April 2021 - Baseball Wiretap

Rays Clinch Top Seed In American League

Sep 30, 2021 8:49 AM

The Tampa Bay Rays won their 98th game of the season on Wednesday night, clinching the American League's No. 1 seed in the process.

Tampa set a franchise record with the win, topping the mark (97) set in 2008.

The Rays are now guaranteed home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason.

Adam Berry/MLB

Tags: Tampa Bay Rays, Misc Rumor, Team Achievement

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Marcus Semien Sets Record For Home Runs By Second Baseman

Sep 30, 2021 8:44 AM

Marcus Semien set a Major-League record for home runs by a second baseman when he hit his 44th of the season Wednesday.

Semien's homer broke a tie with Davey Johnson (1973).

Rogers Hornsby (42 home runs in 1922) and Brian Dozier (42 in 2016) are the only other second basemen in big-league history to top the 40-homer mark.

ESPN

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays, Misc Rumor, Stats

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Mets Likely To Decide On Luis Rojas' Future Soon

Oct 1, 2021 8:57 AM

The New York Mets will likely determine Luis Rojas' fate with the club before hiring a president of baseball operations.

The Mets hold an option on Rojas' contract for next year. The club plans to bring in a new baseball boss this offseason, but Sandy Alderson said Wednesday he and first-year owner Steve Cohen had not yet started to contact potential candidates.

"Whether that managerial decision is made after that individual is hired or before, it's difficult to say," Alderson said. "But I would say given the timing, probably that decision will be made before we have somebody as head of baseball operations."

Rojas is 101-117 in two seasons as Mets manager.

Associated Press

Tags: New York Mets, Misc Rumor

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Salvador Perez Ties Royals Record With 48th Home Run

Sep 30, 2021 8:38 AM

Salvador Perez hit his Kansas City Royals-record-tying 48th home run in the first inning of Wednesday night's 10-5 win over the Cleveland Indians.

The catcher then exited after the second inning due to a sprained right ankle.

Perez homered on the first pitch he saw, extending his Major League lead with a three-run drive. He also tops MLB with 121 RBIs.

"It's amazing," he said about tying the team record. "We've got four more games to see [what happens]."

ESPN

Tags: Kansas City Royals, Misc Rumor

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Brewers Reliever Punches Wall, Breaks Hand

Sep 30, 2021 8:33 AM

The Milwaukee Brewers will likely be without reliever Devin Williams this postseason after the right-hander broke his pitching hand punching a wall after having a few drinks following Sunday's game that clinched the National League Central division title.

David Stearns told reporters Williams will undergo surgery to put a plate in his hand to repair the fracture and that the injury will likely "keep him out for the remainder of the season."

Williams told local reporters that after the team celebration, "I went out to have a few drinks and [at] my home I was a little frustrated, upset, and I punched a wall. That's how it happened."

David Schoenfield/ESPN

Tags: Milwaukee Brewers, Injury

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Cardinals Clinch NL Wild Card Berth

Sep 29, 2021 8:58 AM

The St. Louis Cardinals clinched a National League Wild Card berth on Tuesday night with their 17th straight victory.

"Well, it starts with perseverance. I mean, it starts there," Adam Wainwright said. "We had to overcome probably the worst baseball I've ever seen a Cardinals team play. We just weren't doing anything right. … It was just understanding that we're a better team than what we were showing and we could go out there and compete with anybody when we play right.

"And that's what we did."

Zachary Silver/MLB

Tags: St. Louis Cardinals, Misc Rumor, Team Achievement

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Giants Match San Francisco-Era Mark With 103 Wins

Sep 29, 2021 8:55 AM

With Tuesday night's win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants made history.

The win was their 103rd of the season, matching the club's mark for the most in a season in the San Francisco era (since 1958)

"To get to this point, it makes you proud. Really proud of our guys," Wilmer Flores said. "Starting the season, we knew that we had the pieces to do it. Going out there and everybody executing, it makes you proud."

On Sept. 13, San Francisco became the first team to clinch a postseason berth, the earliest it's done so in a season in franchise history.

Justice delos Santos/MLB

Tags: San Francisco Giants, Misc Rumor

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Astros Could Use Zack Greinke As Reliever In Playoffs

Sep 29, 2021 8:52 AM

The Houston Astros could use Zack Greinke out of the bullpen during the postseason.

Greinke landed on the 10-day injured list with neck soreness last week. He's expected to conclude his regular season with a rehab start on Thursday for Triple-A Sugar Land.

When asked about Greinke's potential postseason role, Dusty Baker said using him in relief is "a very distinct possibility."

Jake Kaplan/The Athletic

Tags: Houston Astros, Misc Rumor

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J.D. Martinez Undecided On Opt-Out Clause After 2021 Season

Sep 30, 2021 8:50 AM

In the midst of a bounce-back season, J.D. Martinez is unsure about his future with the Boston Red Sox.

Martinez has an opt-out clause in his contract that would allow him to become a free agent this coming offseason.

"I'm right in the middle," Martinez said. "It's a balancing line, and I'm right in the middle. I haven't made a decision. I don't worry about that stuff, but right now I'm right in the middle."

Martinez, 34, has hit .285/.349/.516 (126 OPS+) with 27 home runs in his first 142 games this season.

Rob Bradford/WEEI

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Free Agent Rumor, Misc Rumor

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Noah Syndergaard Makes Start, Jacob deGrom Shut Down

Sep 29, 2021 8:46 AM

Noah Syndergaard took the mound for the New York Mets on Tuesday, his first Major League start in two years in a delayed comeback from Tommy John surgery.

The right-hander topped out at 96 mph and struck out his first two batters in a perfect inning, throwing nine of 10 pitches for strikes. He was removed after the first inning.

"I felt great," Syndergaard said. "It was amazing to get back out there."

The Mets also announced that Jacob deGrom won't pitch again this season. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since mid-July because of an elbow injury that has healed.

ESPN

Tags: New York Mets, Injury, Misc Rumor

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Joe Maddon: Shohei Ohtani Didn't Mean He Wants Out Of L.A.

Associated Press

Bradley Zimmer Becomes First To Homer Off Brother Since 1975

Shanna McCarriston/CBS Sports

Cardinals, Adam Wainwright Optimistic About Contract Talks

Derrick Goold/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Rays Will Push Two-City Plan At Tropicana Field During Playoffs

Adam Berry/MLB

Carlos Rodon To Test Sore Arm Wednesday

Jesse Rogers/ESPN

Giants' Brandon Belt Has Broken Left Thumb, Status Unclear

ESPN.com

Brandon Belt To Undergo Tests On Thumb Injury

Susan Slusser/San Francisco Chronicle

Woman, Child Killed At Fall At Petco Park

Mike Axisa/CBS Sports

Rays Clinch Second-Straight AL East Title

Dayn Perry/CBS Sports

Brewers Clinch Second NL Central Title In Four Years

Associated Press

Cardinals Extend Winning Streak To 16 Games

ESPN

Shohei Ohtani On Future With Angels: 'I Want To Win'

Alden Gonzalez/ESPN

Angels Officially Shut Down Mike Trout

ESPN.com

Diamondbacks Extend Torey Lovullo For 2022 Season

ESPN

Cardinals Extend Longest Winning Streak Since 1982

Associated Press

White Sox Clinch AL Central Title

Jesse Rogers/ESPN

MLB Experimenting With Pre-Tacked Balls In Triple-A

Associated Press

Rays Clinch Playoff Berth, Have 'Bigger Aspirations'

Adam Berry/MLB

No Current Discussions Between Mets, Billy Beane

Anthony Franco/MLB Trade Rumors

Braves' Adam Duvall Has Home Run Nixed After Gaffe On Bases

ESPN