MLB News Outside The Confines: Losing an Angel

Francisco Lindor came to the defense of Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

Royals legend Salvador Perez and manager Matt Quatraro got into it a bit after Quatraro suggested that Perez needed a “mental breather” and Perez said he no didn’t. They metaphorically kissed and made up later. At least I assume it was metaphorical.

Mike Axisa notes that the Dodgers have been the best team in baseball despite not getting much of anything from their big offseason signings.

Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said the Rockies approach at the plate was “a little fishy” in Saturday’s Colorado win. (The Athletic sub. req.) His manager Dave Roberts said that it wasn’t.

One thing the Rockies are doing this year is “suggesting” pitches from the dugout. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Marlins are outright calling pitches from the dugout, but the Rockies are taking a softer stance to the same thing, saying that their pitchers and catchers are free to ignore the suggestions. But they say they mostly don’t.

One early-season development for each team that they can believe in.

Chad Jennings has which teams are overachieving and which are underachieving so far this year. (The Athletic sub. req.)

Jesse Rogers reports that the Pirates have been impressed with the maturity of their young rookie Konnor Griffin.

Of course, Griffin signed a long-term extension with the Pirates. Michael Baumann thinks that who benefits from all these deals and whether it is good for the game is very complicated.

Julian McWilliams looks at the development of Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker and how the Cardinals needed more than just “patience” to allow the former elite prospect finally bloom. Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown is extensively quoted and I can’t help but hear Ron Santo scream “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” in my head whenever I hear his name.

Ryan Blake has a look at when players retire.

The Reds won a game in extra innings on Sunday after former Cubs catcher P.J. Higgins successfully called for an Automatic Ball/Strike challenge to end the game.

Jordan Schusterman and Jake Mintz explain what we’ve learned about the ABS system so far.

First female umpire Jen Pawol was behind the plate for her first ever major league game with the ABS system on Friday. She went 2 for 4 on pitches that were challenged. Giants catcher Daniel Susac praised Pawol behind the plate. Gabe Lacques reports.

Padres closer Mason Miller now has a scoreless streak of 32.2 innings, just one inning shy of a team record.

Bryan Horowitz reports on the band Korn sending Miller a whole bunch of swag and inviting him to a concert after they found out that their song “Blind” was Miller’s walk-out music. Of course, the Padres picked the song for Miller since he was born after the song was popular, but he still appreciates it.

Casey Drottar reports that Taiwanese fans continue to support Guardians minor league outfielder Stuart Fairchild after he played for Chinese Taipei in the WBC. Fairchild has never been to Taiwan, but he hopes to go this upcoming offseason and he wants to take his mother, who left the island for America when she was 12 and hasn’t been back.

Manny Randhawa reports on Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and other Japanese players meeting with a 100-year-old Nagasaki survivor at Coors Field this weekend.

Guardians catcher Austin Hedges proposed to his girlfriend on the field after a game on Sunday. She said yes.

A college team won a 21-inning marathon on a walk-off balk. Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru with the story.

The Reno Aces did an entire lineup introduction in a Mickey Mouse voice.