Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
For Sale
Chris Sale became MLB’s first pitcher to pocket a dozen wins this season as the White Sox defeated the Red Sox, 3–1.
Despite starting the season 23-10 and having just won back-to-back games, Chicago has been on a slide of late. They’re now 35-36, fourth in the American League Central. That’s caused many to wonder whether it’s time to trade Chris Sale.
As one writer offers, there’s one problem with that proposition (for White Sox fans, at least): “The Sox wonks you’d be trusting to make the right deal for Sale are the same wonks and same scouting department that just traded for [James] Shields and his 21.81 Sox ERA.”
Cueto cruising
The Giants defeated the Pirates on Tuesday in dominant fashion, 15–4.
San Francisco put up a seven-run fourth inning, which included Angel Pagan’s grand slam, while Johnny Cueto allowed just one run over 6 2/3 innings. He was pumped up throughout his start, saying afterwards: ““I’ve always been like that. I’m getting more comfortable with the team. I’m trying to get my teammates all riled up for the game.”
Puig returns
Yasmani Grandal mashed a go-ahead, three-run homer in Tuesday’s Dodgers-Nationals matchup, and the Dodgers took the win, 3–2.
Yasiel Puig returned to the lineup after two weeks on the disabled list. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ahead of the game that Puig will need to deliver quality at-bats if he wants to remain in the lineup.
“I believe that if he’s putting together good at-bats and squaring the baseball up, he’ll get hits and drive runs in,” Roberts said.
Lighting up
The Padres’ offence has been heating up of late, and the team rallied from a 6–3 deficit to beat the Orioles, 10–7, on Tuesday.
San Diego closer Fernando Rodney’s streak without allowing an earned run ended at 25 2/3 innings after Wil Myers failed to make a play.
“The ball hit the bag and took off to the left on me,” Myers said. “Obviously, if I could do it over again, I would’ve sprinted to get it before the bag.”
Myers added that he “felt terrible about it,” though Rodney himself remarked: “I feel good, because we win, I get a save.”
A quick (and scary) one
Bartolo Colon got the start in Tuesday’s Mets-Royals matchup, but it was a quick one: the old-timer took a line drive to his right thumb and exited the game after four pitches.
“First thought that popped into my head: Oh, God, please don’t let this be a broken thumb,” Colon said later via his interpreter. The timeline for the 43-year-old’s return is unclear, though X-rays showed no signs of broken bones.
The Mets defeated the Royals, 2–1.