.png)
AL: TB beats HOU 5-2 (TB Leads Series 3-0)
NL: ATL beats LAD 8-7 (ATL Leads Series 2-0)
Rays beat Astros
Kiermaier on Fire. The Rays outfield defense was on fire today. CF Kiermaier makes 2 great catches to save a couple runs. On the first one, he robs a homer right at the center field wall. He actually admitted he jumped a bit too early for that one, but he still squeezed the ball nonetheless. On the second play, he made a diving catch on a shallow blip to center with runners on first and second. At this point, he’s just adding to his Gold Glove highlight reel.
Back, Back, and Caught. KK said in a postgame interview that what separates good outfielders from great ones is going back on a ball. It’s a different skill from rushing in on a ball. To go back, you have to take your eye off the ball, get close to the wall, all while keeping track of your internal time clock. KK works very hard on all of these points during fielding practice. He says making these plays is, “...exactly the same as in my practice. The only difference in a real game is that the lights are on.”
KK is an Aspiring Rapper? KK says he does a daily postgame wrap up in the clubhouse for the whole team. He gives shoutouts to the Pitchers, RBI, homers, and great defensive plays. HE DOES A RAP JINGLE TO END IT. I would pay good money to hear one of these rap recaps.
2 Rays Batters in a Row HBP: When Kiermaier is batting in Top 6, he gets hit in his left wrist with a 99 mph fastball. He gets taken out of the game to get an X-Ray, but it came back negative. He’s being assessed day-to-day and I hope he’s able to make a quick recovery. His hand stayed wrapped up after the game, but I can see that he’s able to move his hand normally. After KK gets hit in the wrist, the very next batter is Willy Adames, who is a righty as opposed to KK who is a lefty. Eerily, Adames also gets hit by a pitch on his hand on almost the exact same high and inside pitch. The only difference was that Adames was on the other side of the plate as KK.
Renfroe’s Impact is “Sub”stanial. Renfroe subs in defensively for KK after KK had to leave the game in the 6th. Renfroe jumps in to play RF and Margot shifts over to CF. Within the 3 innings that he subbed in, Renfroe makes 2 amazing sliding catches, the first play of which was made with bases loaded. Offensively, he also makes a big impact by hitting a 2 RBI double in Top 6 to widen the Rays’ lead.
Braves beat Dodgers
Kershaw was supposed to start today, but his back spasms are back. The Dodgers have already communicated that he won’t start tomorrow either. I hope he gets well soon and we see him back in the rotation as soon as possible.
In Top 5, LAD Cody B makes a stellar over-the-shoulder catch to save 1 run. The runner on 3rd still scores on the sac fly.
This game ended up being far closer than I imagined it would get. Atlanta leads off with a 6-0 lead, making it a blowout from the beginning. However, they almost give the game up in the 9th, when the Dodgers put up a 4-run bottom of the 9th, leaving the score 8-7 Atlanta.
About the Author
Bonnie Young runs the Amplified blog. She shares her insights on market trends from US to Asia and interviews founders that are shaking up the tech scene. She has been passionate about baseball since the age of 13 and regularly attended A's games before the pandemic. Bonnie is currently looking for a growth equity or VC role in the Bay Area. You can reach her at bonnieyoung@berkeley.edu
If you want daily MLB postseason game recaps and editorials directly in your inbox, subscribe to the Amplified newsletter here.