Judge, Stanton Prepare for HR Derby
The brackets were revealed for the Home Run Derby on Wednesday night and many expect Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to be around in the finals. Both sluggers showed why on Wednesday, including Judge tying a franchise record. The rookie went deep in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, which tied a franchise record for most home runs as a rookie. It was the 29th long ball for the outfielder, which equals the amount Joe DiMaggio had in his rookie season in 1936. Although, Judge did strike out with a runner on first in the ninth to end the game. Dellin Betances suffered his fourth loss after his wild pitching helped Toronto snap a 6-6 tie in the eighth. Meanwhile, Stanton put on a show in Busch Stadium, going deep twice in the Marlins' 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Justin Bour (also in the Home Run Derby) and Marcell Ozuna both went deep in the win. The performance was his 22nd multihomer game of his career, as he finished the night going 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBI. He has five hits in the last two games, snapping out of a recent 1-for-17 slump. Dustin McGowan got the win in relief for Miami, who lost starter Edison Volquez after four innings due to a sore left knee. So, both players showed that they are ready for Monday's competition, which will see Stanton defend the title he won last season in San Diego.
Wood Improves to 10-0 with Dodgers' Shutout
While the Los Angeles Dodgers won't have Clayton Kershaw in the All-Star Game due to him pitching on Sunday, they may be sending another starter to represent them. And that's Alex Wood, who improved his perfect record to 10-0 in the Dodgers' 1-0 shutout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. Wood allowed just three hits over seven innings, and became the first Dodger to reach 10-0 since Don Newcombe did so in 1955. The 26-year-old hasn't lost since May 30th, 2016, which spans 13 straight starts. He struck out 10 and walked two on the night, getting run support from only Yasmani Grandal, who doubled in a run. Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning for L.A. The Dodgers look to sweep away the second-place D-backs in the series finale on Thursday.
Oilers Give McDavid Large Extension
Connor McDavid seemed to get comfortable very quickly in the NHL, which not only led to him being named captain, but also led to the major deal he received on Wednesday. The Edmonton Oilers gave their young star an eight-year contract extension worth $100 million. The league's Most Valuable Player will earn an average of $12.5 million over the next eight seasons, putting him in an elite group. The team admitted that they wanted the contract to be longer and larger, but McDavid wanted them to have room to add more pieces. The annual salary makes him the highest-paid player in the league, beating out Blackhawks' stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who each make $10.5 million per season. Montreal Canadiens goal Carey Price is also up there after his extension last week. The Oilers' leader is entering the final season of his rookie contract, with his new deal starting in the 2018-19 season. The 20-year-old won the Art Ross Trophy with 100 points this past season, becoming the third-youngest to do so behind only Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. That performance led the Oilers to their first postseason appearance since 2006, this after putting up 48 points in 45 games his rookie season before breaking his collarbone. With the rising star now locked up in Edmonton, he can now focus on keeping the Oilers consistent contenders in the Western Conference.
The brackets were revealed for the Home Run Derby on Wednesday night and many expect Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to be around in the finals. Both sluggers showed why on Wednesday, including Judge tying a franchise record. The rookie went deep in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, which tied a franchise record for most home runs as a rookie. It was the 29th long ball for the outfielder, which equals the amount Joe DiMaggio had in his rookie season in 1936. Although, Judge did strike out with a runner on first in the ninth to end the game. Dellin Betances suffered his fourth loss after his wild pitching helped Toronto snap a 6-6 tie in the eighth. Meanwhile, Stanton put on a show in Busch Stadium, going deep twice in the Marlins' 9-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Justin Bour (also in the Home Run Derby) and Marcell Ozuna both went deep in the win. The performance was his 22nd multihomer game of his career, as he finished the night going 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBI. He has five hits in the last two games, snapping out of a recent 1-for-17 slump. Dustin McGowan got the win in relief for Miami, who lost starter Edison Volquez after four innings due to a sore left knee. So, both players showed that they are ready for Monday's competition, which will see Stanton defend the title he won last season in San Diego.
Wood Improves to 10-0 with Dodgers' Shutout
While the Los Angeles Dodgers won't have Clayton Kershaw in the All-Star Game due to him pitching on Sunday, they may be sending another starter to represent them. And that's Alex Wood, who improved his perfect record to 10-0 in the Dodgers' 1-0 shutout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. Wood allowed just three hits over seven innings, and became the first Dodger to reach 10-0 since Don Newcombe did so in 1955. The 26-year-old hasn't lost since May 30th, 2016, which spans 13 straight starts. He struck out 10 and walked two on the night, getting run support from only Yasmani Grandal, who doubled in a run. Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning for L.A. The Dodgers look to sweep away the second-place D-backs in the series finale on Thursday.
Oilers Give McDavid Large Extension
Connor McDavid seemed to get comfortable very quickly in the NHL, which not only led to him being named captain, but also led to the major deal he received on Wednesday. The Edmonton Oilers gave their young star an eight-year contract extension worth $100 million. The league's Most Valuable Player will earn an average of $12.5 million over the next eight seasons, putting him in an elite group. The team admitted that they wanted the contract to be longer and larger, but McDavid wanted them to have room to add more pieces. The annual salary makes him the highest-paid player in the league, beating out Blackhawks' stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who each make $10.5 million per season. Montreal Canadiens goal Carey Price is also up there after his extension last week. The Oilers' leader is entering the final season of his rookie contract, with his new deal starting in the 2018-19 season. The 20-year-old won the Art Ross Trophy with 100 points this past season, becoming the third-youngest to do so behind only Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. That performance led the Oilers to their first postseason appearance since 2006, this after putting up 48 points in 45 games his rookie season before breaking his collarbone. With the rising star now locked up in Edmonton, he can now focus on keeping the Oilers consistent contenders in the Western Conference.
