LEADING OFF: 3 Mother’s Day doubleheaders on rainy weekend
May 7, 2022, 12:34 PM | Updated: May 8, 2022, 12:35 am
A tarp is seen covering the field as a storm postpones a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
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RAISING AWARENESS
Susan G. Komen and Major League Baseball are teaming up in the fight against breast cancer, and Komen’s “Share a Moment with Mom” campaign will debut a Mother’s Day video. The video will be released on the organization’s social media channels and website. It will also appear in stadiums and feature players such as Pete Alonso, Tim Anderson, Carlos Correa, Carlos Rodón and Mike Trout with their mothers.
MAKING THEM UP
After rain wreaked havoc with the baseball schedule this weekend, there are 18 games on tap, including three doubleheaders.
Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies host the New York Mets, Cedric Mullins and the Baltimore Orioles host the Kansas City Royals, and Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees host the Texas Rangers in the three twinbills.
That comes after six postponements Friday and three more Saturday. The Rangers are making their only scheduled trip to play the Yankees this season, and the same is true for the Royals in Baltimore. After doubleheaders Sunday, those two series are now extending into Monday.
DEBUT
George Kirby, baseball’s fifth-ranked right-handed pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, makes his big league debut for the Seattle Mariners against Tampa Bay.
Kirby was competing with Matt Brash for the final spot in the rotation during spring training. Now Brash is going to be converted to a reliever.
The Mariners took Kirby in the first round of the 2019 draft. He began the season at Double-A Arkansas, where he’s gone 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts.
HELP ON THE WAY
Oakland outfielder Ramón Laureano is eligible to return from his 80-game drug suspension. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said he was traveling to Minnesota on Saturday to join the team. Laureano played 10 games with Triple-A Las Vegas.
The cellar-dwelling A’s have lost eight in a row heading into their game against the Twins. Minnesota leads the AL Central but might have to deal with an absence of its own after star outfielder Byron Buxton left Saturday’s game with right hip tightness.
ON A ROLL
Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros have won six in a row — the last three by one run each over the Tigers. Houston now goes for a four-game sweep of Detroit.
Miguel Cabrera and Dusty Baker both achieved milestones Saturday. Baker won his 2,004th game as a manager, passing Bruce Bochy for 11th on the career list. Cabrera doubled in the third inning, joining Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols as the only players with at least 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 600 doubles.
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