AROUND THE HORN
Pirates:
Manager Derek Shelton’s contract was extended by the Pirates after the team’s 14-7 start its best since 1992. Shelton’s contract was set to expire after this season. The Pirates announced the new deal Saturday but did not specify a length. “It shows what we’re doing and how we’re doing it is working,” Shelton said. Shelton entered the season with a 142-242 record over three years.
Marlins: Marins ace Sandy Alcantara was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday at Cleveland with biceps tendinitis, but the team said he is not expected to be placed on the injured list. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is sidelined with what the team called “very mild” tendinitis. Alcantara was pushed back to start in the series at Atlanta that begins Monday. Alcantara is 1-2 with a 5.84 ERA in four starts and had been lined up to possibly face Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner.
Dodgers: James Outman and Max Muncy each homered twice as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 9-4 on Saturday. Outman was 4-for-5 with four RBIs. He has homered seven times this season, the most by a Dodgers rookie in the months of March and April. Muncy’s second homer of the game came off Cubs reliever Brad Boxberger in the ninth and Outman delivered his second one batter later. Muncy has 10 home runs, tied for the most home runs this season. The ninerun scoring blitz came a day after the Dodgers lost 13-0 to the Cubs. Muncy’s first homer was a two-run homer off Cubs reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in the seventh.
Rays: Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs will have season-ending Tommy John surgery on Monday. Rays manager Kevin Cash made the announcement before Saturday’s game against the White Sox. Springs was moved from the 15to the 60-day injured list. Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister, who specializes in the elbow ligament replacement procedure, will operate. “Devastating, honestly,” Springs said. “It’s kind of hard to believe that my season is already over. Still honestly, I’m trying to process it myself.” The 30-year-old Springs went 2-0 with an 0.56 ERA during the Rays’ 13-0 start.
Yankees: Gerrit Cole and Alek Manaoh pitched scoreless ball after a chirpy buildup, and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 3-2 Saturday on pinch-hitter DJ LeMahieu’s walkoff basesloaded single in the ninth inning. Rookie Anthony Volpe hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Yimi García and pinch-hitter Danny Jansen hit a two-run homer in the ninth against Wandy Peralta after a leadoff walk to Alejandro Kirk. Even before the first pitch there was intrigue. Just as Cole was about to start the game, he was forced to wait, crouching behind the mound as Manoah and Kirk slowly walked from the Blue Jays bullpen down the left-field line to the dugout. Cole allowed four hits in 5
innings with four strikeouts and two walks, extending his scoreless streak to 20 innings and lowering his ERA to 0.79. Last Aug. 21, Manoah threw an inside pitch early in the game that went near Yankees star Aaron Judge, then hit Judge on the arm guard above the left elbow. Judge glanced at Manoah as Cole started yelling and a few other Yankees came over the dugout railing. Cole was intercepted by bench coach Carlos Mendoza.