Braves News:
King Felix Owns His Kingdom, Mariners Defeat Braves, 4-2
Seven-losses in a row really is something isn't it? The Braves came to Seattle on the heels of being swept by the San Diego Padres, six-losses in a row. Unfortunately, facing Felix Hernandez is arguably the worst thing to do while in a losing streak, and Tuesday night only validated that. Hernandez went eight strong innings, striking out eight, while only allowing one run. Jason Heyward was one of the only Braves to salvage something out of the night at the plate, going 2-4 (but he also struck out twice). Another poor overall outing from the Braves was made even worse when a star player went down with an injury (read below for more information).
Simmons Leaves Game With Ankle Injury
More good news! Star shortstop Andrelton Simmons was forced to leave the Braves/mariners game in the fourth inning after twisting his ankle on third base. According to the Braves' Twitter account, Simba is listed as day-to-day, and will be reevaluated Wednesday, Although the injury doesn't seem too serious, losing a key player in Simmons is the last thing the Braves need right now - or ever for that matter.
Several Braves Take in the Seattle Fishing
Could it be? Could there actually be a feel-good, lighthearted story to follow the miserable week that has hit the Atlanta Braves? Yeah, it sort of is. The Braves are in Seattle for a two-game series with the Mariners, and five Braves (Tommy La Stella, Gerald laird, David Hale, Shae Simmons, and Anthony Varvaro) took to the water to do some salmon fishing. Sure, maybe it's just fishing. And maybe it will have zero impact on the now seven-game losing streak, but sometimes it's cool to remember that pro-athletes are humans too, and do human stuff outside of their respective sport (weird, right?).
Is it Almost Time to Give Up On the Braves?
Yep, it's that time of the year. That point where no one is really sure what to think of their team and what the rest of the season will bring them. In this case, it's the Atlanta Braves, who are slowly falling behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East. You could point a finger at along list of reasons for the Braves season, which is looking worse and worse everyday. Losing starters Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen to Tommy John surgery, Mike Minor's less than ideal season (a 5.42 ERA, .354 BABIP, and a -0.2 WAR), and B.J. Upton's incredibly disappointing season (a .211 average, and just a wRC+ of 70) are all valuable scapegoats for a potential late-season collapse. But pointing fingers can only take one so far. There's just under two months of regular season left, but is it getting to the point where all hope is lost?
MLB News:
Adam Dunn Takes the Mound in the Ninth
No, you didn't read that wrong. The Chicago White Sox came into the ninth inning of their Tuesday matchup with the Texas Rangers trailing 15-0. So what does a team naturally do? Save the bullpen, throw the veteran designated hitter out on the mound. Dunn allowed just one run on two hits and a walk. Sox' center-fielder Adam Eaton shared his thoughts on the veteran's performance:
"I haven't laughed on a baseball field like that in a long time, ever since I was probably kicking dandelions, in my early teens," said White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton of Dunn's Major League pitching debut. "He had good sink, that's all I can say. He was 80 mph but he had really good sink."
Arrests Made in Regards to the Biogenesis Case
On Tuesday, Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch surrendered to DEA agents. Bosch will reportedly plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids. Ten others were also arrested along with Bosch, including Alex Rodriguez' cousin Yuri Sucart. One year ago, 13 players were suspended due to their involvement with Biogenesis. With these arrests, will more stories and names come out of this? How will the MLB react?