LEADING OFF: Arenado’s Coors return, Ohtani back in box
Jun 30, 2021, 10:34 AM | Updated: Jul 1, 2021, 12:10 am
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
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ROCKY RETURN
Nolan Arenado will return to Coors Field for the first time since the Colorado Rockies traded the disgruntled third baseman to St. Louis over the offseason. The eight-time Gold Glove winner hit .293 with 235 homers and an .887 OPS over nine seasons in Denver, but the fan favorite was traded two years into a $260 million, eight-year contract amid an at-times public rift with Colorado’s front office.
Arenado is hitting .267 with 16 homers and an .833 OPS in his first season away from the Mile High City. The Rockies have floundered without him, falling well below .500 and hitting just .196 as a team when away from their hitter-friendly ballpark.
BACK IN THE SWING
Shohei Ohtani is expected back in the batter’s box after flopping on the mound Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The Angels’ two-way phenom got only two outs during his highly anticipated first pitching appearance in the Bronx, chased after four walks and charged with a career-worst seven runs.
Ohtani hit leadoff but got just a single at-bat, flying out to center. He leads the majors with 28 homers, including three over the first two games of a four-game set in New York.
The Angels staged a stunning comeback after Ohtani’s departure, with Jared Walsh hitting a tying grand slam off Aroldis Chapman during a seven-run ninth inning in Los Angeles’ 11-8 win. The rain-soaked game ended around 1 a.m. Thursday, about 12 hours before the scheduled first pitch of the series finale.
“SHAKY” JAKE
Mets ace Jacob deGrom is slated to pitch against Atlanta after his 31-inning scoreless streak was ended by the Phillies in his last outing. The two-time Cy Young Award winner gave up a season-high two earned runs in a 4-3 victory, saying he battled mechanical flaws in the later innings.
The right-hander is 7-2 with a 0.69 ERA despite that setback. His ERA still the lowest by any pitcher through 13 starts since earned runs became a statistic in 1913.
He’ll face Braves righty Ian Anderson (5-4), who earlier this month became the first native New Yorker to beat the Mets and Yankees in the Big Apple during the same season.
SOMETHING BREWIN’
Willy Adames, Christian Yelich and the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers take an eight-game winning streak into PNC Park.
Milwaukee extended its streak by routing the Cubs 15-7 Wednesday, stretching its division lead to six games over Chicago.
Corbin Burnes (3-4, 2.53 ERA) starts for the Brewers in Pittsburgh. His worst start of the season came against the Pirates on June 12 when he lasted only four innings and allowed four runs and nine hits.
CYCLE BACK TO ME
Trea Turner will see how he’s feeling, a day after the speedy Washington shortstop jammed a finger on a headfirst slide for a triple. The dive in the sixth inning completed his record-tying third career cycle — he did it on his 28th birthday, too.
Turner became the fifth player in major league history with three cycles, joining Adrian Beltre, Babe Herman, Bob Meusel and John Reilly, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Turner went 4 for 4, scored four runs and stole two bases in a 15-6 win over Tampa Bay. He left for a pinch-hitter in the seventh and was listed as day to day.
The Nationals now open a four-game series at home against the Dodgers.
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