Top News:
Joe McDonald / Worcester Telegram & Gazette:
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale looks sharp after latest bullpen session at Polar Park — WORCESTER — Atmosphere is everything for Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale and he's enjoying his time with the Worcester Red Sox this week at Polar Park. — The veteran left-hander is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, Boston.com and ESPN
RELATED:
Joon Lee / ESPN:
Ranking MLB's City Connect uniforms — Major League Baseball and Nike introduced the City Connect series this season to shake up uniform design across the sport in the most dramatic fashion since the league introduced the Turn Ahead the Clock alternates in the late 1990s.
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Historic futility: Diamondbacks set MLB record for consecutive road losses — The Diamondbacks established a modern-era major league record on Thursday afternoon with their 23rd consecutive road loss. — In losing, 10-3, to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, the Diamondbacks moved past …
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit, Sports Illustrated and The Athletic
RELATED:
ESPN:
Arizona Diamondbacks fall to San Francisco Giants, set modern-era record with 23rd straight road loss — SAN FRANCISCO — Occasionally, the Arizona Diamondbacks' players glanced up at the Oracle Park scoreboard in center field. It told a most familiar, gloomy story.
Discussion:
The Athletic, MLB Baseball News …, McCovey Chronicles, Arizona Sports, Associated Press and baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
MLB relaxes COVID protocol restrictions for all vaccinated players and staff — NEW YORK — All fully vaccinated players and staff can stop wearing masks in dugouts, bullpens and clubhouses under the latest change to Major League Baseball's coronavirus protocols.
Discussion:
Royals Review and The Good Phight
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Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom exits with shoulder soreness, ‘confident that this is nothing’ — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom will get an MRI on his right shoulder on Thursday after leaving Wednesday's start against the visiting Chicago Cubs because of soreness.
Discussion:
NESN.com, Defector and Amazin' Avenue
Associated Press:
Mahle fans 12, Reds silence Brewers' bats again in 2-1 win — MILWAUKEE — Tyler Mahle tied his career high with 12 strikeouts, Tucker Barnhart drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh inning, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Wednesday to finish a three-game sweep.
Discussion:
Cincinnati.com and Red Reporter
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Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
‘Time for us to do our part’: Reds win battle of bullpens for series victory vs. Brewers
‘Time for us to do our part’: Reds win battle of bullpens for series victory vs. Brewers
Discussion:
Red Reporter
Deesha Thosar / New York Daily News:
Mets loosen leash on Joey Lucchesi, Edwin Diaz tumbles in walk-off loss to Nationals — After spending the past month making his plea to go deeper into games, Joey Lucchesi finally got a longer leash from the Mets. — On Friday night, Lucchesi for the first time this season faced an opposing lineup the third time through the order.
Discussion:
Newsday
Kiley McDaniel / ESPN:
Kiley McDaniel's 2021 MLB Mock Draft 2.0 - A new No. 1? Who gets Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker? — We're now about three weeks from the 2021 MLB draft, which begins on Sunday, July 11, and while there's more buzz about specific team preferences, sources think information on this front …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Chris McCosky / Detroit News:
Schoop's offensive surge could raise profile at MLB trade deadline — It's hard to be jokey and light during Zoom interviews. No matter how you try to soften things, the player is sitting in front of a screen, staring into a camera with a bunch of reporters asking questions — it always feels like an interrogation.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
ESPN:
Yankees turn a triple play you've never seen before — The New York Yankees have had their issues this season, but they've got at least one thing down — turning triple plays. — In Thursday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, the Yankees turned their second triple play of the season, a first in franchise history.
Discussion:
New York Post and baseballmusings.com
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Why MLB's sticky-stuff crackdown plan is causing a major rift across baseball — INSIDE THE DUGOUT of a National League team this week, a passive-aggressive internecine squabble broke out. When two veteran hitters returned to the dugout after striking out, each said, loud enough for everyone around them to hear, “Sticky stuff.”
Discussion:
New York Times, DRaysBay, Union-News, AZ Snake Pit, MLB Trade Rumors, The Athletic, Lookout Landing and Sports Illustrated