Worldwide Sports News

Guardians’ fans saw the team lost a frustrating game but got the news the organization would call up Travis Bazzana today last night – the rare Lose-Win situation.

I was busy covering the Bazzana call-up so I neglected to write a game recap. Here goes: Parker Messick was very good again, so was Colin Holderman who looks like the pitching factory has ironed out his wrinkles. But, Hunter Gaddis had the rare implosion at the worst possible time and coughed up the lead. Unfortunately, there is no room for error because the Guardians’ offense is mired in a slump. Daniel Schneemann’s two-run home run was all they could muster, as they could not touch a bad Rays’ bullpen. Rays’ closer Bryan Baker tried his darndest to give up the lead in the ninth. Kyle Manzardo got a single with one out. Now, sitting at home, I wondered why manager Stephen Vogt did not pinch-run Juan Brito for Manzardo at this point. Manzardo has 7th percentile sprint speed. Juan Brito has 35th percentile sprint speed. Brito WAS in the dugout, not on his way to Columbus. Would that have been enough of a difference to allow Brito to score on the ensuing Chase DeLauter double? I think there’s a decent chance it would have. But, hey, it’s probably a reminder that having Bazzana’s speed in the lineup should help. Anyway, George Valera swung at two pitches nowhere near the strike zone and made the second out and Schneemann had offered enough heroics for the night and ended the game with his own punchout.

The Tampa pitching matchups do NOT get any easier today as the Guardians look to snap a three-game losing streak, so the Guardians’ hitters need to figure some stuff out quickly.

But, hey, Travis Bazzana is on his way! Presumably, he will fill out the 40th roster spot which is currently open and result in Juan Brito’s brief time here mercifully coming to an end for the time period. Will Brito be the most I have ever been wrong on a prospect? Very possibly. But, let’s hope he can get back to recognizing that being a disciplined hitter and pulling fly balls is his path to success.

AROUND MLB:
The Twins and White Sox won, while the Tigers and Royals were idle. I will note that the Red Sox shutout the Blue Jays. Perhaps the thing that most concerns me about the Guardians at the moment is that they were not able to take that series against a struggling Toronto team… time to get things turned around, boys.

The late 1950s were among the best of times in the rich history of the New York Yankees. While the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford made the headlines, those years featured deep rosters for the Bombers, including exemplary depth and talent on the mound. Among that unsung crowd during that time, the Yankees enjoyed the early years of Tom Sturdivent’s career.

A right-handed pitcher who likely started his career at the peak of his abilities before turning in a decade of journeyman work, Sturdivent was an important part of several World Series winning squads. Although his time in New York was relatively brief, he made the most of it with some solid work on the bump, and a couple of rings to add to the trophy case.

Tom Sturdivant
Born: April 28, 1930 (Gordon, KS)
Died: February 28, 2009 (Oklahoma City, OK)
Yankees Tenure: 1955-59

Born in Kansas and signing at the age of 18, Tom Sturdivant spent the first decade of his professional baseball career with the Yankees. Originally an infielder, he turned in middling results with the bat in the minor leagues until 1950, before missing the ‘51 season due to military service. He returned in 1952, this time converting to working full-time on the mound.

After re-routing his baseball career, Sturdivant climbed his way up to the big leagues, making his debut in April of 1955. He appeared in 33 games in his rookie season, primarily out of relief, with only one of those being a start, and he pitched quite well. In 68.1 innings of work, the righty managed a 3.16 ERA. He pitched twice in that season’s losing World Series effort, but struggled to make a mark, allowing a pair of runs across three innings of work.

In 1956, Sturdivant came in with a bigger role in store, and handled the added workload gracefully. Although he pitched in fewer games (32), he more than doubled his innings load, and managed to maintain a remarkably similar 118 ERA+ mark in more than 150 frames. He was efficient and kept himself out of trouble, posting a league-leading 2.12 K/BB. He appeared twice in that season’s Fall Classic and was much more successful, highlighted by a complete game in Game 4 of the series. The Yankees took home the World Series in seven games, thanks in part to Sturdivant’s heroics in the fourth game.

Riding the wave of a championship, Sturdivant would enter the 1957 season on a high note and pitch the best baseball of his career. At the age of 27, the hurler started 28 games, working over 200 innings for the only time in his big league career. In his full-time role, Sturdivant shined with a career-best 2.54 ERA. It turned out to be the finest work he would have with the Yankees, and in his Major League career.

After back-to-back successful 16-win seasons in the Bronx, the downswing of Sturdivant’s career unfortunately began in 1958. He began to experience arm troubles, and would never again reach the quality or volume that he did with the Yankees in the two years prior. In ‘58, the righty was only able to start 10 games for the Yankees, with much diminished returns on the mound. Although he did not pitch in the series, his team did win another World Series that season, adding another ring to his collection.

He began the 1959 season with the Yankees once again, but after continued struggles from the jump, Sturdivant’s time in pinstripes was nearing the end. He was traded to the Athletics in late May, as his days in New York, as well as his best days on the mound, were over.

Although it was a new chapter for Sturdivant, it was not entirely unsuccessful. He pitched 165.2 above-average innings in 1961 between Washington and Pittsburgh, and would top 100 innings of work a couple more times, including another solid season with the Pirates in ‘62.

As far as the terms you could describe Tom Sturdivant’s career, well-travelled is certainly one of them. Beyond the Yankees, Washington, and Pittsburgh, the pitcher also made stops with the Athletics, Tigers, Red Sox, and Mets in his 10 years of big league time. Pitching in over 1,100 innings in the Major Leagues, Sturdivant worked out to a roughly league-average run-preventor, which is a far more valuable thing than it sounds, and the Yankees were able to enjoy the very best of that career.

Born on this day 96 years ago, a pitcher whose peak saw a couple of great seasons and a complete game victory in the World Series, Tom Sturdivant was an unsung hero on the highly talented 1950s Yankees rosters.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is on the injured list again, and New York is using the roster move to call up one of its top pitching prospects.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday night that an MRI revealed a low-grade right calf strain, which Stanton suffered Friday while running the bases in Houston. The Yankees held off on the IL move for several days before acting, but Boone said the results left little choice. He added that Stanton could potentially return when first eligible but did not want to set a firm timetable.

The move clears a roster spot for right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, a 22-year-old prospect who turned heads in spring training and at the World Baseball Classic. Boone confirmed on his weekly appearance on the Talkin' Yanks podcast that Rodríguez will start April 29 against the Texas Rangers in his major-league debut. Will Warren, who had been listed as the probable starter, will be pushed back and is expected to start this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles.

Alex Cora, who was fired Saturday by the Boston Red Sox, was officially offered the Philadelphia Phillies managerial job on Monday afternoon but rejected it, two persons with direct knowledge of the decision told USA TODAY Sports, instead deciding to instead spend time with his family.

They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Cora’s decision led the Phillies to promote bench Don Mattingly to be their manager Tuesday after firing Rob Thomson.

Cora, who’s in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract, is expected to sit out now for the rest of the season. When asked if he plans to stay home the rest of the summer, Cora said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports: “Full-time dad."

About the only good thing to come from last night’s 11-4 drubbing at the hands of the Minnesota Twins was the big-league debut of hard-throwing Alex Hoppe. You know we love a debut around here, and it was extra special that it was such a quiet stinker of a game that Brad Adam could easily track down Hoppe’s wife Sasha, able to be present for his big-league debut, for a fully wholesome in-game interview.

We’ve been interested in Hoppe since the Mariners traded minor-league catcher Luke Heyman for him this winter, and that interest ratcheted up during spring training, where he was hard to miss, with his cornstalk shock of white-blonde hair and loud stuff. I was able to sit down with Hoppe this spring and ask him some questions about his experience leaving the club that drafted him, and what he’s excited about in becoming a Seattle Mariner.

Hoppe reported to Mariners camp this spring in mid-January, eager to acquaint himself with his new club and a whole new part of the country. Born in Clinton, Iowa (home of the former Mariners Low-A affiliate the LumberKings) and spending his college years at UNC-Greensboro before being drafted by the Red Sox, the 27-year old, deeply polite Midwesterner had never been west of Kansas City, Missouri before coming to the Mariners organization, and was eager to get comfortable with both a new club and a new environment.

“I said, I’d like to come down early, is that allowed?”

In Arizona, Hoppe took part in “Shove Camp,” the strength-and-conditioning intensive the Mariners put their pitching prospects through prior to spring training. He spent time getting to know the coaching staff and his fellow players, as well as learning how the Mariners do things, which he felt gave him a leg up coming into the spring.

Hoppe admitted he was startled to be traded from the organization that had drafted and developed him, and concerned about moving to an unfamiliar part of the country, but the more he thought about it, the more excited he was about the idea of being a Seattle Mariner.

“I think a lot of [the shock] was location-wise. Is it going to be different? But then I started thinking. I’ve heard the Mariners are one of the best organizations in baseball at developing pitching, so this is a great step for my career, going forward.”

He prepared for his new organization by connecting with friends and acquaintances who had firsthand experience with the Mariners, who all told him the same thing:

“They said, hey, they’re going to take what you do best and try and get you to do that as much as you can, and stay true to what your strengths are and amplify those strengths. So that was what I knew before I even became a Mariners and so far, that’s held true.”

It’s easy to see what Hoppe’s strengths are in watching him pitch: his slider—the pitch that got him his first two big-league strikeouts in last night’s game—is a swing-and-miss pitch that tunnels nicely with his four-seam fastball. The four-seamer, which he describes as his favorite pitch, comes in violently, with hard downward action thanks to his higher arm angle as he aims to backspin the pitch through the zone. Hoppe says the Mariners have emphasized to him that they see him as a “north-south” pitcher who will attack the top and bottom of the zone.

“The first part that probably stands out is the velo. That’s a big part of who I am, I throw hard.”

But that big velocity – his four-seamer is between 96-99, which he rounds out with a hard slider (87-88), a two-seamer the Mariners encouraged him to add, a cutter (91-92), and an occasional changeup – hasn’t always been part of Hoppe as a pitcher.

“It’s been a progression for me. When I went into college I topped out at 88. But I’ve always been a late bloomer physically, and going into college, I was like a buck-sixty and five foot ten and I’d never been in a weight room, really. So it’s been a steady progression. As my body physically developed, I got more accustomed to throwing programs at the collegiate level, and so throughout college I was able to increase my velocity. It wasn’t until my last year in college when I was hitting upper-9s, and then it wasn’t until my first year in pro ball where I had touched 100 for the first time. It’s just always been a steady progression as I’ve matured physically. Just, I’ve always been a little bit behind on that compared to some other guys, which is perfectly fine. It’s just been a challenge to go, like, from throwing upper 80s to all of a sudden touching triple digits, learning how to harness that.”

Harnessing that big stuff has been Hoppe’s challenge as he’s worked his way up the minor-league ladder, and while he was with Boston he worked on strategies to help him do that.

“It’s about staying within yourself, not trying to do too much. A big thing I’ve been working on in my career is like, I don’t need to be at 110% to throw 100 if I stay controlled, stay within my mechanics, and don’t get rushed or anything like that. I’ll still have the velo that I want, I’ll be over the plate more. Because that’s that biggest thing for me. Yes, I can throw the hard fastball and the hard secondaries and such, but the challenge for me is like, can we consistently be over the plate? Because when I do that, I have great success.”

When Hoppe joined the Mariners, those conversations continued. Hoppe said he was impressed with how many forms communication can take in the Mariners organization.

“If you’re a visual learner, they may put up a PowerPoint. If you’re a talker, multiple conversations where we just talk. Some guys are just active, so you’ve gotta see it live. Some guys really like to dig into the data, and some guys just want to be told exactly what to do.”

“I value data. I love using it in practice. When it comes to game time, go out and compete; for me, personally, I can’t be thinking about all the data points and all the numbers and statistics and stuff when I’m out there, because at the end of the day, I’m trying to win my 0-0s and my 1-1s.”

One of the biggest things that’s helped Hoppe adjust to his new environment is the amount of positive feedback he’s received from Mariners pitching development, who he says 100% believed in him as a big-leaguer maybe even before he believed in himself as one.

“I know I have my faults and stuff, but they told me, do this and you’re gonna help us. You’ve got all the hard stuff done, just make these fine little tweaks and you’ll be right here with us competing your ass off and winning us ballgames…They’ve been very vocal about it. The staff has been like, hey, we see you as this type of player, doing this for us, helping us get to and win a World Series. That’s what we see for you. We believe in you, even if you may not believe it yet. They’ve been great at vocalizing that and making sure I know that as a player too.”

The first part of the prediction is checked off: Alex Hoppe is, as of last night, officially a big-leaguer. Now the next, and harder part: making those tweaks to stay one, and in doing so, helping the big-league club win games and get closer to the ultimate vision board entry, the World Series.

Just three weeks ago, the Giants hosted the Philadelphia Phillies in a series I figured was over before it started. As you’ll recall, the Giants sent the Phillies away from Oracle Park in grand style: back to back shutouts. It didn’t exactly send Philadelphia into a tailspin, but after entering the series in San Francisco 6-4, they’ve gone 3-15. The two teams have effectively swapped positions.

Are these 9-19 Phillies firmly in “also ran” territory with five months of the season remaining? Well, they fired their manager, Rob Thomson, this morning. He was the guy who took over after Gabe Kapler. Replacing Thomson is… haha — wait, seriously? Don Mattingly!

I had forgotten he managed the Marlins for seven seasons (2016-2022) and only in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season did he have a winning record (2020).

Anyway, a manager is usually only as good as their roster, and in this Phillies roster ol’ Donnie Two Times might have found himself firmly between those Marlins teams and his Dodgers teams. There are certainly good players on this roster, but as we saw in San Francisco and as we can see by their record, the bloom is off the rose for this particular group.

You know, unless Don Mattingly energizes them for this series.

But the 10-game losing streak they’ve already suffered this season is their longest since 1999. They’ve also lost 11 of 12 heading into this series. Their 9-19 start is their worst since 2002. The vibes are nonexistent at this point.

On the other hand, there’s a chance the Giants might have actually lost some of their momentum with the travel day. Going 4-2 on a homestand that included the Dodgers was such a good time and their comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the finale against the Marlins so heartening that getting on a plane and heading east seems like it could’ve cooled off a team that was warming up.

Can the confusion and consternation of the Phillies situation make it easier for the bats to stay in a groove? We’ll find out, I suppose. The Giants faced two of the pitchers in this series back in San Francisco and got 11 hits and 4 runs against the Phillies’ ace Cristopher Sanchez. In three starts since, he’s given up 26 hits in 17.12 IP while striking out 20. He has a 4.11 FIP in that span as well.

You’ll recall that the Giants shutout the Phillies in the final two games of the series and since then, Philadelphia has mustered just 3.75 runs per game (60 runs in 16 games) and a team line of .218/.284/.370 with a 7.2 BB% and 21.7 K%. It was actually lower on the 9-game homestand they had following the Giants series (3.66).

That Phillies series really does feel like the first key turning point of this Giants season and having a rematch so soon could be tricky. The Phillies have enough dangerous talent that the Giants are better off seeing them in a state of transition than at full strength and you just hope they can get through this series before they coalesce around their new manager.

Who is Don Mattingly.

A famously not great manager.

Still, it’s Baseball, so, you never know. Maybe this is the situation that works for manager and team. But, you know, they should put it together after the Giants leave town.

Series overview

Who: San Francisco Giants (13-15) at Philadelphia Phillies (9-19)
Where: Citizens Bank Park | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: Tuesday & Wednesday at 3:40pm PT, Thursday at 10:05am PT
National broadcasts: MLB Network simulcast (Wednesday)

Projected starters
Tuesday: Tyler Mahle (RHP 1-3, 5.26 ERA) vs. Jesus Luzardo (LHP 1-3, 6.91 ERA)
Wednesday: Logan Webb (RHP 2-3, 4.86 ERA) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (LHP 2-2, 2.94 ERA)
Thursday: Adrian Houser (RHP 0-3, 7.36 ERA) vs. Andrew Painter (RHP 1-2, 5.25 ERA)

Players to watch

Phillies

Kyle Schwarber: Again, always keep an eye on this guy. He’s been the second-best hitter on the Phillies in the 16 games since the Giants series (135 wRC+) but with 6 homers and an 11% walk rate. On the negative side, just a .197 average and 29.6 K%.

Bryce Harper: He has been the best hitter on the Phillies over the same span (150 wRC+) and has mixed in 4 homers, 2 doubles, a triple, and a home run to go with a 10.4 BB% and 20.9 K%.

Jesus Luzardo: It’s going to be tough to get to Cristopher Sanchez twice in a month, I’d think, so the series might come down to how they handle the other Phillies lefty. He’s had just one great start this season (11 strikeouts and 1 run in 6.2 innings at Coors Field), but his only other decent start was last week against the Cubs in Chicago where he allowed just 1 run in 4.2 IP to go with 4 walks and only 3 strikeouts. He’s made 6 career starts against the Giants and sports a 5.37 ERA in 31 IP. Last year, though he was 1-0 in 2 starts with a 2.19 ERA.

Giants

Adrian Houser: It’s probably not going to go well for the Giants’ well-paid pitching machine, but he’s pitched okay at Citizens Bank Park for his career. In 4 games and 2 career starts, he’s 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA and — gasp — just 1 home run allowed. Now, that count could go up right away, but on the other hand, the Giants might need him to spin a gem for them to pull out a series win.

Heliot Ramos: He appears to be sneaking back to his lefty-mashing ways (career .849 OPS vs. LHP) with a triple slash of .292/.346/.500 (.846 OPS) in 26 PA against them this season. He’s been on a roll of late, with a .932 OPS over his past 15 games (55 PA).

Matt Gage/Ryan Borucki: It’s going to come down to getting some key outs against lefties and, well, these are the non-Erik Millers available to the Giants.

Tony Vitello watch

You know what? It could be worse for Giants fans, right? The Giants could’ve dropped $10 million on the manager’s position and be in a Phillies or Mets situation right now and we’d all have to sit there and let things play out while the front office hoped like hell that things would turn around. Vitello looks less deer in the headlights just a month into the job and, well, that’s a very good thing. But if Don Mattingly is able to exact some revenge against the Giants by catching Tony Vitello doing something “first time manager”-ish, I’m gonna lose it.

The Giants were lucky that Don Mattingly was the Dodgers’ manager for all those years. Sorry, Phillies fans.

Prediction time

The Giants will figure out a way to win a game in this series… right? Don Mattingly isn’t going to turn this whole Phillies mess around in a single series… right??

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies begin a three-game set tonight at Citizens Bank Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. 

My Giants vs. Phillies predictions are eyeing San Fran to keep up their winning ways behind Tyler Mahle. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, April 28. 

Who will win Giants vs Phillies today: Giants moneyline (+145)

The San Francisco Giants are still two games below .500, but they’ve started to play better lately. The visitors have won four of their last six contests, and they just took two out of three from the Marlins. 

Tyler Mahle takes the bump in the opener, and he was brilliant last time out, tossing seven scoreless against the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers. The righty is also very familiar with the Philadelphia Phillies lineup, holding them to a .235 average across 68 at-bats.

On the other side, Jesus Luzardo has been awful. He sports a 6.91 ERA, and that balloons to 10.69 across three home starts. He’s given up nine earned runs across his previous two outings.

While the Giants are hitting only .222 against him, they’re starting to find a rhythm offensively lately, and opponents are batting .333 against Luzardo at Citizens Bank Park.

COVERS INTEL: Luzardo has allowed 19 earned runs in only 16 innings at home, and the Giants have scored 12 runs across their last two contests.

Giants vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-130)

The Under has cashed in four of the last six meetings between these two teams. Philadelphia’s offense is non-existent, ranking 28th in the big leagues in runs. While the Giants are producing lately, they’re 29th in runs scored as well. 

Luzardo’s struggles are a clear opportunity for San Fran to tag him for some runs, but Mahle is coming in confident after dominating the Dodgers, and the Phillies are truly a lost cause offensively at the moment. They’re hitting just .219 overall, and .223 at home.

I believe you’ll see the Giants generate offense against Luzardo. However, Mahle will toss another gem, and add to the Phillies’ misery. Expect a relatively low-scoring contest in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Giants vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Giants +142 | Phillies -168
• Run line: Giants +1.5 | Phillies -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Giants vs Phillies trend

The Giants have hit the Moneyline in seven of their last 10 games (+4.80 Units / 42% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Phillies.

How to watch Giants vs Phillies and game info

Giants vs Phillies latest injuries

Giants vs Phillies weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.