The 2018 amateur draft is over, which means it's time for Dayn Perry's annual look at the best 25 names in the draft class. If you didn't know Gunnar Troutwine before, well now you do. Here is everything you need to know about Friday's MLB action.
Friday's scores
Cubs 3, Pirates 1 (box score)
Brewers 12, Phillies 4 (box score)
Giants 9, Nationals 5 (box score)
Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1 (box score)
Cardinals 7, Reds 6 in 10 innings (box score)
Yankees 4, Mets 1 (box score)
Indians 4, Tigers 1 (box score)
Marlins 4, Padres 0 (box score)
Mariners 4, Rays 3 (box score)
White Sox 1, Red Sox 0 (box score)
Astros 7, Rangers 3 (box score)
Angels 4, Twins 2 (box score)
Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 4 (box score)
Athletics 7, Royals 2 (box score)
Dodgers 7, Braves 3 (box score)
Yankees take Subway Series opener
The 2018 edition of the Subway Series opened at Citi Field on Friday night and, wow, are the Yankees and Mets going in different directions. The Yankees went into Friday's game 31-9 since their 9-9 start. The Mets were 16-31 since their 11-1 start. Yikes.
Brandon Nimmo socked a leadoff homer against Masahiro Tanaka on Friday -- Tanaka later exited the game with tightness in both hamstrings and will be reevaluated Saturday -- and Jacob deGrom manhandled the Yankees for seven innings. He allowed just one unearned run going into the eighth. In that eighth inning though, Brett Gardner tagged him for a go-ahead two-run homer.
The Mets did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning before Aroldis Chapman wiggled out of the jam. At 41-18 (.695), the Yankees have the best winning percentage in baseball. They're three games up on the Red Sox in the loss column.
As for the Mets, they continue to really scuffle offensively. The Nimmo homer was their only run Friday night, and during their current seven-game losing streak, they've scored eight runs total. Four of the eight came in one game. deGrom has a 0.81 ERA -- 0.81! -- in his last nine starts now. The Mets are 2-7 in those games. Good gravy.
Nationals lose Strasburg, lose to Giants
Potential double whammy for the Nationals. First, Stephen Strasburg had to exit the game after two innings with what is being called shoulder inflammation. He'll head for tests Saturday. Cameras caught Strasburg flexing his arm a bit in the second inning, but he did stay in to complete the frame before being removed.
Shoulder inflammation for Strasburg. MRI tomorrow. No sense of a timetable or severity, though he wanted to keep pitching and Martinez said no.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) June 9, 2018
Because that wasn't bad enough, the Nationals also lost Friday's game to the Giants, dropping them below the Braves in the AL East. Andrew McCutchen and Gorkys Hernandez both hit home runs in that one.
Obviously, the more important story is Strasburg. Losing one game is no big deal. It's one of 162. Strasburg has had lots of injury problems over the years though, and losing him for any stretch of time would be a significant blow to a rotation that is already a little thing on the back end. Expect the Nationals to be extra cautious here. They'd rather have Strasburg miss a few games now rather than rush things and lose him for a lot of games later.
Sale throws hardest pitch since 2010
Much like the Mets, the Red Sox has their ace on the mound at home Friday night, and they didn't give him any run support. Chris Sale struck out 10 and allowed one run in eight innings against the White Sox. The Red Sox were shut out. Ouch.
Sale did something Friday night he had not done since 2010, back when he was a reliever: He hit 100-plus mph on the radar gun. He did it twice, in fact, once for a swinging strike three. Here are the numbers:
Chris Sale's fastest career pitches
— David Adler (@_dadler) June 9, 2018
1. 101.0 mph (8/21/2010)
2. 100.7 mph (9/12/2010)
3. 100.5 mph (9/10/2010)
4. 100.3 mph ➡️ Palka K tonight
5T. 100.2 mph (once tonight, three times in 2010)
9T. 100.0 mph (twice in 2010)
That 100.3 mph pitch is the fastest strikeout pitch by a starter in baseball so far this season. Sale is tough enough to hit as it is. Now he's throwing 100 mph? Good luck, hitters.
Trayce Thompson was able bring home a run with a miracle RBI single. The Red Sox, who were without Mookie Betts (side) and J.D. Martinez (back), were unable to get anything started against Dylan Covey and various relievers.
Happ saves Cubs with his glove (again and again and again)
Friday afternoon, two teams trending in opposite directions met at Wrigley Field. The Pirates as recently as May 17 were in first place and nine games above .500. However, they went into Friday's game with a .500 record and having lost six straight series. The Cubs, meantime, had won nine of 11 and have for some time owned the best run differential in the NL. In other words, the Pirates really need to take a bite out of the reigning NL Central champs in this one.
That did not happen Friday. The Cubs outlasted the Pirates in the series opener -- Pittsburgh has lost 15 of their last 20 games while the Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 -- and they did so thanks to Ian Happ's glove. He made three spectacular diving catches in left field that saved no fewer than two runs in all. Check it out:
In case you're wondering, there was no carry over bad blood from last week's series in Pittsburgh. Anthony Rizzo clipped catcher Elias Diaz with an illegal slide into home plate and, two days later, Joe Musgrove slid hard into Javier Baez at second base. If either team is going to retaliate, it didn't happen Friday.
Mariners win another one-run game
You have to hand it to the Mariners. They sure know how to win one-run games. Friday's win improved their record to 20-9 in one-run games. That is far and away the most one-run wins in baseball. Starter Marco Gonzales turned in a gem.
Of course, Friday's game was a one-run win because Alex Colome inherited a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning, and proceeded to allow a two-run homer. That comes one-day after a 5-1 ninth inning lead turned into a 5-4 win. A win is a win, but something tells me the Mariners would like to win by multiple runs one of these days. Little less stressful, you know?
The Rays now dropped eight consecutive games, on the other hand.
Goldschmidt finally heating up?
Is Paul Goldschmidt finally starting to heat up? He went into Friday's game with a .233/.344/.429 batting line for the season, which is league average-ish overall and decidedly un-Goldschmidt-like. He has been struggling all year.
That said, Goldschmidt had three hits Tuesday and four hits Wednesday. Going 7 for 9 with four doubles in two games is pretty darn good. The D-Backs were off Thursday, then, in his second at-bat Friday, Goldschmidt launched a two-run homer.
A few innings later, Goldschmidt hit another two-run homer. He went 3 for 5 with a double and two homers Friday, so, in his last three games, he's 10 for 14 with five doubles and two homers. Pretty, pretty good. His season batting line is up to .241/.349/.464.
The D-Backs have been arguably the worst hitting team in baseball this season -- their team .218 batting average going into Friday night was the worst in baseball -- but they're right in the thick of the NL West race anyway. Goldschmidt finally getting hot would be a huge shot in the arm.
Brewers' bats wake up
The Brewers went into Friday's game with the Phillies riding a three-game losing streak, and in those three games they scored four runs total. The offense had slipped into a little bit of a funk. Safe to say that funk is over. They scored three runs in the first inning, two in the second, and six in the third en route to a 12-4 win at Citizens Bank Park. Ryan Braun clubbed two dingers.
Vince Velasquez wore it for the Phillies. He was charged with 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings in the loss. Just like that, his 3.82 ERA became a 4.95 ERA. Ouch.
Friday's win allowed the Brewers to keep pace with the surging Cubs and maintain their half-game lead in the NL Central.
Quick hits
- Angels RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani has been placed on the 10-day DL with a Grade 2 UCL sprain. He will be reevaluated in three weeks. GM Billy Eppler said he's hopeful Ohtani will avoid Tommy John surgery.
- MLB announced Padres LHP Jose Torres has been suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2018 season under MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. The suspension stems from an offseason incident.
- Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard will miss Sunday's start with ongoing discomfort in his finger. He's on the disabled list with a ligament sprain and was expected to be activated this weekend.
- Indians LHP Andrew Miller threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Friday, reports MLB.com. He's been sidelined for two weeks with a knee issue. Miller is progressing well, but there is no firm timetable for his return.
- Giants RHP Johnny Cueto threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Friday, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. He's out with an elbow issue. Cueto still needs to go on a minor league rehab assignment, so he's roughly 3-4 weeks away.
- Twins 1B Joe Mauer is not close to being activated, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He's been out since May 18 with a concussion, Mauer experienced renewed symptoms last week.
- Rangers SS Elvis Andrus is on track to be activated on June 18, reports the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He'll be begin a minor league rehab assignment in the coming days. Andrus has been out since mid April with a broken elbow.
- The Astros have activated C Brian McCann off the 10-day DL, the team announced. He'd been out with a knee issue. C Tim Federowicz was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
- Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been placed on the DL with a sore shoulder, the team announced. RHP Jacob Rhame was called up in a corresponding move. RHP Robert Gsellman and RHP Anthony Swarzak will close for the time being.
- White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon will be activated in time to make his 2018 debut on Saturday, the club announced. Rodon has been out since having shoulder surgery in September. LHP Hector Santiago will shift to the bullpen.
- The Pirates have placed RHP Richard Rodriguez on the DL with shoulder discomfort, the team announced. He has a 2.38 ERA and a 33/3 K/BB in 22 2/3 innings this season. RHP Dovydas Neverauskas will called up in a corresponding move.
- The Mariners have placed RHPs Juan Nicasio and Dan Altavilla on the 10-day DL, the team announced. Nicasio has a right knee injury while Altavilla has a sprained UCL. RHP Mike Morin and 1B Daniel Vogelbach were called in corresponding moves.
- The Cardinals have placed LHP Tyler Lyons on the DL with a sprained pitching elbow, the team announced. RHP Mike Mayers has been called up in a corresponding move.
