As we inch closer to Friday afternoon’s trade deadline, organizations are trying frantically to sort themselves out as to whether they will be buyers or sellers. Decisions will be made that will potentially alter a team’s structure for years to come. In the meantime, teams on the bottom half of the standings will try to showcase players they are trying to move as well as trot out their fresh prospect faces. Teams in postseason contention will be assessing their weaknesses and try their damnedest to fill the gaps in their squad as best as possible before the non-waiver deadline strikes at 4 PM Friday. This makes for some exciting baseball in the interim and the plays made this week surely displayed the frantic nature of this time of year. Without further ado, here are the five plays that defined the week that was in baseball.
5. Mariners Turn Odd Triple Play
The amount of triple plays piling up in the Major Leagues this season is astounding. The fashion they are occurring in is on the complete other end of the adjective spectrum. In the fourth inning of Sunday’s game against Seattle, Toronto’s Ryan Goins stepped to the plate with men on the corners and none out. His team was up 4-3 already and looking to make Mariners’ starter Taijuan Walker’s night a short one. Instead, the Blue Jays played themselves out of a cushion with some baserunning that would make a Little League coach’s head explode. Goins grounded out to Mark Trumbo at first for out number one. Kevin Pillar got hung up between second but cleverly tried to stay in a rundown long enough for Ezequiel Carrera to break home to score. Nonetheless, Pillar, a several time honoree on Top of the Heap, was unsuccessful in his mission and Carrera was soon in a pickle of his own. Eventually both Carrera and Pillar ended up at third, which means a tag from Mike Zunino would mean Pillar was out. Then inexplicably, Carrera tried to bluff towards home. It was that or he had the weirdest stumble ever. The Mariners were out of the inning though, and would come back to defeat the Jays in 10 innings.
4. Troy Tulowitzki’s Last Gift To The Rockies
It was just a matter of time. There had been chatter for a couple years running of Colorado’s desire to trade Troy Tulowitzki. That talk intensified greatly over the course of 2015. All the speculation came to an end in the wee hours of the morning as the Colorado shortstop was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays with LaTroy Hawkins for a trio of arms and Jose Reyes. It was a good run for the slugger in the Rocky Mountains, and his stunned reaction to the deal showed that he wasn’t quite ready to leave just yet. Still, even unknowingly, Tulo gave the Rockies’ faithful a final parting gift this past week against the Rangers. In the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game (that you will see a performance from the other side soon), the Rox were down a touchdown and extra point’s worth of runs to Texas when Adrian Beltre stepped up against lefty Yohan Flande. Flande had just served up a bomb to Prince Fielder and Beltre looked to prolong the southpaw’s woes as he sent a cricket shot of a grounder up the middle. Tulowitzki ranged to the edge of the outfield grass to make the stop and spun and threw in air to get Beltre at first. Wilin Rosario did his part with a great stretch for the out, but Tulo made his second consecutive Top of the Heap, but his last in purple and black.
3. Correa Forces Extras With A Tremendous Play
Carlos Correa has been one of the many great stories stuffed into the envelope that has been the Houston Astros’ 2015 season. His early June call-up only solidified Houston’s place as one of the Wild Card teams in the American League. He has shown the propensity for the big play in the big game and their showdown with the AL-best Royals last Saturday proved no different. The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth as Kansas City’s Alex Rios strode to the plate to face Will Harris. There were runners on first and third and two outs. Rios looked to have provided the Royals with a fluky victory as he hit a ball to the deepest part of Correa’s territory. The former #1 overall pick channeled another former #1, Derek Jeter, and made a fading jump throw to nail Rios at first by a full stride for the final out. Although the Astros would go on to lose in the 10th, the reason they even had that opportunity was because Carlos Correa wasn’t going to get taken down by a freaking infield single.
2. Shin-Soo Choo Becomes 8th Ranger Cyclist Ever
Remember all the way back on play four of Top of the Heap when I referenced a better performance coming from the other side of that Rockies/Rangers contest? Well, here we are. Shin-Soo Choo became the second player to hit for the cycle this season (Brock Holt of the Red Sox was the other), the eighth Ranger cycle hitter ever, and the first since the victim on play number three, Alex Rios. Choo started off his evening with an RBI double in the first off glorified batting practice pitcher Kyle Kendrick. He would greet Kendrick in the top of the fourth with a massive solo home run. After two straight hits chased Kendrick in the fifth, Choo would line the first pitch from Yohan Flande to right to score a run with a single. Like so many before him, including Holt earlier this year, Choo left the hardest part of the cycle, the triple, for last. It took a nice bounce off the base of the center field wall, but Choo got his triple in the top of the ninth. The cycle was complete as was the rout and Texas kept their ever so slender playoff hopes alive.
1. Hamels’ No-No Saved On Final Play
Cole Hamels has been embroiled in trade talks the entirety of 2015. As the Phillies continue to flounder, Hamels just continues to produce. He isn’t quite on the level of fellow left hander Steve Carlton for 1972 Phils (25 of 59 team wins) but Hamels is commanding a Hall of Hame haul as the trade deadline approaches. That made his start on Saturday against the Cubs that much more special. It could have very well been the last time Phillies fans got to see their #35 wearing their colors. Hamels made sure it was a start they’d never soon forget. Cole was in control (pardon the rhyming). He struck out 13 and walked only Dexter Fowler twice. He was superb and had all his pitches working. But like with the majority of no-hitters, he needed some help from his friends. It just so happened the biggest piece of this assistance came on the game’s final play. All-Star rookie Kris Bryant stepped into the batter’s box with history on the line. Hamels got the count to 3-2 and then saw his place in Philadelphia history almost go up in smoke as the payoff pitch was hit deep towards the center field ivy of Wrigley Field. Odubel Herrera had made a stellar play just an inning before to take a hit away from David Ross. He wasn’t as elegant on the game’s final out, but he still was able to make a remarkable catch from his belly to preserve the no-hitter. Hamels is hoping to get to a contender before Friday, but Odubel Herrera has him at the Top of the Heap for this week.