Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Let's get right to it.
⚾ Good morning to everyone but especially to...
KYLE TUCKER AND THE HOUSTON ASTROS
Over the course of the seemingly endless MLB regular season, we can take games for granted. It gets monotonous. You play, you go home, you play again. On and on and on. As the summer lazes on, it's baseball bliss and, yes, a little bit of baseball exhaustion.
But when you get a good game -- scratch that, a great game -- you should cherish it. And we got just that Tuesday. Kyle Tucker hit a go-ahead ninth-inning grand slam off star closer Félix Bautista to propel the Astros to a 7-6 win over the Orioles in a potential playoff matchup.
Bautista had allowed five earned runs all season. He allowed four on one swing of the bat.But this wasn't just any swing of the bat. It came on the ninth pitch of the plate appearance. After going down 0-2, Tucker took two balls and fouled off four pitches before the home run.It also came on a 100.4 MPH fastball, the third-fastest pitch hit for a home run this season, and it was the Astros' first go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning since 2011.The Orioles were 51-0 this season when leading by multiple runs entering the ninth inning.The AL-best Orioles may be young and fun. The Rangers may lead the AL West. The Rays' eclectic bunch seemingly has all the answers. Don't forget about the Astros. They're the reigning champs for a reason.
