Some MLB baseball players are just now warming up. This could be a problem, as the All-Star Game weekend is fast approaching. That mini-vacation could cause them to cool down and weaken their stats after teams return to the field.
Ranger Suarez Hot on the Mound
Ranger Suarez had a great outing for the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night against the Arizona Rattlers. The left-hander had seven complete scoreless innings in which he struck out seven batters.
Suarez's exceptional start allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to finish with a .500 average for the first time since May. This season the native has been effective in both a relief role and as a starter.
Suarez's ERA is 1.35 in his last four starts. And despite starting the season on the injured list, the left-hander has been strong off the mound. In fact, Suarez's improvement coincides with Philadelphia's rotation. The pitching staff has a 1.71 ERA over the last 11 games.
Astros continue to struggle
The bad news has not stopped raining down on the Houston Astros this season. Recently, they learned that Cuban-American Lance McCullers Jr. had to undergo flexor tendon surgery. Thus, the season will end for one of the starters who could greatly help the rotation of the Astros in the coming months.
To top it off, the team's best hitter and one of the top three in the entire business, Yordan Álvarez, will miss at least four more weeks with an oblique strain. There is no way to replace that casualty, but the Orange machine must find solutions to keep the offense producing. Alvarez's slash lineup up to the time of his injury had been excellent.
The good news is that Jose Abreu is firing on all cylinders in the current contest and that's music to the Astros' ears. The man from Cienfuegos batted .211 in the first two months of the season and in that span, he was only able to connect on one home run.
Since June began, he is posting a .327 batting average with three home runs, hopefully staying consistent. Recall that "Pito" is a better hitter in the second half of the season, but he has never had such a bad start.
Ranger Suarez is such a badass pic.twitter.com/l5evKAdOYK
- Philly Sports Sufferer (@mccrystal_alex) June 9, 2023
Ohanti at a new level of success
Shohei Ohtani keeps up his incredible performances in the baseball world with yet another display that took place during Wednesday night's game in Arlington. The Japanese splendid player drove the ball to left center with a powerful 453-foot hit during the ninth inning of the Angelinos' game against the Rangers, securing their victory with a score of 6-3. This latest display brings Ohtani's total to 21 home runs this season, an accomplishment that establishes him as the leader in the American League.
Since Statcast began tracking hits in 2015, the hardest drive to the opposite field by a left-handed player has been recorded at 116.1 mph; a speed that was matched by both blasts. Ohtani's second home run against the opposing team and his third overall against Texas resulted in this epic tie. He had previously hit two home runs on Monday, one to center field for a 459-foot home run and the other to left field for a 388-foot home run.
Joey Gallo held the previous Statcast record for the fastest home run by a left-handed player. That record was set on September 25, 2017, when he connected on a 113 mph home run. The location of the home run was Globe Life Park, which is the Rangers' original ballpark located in Arlington.
