleich, 31, made his big league debut for the A's this year, allowing two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning over two relief appearances. He is 1-1 with one save and a 2.91 ERA over 31 relief appearances for Triple-A Nashville this season.

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MLB TRANSACTIONS

August 7, 2018 •.



|TEAM |PLAYER |TRANSACTION |

| |Deven Marrero |Recalled From Minors Rehab |

|[pic] | |Assignment |

|ARI | | |

| |Jorge De La Rosa |Cleared Waivers and Became a |

|[pic] | |Free Agent |

|ARI | | |

| |Deven Marrero |Designated for Assignment |

|[pic] | | |

|ARI | | |

| |Deven Marrero |Removed From 10-Day DL (Strained|

|[pic] | |left oblique) |

|ARI | | |

| |Rafael Devers |Sent to Minors For |

|[pic] | |Rehabilitation |

|BOS | | |

| |Kevan Smith |Reinstated from Paternity Leave |

|[pic] | |List |

|CHW | | |

| |Ryan LaMarre |Called Up from Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|CHW | | |

| |Dustin Garneau |Sent to Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|CHW | | |

| |Leury Garcia |Placed on 10-Day DL (Strained |

|[pic] | |left hamstring) |

|CHW | | |

| |George Springer |Placed on 10-Day DL (Sprained |

|[pic] | |left thumb) |

|HOU | | |

| |Derek Fisher |Called Up from Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|HOU | | |

| |Deck McGuire |Sent to Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|LAA | | |

| |Jose Miguel |Called Up from Minors |

|[pic] |Fernandez | |

|LAA | | |

| |Sandy Alcantara |Sent to Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|MIA | | |

| |Sandy Alcantara |Removed From 10-Day DL (Right |

|[pic] | |axillary infection) |

|MIA | | |

| |Sandy Alcantara |Recalled From Minors Rehab |

|[pic] | |Assignment |

|MIA | | |

| |Johnny Field |Called Up from Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|MIN | | |

| |Michael Pineda |Sent to Minors For |

|[pic] | |Rehabilitation |

|MIN | | |

| |Robbie Grossman |Placed on 10-Day DL (Strained |

|[pic] | |right hamstring) |

|MIN | | |

| |Mike Fiers |Cleared Waivers/Traded Detroit |

|[pic] | |(for future considerations) |

|OAK | | |

| |Jeremy Bleich |Designated for Assignment |

|[pic] | | |

|OAK | | |

| |Adeiny Hechavarria|Traded From Tampa Bay (for RHP |

|[pic] | |Matt Seelinger) |

|PIT | | |

| |Robinson Cano |Sent to Minors For |

|[pic] | |Rehabilitation |

|SEA | | |

| |Tyler O'Neill |Placed on 10-Day DL |

|[pic] | |(Inflammation, groin area) |

|STL | | |

| |Brett Cecil |Sent to Minors For |

|[pic] | |Rehabilitation |

|STL | | |

| |Adolis Garcia |Purchased From Minors |

|[pic] | | |

|STL | | |

| |Joe Ross |Sent to Minors For |

|[pic] | |Rehabilitation |

|WAS | | |

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