Alvarez hits 3-run HR vs Ray in 9th, Astros jolt M's in ALDS
Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener.
12 Ks for Ray, 12 Ws in row for M's after 4-3 win in Texas
Robbie Ray struck out 12 without a walk over 6 2/3 innings, rookie All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a grand slam and the Seattle Mariners have their longest winning streak in more than two decades, beating the Texas Rangers 8-3 for their 12th win in a row.
MLB expert picks for Sunday, July 3 - Betting value on Angels vs. Astros and Athletics vs. Mariners
Bet up to $1,000 on the Astros -1.5 or the Mariners to win on Sunday completely risk-free at FanDuel Sportsbook! Los Angeles has +194 money line odds and the +1.5 run line has +100 odds. Oakland’s money line odds are +128, so a $100 successful bet on the A’s profits $128. Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros run line prediction: Astros -1.5 (-113)The Astros can sweep the Angels with a win on Sunday afternoon, and we predict they can do just that. Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners money line prediction: Mariners ML (-152)The Athletics battle the Mariners Sunday afternoon in a pitching rematch between two aces.
mlive.comBenches clear in 9th, Servais tossed as Mariners beat Astros
Mariners manager Scott Servais was ejected for his role in a benches-clearing scuffle in the ninth inning of Seattle’s 7-4 win over the Houston Astros, a game in which Cal Raleigh had a career-high four RBIs and Julio Rodriguez hit a late two-run shot.
LEADING OFF: Balkovec up; Scherzer, Freeman, Correa debut
Rachel Balkovec is set to become the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a major league team Friday when her Class-A Tampa Tarpons in the New York Yankees’ organization face the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the Florida State League.
LEADING OFF: Opening day! Guardians debut, Ohtani and Braves
Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.
Scherzer, Seager get big-money deals ahead of CBA expiration
Right-hander Max Scherzer agreed to a record-setting $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets and shortstop Corey Seager struck a $325 million, 10-year deal with the Texas Rangers as players and teams rushed to reach agreements before an expected lockout.
Buckle up for wild 48 hours for Tigers, MLB
MLB free-agent signings, which typically take place at a leisurely pace over several months, are now happening in rapid-fire fashion like the NFL. The Tigers aren’t in the mix for Scherzer, but they were -- somewhat surprisingly -- linked to another former Detroit pitcher on Sunday. The New York Post listed the Tigers among five suitors for left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray, who won the AL Cy Young with the Blue Jays in 2021. If the Tigers truly are pursuing Ray, it would be an indication that they plan to sit out the upper-tier shortstop market. The Tigers, barring a last-minute change, are not expected to tender a contract to left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd, making him a free agent.
mlive.comFormer Tiger Robbie Ray wins AL Cy Young Award
Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Robbie Ray was named the winner of the 2021 American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night. Ray joins Roy Halladay (2003), Roger Clemens (1997, 1998) and Pat Hentgen (1996) among Toronto Cy Young winners. Ray is the fifth pitcher from that 2014 team to win a Cy Young, joining Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and David Price. Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers edged out Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler to win his first Cy Young Award. Burnes is the first Brewers pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in the NL.
mlive.comJustin Verlander among 14 MLB free agents to get qualifying offer
Former Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray and Nick Castellanos were among the 14 free agents that received qualifying offers from their old team before Sunday night’s deadline. The qualifying offer functions as a one-year, $18.4 million contract for the 2022 season. Teams that extend the qualifying offer will receive draft pick compensation if the player ultimately signs with another team. Some other high-profile players didn’t get the qualifying offer because they’d already been given an offer previously in their career (it can only be done once), or they were traded mid-season. Verlander must decide by Nov. 17 whether to accept or reject the Astros’ qualifying offer.
mlive.com4 free agents the Tigers should call right now
Publicly the Tigers have confirmed only two other positions on their winter wish list: Shortstop and starting pitcher. These are players that Tigers general manager Al Avila should call right now, before the hot stove gets too warm. But at least he played outstanding defense at three different infield spots, which would have helped the Tigers in 2021. Also, remember that there will be more free agents hitting the market later this month after being non-tendered by their old club. Some of those players will be younger and potentially more attractive than traditional free agents, so stay tuned.
mlive.comJays beat Yanks for 8th straight, 1/2 game back in wild card
Bo Bichette thumped a leadoff homer in the first inning and singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 42nd homer, and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the skidding New York Yankees 6-4 for their eighth straight win.
Julio Teheran, his season officially over, is latest example of how hard it is to find free-agent starters
What happened next was frustratingly familiar for the Tigers: Teheran made exactly one start before coming down with a shoulder injury. The Tigers will almost certainly be back in that same market yet again this winter, looking to add at least one free-agent pitcher. Five prominent free-agent starters signed for about that amount last winter:The Blue Jays scored big this year with lefty Robbie Ray, a Cy Young candidate in 2021. Of course, developing your own starters is often cheaper and more valuable than scouring the free-agent market. Or maybe we’ll be writing about the latest free-agent starter that didn’t pan out at this time next year.
mlive.comTigers come back to beat Blue Jays in 10 innings
The Tigers (59-65) snapped a four-game losing streak, while the Blue Jays (63-57) have lost six of seven. The Jays’ only run came on Vladimir Guerrero’s 36th home run of the season, a solo shot to right in the fourth. Tigers relievers Jose Cisnero and Gregory Soto pitched into and out of trouble in the eighth and ninth innings after Alexander departed. pic.twitter.com/pywvEyb4hM — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 21, 2021The Tigers managed little against Jays starter Robbie Ray, who struck out 11 and didn’t issue a walk in eight innings, the longest outing by any Toronto pitcher all year. BOX SCOREUp next: The Tigers and Jays meet again on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. Tigers right-hander Wily Peralta (3-2, 3.70 ERA) will face Jays lefty Hyun Jin Ryu (11-6, 3.72).
mlive.comBlue Jays get approval to return to Canada on July 30
The Toronto Blue Jays were given approval from the Canadian government on Friday for an exemption on border restrictions that would allow them to play in Canada later this month. The Blue Jays had asked the federal government to allow them to play at Rogers Centre starting July 30 and wanted a response by Friday. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo, New York, and started this season in Dunedin, Florida, before moving to Buffalo.
news.yahoo.comSlept through MLB hot stove season? Here’s what you’ve missed so far.
Next week’s Baseball Winter Meetings -- held virtually, of course -- might get the ball rolling on a few more deals. The Kansas City Royals signed 32-year-old Mike Minor to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $18 million earlier this week. * Robbie Ray, who like Smyly is an ex-Tigers, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s unclear if next week’s Winter Meetings will bring any relief to the winter doldrums. The Tigers signed two other position players -- first baseman C.J.
mlive.com4 free agents the Tigers should call right now
Even so, we managed to cobble together a list of players that Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila should call right now, before the hot stove gets too warm. A look backBefore we take a look at this winter, let’s look back at my must-call free agents from a year ago. As always, I wasn’t searching for the best players, but merely the ones who make the most sense for the Tigers. Avila has indicated he’s not real keen on paying much for a catcher this winter, which would leave only the usual suspects of lower-tier free agents available. The price is right, but there are two factors working against the Tigers.
mlive.com20 ex-Tigers will be in 2020 MLB playoffs: Do you remember all of them?
Twenty players who were once part of the Detroit Tigers system will play for 13 of the 16 teams participating in the 2020 MLB playoffs. Oakland Athletics pitcher Joakim Soria throws against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Friday, July 19, 2019, in Minneapolis. In 2020, he’s posted a career-low 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. Minnesota Twins catcher Alex Avila plays during a summer camp intrasquad baseball game Friday, July 16, 2020 in Minneapolis. Detroit Tigers' Trevor Rosenthal throws to the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.
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