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    • In a head-scratching moment during the Colorado Rockies 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon, the umpiring crew that includes Angel Hernandez took time to huddle up and then review a fair-foul ruling that would NOT have resulted in a home run regardless of their determination, was not interfered with, and never came close to leaving the field of play.

      Those are the three big criteria a call needs to be reviewed.

      Of course we all remember Angel Hernandez from several bizarre incidents and rulings over the years, but the freshest in our minds is the botched home run review in Cleveland two weeks ago. These were entirely different circumstances that played out at Coors Field. The game was in no way decided by what happened, but it was no less weird, and the men in blue won't come off looking much better.

      It happened during the sixth inning with Dexter Fowler at the plate. Fowler hit a towering fly ball down the right field line that was pushed into the corner by a pretty strong crosswind. The result was a ball striking high upon the wall, where only a white line separates fair from foul, before dropping back into play.

      Though it hit high on the wall, at no point did it appear to be a home run or anything reviewable. In fact, Fowler and D-Backs' right fielder Gerardo Parra went through the motions as if the ball were live and in play, only stopping when first base umpire Doug Eddings' foul ball ruling had become clear. That was the correct call, by the way, as several replays confirmed Fowler missed a likely double by mere inches.

      Read More »from Angel Hernandez and crew review call that doesn’t seem to fit replay criteria (Video)
    • (AP)The Juice returns for season No. 6! It's almost eligible for free-agency! Stop by daily for news from the action, along with great photos, stats, video highlights and more.

      Chris Davis’ hot-hitting season continued with four more hits, including his American League leading 14th home run, as the Orioles locked up an important division series with a 6-3 win over the New York Yankees. Davis’ two-run blast in the first inning capped a three-run rally against Hiroki Kuroda. Nick Markakis also homered in the inning. Matt Wieters later added a three-run homer that proved to be the difference.

      All important hits in a big game, but it was Davis who kept the line moving with productive at-bat after productive at-bat. And as he noted after the game, the series was of utmost importance to the Orioles. And not just because it was their biggest competition within the division. David Ginsburg of the Associated Press tells us more:

      In the opener Monday night, Baltimore closer Jim Johnson blew a ninth-inning lead and Baltimore absorbed its sixth straight loss. The Orioles rebounded to win in 10 innings on Tuesday night before coasting in the finale.

      ''Anytime a division rival comes in, you want to try to win the series especially when you're at home,'' Davis said. ''We avoided the snowball effect to some degree and were able to get back on track.''

      The Yankees have also avoided the snowball effect this season despite numerous injuries. They added another on Wednesday night as Kuroda was forced to leave in the third inning after being struck on the calf by a Manny Machado line drive. At this time it's not believed to be a serious concern, but one could understand if Yankees fans held their breath a few hours longer.

      Zack Cozart solves Matt Harvey: I think that officially makes Zack Cozart a baseball genius. Sure, a player here or a player there has put together a solid offensive game against Mets phenom Matt Harvey, but nothing nearly as complete as Cozart's four hit effort. Among the hits were two singles and two doubles. He also scored twice, but the game itself wasn't decided until the bullpens got involved. In the ninth, it was Cincinnati who broke through for three runs against Bobby Parnell to take home the 7-4 victory.

      Another day, yet another walk...: Hold on, not so far there, San Francisco. Despite another late inning Giants rally to tie a game at home, the Washington Nationals emerged with the 2-1

      Read More »from The Juice: Chris Davis’ league-leading 14th home run helps Orioles take rubber match from Yankees
    • This isn't just the year of great fan catches, this is the year of the fan making a miraculous catch while dangerously cradling a baby.

      First, we had a fan in Houston making a sweet lunging catch with his cap while leaning over a row of seats with a baby in his left arm. Now, we have a daring fan in San Francisco, who on Wednesday afternoon was standing in an aisle along the third base side at AT&T Park when the left-handed swinging Brandon Crawford sliced a foul ball in his direction.

      With the young child sort of sitting on his left arm like you might see on a shopping cart, the fan reaches out and casually snags the ball in a backhanded fashion not unlike what we often see from Crawford when fielding a ball in the hole at shortstop. In other words, it was a slick play. Then, in one swift motion, he holds the ball up for all to see as the crowd around him gives a nice ovation.

      Read More »from Casual and calm Giants fan snatches foul ball while holding baby (Video)
    • (@SimplyAJ10)With themed outfits becoming a trend du jour among baseball teams, members of the Baltimore Orioles decided to get extra denim-y Wednesday as they traveled from Baltimore to Toronto to start a series with the Blue Jays.

      [Related: Meet the other baseball beltway phenom in Baltimore's Manny Machado]

      The look is called the "Canadian Tuxedo" — a denim-on-denim get-up that's fashionable in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. Only this wasn't a group of hipsters being ironic or Canadian Olympians poking fun at themselves, it was Adam Jones and his crew fully being aboot that denim life.

      Read More »from Adam Jones and Orioles teammates wear ‘Canadian Tuxedos’ on trip to Toronto
    • If you thought homering off Roy Halladay in his major league debut — while his father was being interviewed on the television broadcast, no less — would be the highlight of Evan Gattis' rookie season, you were mistaken. The improbable rise of the 26-year-old catcher hasn't been slowed down since, and many more highlights have followed.

      The past week, especially, has been remarkable for Gattis. On Saturday, his two-run pitch-hit home run in the eighth inning helped the Braves rally past for the Dodgers for a 3-1 win. On Tuesday night, Gattis did it again, hitting a two-out, pinch-hit homer in the ninth to tie the game. Atlanta then won 5-4 in 10 on Freddie Freeman's walkoff single.

      How could he possibly top either of those big moments while starting for Brian McCann on Wednesday afternoon? Simple. He connected for his first career grand slam — 10th homer overall — to break the game open as the Braves completed their three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-3 win.

      That's about as good a five game stretch as a now part-time rookie can have. Unfortunately, though, it won't go down as a perfect stretch. He did commit one relatively large, but easily corrected mental blunder on Wednesday.

      Read More »from Evan Gattis inadvertently tosses Cory Rasmus’ first career strikeout ball into stands
    • (Getty Images)

      Can you imagine Nick Swisher in a hospital room shouting encouragement to his wife while she birthed the pair's first child? We've seen how he is on the field, and how is he in interviews, but Delivery Room Nick Swisher had to be on another level of ridiculous energy.

      Swisher's wife — actress JoAnna Garcia — gave birth Tuesday to a babygirl. We can't confirm, but we have a pretty good hunch that Swisher had Red Bull shooting out of his ears and was shouting "BROOOOOO!" every 10 seconds, telling the doctor, "Man, this is such an amazing experience, bro."

      The Cleveland Indians are playing for the second straight day without Swisher, who is on paternity leave so he can rock out with Baby Swish (as he should). In honor of Swisher entering the fatherhood club, we put together this slideshow of Happy Nick Swisher. He is, after all, the one of the most animated players in baseball. So while we couldn't watch him bro-ing out in the delivery room, we can flip through this and feel like we were there in spirit.

       

      Read More »from Nick Swisher becomes a dad — and he’s probably really, really, really excited
    • Andrew McCutchen is more than a star outfielder and face of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also, apparently, is a budding TV host. McCutchen is starring in a new series called "All Stars With Andrew McCutchen" — it debuted Tuesday on ROOT Sports in Pittsburgh and Wednesday on the web. The point of the series is for McCutchen to interview other "all stars" in their respective fields, mostly outside of sports.

      First up is noted chef, author and TV host Anthony Bourdain. Among other things, the two of them talk about how to improve ballpark food and their own guilty pleasures. McCutchen, by the way, talks about his love for Eggo waffles.

      There should be a new installment of "All Stars with Andrew McCutchen" each month, with different celebrities joining him. We're told Pitbull, Daniel Tosh and Bruno Mars are possible future guests.

      McCutchen showed off another talent last week, when he cut a fan's hair in this video from the MLB Fan Cave:

      Read More »from Andrew McCutchen interviews Anthony Bourdain, talks ballpark grub and guilty food pleasures
    • (USA Today)Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp pledged $1,000 for every home run he hits until the All-Star Game to aid relief efforts near Oklahoma City after Monday's deadly tornado. Kemp, who is from nearby Midwest City and will make $20 million this year, immediately came under fire for the gesture.

      Many people thought that Kemp simply wasn't giving enough. And let him know about it via Twitter.

      So now he's reached deeper into his pocket and is donating an additional $250,000 that's not tied to his on-field performance. Here's the statement Kemp issued Wednesday through the Chris Singleton Foundation.

      Read More »from Matt Kemp pledges additional $250,000 to help tornado relief in Oklahoma
    • Turner Field in May 2013 (Getty Images)

      Have a baseball road trip coming up? Well, in a bid to help you with your upcoming journeys, Big League Stew has solicited the help of the locals. Over the next month or so, we'll be hitting up our usual guest blogger crew to feature 10 tips for enjoying each of the 30 ballparks like the locals do. Have a suggestion in addition to the ones listed here? Make sure to list it in the comments below.

      First off, welcome to Atlanta! Or at least, to a writeup about Atlanta. We’re glad you’re here. This is that Southern hospitality you’ve heard so much about. Also, reading these words has just added to your cholesterol count; we deep-fry everything here, even our verbiage.

      Now, to business: You’re looking to know more about Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves. You’ve come to the right place, sugar. Pull up a chair and sit a spell.

      Turner Field began life as the stadium for the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996, and if you squint, you can imagine how the oval used to run. The seats that enclosed what is now the Fan Plaza beyond center field were temporary, and you can still find them in restaurants all over Atlanta. In the near distance, you can still see the Olympic torch that Muhammad Ali lit in one of the most dramatic moments in sports history; fittingly for Atlanta, it now adorns a highway overpass.

      Turner Field itself is one hell of a ballpark, a more-real-than-real Disneyfied version of the retro-classic Camden Yards style. Your every need is provided for here, your every wish can come true … except in October, of course. Turner Field is the ideal spot for hookups of both the business and personal variety. Families love it, and baseball aficionados can get close enough to the action to smell the seams of the ball. If it was even the slightest bit easier to access, this place would be sold out 81 games a season.

      So join us on our tour of Turner Field. For the truest fan experience, put this article aside and go sit in your car for 90 minutes before reading it. If you must go on now, though, let’s start right there…

      1. Get in the car, Junior: One of the most wonderful things about Turner Field is its easy access from anywhere in Atlanta, as well as the bountiful offerings of bars, shops and nightlife that ring the stadium, creating a destination that’s — HA! Kidding. Turner Field, like its predecessor Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, is in a cultural and transportation dead zone, somehow simultaneously in the middle of everything and yet completely inaccessible. True mass transit doesn’t come within a mile of the stadium, meaning you’re going to be driving. And if you’re looking to make an evening game, you’d better leave now to catch a 7:35 first pitch in September. Pro tip: Don’t take any of the “designated” stadium exits. Drive south past the stadium and double back, or get off early on I-20 and take the back roads past Grant Park.

      Read More »from Turner Field: A local’s guide to enjoying a road trip to the home of the Atlanta Braves
    • The bizarreness that is Jose Canseco's Twitter world, hit a new low Wednesday. The former MLB slugger, noted steroid user and social media sideshow act apparently announced to his 510,000 followers that he just been accused of rape in Las Vegas.

      Canseco tweeted the following, then deleted it roughly 10 minutes later (we've redacted the name of his alleged accuser):

      With Canseco, there's always a possibility that everything is a put-on. But this is legit. The Las Vegas Police Department issued this statement Thursday:

      The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating a Sexual Assault case. Jose Conseco [sic] has been named as the suspect in this investigation. At this time no charges have been filed and our investigation remains ongoing. Per department policy neither victim information or investigation details are available for release.

      Read More »from Jose Canseco tweets rape charge as Las Vegas police investigate claim

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