Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Goodbye, slump?
Orioles centre-fielder Adam Jones broke out of his slump on Tuesday, hitting a 453-foot home run in the fifth inning of Baltimore’s matchup with the Twins.
The Orioles won, 5–3, but here’s why it might not be time to get too exciting about Jones and the possibility of a return to form.
Hot streak
The Cubs defeated the Padres 8–7 on Tuesday, good for their eighth consecutive win. The team now sports a record of 25-6, which ties the franchise record for best-ever start (set in 1907).
Ben Zobrist is enjoying his spot in the middle of the order, behind cleanup hitter Anthony Rizzo. The 34-year-old is currently batting .448.
“He doesn’t look 34, or whatever he is,” manager Joe Maddon said of Zobrist. “He’s playing at the highest level I’ve ever seen him play. I’ve seen Zo really good, and he’s really good right now.”
Mighty Mariners
Seattle’s Dae-Ho Lee hit a three-run homer on Tuesday, helping the Mariners to a 6–4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. And that wasn’t the only gift the Korean slugger gave his team. Ahead of the game, the 33-year-old in his first season with Seattle presented his teammates and coaches with sunglasses.
According to Yahoo Sports, “Lee has an endorsement deal with a sunglasses company and he provided each of his teammates and coaches a pair of sunglasses personalized with their names and jersey numbers.”
The Mariners’ bullpen, meanwhile, was solid once again. They’ve been charged with keeping the team afloat in close situations all season, and they did not disappoint—manager Scott Servais called their performance “fantastic.” Seattle remains first in the AL West with a 20-13 record.
“Roommate love”
Trayce Thompson, brother of Golden State Warrior Klay, played the hero for his team on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old outfielder pinch-hit a walk-off home run. Final score: Dodgers 3, Mets 2.
A nice bonus for Thompson in his time with the Dodgers: he doesn’t need to celebrate alone. Thompson shares a house with teammates Corey Seager, Alex Wood, Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling, and the housemates, it seems, are getting along. Wood, who started the game but earned the no-decision, told reporters that Thompson’s walk-off homer was “roommate love.”
Fishing in Boston
If the Red Sox were to trade for Mike Trout, which players would they have to give up?
It’s admittedly unlikely that the Angels would part with Trout, but given his historic greatness—and the Angels’ otherwise suboptimal performances—one writer considers what it might take for Boston to catch the big fish.
Meanwhile, according to a story in Baseball America, the Red Sox are under investigation by MLB, which is looking into whether the club may have circumvented the international bonus pools with their signings last year.
In better news—for Boston, at least—the team clobbered the A’s on Tuesday, winning 13–5.