Tag Archives: Zack Wheeler

Philadelphia Phillies’ Pitcher Cristopher Sánchez to Play in First MLB All-Star Game

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Cristopher Sánchez is preparing to get in the game…

The 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, a left-hander for the Philadelphia Phillies, will play in his first MLB All-Star Game appearance as the replacement for Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale, who is scheduled to start for his team on Sunday and won’t pitch in the Midsummer Classic.

Cristopher SánchezThe addition of Sánchez pushes the Phillies’ MLB-leading total to eight All-Stars, adding to the franchise record.

The game is Tuesday night at the home of the Texas Rangers. Philadelphia will go into the break as the only team in the big leagues with at least 60 victories.

Sánchez becomes the 38th first-time All-Star and the ninth replacement — five from the National League. He raised the total number of All-Stars to 73.

Sánchez is 7-4 with a 2.96 ERA. He allowed two runs in six innings in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in his last start before the break.

Sánchez was the third member of Philadelphia’s rotation in the All-Star Game but the only one who’ll make it to the game. Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler won’t participate due to back spasms while lefty Ranger Suárez was replaced by Braves starter Max Fried.

The Phillies have three starters in first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm. Relievers Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm round out the Philadelphia contingent.

Sale picked up his MLB-leading 12th victory in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. This is the eighth All-Star nod for the 35-year-old.

Fried, who will be heading to his second All-Star Game, is 7-5 with a 3.08 ERA. He’s also had two complete games for Atlanta this year.

Seattle‘s Logan Gilbert was replaced by reliever Andrés Muñoz, his teammate, with Gilbert also set as a Sunday starter.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander and infielder Jordan Westburg were added earlier to the American League roster in place of Houston Astros shortstop Jose Altuve (sore left hand) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (bruised right shin) and Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (left shoulder soreness).

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and right-hander Hunter Greene, and San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos were NL replacements for Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (back spasms), Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (broken left hand) and right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back tightness), and San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (right thigh).

Marcus Semien of host Texas replaced Altuve in the AL starting lineup.

Skenes is slated to start for the National League after making just 11 big league starts.

Jose Alvarado Agrees to One-Year, $3.45 Million Deal with Philadelphia Phillies

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Jose Alvarado is philling good…

The 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher, a reliever for the Philadelphia Phillies reliever has avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal for $3.45 million.

Jose Alvarado He had filed for $3.7 million and the Phillies’ $3.2 million.

Alvarado went 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA and two saves in 59 relief appearances. He had a 5.56 ERA in 12 postseason appearances for the National League champions, getting the win in the Game 5 pennant clincher against San Diego Padres.

He failed to hold a one-run lead in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the World Series, relieving Zack Wheeler with two on and giving up a three-run homer to Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Jason Adam became the team’s fourth player to go to a salary arbitration hearing this year, asking a panel for $1,775,000 on Friday while the Rays argued for $1.55 million.

A decision is expected Saturday.

Adam was 2-3 with a career-low 1.56 ERA and a career-best eight saves in 67 relief appearances, striking out 75 and walking 17 in 63⅓ innings. He earned $1.15 million.

Tampa Bay also is awaiting decisions in the cases of relievers Ryan Thompson ($1.2 million vs. $1 million) and Colin Poche ($1.3 million vs. $1,175,000) and outfielder Harold Ramirez ($2.2 million vs. $1.9 million).

Teams have won three of five decisions against players so far. Eleven players remain scheduled for hearings, which run through February 17.

Yordan Alvarez Leads Houston Astros to World Series Title After Hitting Massive Go-Ahead Home Run

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With a massive swing, Yordan Alvarez helped propel the Houston Astros to a second World Series title.

The 25-year-old Cuban professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder hit a clutch late-inning home run to help the Astros take Game 6 from the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night by a 4-1 margin.

Yordan AlvarezIn the process Alvarez helped secure Houston’s second title in the last six years.

Alvarez came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on first and third and one out in the inning. The Phillies, who had taken a 1-0 lead in the top half of the frame on a Kyle Schwarber home run, elected to replace right-handed starter Zack Wheeler with left-handed reliever José Alvarado. Unfortunately for Phillies manager Rob Thomson and crew, that decision did not pay off.

Alvarado fell behind 2-1 to Alvarez before throwing a 99 mph sinker that caught far too much of the plate. Alvarez made Alvarado pay for the mistake, too, crushing a home run to dead center that left his bat traveling at 112.5 mph and carried some 450 feet, according to Statcast. The home run gave the Astros a 3-1 lead with just nine outs separating them from another title.

The Astros’ win expectancy swung from 50.5 percent prior to the home run to 84.3 percent afterward, per FanGraphs‘ calculations

Alvarez had a big postseason in one respect, as he showed a knack for delivering go-ahead home runs. According to MLB.com‘s Sarah Langs‘ research, he became the only player in Major League Baseball history to record three go-ahead home runs in the sixth inning or later of a postseason game. To be clear: that’s on a career level, yet Alvarez did it all in this postseason alone.