Ironically, it was less than 24 hours earlier that we rehashed Tim Lincecum's accusatory comments on the Coors Field mound in September 2010 that had everyone (myself included) turning into expert lip-readers.

Of course that became temporarily significant again because of the interesting exchange between Troy Tulowitzki and Madison Bumgarner on Friday night after a baseball was taken out of play at Tulowitzki's request as he was running the bases. Rather than a continuation of bad blood, though, it turned out to be nothing more than an honest request and a miscommunication. Everyone went about their merry way heading into Saturday night's game in Denver. But maybe the mere mention of that incident stirred up some spirits at Coors Field.

Well, that, or maybe Tim Lincecum just can't catch a break these days, because the struggling former Cy Young Award winner ended up taking an embarrassing tumble on that same mound in the fourth inning of Colorado's 10-2 victory.

It happened right in the middle of his 1-1 delivery to Charlie Blackmon when his plant leg slipped right off the rubber. He's actually pretty lucky he didn't suffer a sprained ankle or even a knee injury considering the torque and pressure put on his lower leg, but he bounced up and carried on with the only downside to the mishap being a balk that awarded the runner second base.

Well, I guess there was some downside to staying in the game, too, because the Rockies immediately went back to bouncing Lincecum. Their own pitcher, Tyler Chatwood, made Timmy pay for his balk by delivering a two-out, RBI single. Colorado tacked on a two more in the fifth on Wilin Rosario's two-run homer deep into the left field seats.

When all was said and done, Lincecum had allowed six earned runs in five innings, which was better than Bumgarner's line the night before, but certainly not what the Giants needed during this uncharacteristically tough stretch for their starting rotation.

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No beers were sacrificed in the attempt to catch this foul ball, but that's not to say there were no substantial risks involved. In fact, I would confidently say the Cubs fan seated front row in the upper deck at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon was willing to put a whole lot more than a beverage on the line to reel in a souvenir.

Fortunately for him, he had two big things working in his favor as he leaned precariously over the railing with Ike Davis' foul ball slicing in his direction.

The first would be his tremendous balance, as he managed to keep himself steady while extending his arms as far as they would go.

The second are his exceptional hands.

Seriously. That was all about the hands. Even Keith Hernandez, a Gold Glove first baseman in his day who knows how important soft hands are in fielding a baseball, was impressed by how easily the fan was able to snatch the baseball and secure it from that position. And Keith doesn't impress easy, folks, so that's a pretty solid endorsement.

I'll throw my own endorsement in there as well. It was a terrific play. But I'll once again add that bringing a glove to the ballpark it still the best way to go.

Also, kids, if you're reading, don't try copycatting that play at your local stadium or anywhere else. It's far too dangerous and not worth the risk for a baseball. If there's a railing in place, it's there for a reason.

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Though he remains stuck on one home run through the Dodgers' first 40 games, at least Matt Kemp can say he's taken the same number away from their opponents.

The Gold Glove center fielder turned in one of the finest defensive plays we've seen in the first seven weeks on Saturday night, gliding into position, timing his jump, and then hanging in the air just long enough to bring back a Jason Heyward fly ball that wasn't quite ticketed for the bleachers, but definitely had enough juice to clear the wall.

The play happened in the first inning with the game still scoreless. Heyward, who just returned to Atlanta's lineup on Friday after missing 23 games following an emergency appendectomy in Colorado, was making a bid for his third home run of the year. Another foot, maybe 2, he has it, but instead all he could do was tip his helmet to Kemp out of respect for the play he'd just made.

As the game continued, it looked like Kemp's robbery would hold up as the most important play in the game. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth behind an excellent outing by Chris Capuano, before manager Don Mattingly turned to his set-up man, Kenley Jansen. That's where things went south quickly, as Evan Gattis (two-run shot) and Andrelton Simmons parked back-to-back big flys in places Kemp couldn't reach to make it 3-1.

Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel closed things out in the ninth for his thirteenth save. Meanwhile, the Dodgers fell to 17-24 and seven games out of first as their incredibly frustrating season continued down the wrong path.

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Home runs leading off baseball games aren't all that rare an occurrence in Major League Baseball. However, the one hit by Gerardo Parra on Saturday night is rare for a couple different reasons that just so happened to come together on the same night.

1. It came on the very first pitch of the game from Tom Koehler.

Again, in and of itself, not all that unusual, but wait for part two.

2. It held up as the only run scored in the entire baseball game.

That means the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins played a complete nine-inning game, and all of the offense came on the first of 236 pitches. According to Elias (via ESPN Stats), the last time a baseball game followed that exact script was all the back on Sept. 2, 1963.

The hitter that day? None other than Pete Rose, as the Cincinnati Reds knocked off the Mets 1-0 in Game 2 of a doubleheader.

That's pretty remarkable when you think about it, but if you're to believe Parra, that may have been the way hitting coach Don Baylor had it drawn up all afternoon.

[Related: Rays snap Orioles' leading-after-seven streak at 109 games]

From the Associated Press:

Parra's home run to right-center field came on the first pitch from Tom Koehler (0-2) on Saturday. It was Parra's third career leadoff home run and it came on the advice of batting coach Don Baylor.

''I talked to him before the game and he said, 'Just swing first pitch' and he was right,'' Parra said. ''He's got more experience than me.

Of course the game wasn't without other close calls offensively. In fact, the closest one came in the bottom half of the first inning when Chris Coghlan singled to right field and Derek Dietrich attempted to score from second. Gerardo Parra took care of that problem, too, recording his sixth assist of the season to end Miami's one and only true threat to break the shutout.

''The throw there, we've seen it a lot,'' manager Kirk Gibson said. ''It's unreal how good he is and how accurate and strong his arm is. It was a big play for us.''

For the record, the winning pitching back in 1963 was Jim Maloney. He went the distance to notch his 20th victory of the season.

On Saturday, the winning pitcher was Brandon McCarthy, which is also a noteworthy story. He needed only 100 pitches to complete the three-hit shutout — third of his career — and earn his first victory since suffering a skull fracture on the mound last September.

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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.

The Baltimore Orioles have been basically untouchable when leading after seven innings over the past couple of seasons, but that all came to a stunning and screeching halt on Saturday. With a 6-4 lead entering the ninth, closer Jim Johnson, whose consecutive save streak ended at 35 on Tuesday, allowed a home run to Kelly Johnson, two walks, a single, before wrapping up his outing on Matt Joyce’s go-ahead, two-run double.

Sidearmer Darren O’Day took over from there and allowed both of Johnson’s inherited runners to score and then one of his own. All in all, it was a six-run rally for the Rays that turned Baltimore‘s lead into a 10-6 defeat, ending their remarkable 109-game winning streak in games they led after the seventh inning in the process.

I suppose they knew it was coming eventually, but one has to believe there were a few shocked people in Baltimore's clubhouse after it got away to that extent. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria and the Rays couldn't have been more thrilled they were the team to finally end the late inning dominance.

''Their track record after seven innings has spoken for itself,'' Longoria said. ''They've been really good late in the game. And Jim Johnson has been as good as they come. To be able to get to him and then tack a couple more on and be able to win a game like that, especially here in this hostile environment, is really big.''

The Rays will hope to make it three really big wins on Sunday as they go for the series sweep.

Another day, another walkoff: The Cleveland Indians are rolling and not even a blown save by closer Chris Perez can stop them. Despite Perez allowing back-to-back, two-out home runs in the ninth inning to Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak, which tied the score at four, Cleveland found a way to win again.

On Friday night, it was Jason Kipnis delivering a walkoff three-run homer in the tenth. On Saturday, it was Kipnis again who got the rally started with a leadoff single. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a double, and then after Nick Swisher was walked intentionally to load the bases. This allowed Mark Reynolds to get the winner home with an RBI fielder’s choice. Indians take it 5-4.

Votto rhymes with Lotto: Single-walk-double-walk-single. Powerball: Ninth inning two-run homer. No, we didn't win the big cash prize last night, but Joey Votto's fantasy owners had a nice consolation prize with that statline. Aside from reaching safely in all six plate appearances, Votto scored twice, knocked it two runs, and helped lead the Reds to a 10-0 blanking of Philadelphia.

MORE SCORES

Cubs 8, Mets 2: This was the 700th between the two teams. Chicago leads the series 352-348

Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2: That Robinson Cano guy? Pretty good.

Angels 12, White Sox 9: While Josh Hamilton recharged his batteries on the bench, the Angels regained their confidence against White Sox pitching.

Braves 3, Dodgers 1: Atlanta does all of their damage in the eighth on back-to-back homers from Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons.

Diamondbacks 1, Marlins 0: After Gerardo Parra led off the game with a home run, everyone else put their bats to bed.

Padres 2, Nationals 1: Jordan Zimmermann pitched well enough to be an eight-game winner. Eric Stults and Huston Street were just a little better.

Red Sox 12, Twins 5: Two taters and six RBIs for David Ortiz.

Astros 4, Pirates 2 (11 inn.): Credit Houston for putting Friday's disaster behind them quickly. Character-building win, even for baseball's worst.

Brewers 6, Cardinals 4 (10 inn.): Jeff Bianchi wins obscure baseball hero of the day. His two-run single in the tenth won it for the Crew.

Rangers 7, Tigers 2: Healthy statline for Elvis Andrus beginning with five hits.

Rockies 10, Giants 2: No accusations or controversy. Just a straight up pummeling of Tim Lincecum.

A's 2, Royals 1: Tommy Milone threw over 50 pitches before recording his fourth out, but still managed to throw six innings and end his personal five-game losing streak.

Cashman on Ben Francisco's roster spot: "Just in terms of your fan comments section, just say I'm holding onto him to piss everybody off."

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) May 18, 2013

Professional wrestling took over baseball this weekend. Here's Mr. Baseball (and WWE Hall of Famer) Bob Uecker along with WWE's Bella Twins at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

• Chris Iannetta walked four times, making him the second Angels players to ever have two four-walk games in the same season. According to Jacob Jaffe, the other was Fred Lynn in 1984.

• ESPN's Katie Sharp tells us the Yankees have won eight straight home games against Toronto. They last did that during the 1979-80 seasons.

• David Ortiz now has 38 multi-homer games with the Red Sox, which puts him one ahead of Ted Williams for the franchise record.

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Winning over professional wrestling fans in the 1980s and early 90s was never a problem for Jake “The Snake” Roberts (real name: Aurelian Smith Jr.). In fact, he was a master at controlling their emotions and getting the exact reaction he desired every time he performed.

Unfortunately, he was dealing with a little tougher crowd on Friday night when he performed “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the Braves-Dodgers game at Turner Field.

No, those weren’t D-D-T chants (Jake’s famous finishing move throughout his 30-year career) ringing through the stadium as he become accustomed to hearing. That was more of a mixed reaction, as in a mix of boos and what the 'blank' is going on out here.

It was a shaky performance, undoubtedly, but not nearly the worst seventh inning stretch we've seen over the years. And besides, Vince McMcMahon never paid him to sing, and the 93,000 fans who showed up at Wrestlemania 3 in Pontiac, Mich certainly didn‘t pay to hear him sing (that's why Alice Cooper was in his corner). He was a wrestler, and for a ten year stretch during wrestling’s golden era there were few capable of performing at a higher level.

Putting the singing aside and his wrestling success aside, though, it’s really just great to see Jake Roberts healthy and apparently very happy after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction. As you can see in the before and after photo below, he’s made quite a transformation over the past nine months after moving in with another wrestling legend, “Diamond” Dallas Page, and beginning his DDP Yoga program.

According to the now 57-year-old Roberts, he’s 180 days sober (and around 60 pounds lighter). He currently has plans to take on Hollywood and even make a return to the ring in the next year.

We certainly wish him well in those endeavors and hope his improved health continues.

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More baseball coverage from Yahoo! Sports
• Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs
• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids
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• Photos: Wild minor league food creations

No professional sports team understands that line of thinking or has embraced it more than the Tampa Bay Rays ever since Joe Maddon took over the reigns in 2006. The end result has been a number of highly entertaining ventures.

From D.J.’s, mariachi bands and penguins in the clubhouse, to their many awesome themed road trips that have seen players donning various costumes and even lettermen jackets on a trip from Texas to Boston earlier this season, the Rays aren't afraid to stand out or do something silly just to keep the clubhouse atmosphere from stagnating.

It's with that established that we now tell you about Tampa Bay's latest themed road trip. It's their 25th different theme since Maddon started the tradition in 2008, and it's among our favorites so far as the team was decked out in army fatigues, hunting disguises and other various camo patterns for their flight up the coast to take on the Baltimore Orioles this weekend.

Pretty much every player took the assignment seriously, though most were subdued compared to Matt Moore, who you see pictured on the far left in the picture above, and Fernando Rodney, who you'll see below.

Yes, those are plantains hanging from Rodney's locker, because of course. And given his out-going personality, it should come as no surprise that he's one of the players who went all out.

I also have to applaud Jamey Wright, who went with the full green military suit.

Good stuff, and a nice little tradition you have going there, Mr. Maddon.

"We have so much of that in our clubhouse," Rays manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com. "They're all into this stuff. We have so many hunters. Plus, camo's in right now. Camo actually is in in a fashion sense. It's coming from all different directions. The only part that's uncool in a sense is it's a night trip, so nobody gets to see it. But then again, if you're wearing camo, they wouldn't see anyway."

Hey, all that matters is that we can see them now. Thanks again, Joe.

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• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids

That's correct. Prior to the White Sox 3-0 win over the Angels Friday night in Anaheim, there was a "milk the cow" competition right down on field between Chicago reliever Nate Jones and Los Angeles reliever Ryan Brasier.

That's Brasier (pronounced brey-zher), not brassiere as Tom "Wimpy" Paciorek hilariously (and perhaps intentionally) states during the clip. You know Tom.

Anyway, Brasier ended up getting his hand raised in the "milk the cow" competition, which we're sure served as a tremendous warmup for both pitchers had they been needed for an appearance later (they weren't). But the highlight of the entire clip really comes around the 1:16 mark when Hawk Harrelson begins to recall the time he rode Charlie-O the Mule, which was the Kansas City Athletics and Oakland A's mascot from 1963 to 1976, around Yankee Stadium.

Without spoiling too much of the story, we can tell you that yes, there is a picture. We can also tell you the story involves Roger Maris, a fungo bat, a bucking mule, Hawk swallowing his chaw, $25, and is definitely worth the two minute investment of your time. Trust me.

Also, I have to say that baseball players were pretty darn awesome back in the 1960s. Not to mention fearless if a friendly wager happened to be at stake. What a great time that would have been for an internet and a Big League Stew to exist.

Big BLS H/N: Comcast Sports Net Chicago

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• 'Sandlot' actors hit the big leagues, but still look like kids
• Photos: Wild minor league food creations

I should first explain that this was by no means an ordinary foul ball. This was actually a frozen rope off the bat of Albert Pujols, who got well out in front of a Chris Sale breaking ball during their first inning confrontation on Friday night.

To me, if you're not wearing a glove, that's one foul ball you'd want to avoid unless the safety of a loved one depended on it. However, the group of fans sitting halfway down the third base line and about halfway up the bleachers Angel Stadium of Anaheim really didn't have much time to think or react.

Instead, all they could do was hold up their full cups of beer as a substitutes for leather, and the results were not pretty. In particular, they were not pretty for the man wearing the black Angels hat with the white t-shirt. Though his beverage did stay intact, which is very good news, he ended wearing most of the plaid shirted man's beer in front of him.

And to make matters worse for everybody, it looked like plaid shirt may have been in the best position to grab the souvenir after it hit the ground, but was a little slow reacting. We're not sure who ended up with it, but for him it may have been a sacrifice worth making to end up with a Pujols baseball.

Tough call. But I've always said the toughest decisions at a baseball game are made much easier by wearing a glove. I know, I know. Everybody's too cool to do that these days. And yes, I know that would eliminate many of the awesome clips we bring to you on a yearly basis. But I'm just looking out for you, as I always do.

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• Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs

I’m paraphrasing, of course, while channeling my inner Vin Scully.

Lincecum never backed off his words following the game, and the accusation seemed to be that Colorado would occasionally throw a few non-humidor baseballs into the bag later in games to give their offense a better chance at instant offense. Though it felt more like gamesmanship than anything, Major League Baseball took San Francisco’s complaints seriously, even changing the rules for how baseballs at Coors Field were handled between the point where they leave the humidor and end up in the umpires hands.

Case closed. That particular issue has not resurfaced since, whether it be the Giants or any other team visiting Coors Field, but the hard feelings between the National League West rivals have seemingly lingered since that point without ever truly boiling over.

That brings us to Coors Field on Friday night. For a few seconds it seemed like we may have been headed towards that inevitable flare up. It happened in the third inning with Troy Tulowitzki running on first base, D.J. LeMahieu at the plate, and Madison Bumgarner pitching. As it's being reported, Tulowitzki asked first base umpire Tim McClelland to check the baseball. McClelland complied, stopping play to give it a once over before tossing it out of play.

Bumgarner had the outward reaction you'd expect. He didn't appear pleased by the stoppage or the insinuation, and even directed some words in Tulowitzki's direction, but it didn't go beyond those words. That left many of us wondering what exactly the situation was. Had Tulowitzki played the gamesmanship card himself? Did he think something shady was going on? What did McClelland find, if anything?

Andrew Baggerly of Comcast Sports Net San Francisco has some of the answers. At least the ones straight from the players.

“I wasn’t accusing him at all,” Tulowitzki said. “I have too much respect for him to do something like that. I didn’t think they were cheating.”

Tulowitzki said he noticed the mark and pointed it out to umpire Tim McClelland, only to suggest that they put a fresh one into play.

“You respect the game and there’s something on the baseball, so let’s get rid of it and move on,” Tulowitzki said. “You respect guys who compete. I have respect for him and hopefully he has the same for me.”

Bumgarner added:

“I was just confused at the runner on first base asking for the ball to be checked,” Bumgarner said.

Did he think at the time that Tulowitzki was trying to get in his head?

“He didn’t, if he was,” Bumgarner said. “I didn’t take it that way.”

Much ado about nothing, it seems. Just a bizarre occurrence where the runner spots a scuff on the baseball before the batter or home plate umpire. Not a first, but certainly not something you see often. When you then take the history of the two teams into consideration, not to mention the Clay Buchholz accusations from a couple weeks ago, it became a situation worth investigating, but we can close the book on it quickly.

We can also close the book on Colorado's 10-game losing streak to San Francisco. They pounded Bumgarner for nine runs in four and a one-third innings, and then held tight to a 10-9 win after once leading 10-5.

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• Photos: Wild minor league food creations
• Faceplant: The worst head-first slide ever?

The Houston Astros introduced Reid Ryan as their new president on Friday.

It's possible somewhere down the road we'll look back at that moment as the turning point in their organization's history. For now, though, they're still the same old Houston Astros, which means losing games in every way imaginable will continue.

For example, let's look at Friday night's 5-4 walkoff loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Astros held a 4-1 lead through five innings, but saw that evaporate by the time the ninth inning rolled around. The all too familiar sense of impending doom had to be consuming Astros fans at this point, and especially so when Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out after pitcher Edgar Gonzalez botched a would be 1-6-3 double play.

However, as bleak as it looked for that moment, fans were able to let out a temporary sigh of relief after Gonzalez recovered to strikeout Neil Walker for a huge second out. Gonzalez then made the biggest pitch of the game, getting Russell Martin to hit a weak fly ball into short right field for what should have been the third and final out of the inning.

Only one little problem... Impending DOOM finally arrived at PNC Park.

In charged right fielder Jimmy Paredes. Out went second baseman Jake Elmore. They met at the baseball, and then they collided, allowing the ball to pop loose from Paredes' glove and hit the ground to give Pittsburgh the stunning victory.

Painful.

Especially for Paredes, who was charged with the error.

From the Associated Press:

''I'm anticipating the ball being hit to me, just like I do on every pitch,'' Paredes said. ''All I'm thinking about is catching the ball for the third out. That's all I wanted to do. I was watching the ball and then I hit into him. Sometimes things like that happen in this game, and it's frustrating to lose like this.''

You almost feel bad when a game ends on a play like that. At least initially. Then you remember how easily it could have been avoided had two professionals simply communicated.

But, hey, manager Bo Porter says that wasn't the problem here.

Honestly, that's what he said.

''It's not a lack of communication, because there's only one person that should be communicating,'' Porter said. ''The infielder is not saying anything. If he gets underneath the ball, the outfielder is running in and he's looking at the infielder. And if the infielder is waving his hands and under the ball, you let him take the ball.''

OK, but if nobody is communicating verbally and the guy who's supposed to be looking for waving arms isn't looking, then it's a lack of communication, no? And shouldn't the outfielder be looking at the ball to determine his chances while listening to the infielder? After all, he's got the better angle and the momentum. If he can get there, it should be the outfielder's ball, I would think.

Maybe I'm just confused, too. All I really know is the baseball hit the grass, the Astros are a league worst 11-31, and there's no end to their misery in sight.

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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.

With their desired lineup intact for the first time in 40 games, the Atlanta Braves offense turned it up a notch in their 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jason Heyward, who just returned from the disabled list on Thursday after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in Colorado last month, reached base three times to help set the table. Justin Upton then cleared it in the sixth, cracking his third career grand slam off Paco Rodriguez.

''As soon as he took that swing, I knew that ball was going to be out of the ballpark,'' said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. ''That was one of the prettiest swings I've seen put on a baseball.'

After traveling an estimated 461 feet, we're sure the baseball agreed with Gonzalez's assessment. It was Upton's tenth homer — out of 14 — to travel over 420 feet this season. He's averaging 427 feet on all of his home runs, which is the most for any players with more than five.

Just awesome, game-changing power. As we're about to learn, though, the Diamondbacks aren't exactly lacking that type of player despite trading Upton during the offseason. But boy how nice would it be to have two of them?

Good as Goldy: How about the start for Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt? After going 4 for 5 with two more home runs and 4 RBIs in the D-Backs 9-2 win over the Marlins on Friday night, the 25-year-old slugger is up to .338 on the season with 12 big flys and 35 driven in. Only Upton has more homers in the National League with his 14. Goldschmidt is also second in RBIs to Brandon Phillips. An all-star bid seems more likely with each passing day.

Hiroki Special: For the fifth time since the beginning of the 2012 season, Hiroki Kuroda gave the New York Yankees eight plus innings of scoreless baseball. Only Felix Hernandez has more during that time with eight. Kuroda didn't have much room for error on this night as Mark Buehrle nearly matched him through six innings. New York did manage single runs in the first and fifth, and then finally broke it open with a three spot in the seventh to lock up their 5-0 win.

Rosales strikes again! And this time... it counts! After hitting a game-tying home in Cleveland last week that was incorrectly ruled (despite a review) a double, Adam Rosales left no doubt on Friday. His eighth inning solo home run was the difference in Oakland's 2-1 victory over James Shield and the Royals.

''I think I was pretty sure about that one,'' Rosales said with an ear-to-ear grin. ''It felt good to get over that hump. Every ballfield I went to, they all were saying, 'Oh, it was a homer,' or you talk to family and friends and like, 'Yeah, it was a homer.' So, now they'll be talking about something else. They'll talk about a real homer.''

And more importantly, a real win.

MORE SCORES

Mets 3, Cubs 2: Matt Harvey gets the win on the hill and the game-winning RBI at the plate. He’s already 5-0.

Phillies 5, Reds 3: Philly gets two in the eighth after bullpen blows lead for Cliff Lee.

Pirates 5, Astros 4: The Astros lose in the most Astros way possible.

Indians 6, Mariners 3 (10 inn.): Three-run, walk-off home run by Jason Kipnis sends Indians fans home happy.

Rays 12, Orioles 10: Camouflaged Rays strike early and often, then hold on as O's rally for six runs in eighth.

Red Sox 3, Twins 2 (10 inn.): Boston steals another game late on the road. Jonny Gomes' sac fly in the tenth is the difference.

Tigers 2, Rangers 1: The pitching duel scheduled for Thursday arrived one day late.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 6: David Freese's long-awaited first home run in 2013 was a grand slam. That helped St. Louis overcome two three-run homers by Aramis Ramirez.

Rockies 10, Giants 9: Jordan Pacheco's go-ahead grand slam in the fifth holds up as Colorado snaps their 10-game losing streak to San Francisco.

White Sox 3, Angels 0: Even dozen strikeouts for Chris Sale.

Nationals 6, Padres 5 (10 inn.): Chad Tracy homers off Huston Street in the tenth. That's six allowed by San Diego's closer in 17 innings.

''We don't want to be the heart-attack kids, but it's a good character check for us right away.''

— Jonny Gomes on Boston's back-to-back dramatic road victories in their final at-bats.

• Elias says the Yankees are the first team in AL history to begin a season 17-0 in games they've scored first.

• Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson became first pitcher to allow eight earned runs and still win the game since Andy Pettitte in 2007.

• According to Yahoo!'s Jeff Passan, the Kansas City Royals have lost six of James Shields' nine starts this season, with each coming by one run.

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Classic coming-of-age baseball flick "The Sandlot" turned 20 last month — which we documented at length on the anniversary date. The celebrations continue into the summer, however. Like this Sunday, when Target Field will screen the film after that day's game Boston Red Sox-Minnesota Twins game.

To get people hyped, a couple of "Sandlot" actors visited the Twins and Red Sox before Friday's game. But get this: Chauncey Leopardi, who played kiss-stealing Michael "Squints" Palledorous, and Patrick Renna, who played wise-cracking Ham Porter, still look like kids next to big leaguers. Even though they're now 31 and 34, respectively.

Brian Duensing of the Twins tweeted the picture above, while Renna himself Instagrammed these pics with David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks of the Red Sox.

For comparison's sake:

It's worth noting that Will Middlebrooks was 4 when "The Sandlot" came out. Let's all go feel old now.

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As an appetizer to Friday night’s nearly full slate of 14 games, Major League Baseball has published the entire MSG broadcast of David Wells' perfect game against the Minnesota Twins from May 17, 1998 on their Youtube channel.

That’s right, it was exactly 15 years ago today that Wells joined the history books as the thirteenth pitcher to throw a perfect game in MLB history. We’ve actually added another eight perfect games to this list since then (most recently Philip Humber and Felix Hernandez during the 2012 season), so obviously we’re seeing them at a much more frequent clip over that timeframe, but it certainly doesn’t diminish Wells’ accomplishment on that afternoon one bit.

Of course Wells also claimed in his book that he was partially in the bag (aka “half-drunk“) that afternoon after spending the previous night out drinking with the cast of Saturday Night Live. If true, I suppose that adds another layer to his performance. Then again, taking one look at the lineup Minnesota fielded that day makes you wonder if he could have been completely hammered and still done just as well.

Here it is with their batting averages leading in to that game included:

• Matt Lawton (.244)
• Brent Gates (.129)
• Paul Molitor (.255)
• Marty Cordova (.256)
• Ron Coomer (.269)
• Alex Ochoa (.253)
• Jon Shave (.182)
• Javier Valentin (.234)
• Pat Meares (.296)

Aside from future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, there wasn’t a whole lot of resistance in that lineup. And even Molitor was at the very end of his career at that time.

But even still, Wells did everything he needed to do that day to be perfect. His defense, anchored by Derek Jeter (the only still-active player from the Yankees that day) did their jobs as well.

By the way, according to Hardball Talk’s Aaron Gleeman, the only other still-active player in that game just happened to be Minnesota’s starting pitcher. He’s a reliever now, and has been for over a decade, but he was well thought of starting pitching prospect for a time.

His name: LaTroy Hawkins.

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Minor League Baseball, in its current Food Fight contest, has narrowed down 64 crazy culinary treats you can get at its stadiums around the country. There are four categories — gut busters, hogs 'n' dogs, local legends and scrumptious sandwiches. You can head to their site to vote for the ones that look most appetizing.

Here at The Stew, we're going to forego all the categories and just show you 10 that we think are the craziest — we're talking weird, wacky, over-the-top. Stuff you'd expect to find at the county fair. It's up to you whether you actually want to track these down and eat them, or just stare at the pictures and drool. No judgement either way. 

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Jeff Keppinger of the Chicago White Sox had gone 0 for the 2013 season when it came to drawing a walk, until he finally took a pitch for ball four in his 141st plate appearance Thursday night. Keppinger's timing, if not his frequency, was terrific. His walk against Michael Kohn came with the bases loaded in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels and forced in the go-ahead run. The White Sox won 5-4.

The walk was the third in a row issued by Kohn, who threw 12 of his final 14 pitches out of the strike zone.

''It seemed like their guy just lost it there,'' Keppinger said.

Hey, it happens, not that Keppinger has taken advantage much. He was the last player in the majors having at least 30 plate appearances to draw a walk this season. He beat Jarrod Dyson of the Royals (42 plate appearances) by one day.

Historically speaking, Keppinger drawing a base on balls has not been comparable, in lack of frequency, to Juan Pierre hitting a home run. Keppinger has drawn 180 walks in 2,846 plate appearances during his career. It's not a lot of walks, but it's one every 15.8 trips, which is more often than Pierre's pauses of 450 trips per dinger. He walked 51 times in 2010. It's in him.

Drawing a walk should be easier to do for any major leaguer, simply by happenstance, than hitting a home run. Other than the Kansas City Royals, nobody walks less as a team than the White Sox, and it's one of the reasons they're 18-21 coming into Friday. So it's not all Keppinger's fault — there's some kind of groupthink going on with the White Sox, whose batting coach Jeff Manto has never expressed much appreciation for how drawing walks can help an offense. The team's manager didn't seem all that gung-ho about seeing Keppinger be so selective, either.

''I don't know if you're necessarily rooting for that, but it was at a good time for us,'' Chicago manager Robin Ventura said about the third walk. ''I just like the way the offense battles.''

Sure, Robin. Sometimes, a battle can be won by not swinging.

So we come here not to praise Keppinger (too much) for finally drawing a walk, but to say that there are other walks out there, waiting to be taken. Who knows? They might even lead to more runs being scored.

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Ramirez showed us a pretty horrible example of sliding recently, but he's got nothing on what Ian Kinsler did in Thursday's Texas Rangers game against the Detroit Tigers while advancing to third base from first on a single. Let's cut to the GIF:

It was so bad that even Ron Washington, his own manager, had to laugh at Kinsler. If you prefer the frozen-motion pictures, here's the story of Kinsler's slide in three acts:

His body and his ego might be a little sore today, but on the bright side, Kinsler was safe at third. He even scored afterward.

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There's a lot to like about the catch the fan at Yankee Stadium makes in the video above. He's wearing a glove, which some people don't like, but they're wrong. There's no way he makes the catch without it. And a foul ball must have been unexpected, because the batter, Chris Stewart, was a right-handed hitter. Rarely do right-handed hitters put foul balls where the fan was sitting. Way to be on your toes, literally and figuratively.

He also makes an all-out effort to catch the ball, slamming his left arm and full torso into the rows of seats behind him. Terrific grit. And, ouch. As Mike Blowers of the Seattle Mariners broadcast team says, "He's going to feel that in the morning."

No matter, because this guy got PUMPED. Primal screams, forceful high-fives, likely bro hugs (off camera). He was proud of himself, as he should have been. There was nothing nonchalant about it. David Cone, part of the YES Mystery Wheel of New York Yankees TV broadcasters, said the catch was "Like Derek Jeter in the playoffs a few years back." I think he's referring to the catch Jeter made against the A's in the 2001 playoffs. Or it could have been the one against the Red Sox in July 2004.

Well, the guy didn't appear to draw blood, and Jeter had a longer way to run, and almost everything he does has a nonchalance about it — that's one of the reasons he's Jeter — but it's an OK comparison for live television, and it probably crossed the mind of a viewer or two, as well, that it might be Jeter-like. I don't have a problem with the fan's catch, anything about it, except for the jersey the guy was wearing.

Does that look like a licensed Mariano Rivera jersey to you?

I don't like the font of the No. 42. Seems off. I don't like the color. It's too light. Even the pinstripes. It's not even close to what the Yankees wear on the field. I'm afraid we're going to have to eject this young man, nullify his catch and confiscate his ball because of obvious jersey violations.

Now, the same thing goes for the guy next to him in the Bernie Williams replica jersey, but for another reason. While the color is right, and the font is right, the Yankees don't put their names on their jerseys ever (even though this one appears to be licensed by MLB). Sorry, son, you're going to have to leave too.

What an unfortunate ending to what seemed an inspiring story.

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Not only might LSU senior Raph Rhymes have the greatest full name in college baseball — he was born Raphael Ray Rhymes IV — but he's a good ballplayer and quite a tumbler.

Against dreaded rivals Ole Miss on Thursday, he got to show off his myriad skills during a nationally televised game on ESPNU. Thanks in part to an unsuccessful dive by Ole Miss outfielder Auston Bousfield (another great name), Rhymes scooted around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It wasn't a clean scoot, though, because catcher Stuart Turner — who was trying to field a relay throw simultaneously — flipped him head-over-heels, with Rhymes landing on his left side (his hip appeared to absorb most of the impact) a few feet in front of home plate. The throw got away and Rhymes got to his feet quickly but it didn't matter, because the umpire awarded him home due to Turner obstructing the plate.

The sequence took about 18 seconds, for you Tater Trot Trackers.

It was a heck of a way to earn four bases for Rhymes, who comes into Friday batting .351/.419/.473 with four homers after he led the country in hitting in 2012. Rhymes, 23, has been drafted twice by major league teams, most recently by the Yankees in the 30th round a year ago. On Twitter, Rhymes did not preclude the possibility of doing more gymnastics in the future:

Great win tonight..thanks for all the congrats! Need to work on my landing though if I'm going to do any more flips #GeauxTigers

— Raph Rhymes (@RaphRhymes4) May 17, 2013

And a good sense of humor. Well done, Rhymes (who, by the way, does not appear to be related to recent and possibly future major leaguer Will Rhymes).

Considering where the relay throw led the catcher, the collision seemed inevitable and not malicious. As the announcers noted, some in the home crowd didn't appreciate Turner flipping their player like that, but he appeared to be acting in self-defense.

Big BLS H/N: The Big Lead

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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.

Welcome to Seattle! You’ve grabbed your cup of Starbucks and watched them throw fish around at the Pike Place Market, but now what? There’s a lot to consider when you visit Seattle, and believe it or not, you won’t always need an umbrella! Yes, Seattle gets a lot of rain, but there’s one place you’re guaranteed to stay dry, and that’s Safeco Field.

The Seattle Mariners' miracle run in 1995 was a turning point for a baseball team that was on the cusp of moving to Tampa Bay. An Edgar Martinez double down the left field line against the Yankees cemented the team’s legacy, and fast-tracked the approval to build Safeco Field in time for the 1999 season. Its retractable roof, one of the few in the major leagues, was a key component of the proposal and guaranteed that not only was baseball here to stay in Seattle, but that the game is guaranteed to be played every scheduled day, rain or shine.

There are a ton of things to do in and around the park, so these 10 tips are designed to help you make the most of your time in Seattle and at Safeco Field!

1. Downtown! I think most casual fans visiting from out of town are in Seattle for longer than just a day or two. There are the easy things like walking downtown Seattle and hitting the Pike Place Market, but then there’s the “rest of it." Walk the rest of the Piers and take a ferry across Puget Sound. Pioneer Square is close to Safeco Field and is basically a cluster of bars, restaurants, and more. Take an Underground Tour of Seattle and see the city beneath the city. Check out Ye’ Old Curiosity Shop at the Pier, take a ride to the top of the Space Needle, enjoy the view from the new Ferris Wheel, or spend the afternoon at the Experience Music Project to see the history of Nirvana, Taking Punk To The Masses. Seattle is a beautiful city that’s easy to walk, make the most of your time here!

2. Parking and Transportation: If I had one tip for getting around Seattle it would be to leave plenty of time, and to park in one place and forget your car… Well, I guess that’s two tips. The freeways around Seattle are horrible. Expect congestion and backups, that’s what happens when five lanes of I-5 (the main way through downtown Seattle,) turn into two lanes when you hit downtown. There are plenty of all-day parking lots around Seattle; they won’t be cheap, but if you’re spending the entire day in the city it’s worth not worrying about it. If you’re just in town for the game, there are a handful of lots around Safeco Field, but the cost varies based on who they’re playing. Now you may be thinking, “Are there any free places to park?” The answer to that question is yes, but not downtown. There are abandoned lots and side streets on the south edge of the city where you can park for free, but be ready to do some walking. Look for two-hour parking spots that end at 6pm if you’re in for a night game. They’re out there if you look for them!

3. The Mitt: Every park has its “meeting spot." Yankee Stadium had the Bat, Safeco Field has The Mitt. Stationed at the left field entrance of the park, The Mitt is a big glove sculpture with a hole in it. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if having a glove with a big hole in it is the kind of statement you want outside of left field, but given the Mariners' difficulties with maintaining a true constant in left field, I guess it makes sense. Lou Pinella was always vocal about the team’s instability at left field, so it’s only fitting that Pinella would be traded as manager to Tampa Bay for Randy Winn, who would join the team as, yes, a left fielder.

4. Home Plate Tribute To Ebbets: You may not know it, but there are two tributes to Ebbets Field in Seattle. The first and most obvious is the rotunda shape of Safeco Field’s Home Plate gate. Stand back and you’ll see a clear homage to Dem Bums with the rounded brick entrance and stark white letters along the top. Citi Field did the same style of tribute when they opened their park in 2009, but Seattle did it first 10 years earlier. To cap it off, look up as you come in the home plate entrance, you’ll know what I mean when you see it.

The other tribute is less known unless you’re a big fan of throwback jerseys, or past Negro and Dominican League teams of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Ebbets Field Flannels specializes in authentic recreations and retro shirts you can’t find anywhere else. They’re based out of Seattle and have a store on Occidental, down the street from FX McCrory’s, which boasts probably the largest alcohol board you’ll find anywhere. (Do you like how I snuck an extra tip in there? Shh, don’t tell anyone.)

5. History In The Northwest: You’re at a ballgame in Seattle, so you might not be up for a history lesson. That said, don’t pass by the Pacific Northwest Baseball Museum on the 100-Level of the park. They have a detailed history of the Pacific Coast League, the Seattle Rainiers, the single-season Seattle Pilots, and everything before, during, and after. The museum has a great assortment of bats, balls, programs and more. It’s worth the stop. There’s a strong baseball history in the Northwest, but there’s one name that’s truly transcended the game, and that’s Fred Hutchinson. Hutchinson managed in the Minor and Major Leagues, but his namesake is the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, one of the premier cancer research facilities in the world. The Mariners pay tribute to Hutch through their annual Fred Hutch award and luncheon, as well as on the seat sides of every aisle in the lower bowl of the park.

6. Let’s Play! You didn’t forget the kids at home, did you? Safeco Field is great for all ages. The Mariners have a solid Kidzone past the batter’s eye in CF. There’s a fountain (where all of the change goes to charity,) a play area, and the home of the Mariner Moose. Take your kids by between most innings and you’ll have a chance to take a picture with the team mascot. They have a kid-centered souvenir store next door, and one of the best values in the park at the concession stand: You can get a cup of popcorn, small Cracker Jack, a hot dog or PBJ, and a pop for one low price.

7. BIGGER IS BETTER! The Mariners debuted their new big screen in center field for their opening day away game against the Oakland A’s. Yes, 15,000 people showed up to watch the game on TV at the park because it beats anything any of us have at home. I have it on high authority that the team’s screen in center field may be the largest in the universe. You just thought everything was bigger in Texas. Wai t… the board at Cowboys Stadium is still bigger? Dammit. Well, 11,425 square feet is still really big!

8. Place is a total meat market: (I mean that in a good way.) There isn’t a more popular location for single men and women than “The Pen” and now, “Edgar’s Cantina." Prior to 2011, the lower level area outside the Bullpen was cramped and dark. You were separated from the pitcher by a fence, and only the true diehards would go down there to watch pitchers warm up. The Mariners changed all of that in time for the 2011 season. The team took down the fencing, and now you’re practically on-top of the pitchers warming up before and during the game. You won’t find a park in baseball with a closer view of the Bullpen. They’ve lined the area with countertops, filled the walkways with tables, and added a slew of new concessions. Some of the best food in the park is downstairs outside of The Pen. You can get pizza, burgers, crepes, and their famous tortas. There’s also a huge beer garden that offers specials before the game, and a full-bar with a gas fireplace and seating. If The Pen is too full, head out and stand in the open air of Center Field or head upstairs to “Edgar’s Cantina”, a new addition to the park for 2013. (You might even see Edgar Martinez while you’re there!)

9. Feed Me! Anyone that’s been to my website, Blocking The Plate, knows that I love to eat. There’s a lot more to Safeco Field than hot dogs. Safeco Field, like Seattle, is a culinary melting pot. Where else can you get fish and chips down the way from BBQ, upstairs from pizza and Mexican tortas, and on the other side of the ballpark from sushi? (And don’t get me started on the garlic fries…) I’ve had a bit(e) of everything in the park, but personal favorites for me are the BBQ sandwiches down the first-base line, a slice of pizza down in The Pen, or a high quality hamburger from Hamburg and Frites. Trust me when I tell you, there’s more variety at Safeco Field than you’ll be able to experience in even one or two games, and that’s just inside the park. There are some great choices outside the park too. Pyramid Alehouse, Jimmy’s On First, and FX McCrory’s are just a sample of the restaurants that are close to the park. For your best seafood options (outside of oysters at FX,) you’ll have to go further into the city.

10. Beer. I know what you’re thinking, every ballpark has beer. Yes, but does every ballpark have over 50 styles of beer on tap or in the bottle?! Safeco Field boasts the largest selection of beer in the major leagues. No, seriously, check this beer list out.

Seattle is known for its craft beers, and that’s loud and clear at Safeco Field. You can get a Bud Light or a Coors at any park, but what about a Pyramid IPA, Silver City Ridgetop Red, or Elysian Men’s Room Red (that’s a hanging curve, I know). You can get 'Duk’s favorite Mac & Jack’s too. If over 50 beers weren’t enough, the list is constantly changing. Safeco Field rotates their beers based on the season. (Their full list actually comes in at 72 different styles.) That leads to some serious questions: Which ones to choose, and who’s driving? (For the designated drivers, stop by the table in The Pen and sign in for a free pop, and “Thank You” for doing the right thing!)

Enjoy your trip to Seattle! It might be your first trip, but it won’t be your last. The city and the ballpark have a ton to offer, so have fun and let’s “Play ball!”

Doug Miller writes about Major League Baseball, travel, and everything in between on his site www.blockingtheplate.com! You can follow him @millerdna. How big of a Mariners fan is he? He picked them to make the playoffs this year – We’ll see how that goes, he’s either out of his mind, or an absolute genius!

What are your favorite tips for visiting Safeco Field?

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park, PNC Park, U.S. Cellular Field

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While not as rare as Halley's Comet returning, Miami Marlins slugger Juan Pierre hitting a home run is one of the more infrequent occurrences in Major League Baseball. Pierre hit career homer No. 18 on Thursday night in the Marlins 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, a line drive against Mat Latos that just sneaked over the right-field fence and barely stayed fair. That's how guys with a .278 slugging percentage roll:

''Juan Pierre hit a home run off me — just my luck,'' Latos said. ''I looked at him when he was running the bases and said, 'What the heck happened?'''

"Shocked" is an OK reaction. It was Pierre's first home run since June 2012. And that's about right, because in his career Pierre has hit a home run every 450 times he has come to the plate. Among players with at least 8,100 career plate appearances — Pierre's precise number coming into Friday — it's the third-weakest rate since integration in 1947 (via Baseball Reference):

1. Don Kessinger: 14 HR in 8,530 PA (1 per 609.3)

2. Larry Bowa: 15 HR in 9,109 PA (1 per 607.3)

3. Juan Pierre: 18 HR in 8,100 PA (1 per 450)

4. Maury Wills: 20 HR in 8,306 PA (1 per 415.3)

5. Ozzie Smith: 28 HR in 10,778 PA (1 per 384.9)

That's what happens when you choke up! Even if you play with the numbers — say, by lowering the plate-appearance threshold to 6,000, and by going back to 1916, about when the "dead-ball era" was over — Pierre still has the fourth-lowest career home-run rate.

Still, he's no Duane Kuiper. Kuiper, who played with the Indians and Giants in the 1970s and '80s, hit one home run in 3,754 plate appearances. Even if Kuiper got the plate as many times as Pierre has, there's almost no chance of him hitting eight — much less 18.

So here's to the raw, brute strength of Juan Pierre. Here's a list of every Pierre home run. (Never against the same pitcher twice, never more than one in a game. First against Jose Lima, most against Tigers and Pirates (three). Fourteen solo shots, no grand slams. Only hit one inside-the-park homer (at Comerica Park). Sixteen went to right field, one went to left, one is "unknown.")

(Pierre also made two great catches against the Reds, by the way, but the first catch came after he turned the wrong way at first.)

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This one might get you misty: Nine-year-old Alayna Adams threw out the first pitch before Thursday's Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox game. She was told she'd been selected by the U.S.O. for the honor, partially because her father, Lt. Col. Will Adams, had been deployed overseas in Afghanistan for most of the past two years.

Before Alayna threw her pitch, a message from Dad played on the video board, saying he'd see her soon. Indeed he would.

Because it turned out the whole thing was a ruse orchestrated by the U.S.O and the Rays. Lt. Col. Will Adams was, in fact, dressed in catcher's gear, crouching behind home plate, awaiting the throw from his daughter.

When he caught the ball and flipped up the catcher's mask, Alayna looked at him for a second, realized what's going on, ran full speed toward him and launched herself into his arms.

Dana Adams, Will's wife and Alayna's mom, didn't know about the surprise either. Soon, she joined them in tears.

"I thought it was a dream," Alayna said a few innings later, when the family was interviewed on TV.

"I had no idea," Dana added.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, Lt. Col. Adams arrived on Wednesday and stayed in a hotel that night to keep up the surprise. He told the Times:

"That was the hardest part. Being back home and not being able to see them."

Dad's return would have been memorable anyway it happened, but this sure had style points. And it made a lot more people tear up.

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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.

Yu Darvish threw 130 pitches. Justin Verlander gave up seven runs in the third inning, his most ever in a single inning. Darvish threw 36 pitches in the third. There were four home runs and two bases-loaded walks (both by Verlander).

In short: Darvish vs. Verlander wasn't the pitcher's duel many people were hoping for. The Rangers won the game 10-4, with 11 of the 14 total runs scored in the first three innings. It was reminiscent of an NFL game between two stellar defenses that ends up 42-21.

Said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, per MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan:

"It was one of those games where everyone in the world was looking for the matchup and it didn't work out so good," Leyland said. "I don't think anyone expected 12 runs to be scored with those two guys out there. These things happen."

Still, Darvish had his moments. Like the video above of him making Miguel Cabrera whiff on a 62 MPH curve ball. Darvish improved to 7-1 on the season, pitching eight innings and striking out six. Verlander, meanwhile, fell to 4-4 after pitching only 2 2/3 innings. It raised ERA to 3.17 on the season. No more "Nasty Nine."

"I just had too many poorly executed pitches," Verlander said. "Something's not right, and it's consistency in repeating my delivery. It helps knowing that I'm someone who can turn things around quickly ... "I'm not going to go home and pout about this. I'm going to figure this out -- and fast."

Red Sox win after ninth-inning rally: Alex Cobb turned in a good start for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up only one run on three hits and leaving with a 3-1 lead. When the Red Sox got the top of the ninth, facing closer Fernando Rodney, that's when things turned upside down for the Rays.

Rodney — who was lights out last season, but as been struggling as of late — loaded the bases with three walks, but struck out two. Will Middlebrooks was at the plate with two strikes against him. That's when he lined a Rodney changeup into left-center for a three run double. That 3-1 Rays lead became a 4-3 deficit that they couldn't overcome in the bottom of the ninth.

MORE SCORES

Reds 5, Marlins 3: Cincinnati scores three in the 10th inning to sweep the Marlins. Juan Pierre, above, started things off well for Miami — with a crazy catch in the first inning, then a homer in his first at-bat.

Nationals 6, Padres 2: Stephen Strasburg gets his second win of the season (first since opening day!) in his return to his hometown. Bryce Harper homers too.

White Sox 5, Angels 4: The White Sox score three in the eighth to rally past the Angels — including a bases-loaded, go-ahead walk. Ouch.

Giants 8, Rockies 6: Matt Cain gives up six runs in the first three innings. Good thing the Giants got him eight.

Pirates 7, Brewers 1: Francisco Liriano, in his second game of the season for the Pirates, now has as many wins at Strasburg.

Mariners 3, Yankees 2: Not only did the Yanks lose the Mariners, they lost Andy Pettitte and Chris Stewart to injury.

Mets 5, Cardinals 2: The Mets snap their six-game losing streak, as Daniel Murphy goes 4-for-4, including that vanishing double.

"Hunter was like, 'Synergy, synergy, we have to believe. I hadn't heard from him in a couple of games, and sure enough, we scored five runs. He's a magician. That's unbelievable."

— Brandon Belt on Giants teammate Hunter Pence's encouragement before the team scored five runs in the fourth inning.

Bryce Harper — helmet flyin', hair standin' up, face crunched — is thrown out trying to advance to second on a fielder's choice. Remember, world, he's never going to stop playing hard.

• Stephen Strasburg, whose pitch count has always been a hot topic, pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his MLB career on Thursday.

• Jeff Keppinger's bases loaded walk in the eighth inning to put the White Sox ahead of the Angels was his first walk of the season. In 141 plate appearances.

• The Giants have beat the Rockies in 10 straight games.

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Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Mariano Rivera setting example with speaker series
• Owner Arte Moreno takes blame for Angels failures
• Deployed dad surprises daughter before Rays-Red Sox game

Three questions about the video above:

1. Is Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, haunted?

2. Is Daniel Murphy, the New York Mets hitter whose bat that came off, a wizard with ball-disappearing powers?

3. Does MLB have a new strategic partnership with "Ghost Adventures" to come out and investigate baseballs vanishing?

No to all three? Oh. Well then. I guess we'll have to go with the boring explanation: Murphy's line drive to right field in Thursday's Mets-Cards game flew through a small gap between two pieces of the outfield wall.

It's quite a feat. Sort of like shooting a basket at those rigged carnival games, where the ball just barely fits through the hoop. Murphy probably couldn't have done that again if he tried.

Or if a giant teddy bear was on the line.

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Nonetheless, around the web right now people are counting off the best episodes and lessons we've learned from this popular comedy about 9-to-5 life. In the sports world, there's one very obvious tie-in: Ryan Howard.

Being a baseball blog, most of our readers associate that name with the Philadelphia Phillies slugger. But Ryan Howard was an "Office" character played by B.J. Novak (also a co-writer for the show) who rose from a temp to a corporate vice president and fell back down the corporate ladder. Howard, the baseball-playing one, actually appeared on "The Office" recently, a bucket-list cameo for a show approaching its end.

It's been said the Ryan Howard character was named after baseball player, since the show takes place in Scranton, Penn. When it was being conceived, Howard was playing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. So, in honor of "The Office's" series finale, here's a look at Ryan Howard, the baseball player vs. Ryan Howard, the office worker:

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But only one of them is on the "Nasty Nine" list put together by Yahoo! Sports. It narrows down the nine pitchers in the MLB this season who have pitched at least 50 innings and have sub-2.00 ERAs. (Click through the slideshow above to see them all).

As nasty as Darvish has been this season — 6-1 with a league-leading 80 strikeouts, but a 2.73 ERA — it's not him on the list. That should tell you something about this "Nasty Nine" designation.

Is it then surprising to see another second-year Japanese import Hisashi Iwakuma on the list rather than Yu? Maybe, but the numbers — 5-1, 1.84 — prove he's having a stellar year. And Patrick Corbin? He's been great for Arizona — 6-0, 1.52 ERA —  even though there's a good chance half the country doesn't even know his name.

Now let's see who can keep being this nasty.

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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno took responsibility Wednesday for his team achieving so little the past three-plus seasons, including its 15-25 record this season. That means the jobs of manager Mike Scioscia and GM Jerry Dipoto are safe.

Moreno told Fox Sports there was "zero" chance of an in-season managerial change with Scioscia, who has managed the Angels for 14 seasons and has a contract through 2018. Dipoto has been GM for a year-and-a-half and, besides, it was Moreno who was the point man on the additions of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, who cost a combined $375 million over the past two offseasons. And it was Moreno's decision to let Zack Greinke and Torii Hunter walk.

"There are a lot of underlying things we need to fix and adjust in the organization.”

The first order of business might be to let the baseball people build the roster. Still, it's encouraging to hear an owner pull a mea culpa, instead of lashing out with mass firings:

“I try not to live with that victim mentality that I want to blame everyone. If you’re going to blame anyone, you’ve got to blame me. I’m the one at the end of the day that has the final call.”

It reminds me of another Arte — Artie Fufkin from "This is Spinal Tap," played by Paul Schaffer — taking the blame for the band drawing zero fans to an album party.

"Do me a favor. Just kick my ass, will ya'?"

It's in this NSFW clip from the classic film:

It would be a fine goodwill exercise for Arte Moreno to come on down to the main concourse at Angel Stadium, bend over and offer Angels fans a chance to playfully boot him in the boot. And then, right after that, have Dipoto fix the farm system. Transforming an organization is that simple, right?

Regardless of who's to blame, these are dark times — none more black — for the Angels right now.

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• Deployed dad surprises daughter before Rays-Red Sox game
• Yu Darvish vs. Justin Verlander wasn't the pitching duel fans expected

Turns out the Astros got a Ryan to be their new president, but it's not Nolan. It's his son, Reid Ryan.

MLB.com's Brian McTaggart is reporting that Reid Ryan will be introduced by the Astros at a Friday press conference. So the intrastate Astros-Rangers rivalry has another new wrinkle (besides both teams now being in the AL West): It's Ryan vs. Ryan, father vs. son.

Reid Ryan, 41, has a baseball-heavy resume: He was president/CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which owns the Triple-A Round Rock Express (Rangers affiliate) and Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros). He also served on the board of trustees for Minor League Baseball.

On the Houston Chronicle's Ultimate Astros blog, Jose de Jesus Ortiz writes that Reid Ryan is a "perfect fit":

Reid Ryan understands the Astros’ organization, the Astros’ fan base and the city of Houston. Although his father ultimately went into the Hall of Fame as a Ranger despite playing nine seasons with the Astros, Reid Ryan has always viewed the Astros as his hometown team.

Reid Ryan, who couldn’t be reached at his cell phone, would bring instant credibility to the Astros’ business operations throughout Houston and throughout the baseball industry. He understands the complexities of selling a long baseball season to fans, sponsors and rights holders.

Now Reid has a couple months to get adjusted to the new gig before the Astros play his dad and the Rangers again in July.

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• Y! Sports Radio: Jeff Passan talks instant replay expansion and other hot topics

It's probably the best save seven players on the Millersville (Pa.) University baseball team could possibly make.

Earlier this month, Millersville's team had arrived late one night for a tournament at Johnstown, Pa., and some of the players got hungry for a snack. On their way to a Sheetz convenience store, they came upon an upsetting scene. But the players — (clockwise from top-left in photo) Tyler Thomas, David Pine, Evan King, Dan Stoltzfus, Tyler Orris, Zach Stone and Tyler McDonald — kept their heads.

A car had hastily turned into a driveway ahead. The players heard screaming. A man held in his arms a young child, who had gone limp. He passed the boy to a woman, who laid him down on the ground. The couple appeared to be in a panic. The man yelled, "My son is choking! He's having a seizure! Somebody help!"

The players quickly approached. From Lancaster Online:

Chambersburg High School health class came rushing back to McDonald, 21, a third baseman.

"I started doing the checklist of CPR," McDonald said.

McDonald calmly told the child's panicking father, Shane Norman, to take off his jacket and put it under the little boy's head, to tilt it back and open his airway.

He told the child's frantic mother, Megan, who was trying to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to move the child's tongue out of the way and make sure nothing was blocking his breathing. McDonald then put his ear down next to the child's mouth, to feel if he was still breathing.

In the meantime, Pine called 911 on his cell phone, scanning the nearby street signs and summoning an ambulance.

"We were at Somerset and Napoleon," Pine said. "I think I'll remember that for a long time."

The Normans will remember too, as will anyone reading about the heroism of Pine and teammates, whose actions revived 2-year-old Braydin Norman, who soon opened his eyes. An ambulance came and, as paramedics wheeled the child away, infielder Tyler Thomas pulled off a yellow bracelet with the Marauders team logo on it.

"He put it on my son's wrist and said, 'Don't forget about us, buddy. Millersville baseball,' " Megan Norman said.

Doctors checked out Braydin and figured a virus had caused temperature to spike to 104.3, putting his life in danger. But he was going to be OK. The next step for the parents: Find the Millersville baseball team and thank them.

Using the bracelet and Facebook replies, the Normans tracked the team back to its tournament at Johnstown. Shane and Megan Norman, along with Braydin, stunned the players by showing up for the Marauders game against Slippery Rock. The reunion was full of smiles.

After Millersville won, the team presented Braydin with a signed ball and posed for pictures, all of which surprised their coach, John Shehan. He didn't know. The players hadn't told him what happened with Braydin.

"I said, 'Who are you getting your picture taken with?' " said Jon Shehan, of Ephrata, who is the father of two small children, including a son about Braydin's age. "I don't think they understood what they did, and how significant it's going to be for that little boy's life. They were surprisingly humble and nonchalant."

True heroes.

The final great part of the story: The parents returned Braydin home with a babysitter and came back for Millersville's next game. It was a loss, but with two extra dedicated fans in the stands — watching in the pouring rain, yelling at umpires, the whole bit. How else do you pay back a baseball team, other than to root for it?

Megan Norman said, "We weren't going to walk out on them for just some rain."

Millersville's season continues Thursday in the NCAA Div. II Tournament. They're the top seed in the Atlantic Regional.

Big BLS H/N: New York Daily News via Hardball Talk

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Every baseball city should have a broadcaster like Fred White. He had a 40-year association with the Kansas City Royals, calling their games on the radio with Denny Matthews from 1973 to 1998, and was at the mic for most of the greatest moments in franchise history. White died Wednesday at the age of 76 from complications of melanoma, but his voice is preserved in the memories of Royals fans and in recordings anyone still can listen to.

The Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton wrote a touching obituary for White that's worth reading even if you haven't followed the Royals, and Fox Sports Kansas City made an inspired choice by starting their broadcast of K.C.'s game against the Angels with a half-inning of silence to honor White's passing. It's a beautiful and powerful few moments (condensed to about 90 seconds in the video highlight) when listeners only hear the ambient noise of the ballpark. And it's even more emotional when you realize that Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre (who introduces the silence) was the person who replaced White on radio broadcasts in '98 (a move that was widely unpopular at the time).

Among White's finest moments: Well, anything to do with George Brett. Calling his home run that help beat the Yankees and get the Royals to the World Series in 1980. And saying of the Royals before Game 7 of the 1985 World Series: "This improbable little team, doing improbable little things, now has pushed this thing to the brink."

And then there's the resumption of the "Pine Tar" game with Brett and the Yankees in 1983, when White hysterically described the defensive alignment a defiant Billy Martin fields for the ninth inning:

Fred White's voice is a beloved one in Royals history. He will be missed.

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Within minutes of the speech, Ortiz's phrase "This is our f***ing city" was the most talked about topic on social media, and within 24 hours it was already being attached to t-shirts with several companies looking to raise money for those affected by the Patriot Day bombings.

Needless to say, it caught on faster than a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin catchphrase in the late 90s, and now Ortiz himself is going one step further by selling actual bats emblazoned with his famous quotes over at a bigpapi.com.

And, once again, all net proceeds will go to the victims of those horrific events.

My Fellow Bostonians,

On April 15, 2013, nearly a decade after I first came to Boston, our city was attacked during one of Boston's most beloved events. Through the great bravery of our emergency service men and women, and the strength of our citizens, Boston has and will continue to perservere through this tragedy. I wanted to figure out a way to do something to help the victims, so I reached out to my partner Marucci Sports who have created these bats to help raise money for those affected by this tragedy. 100% of the net proceeds from these sales will go to the OneFund and other victims of this terrible event. When I gave my speech during the pregame ceremony of our first game back, I fully meant the words I said. Let's get together as a city to show everyone that "nobody is gonna dictate our freedom!".

Boston Strong,

David Ortiz

If Ortiz's colorful quote is a little strong for your liking, you can also choose "Nobody's going to dictate our freedom" as the emblazoned quote. All standard bats are selling for $125 each, but if you'd like one with a personalized signature from Ortiz it'll cost you $500.

Not a terrible deal at all, and it's made even better knowing that it's going to a worthy cause.

Big BLS H/N: Eye on Baseball

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In his own words, that's how long it took the life long Yankees fan from Toms River, N.J. to create a Yankee Stadium replica using only matchsticks, and that's how much it cost him to burn through — literally — all 75,000 matches that were required to complete his unique, extensive and completely awesome project.

When broken down, that's roughly 70 matches a day that Brother Beans (his nickname may be my favorite part of the story) burned. He then scrapped off the charred tips before shaping them into perfect position and setting them in place. Tedious work for most of us, but not Becker. In fact, according to Becker, it's not the first such project he's undertaken. A number of years ago he also created a Lambeau Field replica, so he obviously enjoys the work it requires and the personal satisfaction it creates.

Speaking of satisfaction, the New York Yankees themselves were very impressed by his efforts once they learned of the creation and even put the replica on display at the new Yankee Stadium before their game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

You can learn more about that cool event and how Brother Beans came up with the idea to create a matchstick Yankee Stadium in the video below.

Honestly, I have no idea what I'll be doing 50-60 years down the road. I hope I'm here to be doing something, though, and if I am I can only hope it's half as cool as this.

Well done, Mr. Becker.

Big BLS H/N: Big Lead Sports (via Cut 4)

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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.

To say Raul Ibanez enjoys hitting at Yankee Stadium would be an understatement. After enjoying a terrific postseason in 2012 in which he delivered three home runs at the Stadium — including his dynamic Game 3 in the ALDS where he connected for game-tying and game-winning blasts — the 40-year-old veteran has returned with just as big a bang this season while wearing a Seattle Mariners uniform.

On Tuesday, Ibanez hit a two-run homer in Seattle's 4-3 loss. On Wednesday, he went deep two more times, including a first inning grand slam off Phil Hughes and a two-run shot in the fifth that iced away Seattle's 12-2 victory. That brings his totals to six home runs and 13 RBIs at Yankee Stadium since the beginning of the 2012 playoffs. He's 10 for 21 overall and obviously feels more confident taking shots at the short porch in right. Right, Raul?

''I can't tell that much of a difference even though when you hear it, depending on how you're doing, you know,'' Ibanez said with a sly smile.

The sly smile gives him away. Or maybe he just heard he became the oldest player (40 years, 347 days) with at least six RBIs in a game since Barry Bonds in July 2007. Thanks to Elias for that tidbit. On the flipside, Phil Hughes allowed seven earned runs in the first inning after allowing only two first inning runs in seven starts all season. That's a rough night for the old ERA.

D-Backs get last laugh: Justin Upton returned to Arizona with a four-hit game, including a monster home run, in Atlanta’s win on Monday night, but the Diamondbacks ended up winning the series with a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. New offensive centerpiece Paul Goldschmidt paced the attack with three doubles, while Eric Chavez knocked in three against former A’s teammate Tim Hudson. Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

No sweep for you: A big pat on the back is in order for the Houston Astros as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Not a three-game series sweep, mind you, but a seven-game season series sweep in which they had been outscored 50-12 over the first six.

It took a strong comeback after falling behind 4-1 in the second. A four-run fourth capped by a J.D. Martinez three-run homer gave them a one-run lead. Then with the game tied at five in the ninth, Carlos Corporan and Matt Dominguez drove in the difference-making tallies as the ‘Stros held on for a 7-5 win... barely. It took a Miguel Cabrera flyout to the warning track with the bases loaded to get the elusive 27th out.

MORE SCORES

Padres 8, Orioles 4: 17-hit attack for San Diego as they complete stunning road sweep of the O’s.

Indians 10, Phillies 4: The Phillies fall to 1-8 in Cole Hamels starts.

White Sox 9, Twins 4: Adam Dunn’s five RBIs provide the difference. He homered twice and doubled to raise his average to .156 (third worst in baseball among qualifiers).

Rangers 6, A’s 2: Not shocking: Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer. Shocking: He also made a diving grab to kill a rally and save two runs.

Pirates 3, Brewers 1: The Pirates win back-to-back games against Milwaukee for the first time since Aug. 18-19, 2009.

Reds 4, Marlins 0: Two homers for Shin-Soo Choo in support of Mike Leake.

Red Sox 9, Rays 2: David Price exits with a left triceps strain. He's expected to miss at least one start for Tampa.

Cardinals 4, Mets 2: Rick Ankiel tied it for the Mets with a two-run homer in the seventh, but St. Louis rallies for single runs in seventh and eighth.

Cubs 6, Rockies 3: Jeff Samardzija's eight solid innings were nice. His two-run homer deep into the left field bleachers at Wrigley was even better.

Dodgers 3, Nationals 1: Zack Greinke wins his return with five and one-third innings of one-run ball. He also chipped in an RBI single.

Royals 9, Angels 5: Kansas City touched home seven times in the third to break it open.

''They hit some pitches that were really good and they hit some pitches that were bad. That's been the theme.''

— Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong after another difficult outing in San Francisco's 11-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He falls to 1-4 on the season and his ERA now sits at 8.06 despite the fact that only three of the eight runs he allowed were earned.

• Jason Kipnis homered in the eighth inning on Wednesday. That's significant because his first five home runs this season all came in the first inning.

• From Elias, Shelby Miller of the Cardinals is the third pitcher in the last 100 years to allow eight or fewer earned runs in his first nine career starts. Fernando Valenzuela was the most recent in 1981.

• David Price has not won at Tropicana Field since July 19, 2012 — a span covering eight starts.

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An already disappointing start for reigning American League Cy Young Award winner David Price ran into another hurdle on Wednesday night after the left-hander was forced to exit his start against the Boston Red Sox with what was originally termed as "tightness in his left triceps" and later diagnosed as a strained triceps.

Price, who entered the game with a 1-3 record and a 4.78 ERA, had a fairly encouraging beginning to his outing, holding Boston off the scoreboard in the first two frames despite allowing two-out doubles in each. He then ran into serious trouble in the third after walking Stephen Drew to begin it. That was followed by three singles, the last of which was delivered by David Ortiz. It was at that point Price could be seen looking at his arm and shaking the fingers on his left hand while half-heartedly backing up the plate.

Head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield and manager Joe Maddon quickly converged on the scene to check him out. After a couple minutes of discussion and more hand shaking, the decision was made to get him out of the game and it was about an hour later than we heard the triceps tightness report.

It wasn't until after the Rays finished their 9-2 loss to the Red Sox and an MRI was completed that we received a more thorough report. Roger Mooney of Tampa Tribune provided those details via Twitter.

#rays Maddon said MRI on Price left triceps showed "nothing serious but we'll make a better call tomorrow."

— RMooneyTBO (@RMooneyTBO) May 16, 2013

#rays Maddon said Price unlikely to make next start Monday. Will make decision Thursday on who will make that start

— RMooneyTBO (@RMooneyTBO) May 16, 2013

My guess is a DL stint will be required to ensure Price gives the arm the proper amount of rest and doesn't risk unnecessary aggravation. Playing it safe with their ace is definitely the way to go, and it's not as if the Rays lack the options for a short-term callup with Jake Odorizzi off to a terrific start at Triple-A. They also have Chris Archer coming off his taste of the big leagues last season, so he could easily slot in there for two or three starts.

Bottom line, though, at least this doesn't sound like an injury that will cost Price a significant amount of time as long as it's treated wisely and effectively.

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More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Should Mariano Rivera be considered to start 2013 All-Star game?
• Jeremy Affeldt returns $500,000 to San Francisco Giants after noticing contract error
• Y! Sports Radio: Jeff Passan talks instant replay expansion and other hot topics
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First off, if you haven't been following Modern Seinfeld on Twitter, you should probably do that. It imagines Seinfeldian scenarios in our current world — such as this one: George gets a Kindle so women on the train will think he's smart. G: "I read sports articles! They think I'm reading… like…" J: "A book?"

That brings us to the video above. Inspired by the Modern Seinfeld movement (Can we call it a movement? Eh, why not), the MLB Fan Cave crew gave us a baseball version of 2013 "Seinfeld" with an assist from Oakland Athletics pitcher A.J. Griffin.

Another thing worth mentioning here: The Jerry and Elaine characters are actors, but the George and Kramer characters are members of this year's MLB Fan Cave. Ben Weitmarschen, the Reds fan cave dweller, plays Kramer and Nick Mendillo, the Red Sox fan cave dweller, plays George. Mendillo does a pretty good George Costanza, don't you think?

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By the way, through the first six weeks the numbers strongly suggest he belongs. He's a perfect 16 for 16 in save chances through the Yankees first 39 games, which is quickest he's reached that number of saves throughout his Hall of Fame career. He also owns a sparkling 1.56 ERA and opposing batters are hitting just .219 against him.

He's every bit as good now as he was before his ACL tear suffered last season, if not better. The only thing standing in his way of appearing at Citi Field on July 16 is injury, but if complete knee reconstruction can't slow him down, what can?

He'll be there, but now we're starting to hear some debate over what exactly his role should be at the Midsummer Classic.

Naturally, the first thought is "Mo" belongs in the ninth inning, but there's no guarantee the National League will hit in the ninth inning. let alone that there will be a save opportunity. If you hold him back waiting for that situation to develop, there's a chance Rivera's true impact on the game is minimal. So what would be the next most logical spot for Rivera to appear to guarantee maximum impact and presence?

According to Billy Chuck over at Billy-Ball, it's a pretty simple solution. He believes Rivera should start the game, and he offered his nine reasons why in a piece written on Wednesday.

Among them:

There are no players who receive more attention in the days leading up to the game than the leagues’ starting pitchers. In this season, in which Mariano is retiring and awaiting his Hall of Fame induction, the attention should go to Rivera.

Rivera would be the center of attention regardless of his role, so I'm not buying that as much as I'd buy Rivera simply getting a stand alone introduction when the game has the most eyes on it.

Rivera starting would pit him against the best the NL has to offer. From the 6th inning on the game is filled with substitutes and often the mandatory one player from each team representative.

Let's be honest, sometimes the substitutes are the better players (or are at least having better seasons) than those voted in by the fans. As far as appealing matchups for the fans, then yes, maybe this works. But there's no guarantee he faces better competition in the first inning.

For those of you purists, I ask you: Does it really matter which inning in this exhibition game that the great Mariano actually pitches, or does it matter that we get to see him pitch?

That's a question that is sure to elicit many passionate responses, and I assume the good majority of them would say ninth inning or else.

Personally, I don't hate Chuck's idea. I think it guarantees Rivera gets a proper introduction in his final all-star appearance and protects it from being an anti-climatic appearance in, say, the eighth inning, if the National League were holding a large lead. That said, if the perfect scenario did present itself in the ninth and Rivera wasn't available to lock it down, it would leave quite an empty feeling.

It's an interesting debate that I had not really considered before Chuck brought it up. I'm sure it will pick up some steam as July 16 nears. But as we stand now, we'd love to hear what your opinion is of Bill Chuck's idea and how you'd like to see Rivera honored at the all-star game.

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Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
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• Y! Sports Radio: Jeff Passan talks instant replay expansion and other hot topics
• Slideshow: Prince Harry and Yankees' Mark Teixeira play ball in Harlem

The list — this year's update was released Wednesday — combines salary, winnings, bonuses and endorsements. Of the 50 athletes on it, 25 are baseball players. That means the MLB is batting a cool .500. That number is up from 19 last year.

Baseball players making monster money isn't exactly news, but it is interesting to see baseball players outnumber football players 25-7, when football is without question the more popular sport. There are many issues at hand beyond mere popularity — baseball's lack of a salary cap being No. 1 on the list, baseball players being more identifiable on the field being another — but it's still an interesting fact.

Here's the list of baseball players on the Fortunate 50 with their ranking and pay breakdown, as calculated by SI:

(9) Alex Rodriguez | Total: $29.9 million (endorsements: $900,000)
(10) Zack Greinke | Total: $29.02 million (endorsements: $20,000)
(13) Johan Santana | Total: $26.3 million (endorsements: $800,000)
(14) Felix Hernandez | Total: $25.6 million (endorsements: $600,000)
(17) Cliff Lee | Total: $25.28 million (endorsements: $280,000)
(19) Derek Jeter | Total: $25.1 million (endorsements: $8.1 million)
(20) Joe Mauer | Total: $25 million (endorsements: $2 million)
(22) C.C. Sabathia | Total: $24 million (endorsements: $1 million)
(23) Prince Fielder | Total: $23.5 million (endorsements: $500,000)
(25) Ryan Howard | Total: $23.2 million (endorsements: $3.2 million)
(26) Tim Lincecum | Total: $23 million (endorsements: $1 million)
(28) Mark Teixeira | Total: $22.725 million (endorsements: $225,000)
(30) Matt Kemp | Total: $22.4 million (endorsements: $400,000)
(32) Vernon Wells | Total: $21.6 million (endorsements: $600,000)
(34) Adrian Gonzalez | Total: $21.35 million (endorsements: $350,000)
(36) Miguel Cabrera | Total: $21.2 million (endorsements: $200,000)
(38) Justin Verlander | Total: $20.6 million (endorsements: $600,000)
(39) Roy Halladay | Total: $20.21 million (endorsements: $210,000)
(40) Matt Cain | Total: $20.1 million (endorsements: $100,000)
(41) Barry Zito | Total: $20.08 million (endorsements: $80,000)
(42) Carl Crawford | Total: $20.075 million (endorsements: $75,000)
(44) Cole Hamels | Total: $19.9 million (endorsements: $400,000)
(45) Joey Votto | Total: $19.25 million (endorsements: $250,000)
(46) Albert Pujols | Total: $19 million (endorsements: $3 million)
(50) Alfonso Soriano | Total: $18.2 million (endorsements: $200,000)

FUN FACTS
• The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have more players combined on this list than the NFL.

• The Yankees lead MLB teams with five players on the list. Followed by the Dodgers (four), Philadelphia Phillies (four), Detroit Tigers (three) and San Francisco Giants (three).

• Four players on the list — A-Rod, Jeter, Teixeira and Santana — haven't played a game this season because of injuries. In fact, Santana is out all season.

• Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., who topped the list at $90 million, made more in his May 4 bout ($32 million) than any baseball player on the list. SI says Mayweather could make as much as $128 million this year, which is more than the five Yankees on the list combined.

Want to see the complete top 50? Click through this slideshow:

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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.

My good friend Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star likes to compare big league ballparks to supermodels. You might have your favorites, he says, but none of them are ugly.

It's a sentiment I really like, especially because I like to judge each of the 30 ballparks on their own merits. I'm the writer who once found 10 reasons to like Tropicana Field as a World Series site and I'm among the most vehement defenders of U.S. Cellular Field, the South Side home of the Chicago White Sox. "The Cell," as it's known by locals, is often derided for not being Wrigley Field or like any members of the avalanche of retro ballparks that followed The Cell's opening in 1991. It's a somewhat understandable reaction. Any honest White Sox fan will admit they'd love to go back in time to convince Jerry Reinsdorf to adopt the retro Armour Square plan that presumably would have beat Camden Yards to market by a season.

At the very least, they'd like to flog him with a wet noodle for not making sure The Cell faced Chicago's magnificent skyline instead of the since-demolished housing projects across the Dan Ryan Expressway.

But crying over those missteps over 20 years later takes energy and time away from touting what has become a very good place to watch a baseball game since some big renovations early last decade. The elimination of several rows of nose-bleed seats, the addition of a roof and presence of some underrated traditions make The Cell a cozy must-visit when you're in Chicago for a midsummer trip.

Once you get past that it's not Wrigley Field — something that should be an easy task for any true baseball fan — you'll find that U.S. Cellular Field brings a unique Chicago baseball experience in its own way. Here are 10 tips for maximizing your trip to the only place in town that has played host to a Windy City World Series winner.

1. Make a day of it: Because so many White Sox games are played at night, you're afforded the luxury of spending the morning and afternoon checking off items on your Windy City to-do list. (Try doing that before a 1:20 start on the North Side.) If you're staying downtown, try and hit the sites that make the South Side unique. The most obvious site in the tour guide is probably a Segway tour among the museum campuses or even a jaunt all the way down to the Museum of Science and Industry. But you also shouldn't miss the opportunity to visit the Prairie-Style Robie House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous works or the DuSable Museum, which celebrates African-American history. A visit to Hyde Park also features an opportunity to walk through President Barack Obama's Kenwood neighborhood (check out the plaque at a nearby Baskin-Robbins that marks where he and the First Lady first kissed) or marvel in the beauty that is the University of Chicago campus. Other pregame stops in the neighborhoods south of Madison might include the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on Taylor Street (there's a statue of Joe DiMaggio out front), the historic Pullman district or lunch/dinner in Chicago's Chinatown. The city has so much to offer past the usual tourist conga line of Navy Pier, Giordano's and Niketown. Get out and experience it!

2. Getting there: The Cell is easily accessible by the El and most years you'd get there by taking the Red Line — the same train that connects both U.S. Cellular and Wrigley Field. The South Side portion of that line, however, is undergoing renovation in 2013, so you'll be taking the Green Line, which is actually located just two blocks east of the Red Line stop at 35th Street. (Hint: If you're leaving a crowded game when the Red Line is open, the Green Line is always the smarter play. It feeds right back into the Loop like the Red Line does and features a tenth of the sweaty masses who are trying to get back home.)

Here's the thing, though: While a lot of parks in this series have stressed taking public transportation, I'd like to recommend driving provided you're able and willing to fight Chicago's awful traffic. Not only is The Cell surrounded by parking lots featuring rates that have been mercifully lowered this season (only $10 for Sunday games!), but driving also gives you and your friends the opportunity to ....

3. Tailgate!: The Cell's parking lots open two hours before game time and you'll want to arrive as early as possible to enjoy what has become a decent tailgating scene. Before each game, the lots are filled with Smokey Joe grills, impromptu cornhole games and plenty of beers cribbed from trunk coolers. If you're not interested in bringing and grilling your own food, check out 35th Street Red Hots, located just west of the park after you head underneath the train tracks. It's a tiny, no-frills Chicago hot dog stand that serves both hot dogs and Polishes wrapped in a greasy bed of fries that are cut right in front of you. It's pretty much the best thing ever. After devouring that meal on one of the stand's picnic benches (or the hood of your car), feel free to stroll a few blocks west to The Grandstand, one of the best independent sportswear stores you'll ever visit. Pretty much everything that has ever featured a Pale Hose logo is available for sale, as well as copious amount of Blackhawks, Bears and Bulls gear. Oh, and don't worry — there's also a small corner of Cubs items if you need to bring something back for your neighbor who was disappointed to learn the North Siders weren't at home during your stay in Chicago.

4. Make sure your seats are in the lower deck: The worst feature about U.S. Cellular Field is that a lower-deck ticket is required to access the lower concourse. This unfortunate policy creates a class system at the ballpark, preventing all 500-level ticketholders from enjoying everything the lower concourse has to offer. The good news is that the team's recent drop in ticket prices means that you can get a lower-level seat for as little as $20 for most games, preventing you from following this guide for talking your way past the ticket checkers that are posted outside the entrances to the lower concourse. While The Cell's steep upper deck deserves its oft-maligned reputation, the park's lower deck is full of great views as each seat points toward home plate.

5. Step back and smell the onions: While many fans wax poetically about seeing the green of the field for the first time, you'll head home talking about your first whiff of Sox Park. No, that's not a bad thing like it was in old Yankee Stadium. The Cell's numerous hot dog stands create an overwhelming aroma of grilled onions that will have you agreeing to at least one dog before the first pitch. The Cell's dogs used to be made by Best's Kosher, but the company went out of business a few years back. Now they're made by Vienna Beef, the famous wiener found on true Chicago hot dogs. Pair a dog with grilled onions and mustard with one of the craft brews found at the Midwest Craft Beers stand found down the right field line and you'll think you've found the recipe for happiness. (U.S. Cellular has some of the best food in the major leagues. Here's a full guide to the selection from Eater.com.)

6. Don't miss the intro: I'm not an expert on introduction videos at other ballparks, but I happen to think the White Sox have a pretty good one. It combines shots of memorabilia and old photos from the team's long history with a lot of cool TV and film clips of big plays in Sox history. (My favorite highlight happens to be the one where Carlton Fisk completes a double play at home plate by tagging both Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra. See if you can spot it.)

7. Check out the bar in the bullpen: The Miller Lite Bullpen Sports Bar in right isn't much to look at (comparisons to a bunker might make it seem too luxurious), but it's actually a pretty fun feature of the park. Only a pane of glass separates opposing bullpen pitchers from bargoers and it can serve as a good destination if it's too hot/too rainy/too big of a blowout. You can also reserve one of the picnic tables above the right field fence for an additional fee per seat once you get there and you'll be able to enjoy a unique view with a server for the entire game. (Buy the cheapest park tickets if you plan on doing this. If you don't want to pay an extra fee, the party deck above the batter's eye in center field makes for a fun hangout spot, though you'll have to go fetch your own concessions.)

8. Enjoy the exploding scoreboard: The ivy across town might earn more tributes, but another of Bill Veeck's many delightful creations still looms large on the South Side. The Cell's exploding scoreboard may seem tame by today's standards, but its original incarnation in the old Comiskey Park was a phenomenon when it was introduced in 1960. (Cleveland's Jimmy Piersall once famously threw a baseball at the scoreboard in anger while the Mickey Mantle-led Yankees mocked it by lighting sparklers after hitting homers off White Sox pitchers.) The current version has been outfitted by a pretty useful television screen, but its allure still lies when its pinwheels light up and smoke belches forth in celebration of the latest White Sox homer.

9. Say hello to Harold: The White Sox have a statue celebrating the 2005 World Series team located outside the front of the park. Several other cool statues are located on the outfield concourse, including Frank Thomas, Carlton Fisk, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio and Charles Comiskey. My favorite likeness, though, is the statue of Harold Baines that stands behind the seats in right field. The sculptor nailed Baines' patient stride and just looking at it brings me right back to games I attended as a child, when chants of Ha-rold, Ha-rold, Ha-rold would ring around old Comiskey.

10. Make sure you have postgame plans elsewhere: The one thing that The Cell really lacks is a postgame bar scene, so you'll want to make sure you have plans elsewhere before the final out. Luckily for you, Chicago has no shortage of watering holes and fantastic restaurants to make your day complete. Pick one near your hotel or friend's place and toast a great day of Chicago baseball.

What are your favorite tips for visiting U.S. Cellular Field?

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park, PNC Park

The rattling that Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals took by slamming into the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium on Monday has cost him his beard.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that Harper needed to shave his face in order for medical staff to sew stitches were he cut his chin on the fence:

Harper said he's sore and feels nauseous, but otherwise no worse for the wear. Said he was most upset about having to shave his beard.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 14, 2013

Though he is due for more tests, the Nats say Harper does not have a concussion — which is hard to believe not only because of the jolt he obviously suffered but also because Harper says he's nauseous. That's a classic symptom. But if Harper's beard has become a casualty, then maybe this is all al blessing in disguise. That facial hair made Harper look like a movie villain. Hey, don't you agree, Vin Scully?

In a pre-game interview with Charlie Slowes Tuesday, the longtime Voice of the Dodgers addressed the vicious collision:

“The only good thing about it is it knocked his beard off,” Scully told Slowes. “And I was delighted to see … I went down to the clubhouse because I admire his play, and there he was clean shaven, stitches under the chin.”

Right on, Vin. Look, this is the United States. If you want to run into fences and wear evil beards, be my guest. But there will be consequences. Freedom of speech ain't free, if ya' get my meaning.

Here's to Harper staying healthy, knowing where the fence is next time and keeping his face clear of evil hairs.

Big BLS H/N: CBS D.C.

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The best part is the shocked and devastated look on Jeon's face. He just stands on first base, stunned and probably embarrassed, while one opposing player pats him on the back and others laugh.

It's reminiscent of Willie Mays Hayes in "Major League 2" waving at ball when he think he's hit a homer ... but hasn't.

If you like hijinks from Korean baseball, we also recommend you check out this oddity from the KBO that we posted last week. Between them and Manny Ramirez in Taiwan, the Asian baseball market is bringing the hilarity lately.

BLS H/N: Dan from MyKBO.net.

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Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle examined Tuesday what happened when Affeldt discovered in 2010 that he was being overpaid $500,000 because of a clerical error the Giants made when typing up his contract:

Affeldt got three opinions saying the contract was ironclad and he could keep the extra $500,000, from the Players Association, agent Michael Moye and even Giants assistant general manager Bobby Evans.

Affeldt recalled Moye telling him, "You know what? As your agent I've got to tell you that legally you can keep it. As a man who represents integrity, I'm saying you should give it back."

And that's what Affeldt said he did, redoing the contract with the $500,000 excised.

"I talked to Bobby the next day and said, 'I can't take that money,' " Affeldt said. " 'I won't sleep well at night knowing I took that money because every time I open my paycheck I'll know it's not right.' "

Affeldt's two-year contract extension called for him to be paid a total of $10 million, so the unintended bonus of $500,000 represents 5 percent. That would be a significant chuck of change to Joe Average.

Schulman's note was prompted by Affeldt telling the story in a book he recently published — "To Stir a Movement" — which chronicles Affeldt's goal, as a person of faith, in defeating social injustices, most notably human trafficking.

Being overpaid by accident and keeping the money might not be as destructive of an act as slavery, but it's still a sin. And Affeldt, who identifies as a Christian, seems to be a moral person.

This might be the best example possible of why it can be OK for kids to look up to Major League Baseball players as role models. Not in the sense of trying to be a pitcher, or trying to make a lot of money. And Affeldt certainly sets a bad example at the BBQ grill, and his hugging skills sometimes fail. But he did the right thing when the time came. Everyone who has a son or daughter should hope their kid would do what Affeldt did with this kind of found money.

Big BLS H/N: Hardball Talk

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This time it's Washington Nationals star Gio Gonzalez playing catch with a kid named Trent in the stands before Monday's game with the Dodgers. What makes this video different than the previous one is that Trent's dad is giving us commentary as he records.

It's typical dad-in-the-stands baseball stuff, encouraging his kid and dropping "so cool" and "awesome" more times than we care to count. He actually seems more excited about it than Trent.

We hope that after this encounter, Trent goes and gets a Gio Gonzalez jersey shirt to hang in his closet next to his Stephen Strasburg.

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Hardly a month after right-hander Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers fractured his left collarbone fighting with Padres slugger Carlos Quentin, his team scheduled him to start against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Instead of returning eight weeks after his surgery in April, he's back in five.

Zack Greinke: Speed healer.

Greinke made a minor-league rehab start Saturday, and must figure that getting through it is enough to knock off the rust, and that there's nothing left to prove for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. His faster-than-hoped return is great news for the Dodgers, who have lacked positive results in starting the season 16-22. But every bit of good news for the Dodgers seems to bring with it some bad.

The Los Angeles Times writes that right-hander Josh Beckett, who is troubled by a sore groin, might take Greinke's spot on the disabled list. Regardless, Greinke is ready to step off tonight at Dodger Stadium:

“He feels like he’s ready,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “His stuff tells us he’s ready. He didn’t think he was going to get anything more out of a minor league start.”

[...]

The Dodgers are going to have to make a roster move Wednesday to activate Greinke, and Beckett (0-5, 5.91 ERA) came out of his start Tuesday after three ineffective innings, Mattingly saying he tweaked a groin covering first.

The Dodgers don’t have to make that decision until Wednesday, but Beckett going on the DL is certainly an option.

Beckett hasn't been quite as bad as his ERA shows. He's pitched into some bad luck. And a sore groin might help to explain why he hasn't been able to get himself out of jams. At this point in his career, when he's not throwing 97 mph anymore, stuff like this matters more.

If the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw, Greinke and Beckett healthy and clicking by midseason (we're about a quarter through now), there's every reason to think they'd be able to put on a good playoff push in the second half.

The only question with Greinke for tonight is, if Bryce Harper of the Nationals is back in the lineup, will he just randomly run into one of his fastballs?

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Not only did the San Francisco Giants give Melky Cabrera his 2012 World Series ring Tuesday night, they returned much of the equipment he had left behind at AT&T Park during a hasty exit this past summer. Included among Cabrera's items were some of his old bats, one of which he used to knock out four hits in a 10-6 victory for the Toronto Blue Jays.

It figures, given that Cabrera got himself suspended in August after testing positive for testosterone, leaving the Giants without one of their best hitters for the pennant drive. Cabrera addressed all of that in a post-game interview with the help of coach Luis Rivera, who translated and gave paraphrased quotes. The Associated Press writes:

Cabrera's big night came with bats he used while playing for the Giants last year, black bats stamped with an orange 53, his jersey number.

''I left some bats last season and Murph (Mike Murphy, the Giants equipment manager) sent them to me and I was using them today,'' Cabrera said through a translator.

Cabrera also left the Giants, pretty much, without saying good-bye. Or saying he was sorry, or saying anything. His quick and quiet departure caused puzzlement, if not bad feelings. Of course, we know now that the Giants won the World Series anyway, and Cabrera got a nice free-agent deal from the Blue Jays despite an association with performance-enhancing drugs.

Still, it must have been with some awkward feelings that Giants manager Bruce Bochy presented Cabrera with his championship ring in a quick, quiet and private ceremony in a hallway between clubhouses at the Rogers Centre before the first pitch. The handoff differed from what was done with Nate Schierholtz, who got his ring in a public (if informal) ceremony at Wrigley Field in April.

Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area writes:

When asked an innocuous question – why he preferred to receive his World Series ring in private instead of behind the batting cage Tuesday afternoon – Cabrera said that was Bochy’s preference.

“It was Bochy’s decision,” Cabrera said through translator and Toronto coach Luis Rivera. “If they wanted to do it on the field, that (would have) been fine, too.”

That was a lie.

Bochy had assumed he would give Cabrera the ring on the field, as he did with Nate Schierholtz in Chicago last month. It wouldn’t be any big ceremony, but it definitely would be a moment for cameras and reporters to capture.

The Giants got word through Toronto’s public relations department that Cabrera preferred to pick up his ring in a more private setting. So the handoff was made in a tunnel between the clubhouses, behind closed doors. It took all of 45 seconds.

Does it matter where Cabrera received the ring? Of course not.

Only that he chose to lie about it.

Well, OK, then.

Baggarly would seem to have a bone to pick with Cabrera, going back to just before he got popped for PEDs, when Cabrera told him he was clean. Baggarly says, however, that the original lie is understandable, given that Cabrera knew he was under investigation at that time. Cabrera's other acts, including making it look like it was Bochy who wanted to keep the ceremony private — at least according to Rivera's "translation" — are less forgivable.

More important than the jewelry: Perhaps the Giants should have waited until after the series to return Melky's bats. But they were just being courteous — which is more than Melky has been with the Giants, if San Francisco's media reports are accurate.

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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.

Not counting Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS against the Yankees (which counts but ... you know), Jim Johnson had logged a Baltimore Orioles record 35 straight saves going back to July. No more, the San Diego Padres said Tuesday night. With two outs in the ninth, Chris Denorfia hit a tying single and Everth Cabrera followed with a go-ahead knock to lift the Padres to a 3-2 victory at Camden Yards. Afterward, it was business as usual for Johnson, who said he never thought much of the streak. Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun of Johnson's postgame activity:

“He's grinding out on a bicycle,” he said, “Getting ready for [Wednesday].”

Never turn your back on Felix: This is why Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez can never, ever leave a ballgame under any circumstances. Hernandez took a three-run lead into the sixth inning against CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees Music Factory, but he tweaked his back on a comebacker by Curtis Granderson. The Grandy Man, in his first game back after breaking his arm during spring training, must have transferred his injury curse mojo to King Felix, who finished the inning with discomfort and didn't come out for the seventh. Hernandez said it's "nothing serious" and that he would be fine for his next start, but the M's couldn't hold on against the Yankees, who rallied for three runs in the seventh and won 4-3.

MORE SCORES

Rangers 6, Athletics 5 (10 inn.): The save took all of the gumption Joe Nathan had, but he nailed it down with 31 pitches. Sluggers Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland each hit a home run in the 10th to put Texas ahead. A's manager Bob Melvin was ejected by umpire D.J. Reyburn earlier, so he watched the end of the game in an office with Billy Beane (who was played by Brad Pitt). Here's video of what preceded the argument, if you're into that.

Pirates 4, Brewers 3 (12 inn.): Raise the Jolly Roger! Andrew McCutchen has been struggling, certainly in relation to his MVP-contender 2012 season, but he hopes a walk-off homer in the 12th will be the start of a hot streak.

Reds 6, Marlins 2: It's a six-hitter for Homer Bailey, who threw 125 pitches. (**Gives side-eye to Dusty Baker.**)

Rockies 9, Cubs 4: Carlos Gonzalez goes 5 for 5 with two home runs in a fantastic performance. He only had three RBIs and didn't steal a base, however, so it wasn't fantasy-tastic.

Cardinals 10, Mets 4: Who is John Gast? He's the beneficiary of major run support in his first major league start, that's who. Gast began with five shutout innings before fraying in the sixth, but came was after Team Fredbird had built a nine-run lead.

Diamondbacks 2, Braves 0: Patrick Corbin and bullpen friends make it all quiet on the Justin Upton-Chris Johnson front.

Dodgers 2, Nationals 0: Vintage Clayton Kershaw fans 11 over 8 2/3, giving the Dodgers pen a rest, mostly. Kenley Jansen got the last out for his second save.

Blue Jays 10, Giants 6: 10 strikeouts over six innings for R.A. Dickey, and a World Series ring for former Gigante Melky Cabrera (but keep it quiet).

Phillies 6, Indians 2: Jonathan Pettitbone keeps on truckin' his first time around the league (hint, hint). Also: Domonic Brown hits another laser against a lefty.

Tigers 6, Astros 2: You're not going to believe this: Home run, Miguel Cabrera:

Rays 5, Red Sox 3: Matt Moore was not worried after falling behind three runs in the first inning because he had confidence in the Rays' offense. So he's the one!

White Sox 4, Twins 2: Jake Peavy and Chris Sale can't pitch every day.

Angels 6, Royals 2: Los Anaheim hits four home runs against Jeremy Guthrie, including one by Josh Hamilton, who said he's been sick for two weeks. He came in batting .212 in his first 38 games.

Felix Hernandez said "ouch" "ouch," and now trainer is out.

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) May 15, 2013

Curtis Granderson, seated next to actor Patrick Warburton in the Yankees dugout, uses his right arm to point, as if to say, "See? It works now."

• Jeremy Guthrie had not received an "L" in 18 starts, a Royals record.

• Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman lowered his ERA to 3.40.

• The D-backs have scored three runs or fewer in seven straight games.

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If you told me that Nick Swisher had an IV of Rockstar Energy Drink that he sleeps with at night pumping energy into his veins, I'd believe it. Swisher, the new Cleveland Indians first baseman/outfielder, met up with Ben Lyons of Yahoo! Music recently as part of its "Yahoo! On the Road" series.

They talk music, life on the road, Cleveland and Swisher becoming a dad soon — and they got video-bombed by teammate Mike Aviles. It's totally loud and bro-tastic, as most Swisher interviews are. It's a fun watch, especially for the part where Swisher says he would wanted to be in the background in a band. Suuuuuuure, buddy.

Nonetheless, here are our favorite quotes from the interview — Swisher-isms, if you will.

• "Bro, it's just been so amazing, man."

• "I try to swag it out as much as possible."

• "We might have Marley monday, techno tuesday … just getting that fist pump."

• "Our manager Terry Francona is THE JAM, bro."

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Interestingly enough, when Prince Harry of Wales decides to play baseball, he does it with a Yankee and not with a Royal.

Harry stopped by Harlem RBI's baseball field Tuesday as part of his tour of the U.S. There, he played a little baseball with injured New York Yankees star Mark Teixeira.

(Since we're a sports blog and a not tabloid, a little context: Harry is the younger brother of William, who was recently married to Kate Middleton. They're both sons to Princess Di and Charles, Prince of Wales.)

Teixeira pitched to Harry, they high-fived and one picture makes it look like they were telling A-Rod jokes to each other. Look at that royal gasp on Harry's face. Now they're BFFs: Baseball friends forever.

The pair also led the kids in some baseball drills. You have to wonder if Harry knew what he was talking about, or if it was like The Pope teaching kids how to shoot free throws?

Now a polo clinic? Prince Harry probably would have killed at that.

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As Curtis Granderson returns to the Yankees lineup on Tuesday, the first of their stars to come back, the story changes a little bit. Now it becomes, can the Yankees keep it up?

Granderson, who fractured his forearm in late February, will hit cleanup and play left field as the Yankees face the Seattle Mariners and Felix Hernandez in the Bronx. With 43 home runs last season, Granderson is a boost the Yankees will welcome, despite what they've been able to accomplish without him.

Frankly, the Yankees have emerged from injury hell in the best possible scenario — they're tied with the Texas Rangers for the second-best record in baseball. Attribute it to the Vernon Wells acquisition, their pitching or just that good Yankee fortune.

Over at NBC Sports, Joe Posnanski has come to grips with the Yankees being better-than-expected. Under the headline,"Yankees School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he writes:

What if that team was playing in Kansas City. Or Seattle. Or Milwaukee. Take away Cano, and you can imagine it very easily. How many games would that team win? More to the point, how many would they lose? Ninety-five? A hundred? In New York, that lineup — and a pitching staff with 41-year-old Andy Pettitte and 38-year-old Hiroki Kuroda trying to get the game to 43-year-old Mariano Rivera — is in first place with the best record in the American League ...

But the truth is, I’m losing faith in the science-based baseball world. I know that sooner or later, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter will return. And, I must admit, that’s magic even I have no choice but to believe in.

Somewhere Hawk Harrelson is reading this and proudly proclaiming the Yankees' real secret: a big ol' dose of TWTW.

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The San Diego Padres' minor-league affiliate at Class AAA is reviving Tucson's take on the "Tequila Sunrise" uniforms worn famously by the Houston Astros from the middle 1970s until 1986, when Houston was Tucson's parent city. The Tucson Padres will wear the old-school eyesores June 8 as part of Disco Night at Kino Stadium.

The big-league Astros' rainbow uniforms might have been blinding, but the 1980 Toros uniforms — easily identified by the sash down the front — literally were incompatible with the sense of vision. Jimmy Sexton, whose baseball card is shown, managed to overcome being dressed like a scoop of sherbet and became a big-time sports agent in later years. Still, at the time, it looks like all of the color in his face was drained into the uniform in order to feed it.

A wonderful post by Patrick Finley at the Arizona Daily Star remembers the concoction of crazy colors then-Tucson GM Jack Donovan came up with:

The jerseys were traffic-cone orange, with school-bus yellow sleeves with orange piping at the end. They had a diagonal yellow sash design (hey, it was the '80s) across the front, on which was overlaid navy "Toros" lettering with a red-orange-red stripe running beneath it.

The backs of the jerseys - to mimic an Arizona sky, Donovan said - were solid blue with a white number inspired by the Montreal Expos' font.

But then the jerseys bled in the warm wash.

"Wherever it was orange, it turned brown," Donovan said.

The red-orange-red sash stripe was turned into a cranberry mess, with the lowest diagonal piece of yellow sash resembling pea soup.

"When they bled," Donovan said, "they were God-awful."

Oh, they didn't need to bleed to be God-awful, Jack. (Pride of ownership.)

When he complained to the manufacturer, Donovan was told by a tailor there that "the different materials used for the sash and jersey shouldn't have been put together." No kidding!

These uniforms are best used in the imagination, so as not to risk burning the retinas. So, every time you picture Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter while tripping LSD, imagine him wearing this uniform to enhance the memory.

And yet, an order for 40 new jerseys (hopefully with colors that won't run) has been placed. It's funny, though. The team had to design updated uniforms by using Google images of Toros baseball cards of the era. Nobody could seem to find an original jersey. How about that!? It's as though someone buried the laundry somewhere in the desert.

Big BLS H/N: CBS Eye on Baseball

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Harper, who left the field bloody and dazed, required stitches but didn't have a concussion after not heeding the warning track's warning. (Video here if you missed it). The 20-year-old Washington Nationals phenom also sounds like he doesn't have any regrets.

I will keep playing this game hard for the rest of my life even if it kills me! Ill never stop! #RespectTheGame

— Bryce Harper (@Bharper3407) May 14, 2013

So, in other words, Bryce Harper ... or die trying! That made me put my minimal Photoshop skill to hasty use:

The latest: Adam Kilgore at the Washington Post is reporting that Bryce is just bruised. X-rays were negative. He's day-to-day.

So Harper won't have to stop. Just slow down for a couple days. Shouldn't kill him, right?

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Here's a pretty cool scene that we don't see every day: Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Korean pitcher imported by the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, playing catch with a kid in the stands during batting practice.

The young fan goes by the name of Deuce, and he's a regular in the Dodgers left field pavilion. (And he's got a pretty good arm, huh?) Deuce's future trips to the stadium won't be as cool as this one. According to Dodgerfilms, who captured and posted the video, the pair played catch for about five minutes until batting practice ended.

The kid has effectively raised the bar on pre-game player interactions. Who wants to catch a home-run ball or get an autograph when you can actually play catch with a $61 million player from your seat? For insurance purposes, this can't be something the organization adores, but from a make-your-fans-love-you perspective, it's gold.

This comes a week after Dodgers star Matt Kemp made headlines for his postgame interaction with a sick fan — in which Kemp gave the young man his jersey, hat, cleats and an autographed baseball. The Dodgers, standings be damned, are winning with fans lately.

BLS H/N: Reddit

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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.

''It usually works out like this,'' Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ''When guys are traded, they have a good night.''

Whatever Fredi says. Braves slugger Justin Upton, who leads the majors in home runs, went deep for No. 13 on Monday night in his first game at Chase Field since the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him and Chris Johnson during the offseason. Upton had four hits and Johnson also homered for Atlanta, which beat Arizona 10-1. The Braves also have an early edge in a seven-player deal that sent Martin Prado to the D-backs in exchange for Upton, who was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Upton received a nice ovation from the old home crowd when he stepped in for his first plate appearance, though boos seemed more noticeable as the night went along. His home run in the sixth inning snapped a 46 at-bat streak, spanning 14 games, without one.

More prodigal son action: Outfielder Rick Ankiel, just picked up by the New York Mets after being let go by the Houston Astros, nearly made a great catch on a blooper to rob Ty Wigginton of the St. Louis Cardinals — Ankiel's first major league team. But Ankiel, who had to use the glove of pitcher Jonathan Niese because Ankiel's equipment had not yet arrived, could not hang on after a dive.

''I do think if I have my glove it stays in there,'' Ankiel said. ''I'm the type of person, if I get a glove on it I feel I should have caught it.

''I didn't. It stinks.''

Wigginton later scored on some head's-up baserunning to help the Cardinals win 6-3.

MORE SCORES

Indians 1-0, Yankees 0-7: Cleveland's Justin Masterson pitched a four-hitter (all singles) in the doubleheader opener. Yankees rookie Vidal Nuno looked good over five innings in the nightcap, helping the Bronx improve to 24-14.

Royals 11, Angels 4: Billy Butler went 5 for 5 with five RBIs to help K.C. stop a three-game losing streak, and Los Angeles dropped to 0-8 in games started by Joe Blanton.

Brewers 5, Pirates 1: Milwaukee did one better, ending a four-game losing streak behind a strong seven innings by Marco Estrada and six stolen bases against backup catcher Mike McKenry. Pittsburgh also made three errors.

Tigers 7, Astros 2: New leadoff man Andy Dirks (Austin Jackson is hurt) hit a grand slam for Detroit.

Cubs 9, Rockies 1: Left-hander Travis Wood with some Hippo Vaughn-type consistency for the Cub.

Twins 10, White Sox 3: It's the Aaron Hicks Show, starring Aaron Hicks! With special guest, Aaron Hicks! Your co-host, Aaron Hicks! And your host, the man of the moment, Aaron Hicks!

Athletics 5, Rangers 1: Right-hander A.J. Griffin, along with sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Brandon Moss, put a stop to an unseemly A's skid.

Nationals 6, Dodgers 2: Obscured in the worry over Bryce Harper not knowing where the playing field ends was another elite performance by Nats right-hander Jordan Zimmermann.

''You could tell he didn't know where he was at. He just kept asking me, 'Is it bad? Is it bad?' "

— Denard Span of the Nationals, on his conversation with Bryce Harper right after he ran into the right-field fence.

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels can't even look as some dunderhead performs a striptease, briefly interrupting Kansas City's 11-4 victory.

• Moss hit a home run, the 7,000th in Oakland's history. The first was by Reggie Jackson in 1968.

• Chris Sale of the White Sox got a tooth pulled less than 24 hours after throwing a one-hit shutout Sunday night.

• The Chicago Cubs signed 23-year-old first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a 7-year, $41 million contract extension.

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Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper has proven two things about himself before his 21st birthday.

1) He can play baseball better than most. 2) He can make himself bleed quite creatively.

Harper knocked himself senseless in the fifth inning Monday night running into the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium — full-speed and face-first — in pursuit of a fly ball. He was bloodied from a cut on his chin that needed 11 stitches to close, dazed from the jarring impact and was forced to leave the game. With his neck ringed by a trickle of blood, Harper uneasily walked off the field under the supervision of Nats staff and teammates.

But the first medical reports were encouraging: He sustained minor injuries to a shoulder, his neck and a knee, but he doesn't have a concussion according to his agent, Scott Boras, who also said Harper will be checked by X-ray Tuesday.

The number of stitches top, by one, the repairs done to Harper's face in 2012 after he accidentally hit his own face with a bat after getting upset. Nobody makes Bryce Harper bleed his own blood ... like Bryce Harper.

Via the Washington Post:

“Bryce is going to be all right,” Manager Davey Johnson said.

Sure, as long as he heeds the warning track next time. Outfielder Denard Span had the closest views of what happened after the Dodgers' A.J. Ellis drove a ball over Harper's head, and the Washington Times quoted him as saying:

“The way he ran into the wall, he definitely had no idea where he was (in relation to it),” Span said. "As soon as he ran into it his body locked up. I’ve never seen anybody run into the wall like that.

“I just was like ‘Is he going to stop?’ And he just kept going.”

Span also said that Harper was lobbying to

Already one of the league's best players, Harper came in batting .297 .387 .619 with 10 home runs. The Nationals would miss him terribly if he missed any time. And he might miss a game or two, but it could have been worse — like when Aaron Rowand busted his face big-time making a catch for the Phillies in 2006

Harper didn't make the catch, but he also hit the fence harder. Here are a couple of animations you won't be able to stop watching:

• Slow

• Fast

It's going to be illuminating, reading what Harper says about why his cleats failed to detect the warning track of dirt at his feet. Being hard-nosed is one thing. Even being reckless, with a disregard for one's own body in the name of making the play, is one thing. But not knowing where the outfield fence is? That's a good way to shorten what ought to be a great career. Not to be a curmudgeon.

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The Minnesota Twins promoted 23-year-old Aaron Hicks to the majors this season because they thought he was ready to perform just like he did Monday night.

Hicks not only leaped high to rob slugger Adam Dunn of what would have been a tying two-run home run, but he also went deep twice at Target Field for the first multi-hit game of his career in a 10-3 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

Have a game, kid! The only way he could have done any better is if the White Sox had mustered another near-homer for him to steal. Too much to ask!

Hicks' catch came in the top of the sixth with the Twins leading 5-3. After reliever Josh Roenicke delivered, Dunn blasted a pitch to straight-away center, about 410 feet from home plate. It appeared to be going over for for Dunn's seventh homer of the season and 413th of his career until Hicks changed the outcome.

Hicks' second homer of the night — another solo shot against left-hander Hector Santiago — came in his next at-bat in the bottom of the sixth. MLB.com quoted Hicks as saying:

"Right after the catch, I just felt loose and amazing, so for the second one to come right after just topped it off," Hicks said. "I've just been battling every day. It's what you have to do in this league. I was able to make some plays today and have fun."

It's definitely not what the Dunn and the White Sox needed. Dunn came in batting .137 with 45 strikeouts, and Chicago's record fell to 15-21, good for last place in the AL Central. Perhaps the home run Dunn almost hit would have been a pick-me-up moment for the White Sox. Hicks' play prevents us from finding out.

A former first-round pick who is among the Twins' best prospects, Hicks has needed a big game to ignite his season after jumping from Class AA. He came in with a .137/.239/.216 batting line, including only five extra-base hits, in 117 plate appearances. While it remains to be seen what kind of career he'll have, Hicks at least can say he's had a career night. Via MLB.com:

"That was a special night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The home runs were wonderful and that catch was spectacular in a big situation like that to keep the lead. He definitely had an ear-to-ear smile and that was fun for everybody involved, because we've all watched him battle through this thing with the struggles he's gone through. Especially with that curtain call, that's kind of why we do this as coaches."

And that's why the Twins traded two center fielders in an offseason housecleaning — Denard Span and Ben Revere — and gave Hicks the starting job out of spring training.

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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.

Up next is our good friend Drew Brown of RumBunter. He's blessed with the opportunity to visit one of baseball's best parks 81 dates a year and is ready to pass on the secrets of PNC Park to you ...

When people discuss the best ballparks in America, PNC Park is almost always part of the conversation. The pride of Pittsburgh opened in 2001 and was a major upgrade from Three Rivers Stadium. Located on the shore of the Allegheny River, the stadium is right up there with AT&T Park for having the best view in baseball.

There’s a reason fans continue to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play. Fans have been through the thick and thin, such as watching Homer Bailey no-hit the Pirates at PNC Park to give them loss number 81 last season and watching Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder crush pitch after pitch as the Milwaukee Brewers pounded the Bucs 20-0 at PNC.

For a team that’s consecutive losing season streak is older than Bryce Harper, the Pirates still draw decent crowds to support a team who has suffered two straight late season collapses. That's because PNC Park is a great place to watch a baseball game, and with my leadership, your time at PNC will be that much better. Here are 10 tips on how to get the best experience out of a road trip at PNC Park.

1. Don’t overpay for premium tickets: There isn’t a bad seat in PNC Park. You can sit all the way up in Peanut Heaven and still enjoy the game. Ticket pricing, compared to other ballparks, is pretty darned inexpensive. You can get into left field bleacher reserved seats for a little more than $20. As is the case with other parks, it's easy to score even better seats if you can wait a few days prior and purchase through StubHub.

Be sure to stay away from purchasing club seats, though. The seats are nice, and you can have a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline, but you’d be paying roughly $60 for them, when you could be spending twenty for tickets just a section higher. There are perks when it comes to buying club seats, such as an indoor establishment that features restaurants, bars, pool tables, merchandise shops, and TVs to watch the game, but for all the times I have set up there, I never thought it was worth the $60 you would be paying for the ticket.
Nine out of ten times, I sit in left field, and I love the seats. The scoreboard is behind you, but it’s not hard to turn around and look at it in between innings. Also, sitting on the third base side is better than sitting on the first base side, strictly because of the Pittsburgh skyline. One of the reasons people consider PNC Park the nicest ballpark in America is because of the city buildings in the background, and there isn’t a better view of it than on the third base line.

2. Take a look at the promotion schedule: PNC Park almost always has good giveaways, and they all come on weekends.

Friday: Every home game features a free shirt, and the shirts are usually pretty nice. The designs vary, but most fans go home happy after getting a free shirt.

Saturday: Almost every game has a giveaway, which ranges from fireworks night, concerts (Skyblast/FanJam), bobbleheads, etc. The concerts usually feature a well-known band, and we have seen bands like Daughtry, Boys II Men, Lifehouse, Styx, OAR, and this year features Kool and the Gang, Third Eye Blind, and Neon Trees. Almost every Saturday night game is a sellout, and most of the Friday night games draw 30,000 fans, so don’t mess around when it comes to buying tickets. PNC Park isn't the most enjoyable park during sellouts — if you hate tight, overcrowded ballparks — PNC Park on a weekend isn't for you.

Sunday: The Pirates never get the nod for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, so 99.9 percent of Sunday games start at 1:35. If you’re planning on taking the family to the game, a Sunday afternoon at the ballpark might be your best choice. Kids 14 and under almost always get a solid giveaway, and this year fans will be receiving kids jerseys, umbrellas, flags, drawstring backpacks, ear buds, scarfs, posters, etc. Before the game, amusements are set up outside the park for the kids to enjoy and after the game (weather depending), all kids are invited to stay and run the bases on the field.

3. Head down to the Strip District before or after the game: If you are heading to a night game, I definitely recommend stopping at Primanti Brothers in the Strip District before of after the game. If you’re unaware of Primanti Brothers, it’s a Pittsburgh-based food legend that makes the best sandwich in Pittsburgh. You can get a roast beef, cheesesteak, capicola, fish, chicken, etc. sandwich with french fries, cheese, egg, cole slaw, etc stuffed on top of it. There is a Primanti Bros inside the stadium, but the sandwich isn’t nearly as good there as it is at the restaurant.

The Strip District is just a short hop across the river from PNC Park, and it tends to get busy for night games, so get down there quick if you’re looking to grab a great sandwich.
If you’re going to a day game, I recommend stopping at Delucas to grab some great breakfast. Delucas is also located in the Strip District, so grabbing a fantastic breakfast and heading to the game is not a bad idea at all. On top of the two great restaurants in the Strip District, there are plenty of other stores and restaurants in the Strip that you might have interest in.
Craft beer lover? Stop at Rivertowne Brewing's restaurant, or the Tilted Kilt or McFadden's beside PNC Park to check out a long list of local brews. The Roberto Clemente Museum is another must see when you are in town.

4. Swing by the statues outside PNC Park and the Highmark Legacy Square: On your way into PNC Park, you will definitely walk by at least one massive statue paying honors to a Pirates legend. There are five entrances to the ballpark, and four of them have a statue in front of it. If you’re coming in through the centerfield entrance, you’ll see the statue of the legendary Roberto Clemente. Willie “Pops” Stargell accompanies the left field entrance, while Honus Wagner holds down the home plate entrance. In 2010, the Pirates honored Bill Mazeroski by erecting a statue of him near right field.

All of those statues are outside of park, but once you enter the park, you have the chance of seeing even more life-size statues. Located inside the left field entrance is the Highmark Legacy Square, an interactive exhibit that pays tribute to the Negro Leagues. While focusing mainly on the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, the area is free to visit and features life-size bronze statues of some of the best Negro League players that played in the city of Pittsburgh. There are also videos you can watch on an electronic video wall that show you a great timeline of the Negro Leagues and plan on spending 20-30 minutes if you want to brush up on your knowledge of the Negro Leagues.

5. Take a walk along the river walk and catch a ride on the Gateway Clipper: One of my personal favorite things about PNC Park is the river walk. The stadium sits right on the shore of the Allegheny River, and home runs fly into the river from time to time. Either way, walking the river walk before or after the game is always a cool thing to do. It’s a few miles long and runs through the North Shore, the area right around PNC Park. You can ride the Gateway Clipper Fleet, a big cruise boat that rolls by the stadium every once in a while and lets out a loud blast.

One note: If you are planning on going to a firework/concert night at PNC, the river walk will be shutdown after the game due to the fireworks being shot off from the river. (Check the schedule, the Pirates haven't been good at winning in the past two decades, but have become really great at massive fireworks shows.)

6. Follow the game on Twitter: As a Pittsburgh Pirates blogger, there is nothing I like doing more during Pirate games than interacting with other bloggers/fans while the games go on via Twitter. Believe it or not, the Pittsburgh Pirates have more successful blogs than a lot of other MLB teams, and following what people have to say about the team has always been one of my favorite things. Whether they’re cracking witty jokes about opposing team players, talking about Pedro Alvarez’s slump, or simply bombing Clint Hurdle’s in-game management, there is always something good to read on Twitter throughout the games. If you’d like to join the conversation and see what some of the top-notch guys around the Pirates social media system have to say, here are some of the people to follow:

@RumBunter
@_DrewBrown
@Whygavs
@InClementeWthr
@RTJR
@NorthSideNotch
@ForbesToFederal
@DavidManel
@TimWilliamsP2
@ThreeRiversBlog
@Cocktailsfor2

7. Try your best not to interact with the ushers: The ushers at PNC Park take their jobs way too seriously, and not too many of them are all that nice of people. In all the years I have been going to PNC, I have only met a handful of nice ushers who were willing to help me out. Considering you’d be attending the game from out of town, the ushers might act more generous towards you, and offer to take pictures of you/help you out as much as they can.
Let them know that it’s your first time at the ballpark, and maybe they’ll be polite to you. As far as my experiences go, they have never treated me all that nicely. There have been a good amount of times in which I was watching the game in a crowd of less than 10,000 people, and they have kicked me out of mediocre seats because my ticket didn’t match the section.

8. Grab some great ballpark food! While at PNC Park, you are definitely given a wide variety of different food options.

Quaker Steak and Lube: If you are a fan of wings, you can’t go much better than grabbing a bucket of wings, which have often been cited as the best of the country. Chicken wings might not be a traditional ballpark food, but you'll be an instant believer one wing in.

Primanti Brothers: Located next to Quaker Steak and Lube, is Primanti Bros, the legendary Pittsburgh-based sandwich shop that was mentioned above. A Primantis cheesesteak is bomb, don’t get me wrong, but I’d look elsewhere when it comes to eating inside PNC Park, because the sandwiches aren’t nearly as good as they are as the actual restaurant.

Bucaroos: Next to the left field entrance is a Bucaroos, which has decent food for a small price. Pizza, hot dogs, drinks, chicken fries, nachos, etc. are located at Bucaroos and if you are bringing the family to the game, that might be a smart place to go when it comes to feeding your kids.

Manny’s BBQ: Former Pittsburgh Pirates great Manny Sanguillen runs a restaurant along the river walk. More often that not, Sanguillen is there to greet his customers and is always willing to sign autographs and take pictures for those who ask.

Hall of Fame Club: Above the left field bleachers, but underneath the scoreboard, is the Hall of Fame Club. You have to be 21 to enter but there are some decent choices for food in there, including the new PNC Park Brunch Burger, which was added this year. If you’re looking to eat a hamburger, with a fried egg and bacon, in between two glazed donuts, the Hall of Fame Club would be your best, and probably only, place to find that in America.

9. Snag some baseballs!: If you’d like to channel the inner-kid back into you and try to get baseballs from the players, you always have a good chance at PNC. If you have kids, players are always generous to them when it comes to tossing balls in between innings or before the games. If you get to the game early enough, you have the chance to watch the opposing team take batting practice. All home runs hit in BP are kept by the fans, and there are a good bit of “ballhawks” who go to PNC in search for baseballs every game.

In batting practice, Pirates players are pretty decent towards people when it comes to tossing them baseballs. Players such as Jason Grilli and Michael McKenry always take time out of their day to interact with the fans, and Grilli will always sign autographs/take pictures if you ask him politely.

Pedro Alvarez always tosses an autographed baseball into the stands prior to the start of the game. Keep an eye on #ElToro and you could land a treasure.

10. Enjoy the between inning entertainment. The people who run the Pirates scoreboard are among the best in baseball and their creativity keeps things lively before the game and in between innings. Be on the look out for:

Pirates Quiz: Taking place in the middle of the fourth, a fan is quizzed on their Pirates knowledge. They have the chance to win a $150 jacket, or trade it in for “The Box of Mystery.”

Pirates Q&A: My personal favorite takes place on the scoreboard in either the fourth or fifth inning. All players are asked the same question, and they often give funny responses that get some laughs out of the crowd.

Punch-Out: Similar to Pirates Quiz, Punch-Out is based on a trivia question and the contestant has a chance to win some cool prizes.

The Great Pittsburgh Pierogi Race: Inspired by the Racing Sausages (Miller Park), the Pierogi Race has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1999. Even though it isn’t my favorite, the majority of the fans are excited when it happens in the sixth inning. Jalapeno Hannah, Sauerkraut Saul, Cheese Chester, and the Incredibly Intelligent Oliver Onion race around the track in Pierogi costumes. If there’s one tip I can give you on the race, go with Cheese Chester as the winner.

On top of all this, fans have the chances to send in pictures or comments on the game via Twitter/Instagram and can take part in voting for music to be played.

If the Pirates are actually playing good baseball, you’ll have a chance to see the Pirates do something they don’t do too often: win. Walking out of PNC Park after a victory is always a sweet feeling, especially if Jason Grilli closes the game out for the Pirates. When Grilli takes the mound in the ninth, he has his own video and fans go wild for their favorite reliever, similar to the way they did when Joel Hanrahan used to close out games.

Pirates flags are in the air throughout the top of the ninth and all fans watching at home can’t wait for Greg Brown’s signature phrase: “Raise the Jolly Roger!”

Previous parks: Citi Field, Marlins Park, Great American Ball Park, Petco Park,Comerica Park, Progressive Park, AT&T Park, Rogers Centre, Wrigley Field, O.Co Coliseum, Yankee Stadium, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Fenway Park

It's titled "Rick Dempsey & The Invisible Orioles Magic Band." It's 51 minutes long, full of wild hair, concert footage and run-delayed mischief, circa 1986. Rick Dempsey, the longtime catcher tuned broadcaster (and apparently, band leader) runs the show, with guys such as Eddie Murray, Mike Boddicker and Floyd Rayford making appearances too.

We can't sit through all 51 minutes, but some of you hardcore O's fans might. If nothing else, it is worth skimming through just to be amazed as it oozes '80s nostalgia.

Makes us wonder which current Oriole would be the bandleader in a remake?

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Last week, some scribes were writing Rick Ankiel's baseball obituary. Monday night, he'll be in the starting lineup for the New York Mets. Another reminder that Ankiel is a player with more lives than a lot of people expected.

Ankiel was designated for assignment by the Houston Astros on May 6 after starting the season with 25 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. He had only 12 hits, five of which were home runs. But if he couldn't cut it for the lowly Astros, could he play anywhere?

Turns out the answer is yes. After opting for free agency, Ankiel agreed to a contract Monday afternoon with the Mets, news first reported by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Mets outfield — home of Lucas Duda, Jordany Valdespin, Marlon Byrd, Colin Cowgill and Mike Baxter — isn't great either, so Ankiel gets another stop on his unusual career path.

Ankiel, 33, started as a pitcher, imploded on the mound in the 2000 postseason, then started over as an outfielder. He found enough success to play in at least 60 games each year since 2008, when he hit 25 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets, however, will be his sixth team since 2009 after spending 10 years with the Cardinals.

He'll be batting seventh for the Mets on Monday. And in a full-circle moment, they'll be playing the Cardinals.

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Because winning the American League Central probably is unrealistic, a local alleged thief has taken it upon himself to ensure the Chicago White Sox somehow get something out of 2013.

The FBI reports that a man named Joe Anderson, a 32-year-old resident of Chicago's North Side (hmm), has been charged with felony bank robbery and is suspected in two other robberies, including one performed Monday morning. His calling card? He has worn a Sox cap, all white, with the iconic "Sox" logo on the front, in at least two of the robberies. Here's the Bureau's take:

The complaint alleges that Anderson entered the bank, approached a teller station, and leaned forward to make a demand for money in a low voice. The complaint further alleges that Anderson threatened to blow up the bank if the teller pushed any buttons or played any tricks. After receiving cash from the teller, Anderson left the bank on foot.

"No tricks"!? This bank robber has seen one-too-many movies. I can just hear him now, to the teller, in the voice of White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson. He starts low but soon reaches a crescendo: "You can put it in the bag ... yeeeeeeesssssssss!"

Unlike the guy in the St. Louis Cardinals cap who shouted "Go Cards!" as he made off with money that wasn't his in 2012, this guy did not shout "Nana, nah-nah, hey-hey, good-bye" as he left the bank lobby.

Coincidentally or not, another man wearing a White Sox cap — this one black, like the team wears on the field — is wanted for a robbing a bank in Reno last week. (Didn't Johnny Cash rob a bank in Reno wearing a black White Sox cap just to watch ... OK, that was different.)

But two robbers in Sox caps, almost simultaneously? Shameful. And right after Chris Sale takes a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Angels in the only good White Sox game of 2013.

Let's not overlook that the man in surveillance photos also is wearing a Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls jacket. OK, consider it not overlooked! But with the Bulls playing in the NBA's Eastern Conference semis against the Miami Heat, it's simply less of a cry for attention than what's happening with the White Sox, who are 15-20. An aside: The Sox also are being robbed by Adam Dunn right now. He's batting .137/.235/.308.

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The following disclaimer appears near the end of "Ty Cobb: The Movie," which premiered on YouTube on Sunday:

"The truth is, nothing is 100 % accurate."

Not even the truth itself?! That's director Bradley Woodrum with the amusing circular logic in defending (?) the work of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, who inspired Woodrum's work on "Ty Cobb: The Movie." It's a short film (just under a minute), with Monty Python-esque animation and absurd voiceovers, that is strange enough to make you doubt the existence of Cobb himself.

Here it is, and it's NSFW:

It's a minute that we'll all never get back, but we're all better for it. Not everyone will find it hilarious — just stupid — but can't it be both? And how seriously can you take a movie that lists a "fluffer" in the credits? We find out.

As far as its accuracy: While it's true that Cobb did slide like that, famously so, and injure catchr Paul Krichell, he probably didn't do it while tripping LSD and screaming "You German Nazi" at him. And while Krichell's major league career ended shortly thereafter, he still managed to be an effective player in the minor leagues for years before becoming probably the best scout in major league history, no hyperbole there.

Burns' work with "Baseball" has been widely praised, seemingly universally so, though some critics have pointed out inaccuracies the film. And then some of those critics eventually went to work for Ken Burns! It makes me wonder: Is Keith Olbermann real?

The same goes for Ty Cobb, whose own career story is full of seemingly "tall" stories: Did he really beat a disabled fan in stands just for snoring too loud? Mostly, yeah, it happened just like that.

"Ty Cobb: The Movie" can be thought of this way: It's probably better, and way shorter, than the Ty Cobb movie with Tommy Lee Jones.

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George Postolos, the president/CEO of the Houston Astros, has stepped down, the club announced Monday. It's a somewhat surprising move since Postolos worked closely for seven years with owner Jim Crane to acquire the team, then came on as president in 2011.

We're fairly certain it's not because of this hilarious Astros GIF, but you never know.

In his role overseeing the organizational side of the team, Postolos rebranded the Astros, revamped the marketing department and was a big player in the creation of CSN Houston — which has had issues since launching.

Postolos, a former president/CEO of the Houston Rockets, will now return to his consulting practice, The Postolos Group, where he advises investors about acquisitions and strategy in pro sports. Here's what he said in a press release distributed by the Astros:

"I am very proud of what Jim accomplished with my help - acquiring a major league franchise with a strong and diverse ownership group, developing and implementing a good plan for the team's future, and assembling a first rate management team," Postolos said. "I look forward to helping other investors pursue their objectives in sports knowing that Jim and the Astros organization are off to a great start and well positioned for future success.

Crane had this to say:

“We appreciate George’s hard work in the acquisition of the Astros and his commitment to the organization,” Crane said. “I’d also like to personally thank him for the assistance that he has provided to me over the last several years and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

This isn't the Astros — who have the worst record (10-28) and smallest payroll in baseball — trying to make a change to right their ship. That ship isn't getting right this year, though many baseball minds agree that general manager Jeff Luhnow has the farm system headed in the right direction.

There's no word yet on who will replace Postolos as president/CEO. But there are at least a few people out there wondering if the Astros call on their ex-star pitcher Nolan Ryan, who is the CEO and a co-owner of the Texas Rangers. Ryan's job wasn't especially stable this spring, but he did recently commit himself to the position.

That, however, won't stop people from talking about the possibility, like they did back when Ryan seemed to be on-the-outs with the Rangers.

There's nothing — on the record, at least — indicating Ryan is itching to join the Astros. This is more like when a college football job comes open and various coaches with ties to the program get tossed out as candidates.

Jean-Jacques Taylor at ESPN Dallas sizes up the pros and cons:

There’s just one question Ryan must ask himself. Does he want a chance to win a World Series or would he prefer to try to resurrect the second-worst franchise in baseball? (Just so you know, Miami is by far baseball’s worst franchise.)

Ryan can have all the power and authority he wants in Houston, and owner Jim Crane would probably let him re-hire many of the people the organization has hired. But it’s going to take several years for that team to resemble anything close to a winner.

Those in the know in Houston are saying Postolos' departure is a result of friction within the organization and a backlash toward his practices:

Postolos regime treated baseball as though it were basketball, got rid of a lot of institutional knowledge and it has bit them badly.

— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) May 13, 2013

Astros business ops was quite successful for many years with brilliant folks under McLane. Yet, Postolos wiped out many good folks. — Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) May 13, 2013

There was an increasing divide within #Astros, though, and many were unhappy with decisions made by Postolos. #MLB — Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) May 13, 2013

Feeling was Postolos would be "fall guy" later in 2013 season or after year was done. Today's move simply pushes ahead what was waiting. — Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) May 13, 2013

So maybe Postolos wanted to leave on his own terms before he was forced to leave? Either way, it'll be interesting to see if the Astros do in fact make a run at Nolan Ryan. Could you imagine if one of baseball's most respected ex-pitchers jumps from a first-place team to the last-place team in the same division?

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