The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eighth (inning) wonder Naylor does it again
Just call Josh Naylor the eighth wonder.
Three swings over three days — all in the eighth inning — turned Naylor into a late-game star baseball hasn’t seen in over 60 years.
Naylor connected for a threerun homer in the eighth again Sunday — his third go-ahead homer in that same inning in the series — and the Cleveland Guardians held on for a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
After Angels manager Phil Neven had José Ramírez intentionally walked, Naylor drove a 2-0 pitch from reliever Carlos Estévez with two outs over the wall in right to snap a 1-1 tie.
On Friday, Naylor hit a solo homer leading off the eighth inning to give Cleveland a 4-3 lead, and his three-run shot Saturday night highlighted a sixrun outburst in the eighth as the Guardians rallied for an 8-6 win.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Naylor is the first player since 1961 to hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in three straight games.
“He’s always been just a natural,” Guardians center fielder Myles Straw said. “Whenever he’s up at the plate, you always assume something good’s going to happen. I’ve seen him do that for a year and a half now. He’s definitely a special hitter.”
As he rounded third, Naylor, who has toned down his homerun celebrations after his “rock the baby” theatrics backfired against the Yankees in the postseason, bumped into a cameraman trying to record another memorable moment by the chunky slugger.
He’s hit an Mlb-best eight homers after the eighth inning since 2021.
“You have to learn how to ride the wave and sometimes it’s not going to be going well and sometimes it’s going to be going off the charts, but you got to stay evenkeeled,” Naylor said.
Following Naylor’s homer on Friday, Angels manager Phil Nevin intentionally walked him to lead the bases in the ninth inning before LA escaped. Faced with a similar situation, Nevin decided to roll the dice.
“I’m not going to let José Ramírez beat me,” Nevin explained. “I said that before the series started, and I had my best against (Naylor) with where we’re at right there. I felt good about the matchup. He just got into another one.”
Naylor’s homer pinned a tough loss on Angels starter Patrick Sandoval (3-2), who held the Guardians to five hits in 7⅔ innings while matching Guardians starter Tanner Bibee, his former high school teammate.
Astros’ Brantley: Injury setback ‘very frustrating’
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is expressing frustration with the setback in his return from surgery on his right shoulder.
The five-time All-star is out indefinitely for the defending World Series champions.
“As a competitor, you want to be out there with your team,” Brantley said. “I love these guys. I love this organization. No one is more disappointed than myself. But at the same time, I’ll continue to put in the work, keep my head down and be the best teammate I can and work as hard as I can.”
Brantley has yet to play in the majors this season. He appeared to be close to returning, but manager Dusty Baker said Friday that Brantley will be shut down “for a while.” An MRI revealed inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder.
“Very frustrating. You rehab all offseason, put in the work every single day and do everything the right way and sometimes it just doesn’t work out to your favor,” Brantley said. “But at the same time, I won’t stop. I’ll keep my head down, continue to keep working and be out there as soon as I can with these guys.”
Brantley said he experienced a similar situation after shoulder surgery in 2016 while he was with Cleveland.
“Shoulder surgeries are tricky,” he said. “I understand that, but at the same time, I’m trying to stay as positive as I can...”
Brantley said the first step to a return is removing the inflammation. He hit .288 with five home runs and 26 RBIS in 64 games with Houston last season.
He said he was “trying to push through a few things” during his recent rehab assignment with Triple-a Sugar Land when he went 6 for 24 in nine games.
Kershaw’s mother dies
The mother of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has died.
Marianne Tombaugh died on Saturday, according to Ellen Kershaw. The pitcher’s wife mentioned it during the dedication of a refurbished youth baseball field in Inglewood that his charity foundation supported.
Kershaw’s parents divorced when he was 10 and he was raised by his mother in suburban Dallas. His father, Christopher Kershaw, died in 2013.
“Clayton grew up with a baseball in his hand ready to play a game in a sandlot or on a ballfield just like this one on a moment’s notice,” Ellen Kershaw said at the dedication.
“One person in particular cultivated that love in Clayton, his dear momma Marianne, who moved mountains to get him to baseball practice and games. She sat front row cheering him on not so subtly and kept score in a book to keep her nerves at bay.”