MLB Morning Lineup Podcast

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Surprise Derby winner; All-Star Game tonight Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

Teoscar Hernández became the first Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby, edging Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals. That sets the stage for the 94th All-Star Game tonight, with Pirates rookie Paul Skenes starting vs. O's ace Corbin Burnes.

On today’s episode ...

ACT 1: THE BIG STORIES (0:28-4:05)

The last player to enter the field, Teoscar Hernández became the first Dodgers player to win the T-Mobile Home Run Derby as the final round went down to the final swing. Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. fell one home run shy in his bid to win the crown less than half an hour from where he grew up. Two-time champion Pete Alonso did not make it out of the first round in his bid to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for the most Derby titles.

ACT 2: WHIPAROUND (4:17-7:36)

On the eve of the All-Star Game, this year's participants held court at Media Day. Among the most popular topics of conversation was Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, who will be the sixth-youngest pitcher to start the Midsummer Classic. Another young star, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, took advantage of his first All-Star appearance to meet his idol, Derek Jeter.

ACT 3: LOOKING AHEAD (7:36-9:12)

The main event is here as baseball's best square off tonight in Texas in the 94th All-Star Game. Taking the mound opposite the rookie sensation Skenes will be Orioles ace Corbin Burnes at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Aussie goes No. 1 in Draft; Home Run Derby tonight Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Travis Bazzana made history when the Guardians selected the Oregon State 2B with the No. 1 pick in the Draft, making him the first Australian-born player to be selected 1st overall. Also of note, a trio of Wake Forest stars went in the top 10.

On today’s episode …

ACT 1: THE BIG STORIES (0:26-4:52)

The Draft continues to trend international. Along with Aussie Travis Bazzana going No. 1 to Cleveland, Cincy selected Italian-born pitcher Chase Burns No. 2 overall – one of three Wake Forest teammates to go in the top 10. Burns could be just the fifth pitcher born in Italy to reach the Majors and the first since 1950. Additionally in Draft news, the Mariners used the 15th pick of the first round to select Jurrangelo Cijntje, a Mississippi State product who throws both right- and left-handed.

ACT 2: WHIPAROUND (5:03-8:01)

In on-field action heading into the All-Star break, the A’s went off in Philly, smashing eight homers in an 18-3 win over the team with the Majors’ best record, the Orioles rallied past the Yankees in the finale of their AL East showdown, 6-5, and in a bid to make history, Blake Snell took a perfect game into the seventh inning before the Giants needed a Little League homer to walk off the Twins, 3-2.

ACT 3: LOOKING AHEAD (8:01-9:14)

Tonight, the T-Mobile Home Run Derby takes center stage in Arlington as seven sluggers will bash against Pete Alonso, who is looking for his third Derby crown, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr. for the most all time.

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Should Skenes start ASG? Phils’ statement sweep Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Seven no-hit innings with 11 K’s. The spectacular has almost become routine for Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. Which begs the question – should Skenes start Tuesday’s All-Star Game? Also, the Phils rolled to their first sweep of the Dodgers since 2011.

On today’s episode …

ACT 1: THE BIG STORIES (0:32-6:58)

Pirates fireballer Paul Skenes exited after 99 pitches, joining Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in AL/NL history to have multiple starts of six or more innings with 11 or more strikeouts and zero hits allowed in the same season. Not bad for a 22-year-old. In Philly, the hosts put another loss on the Dodgers to secure their first sweep of LA at home since 2008 – outscoring them 19-5 in the process – and the Mets improved to 7-4 in July with a sweep of the Nationals.

ACT 2: WHIPAROUND (6:58-7:57)

Elsewhere around the Majors, the Mariners rolled past the Angels, 11-0, Cy Young hopeful Tanner Houck lowered his ERA to 2.54 with six shutout innings against the A’s, and Riley Greene had three hits and three RBIs as the Tigers crushed the Guardians, 10-1.

ACT 3: LOOKING AHEAD (7:57-9:06)

Tonight, the top two teams in the AL East open a big showdown in Baltimore as the Orioles take on Gerrit Cole and the Yankees, who are just 0-7-1 in their last eight series.

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HR Derby field set; Shota caps strong 1st half Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

The Home Run Derby bracket is set after Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández joined the field, Brooks Lee earned major bragging rights by homering off Drew Thorpe, and Shota Imanaga was brilliant in his final start before the All-Star Game.

On today’s episode:

Act I: THE BIG STORIES: (0:26-5:53)

Now that the Home Run Derby field is finalized, who should be considered the favorite? Speaking of the long ball, Twins rookie Brooks Lee crushed his second career homer on Wednesday and it'll be just as memorable for him as his first, coming off his former Cal Poly roommate Drew Thorpe. Are they still best friends after that? Plus, Shota Imanaga showed yet again why he's headed to the All-Star Game, tossing six shutout innings against MLB's best offense in Baltimore.

Act II: WHIPAROUND: (5:53-7:15)

Michael Kopech threw the White Sox's first immaculate inning in 101 years while closing out a win over the Twins. The Royals swept an I-70 series doubleheader in St. Louis. For the second time this season, Nick Pivetta struck out eight straight batters in an outing, tying Roger Clemens and his own record for the most in Red Sox history. Framber Valdez had a season-high 10 strikeouts in the Astros' win over the Marlins.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD: (7:15-8:20)

Paul Skenes will face the first-place Brewers in his final outing before the All-Star Game. If he fares well, he'll strengthen his case to start the Midsummer Classic.

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Trea slams the Dodgers; Reds rookie makes history Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

Trea Turner's grand slam led the Phillies past the Dodgers in the first clash between the NL's best teams, Reds rookie Rece Hinds is hitting at a historic pace to begin his career, and the Yankees’ summer swoon continued in Tampa Bay.

On today’s episode: Act I: THE BIG STORIES (0:54-2:51): Remember when the Dodgers let Trea Turner walk after the 2022 season? He seems to take it personally. The former Dodger hit a grand slam and singled twice in the Phillies' 10-1 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday. Turner is now 12-for-29 with two homers and seven runs scored in seven games against the Dodgers since joining the Phillies. Speaking of hot hitting, Reds rookie Rece Hinds finished a single shy of the cycle in Tuesday's win over the Rockies, making him the first player since at least 1901 with five extra-base hits in his first two games. Hinds has put on quite the display of power, hitting a 449-foot homer in his debut Monday and a 458-foot shot for an encore on Tuesday. Over in the AL East, the Yankees dropped the series opener against the Rays, falling to 5-15 in their last 20 games. Where do they go from here?

Act II: WHIPAROUND (2:51-4:52): Chris Sale recorded his MLB-leading 12th win with a strong outing against the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings while striking out nine. The red-hot Rangers have run their winning streak to a season-high five games, using a late homer from Adolis García to beat the Angels in Anaheim.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD (4:54-6:56): After a rainout Tuesday, the Show-Me Series -- the battle between Missouri's two MLB teams -- begins Wednesday when the Royals visit the Cardinals for a doubleheader beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET. With both teams in playoff contention, it has all the makings to be a compelling matchup.

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Elly can't wait to see Shohei. A tribute to Mays Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Elly De La Cruz, the stolen-base artist who swiped two more last night, is adding language arts to his repertoire -- so he can converse in Japanese with Shohei Ohtani. In San Francisco, the Giants held a public celebration of the life of Willie Mays.

On today's episode:

Act I: THE BIG STORIES (0:53-2:28)

Elly De La Cruz stole two more bases in the Reds' 6-0 win over the Rockies. That makes him just the third player with 45 steals and double-digit homers before the All-Star break, joining Rickey Henderson in 1986 and Kenny Lofton in 1994. And yet, what De La Cruz did a day earlier might be even more amazing: The Dominican native said he was learning Japanese so he can speak with Shohei Ohtani at next week's All-Star Game. And he said it in English, not even his first language. Elsewhere, amid reports they would be sellers at the upcoming Trade Deadline, the reigning World Series champs have suddenly come alive. The Rangers whipped the Angels for their fourth straight win. And the surging Cardinals won again, over the Nationals, and now are not only in the thick of the NL Wild Card race but are hot on the trail of the NL Central-leading Brewers.

Act II: WHIPAROUND (2:28-4:17)

The Giants held a public celebration of the life of Willie Mays yesterday afternoon at Oracle Park. Commissioner Rob Manfred was among the dignitaries paying tribute, along with former President Bill Clinton and Barry Bonds. Also, the Home Run Derby field continued to fill up. Sluggers Bobby Witt Jr. and Marcell Ozuna were announced as participants.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD (4:26-6:02)

Tonight, brace yourself for an NLCS-caliber matchup three months before October. It's the Dodgers and Phillies from the Bank at 6:40 p.m. ET on MLB.TV and TBS. And then at 9:40 ET on MLB.TV and MLB Network, an intriguing Interleague matchup between two teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today: Mariners at Padres.

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Sox-Yanks finale, Skenes makes All-Star history Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Rafael Devers continued to hammer Yankees pitching. Tarik Skubal continued to make a case for the AL Cy Young Award. And Paul Skenes continued to make history, becoming the first No. 1 Draft pick named to the All-Star Game the very next season.

On today’s episode:

Act I: THE BIG STORIES: (0:55- 6:24)

Rafael Devers crushed two more homers to give him 16 in his career at Yankee Stadium. They came a day after he reached 1,000 career hits. Boston's 3-0 win on Sunday Night Baseball delivered a series victory over the reeling Yankees. Tarik Skubal of the Tigers punctuated his All-Star selection with perhaps his best game in a season filled with big games. The AL Cy Young candidate fanned a career-high 13 batters across seven innings to complete a weekend sweep of the Reds. Skubal joined Mickey Lolich in Tigers lore as the only Detroit pitchers with 13 strikeouts, zero walks and no more than one run allowed in a game.

Act II: WHIPAROUND: (6:24- 8:02)

Paul Skenes continues to do things never before seen in baseball. The latest? The Pirates right-hander became the first player drafted No. 1 to become an All-Star the following season. He was among more than 30 first-timers named to next week's game. On the opposite end, Royals catcher Salvador Perez was chosen for the ninth time -- on the day he got his 1,500th career hit. The Phillies led all teams with seven players selected.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD: (8:02- 9:18)

Chris Sale became an All-Star again at age 35 in his revival season with the Braves. Tonight, as he continues his bid to be the NL starting pitcher, he'll take on the D-backs on MLB Network at 9:40 p.m. ET. But first, at 7 ET on the Network, tune in for a celebration of the life of Giants legend Willie Mays.

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Kwan joins leaderboards; Walker loves L.A. Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

Steven Kwan became MLB's new batting average leader after his three-hit day, the Yankees' recent struggles continued with a sweep at the hands of the Reds and Christian Walker made it back-to-back nights with two home runs at Dodger Stadium.

On today’s episode:

Act I: THE BIG STORIES: (0:59-5:18)

Steven Kwan suddenly finds himself near the top of several leaderboards after his three-hit day gave him enough plate appearances to qualify and made him the MLB batting leader with his .367 mark. The Yankees' fall from the best record in baseball to second place in their own division continued as the Reds completed a three-game sweep in the Bronx.

Act II: WHIPAROUND: (5:18-8:20)

Christian Walker continued his Dodger Stadium dominance with two more homers, giving him five in the three-game series. The Nationals played their traditional 11 a.m. ET Fourth of July game against the Mets and prevailed in under two hours thanks to Jake Irvin's gem and Jesse Winker's clutch home run. Julio Rodríguez might be heating up after hitting a double and a home run in a victory over Corbin Burnes and the Orioles.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD: (8:20-9:17)

Two of baseball's best rivalries are on tap as the Red Sox and Yankees meet on MLB Network at 7:05 p.m. ET, and the Braves host the Phillies on Apple TV Plus at 7:20.

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Isbel's incredible catch; Sale's All-Star case Jul 04, 2024

Show notes

Kyle Isbel helped seal a Royals win by making one of the best catches we've seen this season, Yordan Alvarez homered again to keep the Astros rolling and Chris Sale continued building his All-Star candidacy by picking up his 11th win.

On today’s episode:

Act I: THE BIG STORIES: (0:51-2:53)

If you're not familiar with Kyle Isbel's game, you should be now. With the tying run at the plate in the ninth, the Royals center fielder covered 103 feet to make a snow-cone catch at the wall to help preserve a win over the Rays. Since 2023, Isbel has saved the third-most runs among all center fielders. The Astros are back, and maybe scarier than ever, beating the Blue Jays for their 13th win in their last 17 games. Yordan Alvarez, who was named an All-Star starter on Wednesday, homered for the third straight game. The resurgent Chris Sale turned in a vintage performance against the Giants, striking out nine across six innings of one-run ball. The 35-year-old is now tied for the Major League lead in wins (11). Should he start the All-Star Game? He has a case!

Act II: WHIPAROUND: (2:53-4:38)

A's right-hander Joey Estes tossed a "Maddux" in Oakland, only needing 92 pitches to shut out the Angels. James Wood, MLB's No. 2 prospect, stole his first base, scored his first run and recorded his first career RBI in the Nationals' win over the Mets. Oneil Cruz ripped a walk-off single to lift the Pirates over the Cardinals.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD: (4:38-6:16)

A loaded Fourth of July slate starts bright and early when the Mets face the Nationals in the nation's capital at 11:05 a.m. ET on MLB Network.

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Elly's epic Bronx debut; Ohtani's special homer Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Elly De La Cruz dazzled in his Yankee Stadium debut, Shohei Ohtani hit a big homer as the Dodgers celebrated Japanese Heritage Night, and the Mets outlasted the Nationals in extra innings thanks to some help from a fast-healing hero.

On today’s episode: Act I: THE BIG STORIES (0:44-6:58)

Playing in his first game in the Bronx, Elly De La Cruz, who grew up a Yankee fan, lit up The Stadium by launching a 425-foot homer and legging out a triple with his trademark speed. Aaron Judge mashed his MLB-best 32nd homer, but the Reds held on to take the series opener. Out west, the Dodgers celebrated Japanese Heritage Night in the most appropriate way possible -- with Shohei Ohtani crushing his 27th homer of the season, a two-run shot that gave L.A. the lead in the seventh. A go-ahead homer by Joc Pederson nearly spoiled the night, but the Dodgers strung together three two-out hits to walk off the Diamondbacks in the ninth. Meanwhile, Brandon Nimmo was something of a medical miracle in the Mets' extra-inning win in Washington, coming off the bench to deliver two clutch hits just a day and a half after suffering a head injury after fainting in his hotel room.

Act II: WHIPAROUND (6:58-8:24)

Nathaniel Lowe had a bobblehead night to remember, homering twice to lead the Rangers past the Padres in Arlington. Jarren Duran went yard for the third time in as many games to key a Red Sox win in Miami.

Act III: LOOKING AHEAD (8:24-9:24)

Two of the NL's top hurlers will face off at Wrigley Field today when Shota Imanaga and the Cubs welcome Zack Wheeler and the Phillies.

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