MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Bad blood between Yanks-Rays spills out onto the field twice; Former Guardians manager Corrales dead at 82; plus more news

Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena argues with New York Yankees relief pitcher Albert Abreu (84) during the eighth inning at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Sun Aug 27, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Stephen:

#1 The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays got into two bench clearing dust ups at Tropicana Park in Tampa Bay. The first one was when the Rays Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch by Yankees pitcher Albert Abreu. Some of the players needed to be held back by the coaches and umpires. After the field was cleared play continued. Arozarena stole second and third base and at third base started jawing with Abreu and the benches emptied again.

#2 Stephen, sad week, we’ve had a baseball player, radio talk show host and an official scorer pass away this past week. Former KNBR talk show host Mychal Urban, former MLB official scorer Art Santo Domingo, and now former Cleveland Guardian’s manager Pat Corrales passed away on Sunday at age 82. Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten said that Corrales worked hard, had a long list of players he influenced and that Pat truly loved the game. Urban was a talk show host and passed away early last week and Santo Domingo passed away on Friday was an MLB official scorer.

#3 Chicago interim police superintendent said Monday that the two women who were shot at Guarantee Rate Field had most likely been shot inside of the ballpark. Officials said they have no idea where the bullets came from but have ruled out that the bullets came from outside of the park. The shooting took place on Friday during the Oakland A’s-Chicago White Sox game.

#4 Stephen, the Toronto Blue Jays have their share of IL headaches as Matt Chapman has been placed on the 10 day IL for a sprained right middle finger and shortstop Bo Bichette is scheduled for an MRI for a sore right quadriceps. The Blue Jays are 2.5 game out of the AL Wild Card and will badly miss Chapman and Bichette out of the line up.

#5 Philadelphia Phillies start Bryce Harper and 2022 NL MVP said that he’s bummed that his AL MVP 2022 counterpart Shohei Ohtani won’t be allowed to pitch. Harper said he was looking forward to facing Ohtani at the Big A in Anaheim during the current series with Harper saying “I think we were all looking forward to it because he’s one of the best is the game, on that mound and in the batter’s box, as well,”

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Lose Rubber Match Against Rays 6-1 at Oracle

Tampa Bay Rays Christian Bethancourt (left) congratulates Luke Raley (right) at home plate after scoring the first pinch hit inside the park home run in Rays history in the top of the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Wednesday, August 16 2023

By Troy Ewers

San Francisco, Ca – In Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants play the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber match of this 3 game series. The Giants are 5-8 in rubber games this season and hope to make it six wins at the end of this game.

On the hill for the Giants was Ryan Walker for his 10th start of the game against Aaron Civale for the Rays and they got on the board in the first inning when a single hit by Isaac Paredes scored Brandon Lowe, 1-0 Tampa Bay.

The Giants replaced Walker in the second inning and called in Ross Stripling. The Rays didn’t stop the pressure in the fourth inning when Josh Lowe hit a lead off home run to right center field, giving Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

The next inning the Rays weren’t done getting on Stripling. Brandon Lowe hit a 2 run home run to center field and it scored Yandy Diaz, making it a 4-0 lead, but the Rays weren’t done. Randy Arozarena hit a double and then scored off a Paredes single to extend it to 5-0 for Tampa Bay.

After five innings, the Giants only had four hits and no runs and the air deflated out of the park. The scoring avalanche kept rolling in the sixth inning when Luke Raley came in to pinch hit and hit the ball off the triples alley wall and it bounced off the top of the wall in right center, Meckler slipped trying to get the ball, and Raley goes all the way around for an inside the park home run, 6-0 Rays.

As the Giants entered the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rays made a pitching change and called Hector Perez to the hill. Civale put together a scoreless six innings with five hits and five strikeouts.

The Giants take advantage of the pitching change and finally get on the board when Sabol, who got on from a fielder’s choice and Estrada & Camargo hit back to back singles to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Lamonte Wade Jr. pinch hit for Heliot Ramos and got walked, giving San Francisco their first run of the game. 6-1 going into the eighth inning.

The Rays took out Perez after 17 pitches and put in Colin Poche who escaped the inning when Meckler grounded into a double play. The Giants replaced Stripling after six innings and allowed five runs with Scott Alexander and he got the first three up, three down inning since the third for SF.

The eighth inning for the Giants was where fans decided enough was enough, where the Giants grounded into their fourth double play of the game and struck out for the sixth time.

Alex Wood was the pitcher for the Giants in the ninth, but the damage was done, San Francisco had to comeback from five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Pete Fairbanks, the closer for the Rays, retired the side on 12 pitches and the game ended 6-1 Rays and they also took the series.

The winning pitcher for today was Aaron Civale (6-3) and the losing pitcher was Ryan Walker (4-2). The Giants have a needed off day before their next series on Friday, August 18th as they shake off this high scoring series.

The Giants open a three game series Friday night at Truist Park in Cobb County against the Atlanta Braves for a 4:20pm PT first pitch. Starter for San Francisco has not been announced and going for Atlanta Spencer Strider (13-4 ERA 3.75).

Troy Ewers is a beat writer and podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB All-Star Game: National League wins 3-2 for first time in 11 years

Photo credit: @MLB

By: Mary Anne

The wait was finally over as the 2023 MLB All-Star Game was underway at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday.
The National League defeated the American League 3-2 for the first time since 2012. Elías Díaz delivered the game-winning home run in the eighth inning. Díaz earned the All-Star Game MVP.

The NL’s starting lineup featured Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Nolan Arenado, Luis Arráez, Sean Murphy, Corbin Carroll, and Orlando Arcia.

The AL’s starting lineup featured Marcus Semien, Shohei Ohtani, Randy Arozarena, Corey Seager, Yandy Díaz, Adolis García, Austin Hays, Josh Jung, and Jonah Heim.

After a scoreless first inning, Yandy Díaz hit a solo home run to give the AL a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

J.D. Martinez helped the NL tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Martinez scored on a Luis Arráez RBI single.

The AL regained their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Salvador Pérez singled for a 2-1 lead. Pérez now has three All-Star Game hits — the second-most by a Kansas City Royals player.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a game-tying home run, and the NL tied the game 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning. However, Gurriel Jr.’s home run was overturned and called foul. The score remained 2-1 AL.

Elías Díaz hit a two-run shot to give the NL a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning. Díaz’s two-run home run sealed the NL’s win over the AL.

Notes
Zach Gallen struck out Shohei Ohtani for his first All-Star Game shutout.

Up Next
The second half of the 2023 MLB season will start on Friday, July 14.

The San Francisco Giants will visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game series at PNC Park, while the Oakland Athletics will welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series at Oakland Coliseum. The Giants’ series opener will start at 4:05 pm Pacific, while the A’s series opener will start at 6:40 pm Pacific.

MLB All-Star Game: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. defeats Randy Arozarena 25-23 in MLB All-Star Home Run Derby

The Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr waves to the T Mobile Field crowd in Seattle during the 2023 All Star Game Home Run Derby during introductions. Guerrero Jr was the winner for this year’s home run derby on Mon Jul 10, 2023 (AP News photo)

By: Mary Anne

The 2023 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby, better known as the most anticipated baseball event of the summer, got underway at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday.

Seattle Mariners star outfielder Julio Rodríguez, also known as J-Rod, was especially popular with the crowd in Seattle. Julio Rodríguez lost in the finals against then-Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto last summer but he became the first slugger to record multiple 30-homer rounds in a single derby.

Other sluggers included Toronto Blue Jays first baseman and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García.

Bracket
#1 Luis Robert Jr. vs. #8 Adley Rutschman
#4 Adolis García vs. #5 Randy Arozarena
#6 Mookie Betts vs. #3 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
#7 Pete Alonso vs. #2 Julio Rodríguez

Round 1
Arozarena defeated García 24-17.

Robert Jr. defeated Rutschman 28-27.

Guerrero Jr. defeated Betts 26-11.

Rodríguez defeated Alonso 41-21.

Round 2
Arozarena defeated Robert Jr. 35-22.

Guerrero Jr. defeated Rodríguez 21-20.

Final
Guerrero Jr. defeated Arozarena 25-23.

Up Next
The American League and the National League will battle each other in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday at 5:00 pm Pacific.

MLB podcast with Charlie O: It just continues to get worse for A’s; It just keeps getting better for Rays

Tampa Bay Rays Randy Arozarena with folded arms is hitting .359 with two home runs and 11 RBIs one of the top hitters in the Rays line up (@RaysBaseball photo)

On the MLB podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie O, it’s the tale of two teams one team the Oakland A’s are predicted to have a even rougher and tougher season than their 102 loss season and it’s not getting off to a great start either with a loses starting to mount now sitting on a 2-8 start of 2023.

#2 The other team that’s already getting lots of props the Tampa Bay Rays who have won their first ten games defeating the Red Sox in their last game at Tropicana Field Monday night. The Rays have been getting both plenty of pitching and hitting defeating the A’s last Saturday and Sunday in landslide wins 11-0.

#3 Got to ask you have impressive it is for the Rays were in good company with the 1939 New York Yankees. The Rays had a nine game win streak scoring four or more runs going and needed four games to catch the 39 Yankees who have 13 straight wins scoring four or more runs it didn’t happen as the Rays topped the Sox by a run 1-0 on Monday for their tenth straight win.

#4 The Rays also got some top notch hitting Sunday from lead off hitter Brandon Lowe with four RBIs and two runs scored, Randy Arozarena who got two hits and an RBI. The Rays simply are the talk of baseball right now with their 10-0 record.

#5 Charlie, you’ve been around minor league baseball a time or two talk about the Los Angeles Angels affiliate on Sunday the Rocket City Trash Pandas who allowed a hit in a doubleheader and came away with a split. Three Panda pitchers combined for a seven inning no hitter against the Cincinnati Reds affiliate the Chattanooga Lookouts Sunday. The Pandas allowed seven runs in the top of the seventh, five walks, hit five batters, a run scoring wild pitch and a dropped fly ball with the bases loaded which would have been the final out.

#6 Atlanta catcher Travis D’Arnaud has been placed on the seven day injured list. D’Arnaud received a concussion after the San Diego Padres Rougned Odor collided with D’Arnaud at the plate in the Padres loss to the Braves 4-1 Saturday at Sun Trust Stadium in Cobb County. How much or how little did the Buster Posey rule play a part in this collision?

Charlie O does the MLB podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com