Cubs
First baseman Anthony Rizzo was able to mend fences with a foe-turned-temporary-teammate in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman at the All-Star Game, according to MLB.com. There were no issues when the two crossed paths for the first time since Rizzo sparked a benches-clearing incident July 10 in Cincinnati. In that game, he yelled at Chapman and approached the Reds’ dugout for throwing inside to teammate Nate Schierholtz. “I don’t have a problem. There is no problem,” Chapman said of Rizzo before the game and noted that they shook hands.
Brewers
The average time of a nine-inning game this season has been 3 hours, 3 minutes, which would be a record for a full season, according to STATS. Despite MPB’s efforts to speed the pace of games, the average is up four minutes from last years and 12 minutes since 2010. That’s just fine with Jonathan Lucroy, the NL’s starting catcher. “I don’t think you ever want to speed up games. I think you should leave the game the way it is. I think it’s fine. It’s been like that for 100 years,” he said. “Any time you try to speed up the game I think you’re going to run into some more issues.”
Cardinals
NL/St. Louis manager Mike Matheny’s most interesting decision in the All-Star Game was in picking his own RHP Adam Wainwright to start ahead of Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw and admitting it was, in part, because he sees how much good Wainwright does on a daily basis. “The numbers line up, and it’s obvious that this is a high-caliber pitcher who I believe to some degree has never even been given the amount of respect that he’s due,” Matheny said. … Reliever Pat Neshek, who started his career with the Twins and also grew up in a Minneapolis suburb, Brooklyn Park, took the loss at the All-Star Game, giving up two fifth-inning runs. “It’s baseball. The balls don’t bounce your way. It’s a tough one, but I think everybody had a lot of fun,” Neshek said. Not that Neshek was blaming the field for any bad bounces — his brother works on the ballpark’s grounds crew.
Pirates
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Andrew McCutchen became the first player in franchise history to hit tying and go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning or later of the same game.
Reds
For NL Rookie of the Year honors, Billy Hamilton is hitting just well enough to put his speed to good use on the bases, and shortstop Chris Owings has been a mild bright spot amid a terrible season in Arizona. Right-hander Jesse Hahn is off to a fine start in San Diego, and after a late start, Pittsburgh outfielder Gregory Polanco has already shown he can get on base.
Compiled by Rick Crotts from wire reports.
Indians
“I think Klubes is a really good pitcher,” manager Terry Francona said of Corey Kluber (9-6). “You’re not going to have your best command every night, but he still stayed out there for six and gave us a chance to win.” Kluber: “When you have 30-some starts, there are going to be times when it’s a struggle to get through it. You have to keep your team in the game. The important thing is we got a win.” … LHP T.J. House was optioned to the minors and reliever RHP Austin Adams was called up.
Royals
Despite missing the All-Star game because of a sprained right wrist, just getting picked was rewarding for OF Alex Gordon. In addition to the $50,000 bonus, Gordon will benefit from an escalator provision in his deal. By making the All-Star team, his 2015 salary and a 2016 player option rise by $500,000 each to $14 million. Gordon’s deal, which began in 2012, originally was worth $37.5 million but now guarantees him at least $40.2 million over four years and $54.2 million over five seasons.
Tigers
From MLB.com: “Neither Joel Hanrahan nor the Tigers had a timetable for the pitcher getting onto the mound in a Detroit uniform when he signed in early May amid his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Two months later, that uncertainty remains. While Hanrahan continues to throw off a mound at the Tigers’ Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla., he has not yet faced hitters – either in live batting practice or simulated games.”
Twins
The team’s recent surge has been built through starting pitching, thanks to Kevin Correia, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson and even Yohan Pino. … Joe Mauer landed on the DL for the third time in four years. His numbers were well below his career norms across the board. From the Pioneer Press: “It’s been a very trying year for me personally. I’d get things going, and something would happen. That’s baseball. I’m trying to stay as positive as I can and trying to work through it. This is another thing I have to try to work through. Hopefully it doesn’t take too long.”
White Sox
The team reached a deal with LHP Carlos Rodon on a minor league contract that includes a nearly $6.6 million signing bonus. The deal with Rodon, the No. 3 pick in the draft, was a first-team, all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a junior with North Carolina State this past season after he went 6-7 with a 2.01 ERA. He ranked ninth in the nation with 117 strikeouts and held opponents to a.229 average in 14 starts. General manager Rich Hahn said he sees 21-year-old as a “premium front end starter,” and there is a chance Rodon could be called up to the majors this season.
Compiled by Rick Crotts from wire reports.
