Week 14 Results

MLB TALK
• All-Star week got off to a spectacular start, with a home run derby stuffed full of young sluggers eager to put on a show. And they put on an incredible one as over 300 balls were sent over the fences of Progressive Field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was responsible for 91 of them but he had to settle for runner-up on this night to Mets 1B Peter Alonso who put on a spectacular run in the final two minutes of the derby to overtake Guerrero and win the title of champion. Have a look at what both men did here.

• Rather than your typical slugfest, pitching was what it was all about at this year’s All-Star Game as the AL defeated the NL 4-3, the 19th time in the last 22 years the AL has taken the Midsummer Classic. Cleveland pitcher Shane Bieber was selected as the game’s MVP, he struck out Willson Contreras, Ketel Marte and Ronald Acuna Jr in the 5th inning with the AL holding a slim 1-0 lead at the time. A pre-game moment of silence was held for late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, and his teammates Mike Trout and Tommy LaStella both wore Skaggs’ #45 jersey for the game (all players on both sides also wore a patch to honor the young lefty).

• And speaking of Skaggs, Friday night as the majority of MLB teams returned to action following the season break, the Angels were hosting their first game since Skaggs’ passing. They honored him in a pregame ceremony and the entire Angels roster wore Skaggs’ #45 for the game. Then Taylor Cole and Felix Pena went out and combined to no-hit the Seattle Mariners in a 13-0 shutout. Here’s the 9th inning of that night:

• End of the All-Star break means the playoff push is really beginning in earnest now. Several teams have already made early moves with Andrew Cashner (Red Sox), Homer Bailey (Athletics) and Martin Maldonado (Cubs) already changing addresses. A lot more names are being floated or asked about such as Marcus Stroman, Ken Giles, Zack Wheeler (though his placement on the IL makes things murky), Will Smith, Madison Bumgarner, Nicholas Castellanos and dozens more.

See big moves ahead for your team?