Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today's games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here. Whatever you think you know about Pete Alonso, it's just a fraction of the full picture. You know that he is one of baseball's best sluggers. You probably know that with his home run on Monday against the Guardians, he is one dinger away from tying Darryl Strawberry for the Mets franchise record of 252 home runs. (Who is the franchise leader for every team? Take our quiz!) You also probably know Alonso just as well by his unique nickname: Polar Bear. But did you know that Alonso is a big history buff? Or that he will shift in and out of different personas in the dugout and start speaking in different accents to lighten the mood? Do you even know how Alonso earned that nickname? MLB.com's Anthony DiComo got some of Alonso's current and former teammates to tell their best stories about the veteran first baseman. What emerges is a picture of a team leader who also endears himself to everyone with his childlike enthusiasm.
"When you get to see the real Pete," outfielder Brandon Nimmo said, "you just know he is goofy in the best way possible."
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"He's goofy enough to where people love him, and he's serious enough to where people respect the way he plays the game," said former Mets teammate Todd Frazier, who was the creator of the Polar Bear moniker. As he tries to power the Mets to an NL East crown, Alonso will continue to lead with his distinct brand of quirkiness that has made him a favorite all around Queens. Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said Alonso is "just a big goober. ... I mean that as a huge compliment." Although nothing will top Alonso's current nickname, "The Big Goober" does have a fun ring to it. -- Brian Murphy |
It hasn't been a fun past few days for the Yankees, who were swept in Miami and have lost four straight overall, the latest defeat a gut-punch walk-off loss in Texas last night. But there is good news: Aaron Judge is back. The Yankees activated the two-time MVP from the 10-day injured list before tonight's game against the Rangers (8:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV). While the culprit for the Yankees' malaise has largely been a leaky bullpen (only the Rockies have a higher reliever ERA since July 1 than New York's 6.13 mark), Judge's return means more than simply getting his bat back in the lineup. Knowing the captain has rejoined the cause can only be a massive boost to a team that went 4-6 in the 10 games he missed due to a flexor strain in his right elbow, an injury that will relegate him to DH duty tonight and for the immediate future. But let's not overlook that bat: Judge leads the Majors in all three slash line categories (.342/.449/.711), and his 37 homers are still good for fourth despite the missed time. Everyone knows how fast narratives can flip in baseball, and it might only take a few bangs of the gavel for Judge to get the Yankees pointed back in the right direction. -- Andy Werle |
• Twins at Tigers (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): When you're traded within your own division, you're bound to face your former mates sooner or later. Today is that day for Chris Paddack, who will take on Minnesota in his second start since the swap after he picked up the win in his Tigers debut. • Reds at Cubs (8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV and TBS): The Reds one-upped the Cubs by astutely utilizing a key challenge in last night's game to move to three games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. Tonight, new acquisition Zack Littell, who hasn't allowed an earned run in six career relief outings against the Cubs, will make his Cincinnati debut. • White Sox at Mariners (9:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Ranked 10th in our latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, Bryan Woo has pitched at least six innings in each of his 21 starts – the longest single-season streak of that kind since Yu Darvish had 23 straight in 2022. The White Sox have won four out of five series since the break, so it won't be an easy out for Woo tonight. |
When it comes to grand entrances, it would be tough to find any that compares to the one Jhoan Duran had during his tenure as the Twins' closer, which he brought with him after he was traded to the Phillies. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated, so check it out here. That video was from Friday -- just two days after Duran was acquired from Minnesota. How in the world did the Phillies' in-game entertainment crew pull off this elaborate entrance so quickly? MLB.com reporter Paul Casella has the answers for you, but I'll give you a hint: It was a lot of hard work, plus a little help from some friends in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. – Ed Eagle |
IT'S A QUINN-WIN SITUATION |
It would be unfair to label Quinn Priester as a complete unknown. He was, after all, a first-round Draft pick by the Pirates in 2019 and MLB Pipeline's No. 60 overall prospect entering the 2023 season. But as Brewers manager Pat Murphy said following Monday's win over the Braves: "Nobody knew who Quinn Priester was, and now they do." That quote came after Priester's latest stellar outing, allowing one earned run on two hits over seven innings. He is now 11-2, has won 10 consecutive decisions and owns a 3.15 ERA on the year. He has a 2.47 ERA across 16 appearances since May 7, 10th-best among qualified pitchers since that date. It's a massive turnaround for the 24-year-old right-hander after he produced a 6.46 ERA over parts of two seasons with Pittsburgh.
Priester was acquired from the Red Sox in early April just to help patch the Brewers' injury-marred rotation. But he has been more than a stopgap; Priester has been a crucial cog for a team that is 24 games over .500 and owns the best record in baseball -- something else you probably didn't expect to be true in early August.
-- Brian Murphy |
Can you Beat the Streak? Try to top Joe DiMaggio's record hitting streak of 56 games by selecting a player each day to record a hit. If you get to 57, you can win $5.6 million. Plus, new for this year, a chance to win unique weekly prizes. Who's hot right now: Freddie Freeman is 8-for-18 (.444 AVG) in his career against Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, and he's batting .448 over his current seven-game hitting streak. |
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