It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani continue to rake as the Angels took two out of three in the Freeway series.
Unfortunately, the big story coming out of Anaheim was the release of future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. Pujols has been slumping this year and the front office deemed that the team was better off without him.
Pujols’ time with the Angels has been considered a disappointment; before he signed the 10-year $210 million contract, it seemed like he was on pace to be the greatest first baseman of all time.
His production immediately declined, however, and the contract is now regarded as one of the worst in the history of the sport. Nevertheless, he had a tremendous impact as a leader among the young players on the team.
Trout, the best player of the current generation, said he broke down after he heard the news.
Seeing an all-time great being let go in that manner is sad for the sport and provided a bitter moment for what was a tremendous week of baseball.
John Means and Wade Miley Each Throw No-Hitters
Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley each threw no-hitters for their respective teams.
Means no-hitter was particularly impressive, as he was a wild pitch away from a perfect game.
Two days later, Miley went nine innings, allowing only one walk, and eight strikeouts. He threw the second no-hitter against the Indians this season.
There have already been four no-hitters in the young season. This has raised questions on the rising number of strikeouts in the league today.
Did Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil Brawl over a Rat (or Racoon)?
It is no secret that superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor, who signed a massive 10-year $341 million contract with the New York Mets this year, has had a very slow start. His line is currently .194/315/.272 to start the season. Mets fans have greeted him with typical New York hospitality: jeers.
Lindor, nicknamed “Mr. Smile,” has covered any sense of frustration with his cheerful persona and trademark grin.
However, after a mix-up in the field with second baseman Jeff McNeil, something seemed to snap. In between innings, Mets players Dom Smith, Michael Conforto, and Jonathan Villar were all seen sprinting in the dugout as if a fight was breaking out.
A bench coach was also seen entering the commotion. Although the fight was not seen on camera, it was later revealed to be an altercation between Lindor and McNeil.
When asked later what happened, Lindor said, with his trademark smile, that he saw a rat in the dugout and McNeil said it was a raccoon. They apparently argued over what animal they thought it was which led to the fight.
Obviously, nobody believed that story, but it did provide a spark for the Mets. Following the dugout incident, Lindor hit a two-run home run to tie the game which the Mets ultimately won 5-4.
The next day, Lindor went 2-3 with an RBI and McNeil hit a two-run home run to help the Mets win the game.
Despite all the melodrama, the Mets have won five straight games and sit at first place in the NL East.
Yankees Fans and Giancarlo Stanton Terrorize the Astros
Yankees fans showed the aforementioned New York hospitality when the Houston Astros came to town. They even booed Astros star Jose Altuve on his birthday.
Surprisingly, the fans were outdone by Giancarlo Stanton, who gave the disgraced 2017 “World Series Champions” an even harsher welcome.
Stanton finished the series with eight hits, eight RBI, and three home runs as the Yankees took two out of three from the Astros.
The Yankees and Astros met for the first time since game 6 of the 2019 ALCS. Altuve hit a series-clinching walk-off home run that ultimately destroyed the Yankees World Series ambitions.
Since then, it has been revealed that, in 2017, the Astros were involved in a huge cheating scandal in which they used technology at their home stadium to steal signs from opposing pitchers. In other words, they knew what the pitcher was going to throw. For this reason, many players and pundits consider this incident to be even worse than the steroids scandal.
In 2017, the Yankees were up 3-2 in the championship series, but could not finish the job as the Astros won all their home games and ultimately the series in seven games. Since then, there has been tension between the two teams and fanbases. Yankees fans, in particular, believe they were cheated twice out of World Series births.
Stanton, who hit 59 home runs and won the NL MVP that year, stated that if he knew what pitches were coming, he would have hit 80 or more home runs.
The Craftsports 
Leave a comment