Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Getting ready for one last round of boos
As Alex Rodriguez prepares to play his final game in pinstripes on Friday, it’s worth considering his legacy one more time. It’s tarnished, sure, but doesn’t A-Rod deserve better? After all, he’s far from the only player tainted by the use of PEDs.
Rodriguez is being forced into retirement by the Yankees, and while he’d asked manager Joe Girardi if he could play at third base in his final game, Girardi gave him a firm “no.” So the 41-year-old will go out with a whimper. But many may someday come to regret viewing him in such a harsh light.
Broken thumb, controversial call
Cardinals left-fielder Matt Holliday is headed to the DL with a fractured right thumb after taking a pitch to his hand on Thursday. Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery sent a 94-mph fastball right to Holliday’s thumb during the seventh inning of a game Chicago would win, 4–3.
Anthony Rizzo drew a bases-loaded walk to earn the win for his team in the 11th inning. The call was hugely controversial, though: home-plate umpire Ron Kulpa called the pitch ball four, though the robots had it as a strike. Too bad, St. Louis.
Napoli comes up big time
Cleveland defeated the Angels 14–4 on Thursday. Mike Napoli had a big night, going four-for-four, including a home run, two doubles, three runs and four RBI.
Cleveland now sports a record of 64-48; the team remains first in the AL Central.
Mets in trouble
The Mets suffered a thrashing at the hands of the Diamondbacks on Thursday, losing 9–0. New York manager Terry Collins was obviously displeased, and in his post-game press conference, Collins said his team needs to show more passion and more effort.
Temperature problems
The Rangers lost to the Rockies on Thursday, 12–9. The loss came in front of the smallest audience the home team at Globe Life Park has seen all season: just 20,720 fans.
The temperature may have played a role in the remarkably poor attendance, with the game played in the sweltering afternoon heat. The lack of a retractable roof is a huge problem for the team—and something they are hoping to address (and soon).