June is ending this week and the All-Star break is looming on the horizon. There were some controversial calls in the bigs this week as well, but what isn't controversial is the fact that Longball League has been a blast this year. The standings have seemed to settle down a bit with the Invisible Hands still riding atop the league, but seven of the eight other teams have a legitimate shot to win the pennant.
This Week's Three Things From the Major Leagues...
1. New York Yankee pitcher A.J. Burnett accomplished something no Yankee hurler had ever done this past week. He struck out four batters in one inning v. the Colorado Rockies. The inning was the top of the seventh and the strikeout victims were Chris Ianetta (looking), Carlos Gonzalez (looking), Chris Nelson (swinging, who then reached first on the wild pitch that was the third strike) and Todd Helton (swinging). I know striking out four guys in an inning is a rare feat, but it's hard to believe no Yankee had ever done it before.
2. San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner had a real bummer of a game last week when he gave up eight runs on nine hits in the first inning in a 9-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The boys from Minneapolis racked up five doubles in the inning. So it was fitting that when Giants relief pitcher Guillermo Mota came into the game, he got his team out of the inning when the Twins' Joe Mauer hit into a double play.
3. I've watched the replay about a hundred times and the Dodgers' Dee Gordon still hasn't touched home plate yet. That umpire is pure Sears and Roebuck material.
Trivia: A.J. Burnett's four strikeout inning marked the second time he had accomplished such a feat. However, that leaves him one shy of the all-time leader in this category. Former California Angels and Cleveland Indians hurler Chuck Finley holds the MLB record by recording four strikeouts in an inning three different times.
Baseball Card of the Week: Well Chuck, here's to you and your three, four strikeout innings. Here's a look at Chuck's 1987 Fleer card.
Until next week folks, remember Vernon Wells hit five home runs on this last road trip for the Halos, including one that should have been Sunday's game winner v. the Dodgers.
-The Commissioner
