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 [October 05, 2016]
The Sports Xchange
10/05/2016 MLB Note - New York Mets Matz, Steven
LHP Steven Matz underwent successful surgery to remove a bone spur
from his left elbow Tuesday morning, Jon Heyman of Today's
Knuckleball reported. As a result of the surgery, Matz will not
pitch in the postseason, but he is expected to be fully recovered
before next season's spring training ends. Matz has been sidelined
since Aug. 14 because of problems with his shoulder and elbow. Matz,
25, had a 9-8 record and a 3.40 ERA in 22 starts this season. At the
end of May he was 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA, but his statistics got worse
when he tried to pitch through his injuries.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Donaldson, Josh
3B Josh Donaldson can win games with his bat, his glove and his
aggressiveness on the bases. While he did not have quite the season
he had in 2015 when he was the American League MVP, he still batted
.284/.404/.549 with 37 homers and 99 RBIs while dealing with nagging
injuries. His 109 walks were second in the AL and third in the
majors. Over the past two seasons, Donaldson has 78 homers, and 44
of them either tied the game or put the team ahead, the most in the
majors by any player in that span. Donaldson scored 122 runs, making
him the first player to score 120 or more runs in consecutive
seasons since Hanley Ramirez in 2007-08.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Smoak, Justin
1B Justin Smoak was signed to a two-year deal during the season, but
he did little to justify that confidence, batting .217/.314/.391
with 14 homers and 34 RBIs in 126 games. More consistent playing
time might have helped him, but it was hard to give him more with
1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion often required to play first base with the
DH spot being used for players dealing with nagging injuries. Smoak
still is an excellent fielder and was often used as a late-game
defensive replacement.
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MLB Note - New York Mets d'Arnaud, Travis
C Travis d'Arnaud collected 27 extra-base hits in just 239 at-bats
in 2015. He had only 11 extra-base hits in 251 at-bats this year,
during which he missed nearly two months due to a shoulder injury
and eventually lost his job upon his return to career-long backup
Rene Rivera. D'Arnaud also threw out just 22 percent of opposing
basestealers. D'Arnaud has long been touted as one of the best
catching prospects in the game. but he will be 28 by Opening Day
2017 and has been on the disabled list six times since 2012.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Cespedes, Yoenis
OF Yoenis Cespedes' presence was key for the Mets, who were 72-54
when he started and 15-21 when he did not. He is an imperfect player
prone to slumps at the plate and absent-mindedness in the field, but
he is the Mets' most essential player. Cespedes (.280, 31 homers, 86
RBIs) likely will opt out of his contract at the end of the season,
and the cash-poor Mets have to pray his quirks and age (31) turn off
potential suitors and/or that his obvious affection for New York
leads him to accept a little less than he could get elsewhere.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Gsellman, Robert
RHP Robert Gsellman was not even among the organization's top 20
prospects in the spring, but the 23-year-old might have saved the
season by going 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in eight games (seven starts)
following his promotion to the majors on Aug. 23. He does not have
the ceiling of SS Amed Rosario, but Gsellman's mid-90s sinker and
fearlessness makes him a legitimate mid-rotation candidate next
season for a team with four starters coming back from injury.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Urena, Richard
SS Richard Urena, 20, batted .295/.335/.434 with eight homers and 59
RBIs in 127 games between Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire
in 2016. It was his second season as a switch hitter. He is an
excellent athlete, and his defense continued to make significant
improvement. His errors dropped to 23 in 2016 after he made 40 in
2015. He has the potential to be a regular shortstop in the majors
with a strong arm and 15-20 homer potential. He is likely to start
2017 at Double-A.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Upton Jr., Melvin
OF Melvin Upton Jr. was acquired in a trade with the San Diego
Padres on July 26 and was a disappointment in his stint with the
Blue Jays, despite showing flashes of his speed, power and defense.
Ideally, he would become a regular next season, but after batting
.196/.262/.318 with four homers, 16 RBIs and seven stolen bases in
10 attempts in 57 games, that is not a certainty.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Mancini, Trey
DH/1B Trey Mancini could very well be in the Opening Day lineup next
year. He was called up in late September and promptly belted three
homers in a week. The 24-year old hit 20 homers and drove in 68 runs
combined at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.
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MLB Note - Chicago White Sox Sisco, Andrew
C Chance Sisco hit .317 this year, almost all at Double-A Bowie, and
the 21-year old should be ready for the big show by 2018. The
question might be where to put him if there is a catcher already
there. Many consider him the top prospect in the Baltimore
organization.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Britton, Zach
LHP Zach Britton finished the regular season 47-for-47 in save
opportunities. His 0.54 ERA (four earned runs in 67 innings) was the
lowest in major league history among pitchers with at least 50
innings pitched.
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MLB Note - Los Angeles Dodgers Seager, Corey
SS Corey Seager established himself as one of the top rookies in the
game and generated discussion as a National League MVP candidate.
Seager, practically a shoe-in for NL Rookie of the Year honors,
posted Los Angeles franchise marks in hits (193), runs (105) and
doubles (40), also tops for rookies during the regular season. His
193 hits were the most by a first-year player since 2001 when Albert
Pujols had 194 and Ichiro Suzuki hit 242. Seager played in 156
games, the most by an NL rookie this season. Seager's 26 home runs
are a club record for a Dodger shortstop. He also finished 14th in
the majors with a .308 batting average.
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MLB Note - Los Angeles Dodgers Ryu, Hyun-Jin
LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu was limited to one disastrous start this year
because of injuries and hurt a starting rotation ailing for much of
the season. Ryu missed the entire 2015 season after undergoing
shoulder surgery but failed to bounce this year despite a
season-long effort and rehab stints. Manager Dave Roberts couldn't
hide his disappointment with Ryu's progress, saying a useless
25-pitch bullpen session last month should give Ryu a "good taste"
heading into the offseason.
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MLB Note - Los Angeles Dodgers De Leon, Jose
RHP Jose De Leon showed promise during four major league starts late
in the season, compiling a 2-0 record with a 6.35 ERA in 17 innings.
However, De Leon, who had a 7-1 mark and 2.61 ERA in 16 starts at
Triple-A Oklahoma City, gave up five home runs in his short stint in
the big leagues. De Leon should benefit with seasoning and could be
a strong candidate as the team's No. 4 starter heading into spring
training.
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MLB Note - Los Angeles Dodgers Van Slyke, Scott
OF/1B Scott Van Slyke had season-ending wrist surgery in August, and
his return to the Dodgers seems doubtful. Van Slyke, who batted .225
and managed just one run and seven RBIs in 52 games, is eligible for
arbitration again after signing a one-year deal worth $1.225 million
before this season. With the Dodgers having a slew of better options
in the outfield and Van Slyke's string of injuries during the past
two seasons, the Dodgers could cut their losses.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Blach, Ty
LHP Ty Blach introduced himself to the nation with his performance
against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the final Saturday of the regular
season in his just second career start. Eight innings, no runs in
the heat of the playoff race? Are you kidding? OK, here's a better
question: What in the world was Bruce Bochy doing starting RHPs Jake
Peavy (21 starts), Matt Cain (17) and Albert Suarez (12) a total of
50 times when Blach was available in the minors? The only reason
this guy isn't the Giants' No. 5 starter next season is if they slot
him higher.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Span, Denard
CF Denard Span, the key offensive acquisition in the offseason,
inexplicably retained the leadoff spot most of the season despite
stealing fewer bases in six months (12) than 3B Eduardo Nunez did in
two (13).
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Crawford, Brandon
SS Brandon Crawford led the team in RBIs (84) while also expertly
manning the most important defensive position on the field.
Crawford, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner in 2015, was solid
again, tying for the league lead with 11 triples and finishing with
a .275 average and a .342 on-base percentage, both career highs.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Cueto, Johnny
RHP Johnny Cueto had the third-most wins (18) in the National
League, the fifth-best ERA (2.79) and the sixth-most strikeouts
(198). He even tied for the fewest losses (five) among all National
Leaguers with more than 15 wins. And he did it out of the No. 2 slot
in the Giants' rotation.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Romo, Sergio
RHP Sergio Romo regained the Giants' closer role by season's end
with brilliant pitching in the final two months of the season. He
allowed only three runs after Aug. 2, none while recording four
saves in the final 13 days of the season. With one more loss
potentially costing the team a playoff spot, Romo didn't allow a run
in his final six appearances, all games the Giants won.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Zimmerman, Ryan
1B Ryan Zimmerman has had declining numbers in recent years. He
ended the regular season hitting .218 in 115 games and 427 at-bats
with 18 doubles, 15 homers and 46 RBIs. The word among pro scouts
who follow the Nationals is that Zimmerman has trouble getting
around on good fastballs. He hit .192 in his last 30 games. But
manager Dusty Baker said late in the season he does not plan to
platoon Zimmerman with lefty-hitting Clint Robinson in the playoffs.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Roark, Tanner
RHP Tanner Roark is eligible for arbitration after this season, and
figures to cash in one of these years. He won a career-high 16 games
in 2016 and he won 15 games in his first year as a starter in 2014.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Casilla, Santiago
RHP Santiago Casilla was great in the first half of the season and
awful in the second half. And as Casilla went, so went the Giants.
The closer had 21 saves and a 2.86 ERA before the All-Star break,
leading the Giants to the best record in baseball (57-33). But he
had lost his job by the time he completed a 10-save second half with
a 4.63 ERA, a slump that paralleled the Giants' 30-42 finish (fourth
worst in baseball). Casilla's season-ending 3.57 ERA was his worst
since 2009 and came just as his contract was expiring. Talk about
poor timing.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Posey, Buster
C Buster Posey was a candidate for more playing time at first base
next season ... until he finished the regular season with a bang as
the everyday catcher, which was critical to the Giants earning the
second National League wild-card spot. Even though Posey looked
tired while going homerless from July 16 to Sept. 16, manager Bruce
Bochy caught him six straight days to finish the season, and the
former NL Most Valuable Player responded with six hits, including a
home run, and seven RBIs in five critical San Francisco wins.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Belt, Brandon
1B Brandon Belt gave manager Bruce Bochy even less reason than
before to consider moving C Buster Posey to first base when he
recorded career-bests in doubles (41), RBIs (82) and walks (104)
during an All-Star season in 2016. The walks led to a .394 on-base
percentage, 34 points higher than he ever previously recorded. He
missed his career high in home runs (18 in 2015) by one.
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MLB Note - Chicago Cubs Bryant, Kris
3B Kris Bryant had a spectacular follow-up to an impressive 2015
rookie-of-the-year season. The versatile 24-year-old NL All Star --
he played five field positions and also as designated hitter this
season -- was just the fourth player in franchise history to collect
at least 120 runs, 35 doubles, 39 homers and 100 RBIs in a single
season, and just the second in the last 85 years. An iron man
performer who played in 155 games -- tied for the team lead with
Anthony Rizzo -- Bryant closed the regular season with a .292
average and his team-high 39 home runs were third in the league.
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MLB Note - Chicago Cubs Almora, Albert
OF Albert Almora Jr. had a 47-game internship with the big league
club in 2016 and was under consideration for a spot on the Cubs
post-season roster. Almora, 22, has very good defensive and base
running skills and could be considered a serious candidate for a
permanent spot in 2017. He batted .277, with three home runs, 14
RBIs and a .455 slugging percentage with the Cubs. In 80 games at
Triple-A Iowa, he hit .317.
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MLB Note - Chicago Cubs Heyward, Jason
OF Jason Heyward signed an eight-year, $184-million deal prior to
2016 and went on to a hot-and-cold regular season batting .230 with
seven homers and 49 RBIs and career-low slugging (.325) and on-base
(.306) percentages. A lifetime .262 batter, he hit .293 for the
Cardinals in 2015. The lackluster offense could arguably be offset
by his steady and occasionally spectacular defensive play. He was
fourth in the NL with 276 putouts and a .985 fielding percentage.
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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Beltre, Adrian
3B Adrian Beltre continues to amaze at the age of 37. Beltre, who
signed a two-year extension with the Rangers through 2018, led the
way once again for a Texas club that has now won three division
titles with Beltre on the roster. All he did was hit .300, surpass
the 30-homer mark for the first time since 2013 and eclipse the
100-RBI mark for the first time since 2012. He added to his already
Hall of Famer resume as he moved into the top 40 all time in both
home runs and RBIs.
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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Choo, Shin-Soo
OF Shin-Soo Choo lived up to his mammoth seven year, $130-million
contract with the Rangers in year one of the deal in 2015. This year
was another story as the expected leadoff hitter couldn't stay
healthy. Three trips on the disabled list limited him to 48 games
with the Rangers as he missed time because of lower back
inflammation, a right calf strain and then a fractured left forearm.
In his limited action, he hit just .242 with 17 RBIs. At 34 and with
four more years left on his contract, his future with the club could
be at designated hitter.
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MLB Note - Texas Rangers Mendez, Yohander
LHP Yohander Mendez could be the home-grown starter the Rangers need
for their future rotation. His stint with the Rangers was limited to
two relief appearances and an 18.00 ERA in two outings, but he
blazed through three organizations to get the call to the big
leagues. Mendez, just 21, combined to go 12-3 with a 2.19 ERA in 24
appearances in the minors. He started in High A and capped his run
through the minors with a 4-1 record and an 0.57 ERA in 31 1/3
innings for Triple-A Round Rock. He has a power arm too, as Mendez
struck out 113 batters in 111 innings.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Tazawa, Junichi
RHP Junichi Tazawa, probably overworked in the first half, was
relegated to less-important situations late in the season. Before
the All-Star break, he was 1-1 with a 3.62 ERA. After the break, he
went 2-1 with a 5.19 ERA. Tazawa wound up with a career-high 4.17
ERA, and his 53 appearances and the 49 2/3 innings were his lowest
totals over the past four years.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Moncada, Yoan
INF Yoan Moncada, ranked No. 1 by Baseball America in its midseason
prospect evaluations, debuted with a bit of a bang but then turned
to mush and didn't play down the stretch. Moncada, 21, hit a
combined .294/.407/.511 with 15 homers, 62 RBIs and 45 stolen bases
over 106 games in high Class A and Double-A. With Boston, he hit
.211 (4-for-19) with one RBI in eight games. The Red Sox are sending
him to the prospect-filled Arizona Fall League for more action.
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MLB Note - Cleveland Indians Ramirez, Jose
3B Jose Ramirez began the season as the Indians' super utility
player, capable of playing everywhere and hitting anywhere. He was
so proficient in those roles that one month into the season he'd
played his way into being an everyday player, and by the end of the
season he was the team's most valuable player, hitting a team-high
.357 with runners in scoring position. He was also one of the
hardest hitters in the league to strike out, fanning just 62 times
in 618 plate appearances. OF Michael Brantley, the Indians' best
hitter, essentially missed the entire season with a shoulder injury,
but Ramirez filled that void by putting up Brantley-type numbers.
Ramirez hit .312, with 46 doubles, 11 home runs, 76 RBI, and 22
stolen bases. He played left field, shortstop, second base and third
base, and he was the only player in the major leagues to start at
least one game in all nine spots in the batting order.
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MLB Note - No MLB Team Free Agents Gomes, Jonny
C Yan Gomes had a disastrous season. He got off to a horrendous
start offensively, then missed the last 2 1/2 months of the season
with a separated shoulder. In 2014 Gomes won a Silver Slugger by
hitting .278 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs. This year he only played
in 74 games and hit just .167 with 11 homers and 34 RBI. He
continued to receive high marks for his handling of the pitching
staff, but the Indians need more offense out of the catching
position. Gomes is signed through the 2019 season, with club options
for 2020 and 2021, which was a big reason why C Jonathan Luroy, then
with Milwaukee, invoked his no-trade clause after the Indians and
Brewers had agreed on the parameters of a mid-season trade.
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MLB Note - Cleveland Indians Zimmer, Bradley
OF Bradley Zimmer, the Indians' top draft pick (21st overall) in the
2014 June Draft, moved another step closer to Cleveland in 2016. The
6-4 left-handed hitting centerfielder split the season between
Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. In a combined 468 at bats he
hit .250 with 25 doubles, 15 home runs, 62 RBI, and 38 stolen bases.
Zimmer will likely begin the 2017 season at Columbus, but with the
Indians' outfield in a period of transition, he could play his way
into the big leagues at some point during the season.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Machado, Manny
3B Manny Machado struggled in last few weeks but was the team's MVP.
He hit .294 with 37 homers and 96 RBIs and again showed why he's
arguably the top defensive third baseman in baseball. He might have
helped more in the field than he did at the plate because of the
number of runs and hits that his skill with the glove denied
opposing hitters. The scary part for opponents -- he's just 24 and
will probably improve.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Davis, Chris
1B Chris Davis finished with 38 homers and 84 RBIs, but batted just
.221 and struck out 219 times, the most in the major leagues. The
Orioles signed him to a long-term deal last winter but some nagging
injuries may have been affecting him. Still, he had a great season
defensively, and the Orioles hope for fewer strikeouts and a higher
average next year.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Donaldson, Josh
3B Josh Donaldson was 2-for-4 with a double, and his 11-inning
single put runners at the corners for 1B Edwin Encarnacion, who hit
the game-winning homer in the Jays' 5-2 victory over the Orioles in
the American League wild-card game. He owns a .250 average
(22-for-88) in 23 postseason games with the Athletics and the Blue
Jays.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Stroman, Marcus
RHP Marcus Stroman allowed four hits, no walks and two runs while
striking out six in a no-decision Tuesday during the Jays' 5-2,
11-inning win over the Orioles in the American League wild-card
game. "I've seen him pitch so many good games," manager John Gibbons
said. "He pitches well at home. He gets a lot of ground balls.
(Baltimore) hits a lot of home runs. You really just add it up."
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Carrera, Ezequiel
OF Ezequiel Carrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI single that tied the
game in the fifth inning Tuesday in the American League wild-card
game won 5-2 in 11 innings by the Blue Jays over the Orioles. The
Blue Jays will open the American League Division Series on Thursday
against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The last time the Blue Jays
were there on May 15, a brawl broke out, believed to be sparked by
RF Jose Bautista's exaggerated bat flip when he hit what proved to
be the winning home run in the fifth and deciding game of the 2015
ALDS. "It's going to be a very interesting series," Carrera said.
"We're not going to think about what happened during the season,
we're going to try to win games."
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Encarnacion, Edwin
1B Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer in the 11th inning
Tuesday to give the Jays a 5-2 win over the Orioles in the AL
wild-card game.
It was the second postseason homer of his career. "I was looking for
a pitch," Encarnacion said of his shot off RHP Ubaldo Jimenez. "I
was looking for a fastball, and I was trying to put the barrel on
it, get a little bit in front because the infield was playing in,
and I actually got it."
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Osuna, Roberto
RHP Roberto Osuna, who had 36 saves in the regular season, retired
all four batters he faced Tuesday in the Jays' 5-2, 11-inning
victory over the Orioles in the American League wild-card game. He
left the game with one out in the 10th due to shoulder tightness,
but the ailment is not believed to be serious. "It wasn't a big
deal," manager John Gibbons said. "It just tightened up on him. The
smart thing to do was just get him out of there."
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Britton, Zach
LHP Zach Britton was 47-for-47 in save opportunities and had a 0.54
ERA in 67 innings this year, the lowest ERA in major league history
by a pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched. Yet he did not get
into an 11-inning game Tuesday in the Orioles' 5-2 loss to the Blue
Jays in the American League wild-card game. "It was frustrating to
have to sit," he said. "I was good to go." Manager Buck Showalter
said that he debated using Britton. "Yeah, I considered a lot of
things during the course of the game, but our guys did a good job of
getting us to that point. We just couldn't finish it off," Showalter
said.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Trumbo, Mark
DH Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning Tuesday and
finished 1-for-4 in the Orioles' 5-2, 11-inning loss to the Blue
Jays in the American League wild-card game. It was his first
postseason appearance. It was only the second home run that Trumbo
hit against the Blue Jays in 20 games against them this season. He
has 12 career home run against Toronto. He led the majors with 47
homers.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Kim, Hyun Soo
LF Hyun Soo Kim caught a deep fly ball by PH Melvin Upton Jr. during
the seventh inning of the Orioles' 11-inning, 5-2 loss to the Blue
Jays on Tuesday in the American League wild-card game and was nearly
hit by a beer can thrown from the stands. "I was trying to catch the
ball and I thought that was actually a ball, so I thought I missed
the ball," Kim said through a translator. "And then I found out it
was a beer can, which was thrown perfectly (at) me. It never
happened to me before, so it was surprising. I was kind of shocked."
Orioles CF Adam Jones was irate, calling for charges to be filed
against the fan who threw the can.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Machado, Manny
3B Manny Machado was 1-for-4 Tuesday in the Orioles' 5-2, 11-inning
loss to the Blue Jays in the American League wild-card game. He is
4-for-23 (.174) with two walks, one double and one home run in seven
career postseason games. "It was a battle," he said. "We knew what
they were all about and we knew what we had. It was a chess game
after that. We left it out on the field. We did everything we could
and we came up short. There's nothing more to it."
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