There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:
An unreal triple-digit mph run
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski always brings the triple-digit heat, but what he did in the opening inning of the team’s Friday night matchup against the New York Yankees was eccentric.
In the top of the first inning, Misiorowski threw 10 pitches. They were all fastballs that registered between 102-104 mph.
Misiorowski went on to pitch six shutout innings, posting 11 strikeouts and surrendering just four baserunners (two hits and two walks) in a 6-0 Milwaukee victory. Right-hander Shane Drohan then pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering a mere hit.
On the season, the 6-foot-7 Misiorowski owns a 2.45 ERA, an 0.96 WHIP, a National League-high 70 strikeouts and 1.2 wins above replacement across 44.0 innings pitched (eight starts).
As for what the Brewers did at the plate, they had a four-run second inning against Yankees’ star left-hander Max Fried, which saw four consecutive batters drive in a run: RBI singles from outfielders Brandon Lockridge, Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio and a force-out from shortstop Joey Ortiz. They got their other two runs off another RBI single from Lockridge in the bottom of the third and a seventh-inning single from catcher William Contreras.
Milwaukee has won five of its last seven games and is now in third place in the NL Central at 20-16.
Former No. 1 overall pick hits 1st MLB home run
You never forget your first.
With two runs having already touched home plate in the bottom of the first, Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, hit a two-run home run to center field for his first big-league homer.
Bazzana has started nine games at the MLB level, driving in four runs, stealing six bases and owning a .200/.368/.300 slash line to date. Prior to being called up in April, the middle infielder totaled two home runs, 10 RBIs and eight stolen bases across 24 Triple-A games this season, posting a .287/.422/.511 slash line.
As for the game, Cleveland would beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-4, with star third baseman José Ramírez and catcher Austin Hedges tacking on RBI singles in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Ramirez had two hits on the night, while left fielder Steven Kwan reached base four times (two hits and two walks) and left-hander Parker Messick recorded seven strikeouts and gave up just one run over 5 ⅔ innings.
The Guardians have won three consecutive games.
Houston Astros overwhelm the Cincinnati Reds
The Houston Astros were relentless from start to finish against the Cincinnati Reds.
In the top of the second, Astros left fielder Zach Dezenzo launched a two-run home run. Later, in the sixth, designated hitter Yordan Álvarez obliterated a baseball into the right-field seats, which brought home two more runs.
In the eighth, third baseman Isaac Paredes had an RBI ground out, which was followed by a five-run ninth inning for the Astros that saw Zach Cole hit a pinch-hit three-hit home run, catcher Christian Vázquez follow with a solo homer and Shay Whitcomb hit a pinch-hit RBI single later in the inning.
Houston right-hander Mike Burrows pitched seven scoreless innings, recording six strikeouts and surrendering just four baserunners (three hits and one walk), which relievers AJ Blubaugh and Logan VanWey followed with a pair of scoreless innings to finish off a 10-0 victory for the Astros. Houston’s pitching staff held Cincinnati to six combined baserunners (five hits and one walk).
Last week, the Reds were tied with the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central. Ever since, they’ve lost eight straight games and are now in last place in the division (20-19).
Marcell Ozuna hits career home run No. 300
While it came in a 5-2 loss on the road to the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates’ designated hitter Marcell Ozuna hit a career milestone in the Bay Area.
Leading off the top of the second, Ozuna shoveled out a slider from left-hander Robbie Ray, sending it just over the left-field wall for his 300th career MLB home run. It was the only run that Ray gave up over six innings.
Ozuna, a two-time Silver Slugger and three-time All-Star, is 15th among active MLB players in all-time home runs. Through 32 games this season, he has totaled four home runs and 14 RBIs.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, San Francisco first baseman Rafael Devers responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Later, left fielder Heliot Ramos drove in a run with a single in the fourth, with center fielder Drew Gilbert driving in a run on a single in the seventh that was shortly followed by a two-run single from Luis Arráez.
INSIDE-THE-PARK GRAND SLAM
The St. Louis Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the fifth, and then chaos transpired.
Faced with a 1-1 count, Cardinals’ second baseman JJ Wetherholt hit a ground ball through the right side that would’ve scored one, if not two runs on its own. But the ball got past San Diego Padres’ right fielder Fernando Tatís Jr. and rolled all the way to the wall, with Wetherholt thundering across the basepath for an inside-the-park grand slam. Granted, it was officially logged as a two-run single.
St. Louis scored two more runs in the inning on an RBI single from designated hitter Nolan Gorman and a sacrifice fly from shortstop Masyn Winn. Elsewhere, catcher Ivan Herrera had a game-high four hits for the Cardinals, while right-handers Michael McGreevy (six innings), Gordon Graceffo (two innings) and Ryne Stanek (one inning) combined for nine scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts and gave up just one hit.
As for the one who broke the ice, Wetherholt has totaled seven home runs, 20 RBIs, a 120 OPS+ and 1.7 wins above replacement over 38 games this season, while McGreevy owns a 2.18 ERA, an 0.86 WHIP and a 180 ERA+ over 45 ⅓ innings pitched (eight starts).
Dylan Cease dominates the Los Angeles Angels
The Toronto Blue Jays showed Dylan Cease the money this past offseason (seven-year, $210 million deal), and he showed why at Rogers Centre on Friday night.
Having lost four consecutive games, Toronto got back in the win column with Cease putting together arguably his best start of the season, as the right-hander posted 10 strikeouts and gave up just five baserunners (five hits) over seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Following the seventh inning, right-handers Jeff Hoffman and Louis Varland pitched a pair of scoreless innings for the Blue Jays, who scored their two runs in the bottom of the third off an RBI single from star rookie Kazuma Okamoto and a sacrifice fly from second baseman Ernie Clement.
Through his first eight starts with the Blue Jays, Cease has posted a 2.58 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, an American League-high 66 strikeouts and a 171 ERA+ over 45 ⅓ innings. Cease has pitched through the seventh inning in each of his last two outings.
Colorado Rockies hold off the Philadelphia Phillies
After the Colorado Rockies got a dramatic win over the New York Mets on Thursday that saw outfielder Jake McCarthy hit a go-ahead, eighth-inning grand slam, they pulled off another eventful victory on Friday.
This time around, Colorado got out to a 6-0 lead on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies and led 7-2 in the bottom of the eighth before Philadelphia had a five-run inning — two days after the Phillies pulled off a go-ahead, four-run eighth inning — that saw left fielder Brandon Marsh drive in a run on a single, second baseman Bryson Stott rip a two-run double and center fielder Justin Crawford hit a game-tying, two-run home run.
The game went to extra innings, with both teams not scoring a run in the 10th, but the Rockies punched through in the top of the 11th with pinch hitter Trey Johnston doubling home a run and McCarthy later singling home a run. Right-hander Juan Mejia didn’t allow the ghost runner to score in the bottom of the inning and got the save, wrapping up a 9-7 victory for Colorado.
Catcher Hunter Goodman had a game-high four hits — including a two-run home run in the top of the fourth — for the Rockies, who also got two-hit performances from right fielder Tyler Freeman — who hit a solo home run in the seventh — and infielder Willi Castro.
hicago Cubs have won 10 in a row
The Chicago Cubs are rolling.
After winning the final two games of a three-game set against the Padres and sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs defeated the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Friday night, 7-1, for their 10th consecutive win.
Chicago got its seven runs off a first-inning RBI single from left fielder Ian Happ, a two-run home run from right fielder Seiya Suzuki in the top of the fourth, an RBI double from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in the sixth and a three-run double from first baseman Michael Busch in the seventh.
On the mound, the Cubs used four pitchers: Ben Brown (four innings), Ryan Rolison (⅓ inning), Javier Assad (3 ⅔ innings) and Ethan Roberts (one inning).
Chicago now owns the best record in MLB at 27-12.
oston Red Sox stymie the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have been scorching hot over the last two weeks, but the Boston Red Sox brought a hose to Fenway Park for Game 2 of a four-game series against their AL East rival.
Led by seven dominant innings from left-hander Connelly Early (eight strikeouts and just five baserunners) and back-to-back scoreless innings with two strikeouts recorded apiece from Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, the Red Sox shut out the Rays, who previously won 13 of their last 14 games, 2-0.
Boston’s two runs came off solo home runs from right fielder Wilyer Abreu in the bottom of the third and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela in the bottom of the fourth.
The Red Sox have won four of their last five games.
tlanta Braves have defensive gems in high-profile loss
Yes, the Atlanta Braves lost Game 1 of a three-game set on the road to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but their defense shined in Dodger Stadium.
In the bottom of the third, Dodgers’ second baseman Santiago Espinal roped a ball into the right-center field gap that looked poised to be a double. Then, Braves’ right fielder Mike Yastrzemski got the ball into second base in a jiff, and shortstop Jim Jarvis tagged Espinal out.
Speaking of Jarvis, the shortstop made an absurd, leaping catch in shallow left field in the bottom of the fourth.
Of course, the Braves’ problem was that third baseman Austin Riley’s second-inning RBI single would be their only run of the game. In the bottom half of the second, Dodgers’ right fielder Kyle Tucker doubled in a run, and Los Angeles took the lead on a Shohei Ohtani RBI single in the fifth. Then, leading off the bottom of the sixth, former Braves star Freddie Freeman hit a home run to center, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead, which would be the final score.
Los Angeles used six pitchers in the win: Emmet Sheehan, Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Will Klein, Brock Stewart and Tanner Scott.
Kansas City Royals walk it off!
The Kansas City Royals rallied for an exciting home victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Royals’ center fielder Kyle Isbel and third baseman Maikel Garcia drove in runs on consecutive singles to tie the game. In the ninth, Tigers’ reliever Brant Hurter got the first two batters of the inning out. Then, Royals’ pinch hitter Nick Loftin put the winning run in scoring position with a double, which Isbel followed with a ground ball that got through the left side, and Loftin came around third for the walk-off run.
On the season, Isbel has totaled three home runs, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases, while owning a .283/.347/.424 slash line; Loftin has driven in 10 runs over 15 games, while having a .282/.383/.410 slash line.
The Royals have won six of their last eight games, while the Tigers have lost four consecutive games.
