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MLB News & Moments You Should Know – April 16

Teams around the league honored Jackie Robinson on Saturday.

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Andrew McCutchen hits a 10th inning, go-ahead home run for the Pirates.

Tied at 3-3 after nine innings, Andrew McCutchen stepped up to the plate with the ghost runner on second. He took three straight balls from Cardinals’ flamethrower Jordan Hicks, took two sliders for a strike, then fouled one off. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he swatted a slider up in the zone out to left field. His two-run long ball landed 388 ft. away, giving the Pirates a 5-3 lead. They’d score one more run en route to a win, putting them at 9 wins, 6 losses on the season.

 

Oscar Colás walks it off for the Chicago White Sox

The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox traded runs all day, with Chicago chipping away a run or two at a time and the Orioles putting up three runs in the sixth inning. By the end of nine innings, the game was tied 5-5. Adley Rutschman plated one in the top half of the 10th, but it wouldn’t be enough.

Yasmani Grandal doubled in the ghost runner, tying the game, and Jake Burger singled to put runners on the corners. Rookie right fielder Oscar Colás stepped to the plate and swung at the first pitch he saw, driving it out to right and driving the winning run in. With the win on Saturday, the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak and moved to 6-9 on the season.

 

A first for soon-to-be Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera.

The game was all Giants from the top of the first inning. San Francisco scored two runs in each of the first three innings against Detroit’s starter Michael Lorenzen. J.D. Davis‘ two-run homer in the third inning pushed the Giants’ win probability to 91.4%. Despite Lorenzen’s early struggles, the Tigers’ bullpen locked down and held the Giants scoreless the rest of the game.

Detroit put up one run in the second inning and two in the fifth, but the big rally came in the eighth. With two runners on, Javier Báez battled for a 12-pitch at-bat. He was down 0-2, took two balls, then fouled off five pitches in a row. He took ball three on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, fouled off pitch 11, then punished a slider over the plate for a two-run double.

Spencer Torkelson then drove in Báez with a single, tying the game at 6-6. Both teams struggled to get anything going, failing to score in the ninth and tenth innings.  Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch called upon Miguel Cabrera to pinch hit in the bottom of the 11th, and Miggy did what he always does: deliver.

The way he did it, however, was different. Saturday afternoon was the first time in his career that Cabrera recorded a pinch-hit walkoff.

 

Polar Pete is on pace for 69 home runs. 

Pete Alonso crushed his seventh home run of the season on Saturday. Oakland A’s pitcher Shintaro Fujinami left an 85.5 mph slider over the middle of the plate in the fourth inning, and Pete punished the mistake. The home run left his bat at 107.3 mph and flew 421 ft. With how hot Alonso is swinging it, he’s on pace for 69 home runs in 2023. That’s nice.

 

A substance check gets spicy. 

After walking off the mound in the third inning, the umpires checked Domingo Germán for substances, appeared to find something out of the ordinary, and told him to go wash his hands. When he came out for the next inning, the umpires checked Germán’s hands again and still found that his pitching hand was tacky. A meeting ensued between the umpires, Germán, and Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone. Ultimately, Germán was allowed to remain in the game.

Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli came charging out of the dugout, yelling at the umpires, and would wind up being ejected. After the game, Baldelli said his frustration came from Germán’s failure to comply with the initial warning.

The Yankees would go on to win the game 6-1, thanks to an 11-strikeout performance from Germán.

 

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Teams around the league honor Jackie Robinson on the anniversary of Robinson breaking MLB’s self-imposed color barrier.

 

Injuries & Transactions

SP Max Scherzer is dealing with right side/back soreness and will have his start pushed back three days.

OF Joc Pederson goes on the injured list with right wrist inflammation.

OF Michael Harris II will not be ready to return from the injured list when he is first eligible on Monday. He still has not been cleared to take batting practice.

SP Brandon Woodruff has a sub-scap strain and will be out much longer than the initial two weeks he was thought to miss. He won’t throw on the Brewers’ road trip and will have more of a timetable when he sees the doctor back in Milwaukee.

Angels call up their #2 prospect Zach Neto and option IF David Fletcher.

 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Examining Some of the Factors That Caused Black America’s Detachment With Baseball — Patrick Ellington Jr., The Red Black Green Baseball Blog

Jordan Walker carries Jackie Robinson’s legacy as one of MLB’s young Black rising stars — Lynn Worthy, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Buxton humbled by history on Jackie Robinson Day — Bill Ladson, MLB.com

Jackie Robinson’s Legacy Stretches Beyond the Baseball Field — David Waldstein, The New York Times

As MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, Josh Harrison, Taijuan Walker reflect on declining number of Black players — Scott Lauber, Inquirer

‘Bigger than us’: For Pirates’ Black players, MLB celebrating Jackie Robinson always a ’special day’ — Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jackie Robinson, Carly Simon didn’t just cross paths, they were like family — Anthony Castrovince

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

Starting Pitcher Roundup

Hitter Performances

Reliever Ranks

Starting Pitcher Streamers

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)

Nicole Cahill

Nicole Cahill is a freelance writer who focuses on mental health and sports. She recently founded a nonprofit that helps youth athletes living with mental health challenges. When she's not fighting stigma or exploring Baseball Savant visuals, you can find Nicole enjoying a cup of coffee and a good book. Portfolio: NicoleCahill.com.

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