#nolan-arenado

#nolan-arenado

The Los Angeles Dodgers hit two home runs in their loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, led by a grand slam from Freddie Freeman.Freeman's big swing not only got the Dodgers back into a game they were being blown out of, but he reached a milestone with it being the 300th home run of his career.

If you missed Dodgers vs. Cardinals on Thursday, you missed quite the game.The Lakers were playing against the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, so I don't blame you if you missed the Dodger game.But if you did, you're in the right place.Here's everything you need to know about the insane, high-scoring affair that unfolded to open the series in St. Louis:
What Just Happened in This Dodger Game?

If you were watching the Dodgers' 1-0 win over the Cardinals on Saturday, or have been on social media over the past day or so, you've probably seen a moment between Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and rookie infielder Michael Busch that went viral.During the bottom of the sixth inning, Roberts was seen with his arm around Busch, talking to him about some moment in the game.

MLB Network revealed the Top 10 in their Top 100 Right Now list, and with two more Dodgers being unveiled, Los Angeles has five players on the list.One of those made the Top 10 after just one year with LA, as Freddie Freeman ranked in the 10th spot.Freeman finished fourth in the National League MVP voting last year, and the three players ahead of him ranked fifth (Manny Machado, second in MVP), sixth (Nolan Arenado, third in MVP), and seventh (Paul Goldschmidt, MVP winner).

After the Dodgers officially signed designated hitter JD Martinez on Thursday, the team made sure to give a warm welcome by posting a cool hype video to celebrate.L.A.'s social media team compiled a highlight video that displayed exactly why people refer to him as "Just Dingers".It's clear Martinez lives up to the greatness of his nickname, and the Dodgers are one team in particular that know all about it.

Shelby Miller was a very promising young player a long time ago, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 after going 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA.But to illustrate how long ago that was, the two guys he finished behind were Jose Fernandez and Yasiel Puig.Nine years doesn't seem that long, but Nolan Arenado is the only player who got RoY votes that year who is still both in the league and productive.

The Hank Aaron Award has been presented annually to the best offensive performer in each league since 1999.The awards are selected by a panel of eight Hall of Famers plus a fan vote element.Dodgers Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were both finalists for the National League award, but neither ended up winning.

Mookie Betts is among several Los Angeles Dodgers who are finalists for various individual accolades, but he's already collected some hardware for the 2022 season by way of a Fielding Bible Award.This year's Fielding Bible winners were determined by a 15-person voting panel.The panel selects 10 winners each season, with one at each position plus an additional award that goes to the best defensive multi-position player.

In a matchup riddled with political and social implications, Team USA hosted Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic semifinals in front of a sellout crowd that was about 60/40 USA.With Adam Wainwright on the mound, they looked to punch their ticket to the final and a showdown with the winner of Monday's game between Mexico and Japan.

The concerns that many had about the Miami Marlins defense manifested on Sunday afternoon.It's only game two of Spring Training-game one for most Marlins starters-but it seemed every player that's in a new position went through hiccups in their first defensive chances against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sandy Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award after a historic season.He's going to be a key player in the Miami Marlins making the playoffs in 2023.So what's the problem?The problem is that he deserves more.The NL MVP award belonged to Sandy as well.The award went to St. Louis Cardinals 1B Paul Goldschmidt instead.

Marlins Stat of the Day (via FanGraphs)
Willians Astudillo had the lowest strikeout rate in the majors this season among players with at least 50 plate appearances.Marlins Podcast Episodes
Scheduled Games for November 1, 2022 (all times ET)
Cardenales de Lara at Tigres de Aragua, 7:00 p.m.
Águilas Cibaeñas at Leones del Escogido, 7:15 p.m.
Tigres del Licey at Toros del Este, 7:30 p.m.
Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies, 8:03 p.m.
Scottsdale Scorpions at Mesa Solar Sox, 9:35 p.m.


     Monday's fall/winter ball updates: Holt Jones had a solid start (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR), but didn't get any run support from José Salas (0-for-3, 2 K) or the other Mesa Solar Sox; Jesús Sánchez (Toros del Este) went 2-for-4 with a two-run double; making his season debut for Águilas Cibaeñas, Jerar Encarnación went 2-for-5 with a run batted in; Luke Williams (Estrellas Orientales) went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run batted in; Tigres del Licey announced Charles Leblanc is day-to-day with a groin injury.

The Yankees and Rays put on a show this weekend, playing three consecutive barnburners, though the Yankees unfortunately dropped the finale to split the four-game series.There were some other great games in the AL on Sunday, with a couple games settled by one run, and one featuring a walk-off.Just as a thriller went down in the Bronx, so too did the Braves and Jays play a great contest in Toronto.

The Chicago White Sox entered the 2023 MLB season looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 campaign.A big part of that is staying healthy, and those hopes just took a hit.Third baseman Yoán Moncada was injured in the World Baseball Classic while playing for Cuba in the semifinals.In the bottom of the sixth inning, Moncada collided with left fielder Roel Santos while trying to catch a Kyle Schwarber fly ball.

Major League Baseball has revealed the official rosters for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and the reigning champions will have three members of the Chicago White Sox in the fold.Team USA's roster, released on Thursday on MLB Network, includes some of the game's biggest stars, including Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, and three White Sox players will aim to give the American squad their second consecutive win in the tournament.

Seven White Sox players will participate in the World Baseball Classic during spring training, including shortstop Tim Anderson and right-handers Lance Lynn and Kendall Graveman for Team USA.Rosters were announced Thursday.It's been known for some time that Anderson, Lynn, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert (Cuba) and Eloy Jimenez (Dominican Republic) would participate.

W hite Sox starter Lance Lynn will join Tim Anderson on the USA roster for the World Baseball Classic, according to MLB.The WBC starts in early March.Team USA is scheduled to face Mexico, Great Britain, Canada and Colombia in Pool C for the first round of the tournament.The first round starts on March 11 in Phoenix.

Red Sox COMMENTARYThe Cardinals, who visit Fenway Park this weekend, have handled slow starts from some players very differently than the Red Sox.The St. Louis Cardinals - quasi-rivals that they are - arrive at Fenway Park for a three-game series starting Friday on something of a roll.That we can call one series victory that should tell you something.

We're not even two months into the 2023 Major League Baseball season, but it's never too early to start picking some early league MVP favorites, right?Well, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts is among those favored to make a push toward the National League MVP award, which would mark the second of his career.

While the ceiling for Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers remains unknown with his prime years ahead, the 26-year-old has already established himself among the best third basemen in Major League Baseball.Hence, the expectations have been raised rightfully so for the left-handed hitting slugger before the 2023 season.

Welcome to This week's SB Nation Reacts projects the Yankees' win total, examines Michael King's role, and looks at the biggest disappointments around MLB.Is the Bombers' slow start the first sign of a mediocre season?How can the Yankees plug holes in the rotation?Who has been an even bigger disappointment so far?

Rejoice!The offseason is officially behind us.Pitchers and catchers who are involved in the World Baseball Classic report today.The rest report on either 2/15 or 2/16.Fresh prospect news should start to trickle in soon.The WBC will give us additional opportunities to see prospects in competitive action.

Like a lot of Yankee fans, I have a home pinstripes No. 99 hanging in my closet.The journey to get that jersey is probably different than most of you - after seeing the raw potential Aaron Judge had, albeit in a rough 2016, I was sold; I wanted his jersey.I was into this guy, and ahead of the Yankees ' first trip to Toronto in June 2017, I felt I wanted to go to Rogers Centre with a new kit.

When Andrew posted the signup sheet for the staff to pick whose report cards to write, I grabbed Josh Donaldson right away.I felt I owed it, given that I was legitimately excited about him coming over from the Twins last offseason.He was an elite hitter and better yet, one of the deepest thinkers about the art of hitting in the game today.

The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the top 3 finalists for each of their major awards Monday night on MLB Network.The Atlanta Braves have four finalists in Michael Harris, Spencer Strider, Max Fried and manager Brian Snitker.Harris and Strider are both finalists for the Rookie of the Year Award, Fried is one of three finalists for the Cy Young and Snitker is up for Manager of the Year.

Michael Busch is one of the top second base prospects in MLB thanks to his offensive skills, but his defensive work leaves a lot to be desired.The 25-year-old seems best off batting in the middle of a lineup as the designated hitter, but that role isn't available to him with the Los Angeles Dodgers this season due to J.D. Martinez being in the fold.

The World Baseball Classic is over and players are slowly returning to their MLB teams to close out Spring Training.Tim Anderson was among those players, and talked about his experience on Thursday, his first day speaking to the media since returning to the White Sox.Anderson enjoyed his time representing the United States and grew as a player, since he was asked to play second base, which he'd never played as a pro.

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their homestand with back-to-back wins against the St. Louis Cardinals and now are in position to complete a series sweep for the first time this season.Doing so would also extend the Dodgers' winning streak to a season-high-tying three games.They look to keep some momentum with Will Smith starting at catcher for the first time since his return from the concussion injured list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their homestand with a win and now can take the series from the St. Louis Cardinals with Clayton Kershaw getting the ball in the middle game at Dodger Stadium.A collectively strong showing from both the pitching staff and Dodgers offense put an end to their two-game losing streak.

George Springer had five hits and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat St. Louis 10-9 on Thursday despite the Cardinals' Tyler O'Neill tying a major league record by homering on opening day George for the fourth straight season.Making his Cardinals debut, catcher Willson Contreras left after the eighth inning because of an injured knee and was sent for a scan.

Team USA is heading back to the World Baseball Classic championship game after a dominant performance against Team Cuba with help from a pair of Los Angeles Dodgers teammates.Cuba jumped out to an early 1-0 lead against Adam Wainwright with three infield singles and a walk, but they could not capitalize on their quick start and left the bases loaded.

Mookie Betts and Mike Trout were opponents during last week's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels, but they now have joined forces on the Team USA roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.The United States assembled a talented team for the international tournament, which was spearheaded by Trout not only committing to play but recruiting others to do so as well.

The past year was a big one for Austin Riley.After a breakout campaign in 2021 (4.7 fWAR), all eyes were on the young third baseman.Was the breakout real?Could he get even better?Fortunately for the Braves, the answer was a resounding "Yes!"Riley, who played the entire season at just 25 years of age, improved on his 2021 numbers to the point where he secured a franchise-record, 10-year deal worth $212 million in July.

Just a week ago, USA Baseball announced the 30-man roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic during a two-hour MLB Tonight show on MLB Network.While the roster has undergone a few minor changes since then, Team USA has put together a strong contender in the hopes of defending their title after the USA beat Puerto Rico 8-0 back in 2017 in the last World Baseball Classic.

Por primera vez en seis anos, los mejores jugadores del beisbol profesional y algunos apasionados jugadores amateur estaran compitiendo en el Clasico Mundial de Beisbol (CMB).Si ver a las estrellas de los Cardenales de San Luis y los Padres de San Diego (y de casi todos los demas equipos de las Grandes Ligas de Beisbol) competir con uniformes que dicen cosas como Estados Unidos o Corea te parece interesante (o al menos mas interesante que los juegos de entrenamientos de primavera), esto es lo que debes saber: El partido inaugural, de los Paises Bajos contra Cuba, fue el martes a las 11:00 p. m., hora del Este.

Mookie Betts and Mike Trout were opponents during Friday's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels, but they are days from joining forces on the Team USA roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.The United States assembled a talented team for the international tournament, which was spearheaded by Trout not only committing to play but recruiting others to do so as well.

Oh, boy, we can't wait to see superstar shortstop Carlos Correa in blue pinstripes at Wrigley Field.It's going to happen, isn't it?Uh-oh.In this week's "Polling Place," your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we led with that very question about that very coveted free agent.Alas, about three-quarters of voters said no.
"Cody Bellinger will be their top signing," @JTurco60 commented.

Mason Thompson finished the season strong with 12 scoreless outings in his final 15 appearances.(Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)The Washington Nationals started their roster teardown at the 2021 trade deadline knowing that not every player they acquired would ultimately pan out.But the hope was a few would show promise and fit into the team's future.

Awards season continued for Major League Baseball Thursday night with the announcement of the Louisville Silver Slugger Awards.The Atlanta Braves had five finalists for the awards in Matt Olson, Dansby Swanson, Travis d'Arnaud, Austin Riley and Michael Harris, but were shutout when the winners were announced.

Freddie Freeman was not named among the finalists for the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player Award.The three players instead are by St. Louis Cardinals teammates Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, along with San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado.Freeman appeared to be in prime position to become the first Dodgers player to finish in the top three of MVP voting since Mookie Betts placed second to him while he was with the Atlanta Braves during the 2020 season.

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts was named the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in right field, beating out San Diego Padres' Juan Soto and Daulton Varsho of the Arizona Diamondbacks.It marked the sixth time Betts has taken home the Gold Glove Award, and it's his second since being traded by the Boston Red Sox, which puts him in rarified Dodgers franchise history.

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts was named a 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in right field, edging out Daulton Varsho of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres' Juan Soto.It marks the sixth time Betts has won a Gold Glove Award, previously doing so in five consecutive years from 2016-2020.

One week ago, Rawlings and Major League Baseball announced the 2022 Gold Glove Award winners, with two members of the New York Yankees, Jose Trevino and DJ LeMahieu, honored for their performance behind the plate and at multiple positions, respectively.At that moment, voting for the annual Platinum Glove Award began.

It's no secret that the Yankee universe will orbit around Aaron Judge's free agency this off-season.Every other move New York makes will be contingent on the Gordian Knot of attempting to retain the American League's new home run king.Judge bet on himself and won when he turned down the Yankees ' contract extension offer prior to the 2022 season.