#_author:mark townsend

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Mets move Matt Harvey to bullpen despite former ace's resistance

Former ace Matt Harvey may have started his final game for the New York Mets. That became a distinct possibility Saturday, when manager Mickey Callaway announced the team’s intentions to move Harvey to the bullpen.

If all goes according to plan, Harvey will be available out of the bullpen beginning on Tuesday, according to Mike Puma of the New York Mets. Jason Vargas will take Harvey’s spot in the rotation next weekend in San Diego.

Harvey’s demotion seemed inevitable on the heels of his third straight miserable outing Thursday night in Atlanta. Harvey’s given up 14 runs over his last 16 innings, including six earned runs over six innings against the Braves. Overall, Harvey is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA this season. 

When asked about the possibility of being demoted to the bullpen following Thursday’s outing, Harvey was dismissive. Callaway and the Mets obviously didn’t care how Harvey felt on the matter. Despite a strong 14-5 start that would leave many managers less willing to tinker with his roster, Callaway and his coaching staff are clearly willing to make a big change.

Here's Mickey Callaway discussing Matt Harvey's move to the Mets' bullpen: pic.twitter.com/MlcgXqhBqD

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 21, 2018

For his part, Harvey was no more thrilled with the final decision Saturday than he was with the mere speculation just days earlier.

Matt Harvey says he stated his case to Mets manager Mickey Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland, but their decision was already made.

"I know when things click, that I can be one of the best in baseball," Harvey said. "And that's as a starting pitcher."

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 21, 2018

Harvey says he's pissed pic.twitter.com/s4k2GgyVd4

— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) April 21, 2018

Harvey, 29, hasn’t been the same pitcher since 2016, when he had season-ending surgery to fix thoracic outlet syndrome in right shoulder. At the time, Harvey was a little less than three years removed from Tommy John surgery. The season before, Harvey pitched beyond a suggested innings limit during the Mets run to the World Series. Many believe the extra wear and tear did Harvey no favors.

Former Mets ace Matt Harvey is ticketed for the bullpen after rough start to 2018 season. (AP)

It’s impossible to know if that’s where Harvey’s problems really began. What we do know is that he’s been more of a liability than an asset for a while now.

The Mets really had no choice but to make Saturday’s decision. If this doesn’t prove productive, it will probably be time for both sides to move on.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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D-backs lose home run thanks to baserunning blunder and obscure rule

Among Major League Baseball’s vast rulebook is a simple yet obscure rule that’s always present in the action but rarely goes mentioned. It states that should a baserunner pass another live baserunner who’s ahead of him on the bases, he’ll be ruled out.

It’s hardly mentioned because it’s a rule that’s rarely violated. That’s because it’s basically second nature for players at the professional level to be aware of the runners ahead of them.

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As with any rule, there are always some exceptions. Unfortunately for Diamondbacks infielder Deven Marrero, he was the exception on Saturday night during his team’s 9-1 win against the Dodgers. Making it more painful, the rarely seen violation actually cost Marrero a home run.

Marrero, 27, slugged a ball over the fence against Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill for what he thought was a three-run homer. Alex Avila, who was occupying first base, saw it differently. He originally retreated to first thinking the baseball stayed in the yard and was caught by an outfielder.

By the time either player realized what was happening, Marrero passed Avila. Both immediately paused once it registered, then continued rounding the bases. The umpires allowed the play to continue, then changed the call after the Dodgers initiated a review.

Deven Marrero clobbers what looks like his first HR with the @Dbacks, but after review is called out for passing Alex Avila on the bases. Marrero is credited with a 2-run single and the #Dbacks lead 5-1 in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/3u1iEvuejn

— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) April 15, 2018

It doesn’t seem fair to apply more blame to one player over the other. Avila simply lost track of the ball, while Marrero lost track of Avila. First base coach Dave McKay was overlooking the play too, and he clearly lost track of Avila. Heck, even the umpires weren’t sure enough to call it right away. It should never happen, but it’s surprising it doesn’t happen more often considering all the moving parts involved.

Deven Marrero (left) and Alex Avila of the Diamondbacks react after committing the ultimate baserunning blunder. (AP)

We’re confident it will never happen to Marrero or Avila again.

The home run would have been Marrero’s first in a Diamondbacks uniform and sixth overall in 117 MLB games. Since he made it to first base safely, he was credited with a single. That’s at least good for the batting average. He also gets credit for knocking in both runs.

Still, home runs are what all baseball players dream about. We can’t think of a more painful way to lose a homer than this.

The Diamondbacks hit four home runs that did count in Saturday’s win. Paul Goldschmidt hit his third of the season. A.J. Pollock hit his second and third. Naturally, the other was hit by Avila, which was his first for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks improved to 11-3 with the win. They’re 5-0 against Los Angeles this season.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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Cubs draw motivation from new Bears coach to complete epic comeback

On an afternoon that looked more like Week 14 of the NFL season in Chicago than game 14 of the MLB season, the Chicago Cubs pulled off an improbable comeback to defeat the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Chicago twice trailed by eight runs, but scored 12 unanswered runs from the sixth inning on to win it 14-10.

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Fittingly, that’s a common football score to go along with the common football weather. Also fitting with the football theme, 11 of those runs came after new Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy sang the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field.

Da stretch. pic.twitter.com/81E6xziQKI

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 14, 2018

So Matt Nagy was told by @LenKasper & JD that the score was of a football game. 10-3 at the time. They then said "This game is still winnable", to which Nagy replied seriously with, Oh Yea! They then scored 9 in an inning to win 14-10. #ReverseAnnouncerJinx. Thx @cubs!

— Deuce (@AZDEUCE2) April 14, 2018

Nagy truly believed as he bellowed out “Let’s get some runs,” which is how most guest singers at Wrigley Field conclude their appearance. Very few times though is it followed with an outburst like Saturday’s.

The Cubs comeback ties for the second largest in franchise history. The biggest deficit they’ve overcome was nine runs on Aug. 22, 1989, when they trailed Houston 9-0 before winning 10-9. The Cubs last overcame an eight-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies 10-9 at Wrigley Field on May 30, 2008.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy throws the first pitch before Saturday’s Cubs-Braves game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs would scored 11 unanswered runs after Nagy’s seventh-inning stretch performance. (AP)

Nagy’s obvious influence aside, you have to give the Cubs credit too for sticking with it on what was truly a miserably cold, windy and rainy day at the ballpark. It would have been an easy one to mail in. Had the game not been played at all, no one would have been surprised either. The game-time temperature was 38 degrees, which is playable. However, with rain and frequent 25-30 mph wind gusts mixed in, it was never comfortable.

With Sunday’s forecast actually looking worse, they decided to play on. When the Braves jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the third inning, Cubs fans obviously wished they hadn’t bothered. But those who stuck around, either at the ballpark or watching at home, were rewarded.

Cubs’ runners Kyle Schwarber (right) and Jason Heyward celebrate after scoring on the same wild pitch during Saturday’s wild win against the Braves. (AP)

Saturday’s epic comeback wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of things going the Cubs way too. Or perhaps more accurately, without the Braves completely collapsing.

In Chicago’s decisive eighth-inning rally, they scored nine runs with the benefit of only three hits. The biggest being Javier Baez’s three-run, game-tying double. The Braves aided their cause by hitting two batters, walking five, including three with the bases loaded, not to mention a wild pitch that led to an error that allowed the final two Cubs runs to cross.

It was every bit as painful as it sounds. Times that by 100 for the Braves fielders, who had to stand on the field for over 30 minutes while the game was unraveling.

The comeback was a big one for the Cubs in a lot of ways. They’re among the presumed contenders who have gotten off to a slow start this season. Saturday’s win puts them right back at .500 though, and it could be a launching point for future success.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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Cubs batter's bat flip backfires, nearly takes out catcher and umpire

A bat flip can be a lot of things. It can be an expression of emotion. It can be the punctuation mark that caps a memorable moment. It can even be a source of contention when an opposing player feels like he’s being shown up.

As we saw on Saturday, it can also be a little bit dangerous. Especially when the execution goes haywire.

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That’s what happened to Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. during the Cubs wild 14-10 win against the Braves.

After drawing a third-inning walk against Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb, Almora Jr. went to flip the bat back towards the Cubs dugout. Instead, he held on to the bat too long — possibly because he applied a little too much pine tar — and sent it straight up in the air. When it came down, it nearly took out Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki and home plate umpire Chad Fairchild.

Fortunately, the bat didn’t come down on anyone’s cranium. That wouldn’t have felt good under any circumstances. Given the miserable conditions at Wrigley Field, it might have felt ten times worse.

As much as the wind was whipping around Wrigley Field, we don’t think that can be blamed either. This one’s on Almora.

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a bat flip backfire in MLB. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who was dubbed the “maestro of the bat flip” early in his career by Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, did the exact same thing four years ago. The lesson here being that bat flipping isn’t as easy as the pros make it look.

Cubs’ outfielder Albert Almora Jr. follows through on his first-inning home run against the Braves. (AP)

Fortunately for Almora, the bat flip wasn’t his biggest moment of the game. He actually got the Cubs on the board with a first-inning homer.

Fortunately for the Cubs, they were able to rewrite the whole narrative on Saturday, overcoming an eight-run deficit to win by scoring 12 unanswered runs. What a wild day at Wrigley Field.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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Dodgers lose again despite benefiting from luckiest hit you'll ever see

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of several presumed contenders who probably wouldn’t mind a restart to the 2018 season. The defending National League champions are off to a disappointing start, falling to 4-8 on the season after losing 8-7 to the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Along the way, not many bounces have gone the Dodgers way. That much is undeniable. And even when they do catch a break, they’ve often failed to take advantage.

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No single inning highlighted their early season failures and frustration more than Friday’s eighth inning.

In it, the Dodgers benefited from a crazy bounce that resulted in the luckiest hit we might see all season. The hit kept a potential game-changing rally alive. Yet even with victory suddenly within their grasp, the Dodgers still walked away disappointed.

The Dodgers definitely battled in Friday’s game, cutting a six-run deficit to three with a three-run seventh. In the eighth, Los Angeles loaded the bases with one out. This was the moment they’ve been waiting for. One swing could turn the game around and possibly get them on track. Up stepped Chase Utley, who has provided many big hits in situations just like it.

Utley hit a grounder up the middle that seemed ticketed for center field off the bat. Then came the realization that Arizona’s defense was set up perfectly, with shortstop Nick Ahmad playing up the middle.

A sure hit then looked like a sure double play. That was, until second base intervened.

Utley’s grounder could not have been placed any better. After striking the base, the ball shot into left field, going straight through the space vacated by Ahmad. Two runs scored on the play, and the Dodgers were set up for a huge inning with two runners on and still only one out.

The Dodgers fell to 4-8 this season despite Chase Utley’s most fortunate two-run single. (AP)

Of course, you already know how this ends. Leadoff man Chris Taylor, who homered and singled in a run earlier in the game, hit into a tailor made 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. The Dodgers wasted this opportunity, and then stranded the tying run in the ninth inning as well.

So far the Dodgers just haven’t been able to put together a complete game. When the pitching shows up, the offense doesn’t. And vice versa.

The Dodgers lost, 8-7, to Arizona. They’re 4-8. Kenta Maeda didn’t have it. The Dodgers have lost three of their four highest-scoring games this season.

— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) April 14, 2018

When it’s going like that, even the biggest breaks don’t amount to much.

The good news for Dodgers fans is that things will definitely get better for their beloved squad. Probably sooner than later. But the game of baseball will never make it easy for them or anyone else.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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Aaron Hicks did something no Yankees home run hitter has done in 62 years

Given the New York Yankees rich history, there aren’t many firsts left to be accomplished by a player wearing their famous pinstripes. However, some feats remain a true rarity. That’s the category that Aaron Hicks’ big game on Friday falls under.

In his second game since coming off the 10-day disabled list, Hicks hit not one, but two home runs in the Yankees’ 8-6 win against the Tigers. A multi-homer game also isn’t rare. However, the unique combination of home runs Hicks hit is one no Yankees player has accomplished in 62 years.

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In his first at-bat, Hicks hit a 408-foot drive that ricocheted off the center field wall and bounced far enough away from center fielder Leonys Martin that he was able to race around the bases with a two-run, inside-the-park home run.

Actually, racing might be an understatement. Based on the Statcast data, Hicks was flying.

Aaron Hicks went home-to-home on his inside-the-park home run in 15.89 seconds. That's the #Yankees' fastest home run time since #Statcast started tracking in 2015.

— David Adler (@_dadler) April 13, 2018

Only Eduardo Nunez of the Boston Red Sox has clocked a faster home-to-home time since Statcast started tracking in 2015. He clocked in at 15.87 seconds on his opening-day inside-the-park homer this season.

This was the beginning of Hicks’ big night. In the sixth inning, he got the Yankees on the board again, this time with a conventional home run that cleared the wall in right center field.

#Yankees 6 @ #Tigers 1 [T6-0o] Aaron Hicks homers (2): fly ball to RCF (solo)

Exit velocity: 105mph Distance: 417ft Angle: 27° pic.twitter.com/XwizunwX5K

— Home Run Tracker (@DingerTracker) April 14, 2018

According to Katie Sharp of River Avenue Blues, when Hicks’ second homer landed he became the first Yankee with an inside-the-park homer and a conventional homer in the same game since Hank Bauer on May 30, 1956 against the then Washington Senators.

That covers a lot of ground and several generations of Yankees legends.

In fact, the last Yankee to hit an inside-the-park homer was Curtis Granderson on Aug. 21, 2011 in Minnesota. That part alone doesn’t happen all that often. That Hicks added a conventional homer made his night pretty special. 

Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Hicks completed a unique feat by hitting an inside-the-park home run and conventional home run in the same game. (AP)

The Yankees are glad to have Hicks bat back in the lineup. He missed two weeks with an intercostal injury. Above all else, his presence gives the Yankees a true center fielder on defense. What Hicks contributes offensively is almost a bonus given the depth of their everyday lineup. Needless to say, the Yankees enjoyed the spark Hicks provided on Friday.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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Derek Jeter skipping upcoming Marlins-Yankees series to avoid 'awkward situation'

When the Miami Marlins visit the New York Yankees on Monday, there will be no shortage of storylines to zero in on. However, Derek Jeter’s return to Yankee Stadium as a Marlins owner won’t be one of them.

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On Friday, the Yankees legend and future Hall of Famer confirmed he will skip the two-game series at Yankee Stadium to avoid what he believes would be an “awkward situation.”

Jeter says he’s not going to Marlins Series at Yankee Stadium next week. Would be an “awkward situation” he said

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) April 13, 2018

Jeter first indicated this would be his stance back in February.

The potential awkwardness would certainly revolve around having to answer another avalanche of questions regarding his decision to trade Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees over the winter. Not that Jeter hasn’t already answered every possible question about the trade or his role in orchestrating the latest Marlins firesale, but this time he’d be facing the relentless New York media on its home turf.

In that regard, it’s probably in Jeter’s best interests to let that situation calm down rather than risk adding more fuel to the fire. Then again, by being there Jeter might be doing his team a favor by deflecting those questions away from manager Don Mattingly and the players.

To avoid a potentially “awkward situation,” Derek Jeter says he will skip next week’s Marlins-Yankees series in New York. (AP)

Regardless, it sounds like Jeter’s mind is made up.

Now the primary focus will go on Stanton as he faces his former team for the first time during the regular season.  Stanton recorded four plate appearances against Miami in a Grapefruit League game on March 18 in Tampa. He went 1 for 2 with two walks.

The bright lights are on now though, so this matchup will be a much bigger deal. As an aside to that, it might be interesting to see the reaction Stanton gets in New York too. He was booed multiple times during the Yankees opening homestand because of his struggles at the plate. He enters Friday hitting .241 with three homers, 10 RBIs and 23 strikeouts in 54 at-bats.

The Yankees will travel to Miami for another quick two-game series on Aug. 21-22. That will serve as Stanton’s return to Miami, and could possibly be the first time we see Jeter at the ballpark as a Yankees rival. By then, the questions Jeter is likely to face should be different, but it will be interesting to see if he feels any different about being present at the ballpark.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

More from Yahoo Sports: After scrapping Kaepernick visit, Seahawks sign a QB Report: Girl targeted for beaning by youth baseball coaches Barack, Michelle Obama’s niece picked in WNBA draft OKC broadcaster under fire for ‘offensive’ remark