Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Holt hits for cycle
The Red Sox finally snapped out of a seven-game losing streak Tuesday by defeating the Braves 9–4. They had plenty of help from Brock Holt, who hit for the cycle—the first Boston player to do so since 1996, and the first MLB player to do so this year.
Lucky number eight
The Orioles hit a team-record eight home runs in Tuesday’s 19-3 victory over the Phillies. Manny Machado hit two homers, while outfielder Chris Parmelee nabbed two of his own in his first game with the team.
Chen unhappy with demotion
The Baltimore Orioles sent left-handed pitcher Wei-Yin Chen to the minors yesterday. The move is apparently the result of Chen’s “general soreness,” though the starter took to Twitter to voice his grievances, saying: “I am in excellent physical shape. I feel great and am ready for my next start,” adding that he was “disappointed [that his] routine is being interrupted.” There’s been speculation that the Orioles are taking advantage of the rules, demoting Chen to avoid having him face the Blue Jays, who’ve been dominant when facing left-handers this season.
Rizzo gets even better
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was recently seen celebrating the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win. But Rizzo’s got another reason to celebrate: His strikeout rate is down by a third this year. Here’s how his hitting has evolved this season.
Fielder’s fall
When teammate Mitch Moreland hit a single in last night’s game versus the Dodgers, Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder looked intent on scoring from second base. But he fell as he was rounding third base and had to stay put. Good thing Fielder had a sense of humour about it—you can see him laugh it off after the fact. Texas still defeated the Dodgers, 3–2.
