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Brown is Dom-o-nating
Domonic Brown continued his torrid stretch of hitting on Monday as he connected for his NL-leading 17th home run. Brown had been juggled up and down in the system by the Phillies over the last two seasons, resulting in inconsistent playing time and never really getting settled. Coming into 2013, even the Phillies had not planned on everyday at-bats for Brown, as they brought in an injured Delmon Young, added Ben Revere, and would have to find time for both Lance Nix and John Mayberry. After a sluggish start to April in the power department, Brown ended the month with a measly three homers. Since the calendar turned to May, though, all hell has broken loose. Brown has hit 14 homers since May 2, tallying 31 RBI in that span. His past 10 games have been something to watch, as he’s amassed 9 jacks in 30 at-bats. It looks like all Philadelphia needed to do was let the kid play. Something tells me that will not be an issue going forward. Brown is hitting .291/.329/.592 on the year with 17 HR and 42 RBI.
The Cuban Canon Unleashed
The Dodgers inserted top prospect Yasiel Puig (pronounced PWEEG) into the leadoff spot after his promotion to the Show, and he did not disappoint. Puig’s arrival has been highly anticipated since his defection from Cuba and his agreeing to a seven-year, $42 million contract. As a 21-year-old, he batted .330 with 17 HR, 47 RBI and 78 R in 327 at-bats with the Cienfuegos Elefantes in the 2010-11 Cuban National Series. Known as the fastest player in Cuban baseball, Puig had stolen 13 bases with Double-A Chattanooga this season and slugged 8 HR with 37 RBI through 147 at-bats. It was just a matter of time until the fragile Carl Crawford would open the door for Puig’s arrival. Monday night marked that point, and Puig shined brightly on the field, connecting with a single to center field for his first major-league hit in his very first at-bat. Later, he flashed his blazing speed on an infield single, but what he did in the bottom of the ninth was what stole the show. With one out and the Dodgers leading 2-1, Puig caught a line drive on the warning track in right field and proceeded to throw an absolute rocket to first base to nab Chris Denorfia on a game-ending double play. Puig’s stay in LA isn’t a guarantee for the remainder of the season, but I’m pretty sure they are in no hurry to quiet the buzz in Chavez Ravine after last night.
Must see video clip of Puig's ridiculous throw on Monday:
AL Hot Shots:
- Asdrubal Cabrera will likely require some time on the DL with a quad strain; he left Monday’s game after coming up lame running to first base. Mike Aviles is a worthy add.
- Mark Teixeira announced his arrival back from the DL with a grand slam Monday.
- Tommy Milone allowed only two runs over seven innings; he also got two hits in the game.
- Coco Crisp homered and was on base five times Monday.
- Joe Blanton struck out 11 and still was tagged with the loss as the Angels were overmatched by Houston’s Eric Bedard. Yup, Eric Bedard.
- Adrian Beltre is expected to play after resting a minor hamstring strain; Beltre's owners should monitor, but he is a gamer.
- Andy Pettitte was not sharp in his return to action on Monday failing to go 5 innings and allowing 4 ER.Justin Masterson had one of his worst starts versus a lefty-heavy Yankee lineup Monday allowing 7 ER over 6.1 IP and falling to 8-4.
NL Hot Shots:
- Tyler Skaggs will start Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals; Brandon McCarthy will visit the DL with shoulder discomfort.
- Giancarlo Stanton has begun running the bases and could be able to start a rehab assignment soon for the Marlins.
- Kyle Kendrick pitched a complete game Monday allowing 2 runs while adding a triple at the dish. It was his second CG in 2013.
- Bronson Arroyo twirled 8 innings of shutout ball as he dominated the Rockies.
- Lance Lynn allowed only one run to the DBacks over 7 innings.
- Jason Heyward homered for the first time since mid-April as the Braves topped the Pirates.
- Carlos Beltran hit a homer in a 3-for-5 effort, driving in three runs.
- Marco Estrada could hit the DL with a hamstring strain which forced him from Monday’s game. He’s probably not worth stashing in standard formats.
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Follow Shawn Caswell on Twitter: @CasKnowsRoto
