Category: MLB

Harper homers, hears “MVP!” chants as Phillies beat Braves

Harper homers, hears “MVP!” chants as Phillies beat Braves
By AARON BRACY Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Hitless in five at-bats to open his anticipated first series with the Philadelphia Phillies, Bryce Harper grabbed teammate Nick Williams’ bat looking for a spark.
One big swing of the borrowed lumber later, Harper was on the top step of the dugout, roaring back at the fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” for their $330 million man.
Harper homered deep into the second deck in right-center field for his first hit with Philadelphia and celebrated with an emphatic curtain call, highlighting the Phillies’ 8-6 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Harper, swinging Williams’ stick after a slow start to the season, crushed Jesse Biddle’s fastball 465 feet with two outs in the seventh. Fans gave Harper a standing ovation, hollering and clapping in a fashion rare for March baseball.
After getting high fives in the dugout, Harper climbed out for a curtain call, throwing both fists in the air and shouting “Let’s go!”
“It was a really cool moment,” Harper said. “The fan base, the stadium, the electricity we have in this place, it all came together.”
Maikel Franco and J.T. Realmuto went deep for Philadelphia, which also launched three homers in Thursday’s season-opening 10-4 win over the Braves.
“Offense definitely created some electricity in the ballpark, and I think that’s going to be our defining characteristic,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.
Harper — wearing bright blue cleats instead of the gaudy, green Phanatic spikes he sported on opening day — unfurled the powerful left-handed swing that has Citizens Bank Park rocking like it was 2008, the last time the franchise won the World Series.
Prior to his homer, a hitless Harper was just like the rest of the red-clad fans — cheerleading the other Phillies hitters.
Harper greeted Franco after his homer with an elaborate celebration outside of the dugout, the two of them mock shooting a bow-and-arrow. They did the same jocular celebration when Harper went deep.
Harper already has unique celebrations with many of his teammates. He simulated a basketball layup with outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Odubel Herrera after both wins. On Thursday, Harper was the basket. On Saturday, he mock dunked into the arms of Herrera.
“We have a great group of guys, a lot of energy,” Harper said. “(The celebrating) just adds to the fun.”
Besides power at the plate — not to mention the box office and merchandise shop — Harper has brought much-needed energy to the Phillies, who are hoping to end a seven-year postseason drought.
The club’s start hasn’t disappointed in the least.
Adam Morgan (1-0) faced one batter in the fifth inning.
Dansby Swanson and Charlie Culberson homered, and Freddie Freeman had four hits and drove in two for the Braves.
The game was tied at 4 in the fifth when Realmuto lined a two-run homer to left-center off Wes Parsons (0-1).
Franco hit a two-run shot off the foul pole in the fourth. He’s the sixth player in franchise history to homer in each of the team’s first two games, joining Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Chuck Klein, plus Howard, Scott Rolen and Danny Litwhiler.
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Atlanta’s Bryse Wilson, a 20-year-old rookie making his second career start, gave up four runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings.
“We’re just having a hard time keeping them in the ballpark,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s a very explosive offense. … We’re just going to have to keep fighting, come out and get one tomorrow.”
TENNESSEE TRADE
Harper’s home run ball was collected by two Braves fans from Tennessee, he said. The slugger, who received the ball postgame in a yellow envelope from a Phillies official, will send the fans a bat and ball as thanks.
SNEAKER CREATURE
The Phillie Phanatic returned the favor after Harper honored the fuzzy, green mascot on opening day. The Phanatic’s oversized sneakers featured images of Harper’s face on the toe.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Atlanta: Ender Inciarte fouled a ball hard off his right foot in the seventh inning but was OK.
Philadelphia: Right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter (right flexor strain) felt soreness while rehabbing in Florida on Thursday. His anticipated mid-April return likely will be pushed back as a result.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up the three-game series Sunday night with Philadelphia RHP Jake Arrieta opposing Braves rookie RHP Kyle Wright.
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Pirates vs. Reds game, Saturday March 30, 2019 washed out due to rain

This afternoon’s PIT @ CIN game (Saturday, March 30th) has been postponed. It will be made up as a split doubleheader on Monday, May 27th as follows

Game 1 – 1:10pm ET (the game was originally scheduled at 2:10pm ET on May 27th and has been moved to 1:10pm ET to accommodate the split DH)  Airtime is 12:45

Game 2 – 7:10pm ET (rescheduled game)  Airtime is 6:45 Beaver County Radio

Bucs can’t overcome a rough Seventh inning and falls 5-3 to Reds in the opener.

New-look Reds rally for 5-3 win over Pirates on Dietrich HR
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) — Derek Dietrich’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning rallied the new-look Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, an encouraging start for a Cincinnati team looking to escape last place.
Playing their first game under manager David Bell , the Reds got starring performances from two players signed for backup roles last month. They also ended the game with a relief pitcher playing center field, a sign of Bell’s openness to new ideas.
Two players who joined the organization last month on minor league deals became part of Cincinnati’s opening day lore.
Shortstop Jose Iglesias doubled twice and drove in a run. After Jose Peraza’s homer off Jameson Taillon (0-1) tied it in the seventh, Dietrich put the Reds up 5-2 with his pinch-hit homer off Richard Rodriguez . Dietrich got a curtain call from the crowd of 44,049, the largest for a regular season game at Great American Ball Park.
Newcomer Zach Duke (1-0) retired the two batters he faced. Closer Raisel Iglesias came on in the eighth and gave up a solo homer by Corey Dickerson. Bell replaced him with two on in the ninth — another unconventional move. David Hernandez loaded the bases with a walk to Pablo Reyes before retiring Dickerson on a grounder to end it, getting his first save since 2017.
Reliever Michael Lorenzen got into the game as a pinch runner in the seventh and played the last two innings in center field. He didn’t have a ball hit his way.
The win opened a notable season for the Reds. Commissioner Rob Manfred was grand marshal of the pregame parade that kicked off baseball’s 150th anniversary celebration of the first all-professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings.
The Reds gave themselves an offseason makeover with three trades, including the addition of Yasiel Puig from the Dodgers. The right fielder got one of the loudest cheers — fans chanting “PUUUUIIIIIIG!”— during pregame introductions and went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts.
Pittsburgh’s Jung Ho Kang singled home a pair of runs in the sixth, an early return on the $3 million, one-year deal he signed last November.
The Pirates open the season with a depleted outfield. Right fielder Gregory Polanco is recovering from shoulder surgery, and fill-in Lonnie Chisenhall went on the injury list pregame with a broken right index finger. Adding to the problems, center fielder Starling Marte was a late scratch from the lineup because of a migraine.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: In addition to Chisenhall, the Pirates put fifth-starter Jordan Lyles (sore right side), C Elias Diaz (virus), RH Dovydas Neverauskas (oblique) and OF Jose Osuna (neck) on the injury list. They also moved RH Edgar Santana (Tommy John surgery) to the 60-day list.
Reds: Put INF Alex Blandino, 2B Scooter Gennett and LH Alex Wood on the 10-day injury list.
UP NEXT
Pirates: After an off-day Friday, Trevor Williams (14-10) tried to build upon his second-half success last season. His 1.38 ERA after the All-Star break was second-best in the majors behind Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell (1.17).
Reds: Sonny Gray (11-9) makes his third career against the Pirates. The Reds got him in a trade with the Yankees on Jan. 21 after he agreed to add three years to his deal worth $30.5 million through 2022.
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Pirates sign OF Melky Cabrera to minor-league deal

Pirates sign OF Melky Cabrera to minor-league deal
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league camp.
The Pirates announced the deal on Monday. The 34-year-old Cabrera will make $1.15 million with an additional $850,000 available in performance bonuses if he makes the 40-man roster.
Cabrera is a career .286 hitter in 14 seasons split among seven different teams. He made the All-Star team in 2012 while playing for the San Francisco Giants and was named the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player. He was suspended 50 games later in the 2012 season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Cabrera hit .280 with six home runs and 39 RBIs in 78 games last season for Cleveland. He will get a chance to compete with Lonnie Chisenhall and others for a spot in Pittsburgh’s outfield while right fielder Gregory Polanco recovers from shoulder surgery.
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Former Bucs shortstop Jordy Mercer, Tigers agree to $5.25M, 1-year deal

AP source: Jordy Mercer, Tigers agree to $5.25M, 1-year deal
By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says shortstop Jordy Mercer and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a $5.25 million, one-year contract.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
Mercer had spent his entire seven-season big league career with Pittsburgh. The 32-year-old hit .251 with six homers and 39 RBIs, down from 14 homers and 58 RBIs in 2017.
His agreement was first reported by Fancred.
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Former Pirate Charlie Morton and Tampa Bay agree on $30M, 2-yr deal

AP source: Charlie Morton, Rays agree on $30M, 2-yr deal
By BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays are perfectly comfortable putting relief pitchers on the mound to begin games. But the chance to add an All-Star to their patchwork rotation, that was too good to pass up.
Coming off a career-high 30 starts, Charlie Morton reached a $30 million, two-year contract with the Rays, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been officially announced.
The 35-year-old Morton was a first-time All-Star last season when he went 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA for Houston.
Morton helped the Astros win their first championship in 2017. He started and won Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees, then was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers with four innings of relief.
“He’s a good pitcher,” Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “You never like to have good pitching come into the division, prefer they go somewhere else.”
Morton’s success with the Astros came after a career that had been beset by injuries and inconsistency. He’d undergone Tommy John surgery and was just 46-71 with Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for going to Houston.
The right-hander joins a Rays staff led by AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
The Tampa Bay rotation was wrecked by injuries this year, and the team often used relief pitchers as starters in their “opener” strategy on the way to 90 wins.
The Rays’ approach became a trend in baseball, especially when teams saw how well it worked. Tampa Bay went 46-38 with traditional starters and was 44-34 when using relievers at the start.
Manager Kevin Cash said earlier this week at the winter meetings that the Rays will employ the strategy again this season.
“I think right now we’re discussing internally whether we do it two times through the rotation or three times through the rotation,” Cash said Monday. “But the nice thing is we’ve got all that information last year and we have a bunch of candidates that we can fill in as a traditional starter if need be.”
Two days later, the math became a little easier with Morton.
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Bucs Deal Ivan Nova to White Sox for minor league pitcher!!!

Pitcher Ivan Nova acquired by White Sox from Pirates
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Right-hander Ivan Nova has been acquired by the Chicago White Sox from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league pitcher Yordi Rosario and $500,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation.
A 31-year-old right-hander, Nova was 9-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 29 starts this season, striking out 114 in 161 innings. He is 78-64 with a 4.26 ERA in nine seasons with the New York Yankees (2010-16) and Pirates (2016-18).
Nova has a $8.5 million base salary next year in the final season of a $26 million, three-year contract, then can become a free agent.
A 19-year-old right-hander, Rosario was 1-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 11 starts and three relief appearances last year in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Rookie League. He struck out 70 in 56 innings.
The trade was announced Tuesday at the winter meetings.
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AP source: McCutchen, Phillies agree to $50M, 3-year deal

AP source: McCutchen, Phillies agree to $50M, 3-year deal
By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $50 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement, which includes a club option for 2022, is subject to a successful physical.
The 32-year-old McCutchen was an All-Star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.
McCutchen nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francisco last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.
McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons.
Philadelphia remains interested in Bryce Harper, the top free agent on the market, but has a surplus of outfielders, including Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Aaron Altherr and Roman Quinn.
Rhys Hoskins is moving from left field to first base after the team traded Carlos Santana to Seattle for infielder Jean Segura last week.
Herrera, a former All-Star, is a trade candidate. He struggled in the second half last season and finished with career lows in batting average (.255) and on-base percentage (.310).
Philadelphia pursued Patrick Corbin and is still seeking a left-handed starter.
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AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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Bucs Deal Moroff and Luplow to Cleveland for Erik Gonzalez and two pitchers!!

Indians send INF Gonzalez to Pirates in 5-player swap
By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians traded versatile infielder Erik Gonzalez to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player swap.
Cleveland sent Gonzalez, who appeared in 81 games for the AL Central champions last season, and right-handers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza to the Pirates for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff.
Gonzalez batted .265 with one homer and 16 RBIs last season for Cleveland, which signed the Dominican native in 2009. Gonzalez filled a utility role for the Indians, but was not going to be able to get into the starting lineup behind All-Stars Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez.
The 25-year-old Luplow brings needed depth to Cleveland’s outfield, which was decimated by injuries last season. He appeared in 64 games over the past two seasons with the Pirates, who named him their top minor league player in 2017.
Moroff has split the last three seasons between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, appearing in 26 games for the Pirates in 2018.
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Brewers take Game 1

Reliever Woodruff’s homer stuns Kershaw, Brewers take Game 1
By GENARO C. ARMAS, AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The high-five at the plate from Brandon Woodruff nearly took out Lorenzo Cain.
It’s not often that reliever hits a home run.
Batting left-handed. Off lefty Clayton Kershaw. In the playoffs.
Woodruff stunned the ace with an early home run and Milwaukee’s normally shutdown bullpen held on — barely — as the Brewers beat the sloppy Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Friday night in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series.
Hard-throwing Josh Hader and the Brewers earned their 12th straight win, one shy of the franchise record set to open the 1987 season.
Woodruff, of all people, had the momentum-swinging hit.
“It’s something obviously coming into the day, you don’t know in your wildest dreams that’s going to happen,” he said.
It was the first time in postseason history that a pitcher homered in a lefty vs. lefty matchup. Woodruff was understandably was pumped as he rounded the bases.
“He was fired up when he came home. He nearly broke my arm,” Cain said.
The Dodgers scored three times in the eighth to make it 6-4, then nearly tied it in the ninth. Chris Taylor hit an RBI triple off Cain’s glove in deep center field with two outs before Corey Knebel fanned Justin Turner to end it.
Game 2 is Saturday at Miller Park, with Wade Miley pitching for the Brewers against Hyun-Jin Ryu.
The Dodgers did some damage against the Brewers’ bullpen. Milwaukee used seven pitchers, including three scoreless innings from Hader. Woodruff threw two perfect innings and got the win.
“But for us to get a look at these guys out of the ‘pen in a seven-game series, I think that’s a good thing,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs for Los Angeles. The Dodgers committed four errors, including two by catcher Yasmani Grandal, who also had two passed balls.
NERVOUS MOMENTS
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell’s pitching-by-committee strategy continued to be a hit, at least until the late innings.
Finally, the hard-throwing Knebel restored order by striking out Turner. Knebel walked Joc Pederson with two outs before Taylor’s long drive.
“It’s the postseason and anything can happen, you saw right there. It was a good feeling for it to go our way right there at the end,” Knebel said.
STUNNING HOMER
After starter Gio Gonzalez went two innings, nicked by Machado’s home run, Woodruff entered in the top of the third. In the bottom half, Woodruff made a sudden impact — with his bat.
Woodruff became just the third relief pitcher to homer in the postseason, tagging a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner for a tying solo drive. Woodruff pumped both arms as he rounded first base, while Kershaw turned away and looked down at the ground.
“I knew he could swing the bat a little bit, for sure,” Kershaw said. “I didn’t know he could do that, but I knew he could hit a little bit.”
Woodruff was a career 4 for 22 (.222) hitter before connecting. He had one previous homer, in July against Pittsburgh’s Nick Kingham.
DODGER BLUES
Kershaw was chased before he could retire a batter in the fourth inning.
It was another miserable October night for the lefty, whose regular-season brilliance has often disappeared in the postseason.
And it wasn’t even Christian Yelich and the Brewers’ stars who got to him. Hernan Perez hit a sacrifice fly later in the third, and pinch-hitter Domingo Santana had a two-run single in the fourth for a 4-1 lead that chased Kershaw from the mound with nobody out.
It was the shortest postseason start of Kershaw’s career. He had a 4.65 ERA in 10 career appearances, including seven starts, going into Friday.
That ERA went up after allowing six hits and five runs — four earned — in three-plus innings.
“The errors affected the game. But as far as Clayton, I just think it was poor execution,” Roberts said.
Jesus Aguilar added a solo home run in the seventh for the Brewers, his second of the postseason. Cain went 3 for 5 and scored a run.
BURGER TIME
Eat up, Milwaukee.
This late-season run earned Brewers fans a free burger at an area restaurant chain.
George Webb Restaurants has a long-standing promotion to give away a free burger whenever the Brewers win 12 straight.
It’s time to dine after a dozen.
Save the date: October 18, George Webb announced after the game . Save one for reliever Jeremy Jeffress, too.
“Honestly, as long as you put some mayo on it I’m good with it,” he said.
George Webb also paid up in 1987.
UP NEXT
It’s another all left-handed pitching matchup in Game 2. Ryu pitched seven shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing for hits, in the Dodgers’ Game 1 victory over the Braves in the Division Series. Ryu is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four career postseason starts. Miley is making his second start of the postseason, going 4 2/3 innings in the Brewers’ Division Series-clinching victory over Colorado on Sunday. He is 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 15 career games against the Dodgers.
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