JVSportsTalk Recap: 8/8/22

Yankees Snap Skid Against Mariners; Orioles Power Past Blue Jays

• The New York Yankees put an end to their slide on Monday night, powering their way past the Seattle Mariners, 9-4, on the road.
• Aaron Judge hit his 44th home run of the season in the ninth, his first home run in nearly a week
• Josh Donaldson also went deep and drove home three runs, while Andrew Benintendi doubled home two.
• Both Donaldson and Benintendi had two doubles on the night.
• Mariners starter Logan Gilbert was rocked for seven runs on 10 hits, including six extra-base hits.
• Jameson Taillon lasted seven innings, working in and out of trouble, to earn his 11th win in 13 decisions.
• The Yankees held a team meeting after their fifth straight loss and sweep in St. Louis over the weekend, and clearly it kicked his team back in to gear.
• The Baltimore Orioles are keeping their Wild Card hopes alive in serious fashion, doing so on Monday night with a powerful 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
• The Orioles hit four home runs on the night, including a three-run shot from Ramon Urias to get the party started in the first.
• Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle, and Austin Hays also went deep on this night.
• This was the first of 15 meetings between these two teams the rest of the season, and the Orioles entered the game just two games out of a Postseason spot.
• Jordan Lyles got his ninth win despite allowing a Cavan Biggio homer in the third.
• Matt Chapman also homered for the Blue Jays in the sixth, as multiple comeback attempts were thwarted. 
• Yusei Kikuchi got his sixth loss after allowing five runs on six hits, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did extend his hitting streak to 19 games.

Other key scores saw Chris Bassitt go eight innings of one-run baseball in the New York Mets' 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. And Alex Wood pitched in to the seventh as the San Francisco Giants shut out the San Diego Padres, 1-0. 

Yankees' Matt Carpenter Fractures Foot

• The New York Yankees have been the best comeback spot for Matt Carpenter, but that was halted on Monday night when the utility player broke his left foot in Seattle.
• The injury occurred when he fouled the ball off of his left foot in the first inning.
  
• He finished the at-bat against Logan Gilbert, but then exited the game next half inning.
  
• The 36-year-old was seen wearing a protective boot after the game and is hopeful to only miss a month.
  
• Tim LoCastro replaced him as the designated hitter on Monday.
  
• Carpenter is hitting .305 with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs over 128 at-bats with the Yankees, reaching base in 27 of his 35 starts.
  

Cubs Claim Franmil Reyes Off Waivers

• The Chicago Cubs added some serious potential power to their roster on Monday, claiming outfielder Franmil Reyes off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.
• This news comes two days after the Guardians waived the slugger.
  
• The 27-year-old had already been optioned to Triple-A Columbus earlier this week.
• Reyes is hitting just .213 this season with nine home runs and 104 strikeouts over 263 at-bats.
• This is a guy that hit 37 home runs between Cleveland and the San Diego Padres in the 2019 season.
• He went on to add 30 home runs and 85 RBIs in the 2021 campaign.​

Jason Heyward Won't Return to Cubs in 2023

• The relationship between the Chicago Cubs and Jason Heyward is set to come to an end, as it was revealed on Monday that the outfielder will not return to the team in 2023.
• Team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer confirmed this news on Monday.
  
• The 32-year-old has been on the injured list since late June with a knee injury and may not play again this season.
  
• The Cubs signed him to an eight-year, $184 million contract before the 2016 season and then went on to win the World Series that year.
• Heyward rallied that World Series win in an extra-inning, Game 7 victory over Cleveland following a rain delay.
  
• Over his seven years with the Cubs, he hit .245 with 62 home runs and 289 RBIs.
  
• Since entering the league with the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 season, he is a .257 hitter with 159 home runs.
  

Ravens Sign Justin Tucker to Four-Year Extension

• The Baltimore Ravens have absolutely no plans of letting veteran kicker Justin Tucker kick the ball anywhere else in the league, as they signed him to a four-year extension on Monday.
• Tucker's contract is worth $24 million, paying him $6 million per season, which is $1 million per season more than any other kicker.
  
• This news comes one week after Chris Boswell officially signed his extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which matched Tucker's $5 million annual value.
• The kicker had two years left on his current contract and is now signed through the 2027 season.
• ​The new contract includes $17.5 million in guaranteed money, which is $5 million more than any other kicker.
• The 32-year-old is known as the most accurate kicker in NFL history over his 10 seasons out of Texas.
  
• He holds the best field goal percentage at 91%, as well as the league's record for the longest field goal at 66 yards.
  
• Tucker has been named to the All-Pro first team five times, which is two more than any other kicker.
  
• Since his rookie year in 2012, he ranks first with 326 field goals made and 1,360 points.
  

Bruins Reach Deals With Bergeron, Krejci, Zacha

• The Boston Bruins had themselves a very busy Monday, locking in three different players, headlined by captain Patrice Bergeron getting a one-year deal.
• The deal for Bergeron is worth $2.5 million with $2.5 million in incentives.
  
• He is fourth in franchise history with 982 points.
  
• The team also hooked up David Krejci with a one-year contract.
  
• The 36-year-old ranks ninth in franchise history with 730 points of his own.
• Both Bergeron and Krejci helped the Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011.
  
• The team was able to give forward Pavel Zacha a one-year deal that will count for $3.5 million against the cap.
  
• Zacha is coming off a season that saw him post 15 goals and 21 assists.
  

Golden Knights, Nicolas Roy Agree on Five-Year Extension

• The Las Vegas Golden Knights came to terms with a most recent addition to the team, giving forward Nicolas Roy a five-year contract extension on Monday.
• The deal will pay Roy $3 million per season.
  
• Roy is coming off a season that saw him set career highs with 78 games played, 15 goals, 24 assists, and 39 points.
  
• That was his third season with the Knights, as he also played for Team Canada in the 2022 IIHF World Championships.
  
• The Knights acquired him from the Carolina Hurricanes in June of 2019 after he appeared in just seven games with Carolina. 
  
• After spending most of his time with Carolina at the AHL level, he has taken over a consistent component of the Knights' franchise, ranking third on the team in games played last season.
  

Coyotes Lock in Lawson Crouse With Five-Year Deal

• The Arizona Coyotes were able to avoid arbitration on Monday with forward Lawson Crouse, signing him to a five-year contract.
• The terms of the deal were not disclosed, as this came about just hours before the scheduled arbitration hearing for him.
  
• Crouse set career highs with 20 goals and 14 assists last season.
  
• He has spent six years with the Coyotes, as the 24 year-old showed off his physicality for them last year with 181 hits to lead the team.
  
• The Coyotes acquired him from the Florida Panthers in 2017.
  
• Crouse has posted 56 goals and 54 assists over 346 career games, this after going 11th overall to the Panthers in the 2015 NHL Draft.