The Rays took a lead early and did not relinquish it despite Houston’s attempt at a comeback, sealing up a 4-2 victory which will send them towards a chance to play for the franchise’s first ever Commissioner’s Trophy.

Veteran starter Charlie Morton took the ball in Game 7 and was excellent, hurling 5.2 innings of shutout ball with 6 strikeouts and only one walk.

Tampa Bay was able to jump on the board early, scoring a pair of runs off of Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. after postseason standout Randy Arozarena hit a two-run home run.

The Rays increased their lead the next inning after Mike Zunino went deep, pushing their lead to 3-0. The catcher then drove in another run on a sac fly in the sixth inning to give his team a relatively comfortable 4-0 lead.

Bullpen standout Nick Anderson entered for the Rays in the sixth inning and did well, allowing only two hits. However, Peter Fairbanks then relieved him and Carlos Correa’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning made things a bit hairy for Tampa.

Fairbanks escaped the jam, however, and pitched a clean ninth inning, sending his Rays teammates into a state of euphoria as they realized they were heading to Texas to play for the World Series.

They will match up against the winners of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Atlanta Braves series.

The post Rays Clinch World Series Berth with Game 7 Win Over Astros appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The league, which did not allow fans inside of the ballpark for any of the regular season games played, is set to sell 11,500 tickets per game for these matchups, which equates to a 25% capacity of the Texas Rangers’ new stadium.

Globe Life Park, which has yet to see any paying fans enter the stadium in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced games to be played behind closed doors, will be used as a sort of experiment for baseball as they look to safely allow at least some fans inside of stadiums.

The ALCS, which will be played at Petco Park in San Diego, will not allow fans in the stadium due to more restrictive COVID-19 regulations in the state of California.

Fans will reportedly be seated in a socially-distanced “checkerboard” pattern which will allow for sufficient safety precautions to be taken. The tickets will be available for a mixed group of people, including Rangers season ticket holders, players’ family members, and the general public.

The NLCS is set to kick off on on Monday, October 12th and the World Series will start on Tuesday, October 20th.

The post MLB to Allow a Limited Number of Fans for NLCS, World Series Games appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Reyes broke into the Major Leagues in 2003 with the New York Mets. He soon gained a reputation as a speedy, slick-hitting shortstop who was a pain for opposing teams and pitchers on the basepaths. Reyes’s best seasons came between 2006 and 2011 with the Mets, when he made the All-Star team four times, picked up a Silver Slugger Award, an NL batting championship, and led the league in steals three times.

The Dominican shortstop was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2012, where he spent only one season. He then moved on to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he put up a pair of strong seasons.

Reyes then returned to New York where his production began to decrease, leading the team to release him following the 2018 season. After not finding a job in 2019 and during the first half of 2020, Reyes finally decided that his career had come to a close.

His social media announcement marks the end of the career of one of baseball’s best shortstops of this generation, who will go down in history as one of the Mets’ best all-time players.

The post Veteran SS Jose Reyes Announces Retirement From MLB appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Godley, who established himself as a key, successful member of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ starting rotation in 2017 and 2018, had a difficult season last year. He rotated between the starting rotation and the bullpen in Arizona before being traded later on in the season to Toronto.

The former Tennessee Volunteer posted a bloated 5.97 ERA in 33 games last season, struggling to find the form that had made him a quality mid-rotation starter the previous two seasons.

Godley posted a 23-20 record in 2017 and 2018 along with a 4.10 ERA in 57 starts.

The 30-year-old player righty signed a minor league deal with an invitation to Big League camp for the lowly Tigers, but decided that he would rather pursue opportunities elsewhere after reporting to Detroit earlier this month. Godley asked the team for his release, and the request was granted on Monday.

Godley could be an intriguing rotation option for several teams which are looking for quality starting pitching depth. The Red Sox have been mentioned as a potential fit for Godley, as they have plenty of camp spots open and could use some more starting pitching options.

Expect Godley to sign on with a new team later on this week.

The post Tigers Grant P Zack Godley Unconditional Release appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While most players who have decided to sit out 2020, including Dodgers pitcher David Price and Giants catcher Buster Posey, have done so due to concerns about COVID-19, Kopech’s case appears to be different by all accounts.

The White Sox pitcher has previously struggled with anxiety and depression, and was absent at the beginning of this summer’s camp due to “personal reasons.” It appears that these problems are the main reason that Kopech has decided to sit out this season and look forward to 2021.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn said, “We recognize that reaching this decision is incredibly difficult for any competitive athlete, and our organization is understanding and supportive.”

Kopech, who at 24-years-old is considered to be one of the building blocks of a group of young talent that Chicago has accumulated in a bid to return to relevancy, was penciled in as a starting pitching option in the Sox’s rotation heading into 2020.

The flame-throwing righty appeared in 4 games last season in the Big Leagues, posting a 5.02 ERA in a short cameo.

The post White Sox P Michael Kopech Opts Out of 2020 MLB Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Japan, a country of 143 million people which has managed to keep the coronavirus outbreak largely under control and which is seeing very few new cases currently, will reportedly either allow up to 5,000 fans or 50% of the stadium’s capacity (whichever is smaller) into the stands later in July.

Both the J-League and Nippon Professional Baseball organizations are in full swing and have a docket of games from now until the fall.

By making this announcement, Japan will effectively become the first country with major leagues of any sport which will allow fans to return since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

Other major leagues around the world are currently either playing behind closed doors or have suspended their seasons due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While most other countries are still not in a position to allow fans to watch their games in person, the news from Japan suggests that it might not be too long until at least some fans are able to return to the stands to watch their favorite sports teams play.

The post Japan’s Baseball and Soccer Leagues to Begin Allowing Fans at Games appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Minor League Baseball, an organization affiliated with the MLB which contains several levels of professional baseball that are used to develop young players, has been a crucial part of the league’s structure since being formed in 1901.

This season’s cancellation puts many of the league’s 100+ franchises in financial danger, as revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and food and beverage purchases will effectively dwindle to zero in 2020 for an industry that does not make a lot of money in the first place.

Despite the rough news for Minor League Baseball, league Commissioner Pat O’Conner understood why the decision was made. “I had a conversation with (MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred), and we were unable to find a path that allowed us to play games,” he said. “It wasn’t an acrimonious decision on our part.”

The league will now hope that the pandemic slows down enough to allow teams and players to return to the field in 2021.

The post Baseball’s Minor League Announces Cancellation of 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Lynn was a standout in 2019 for the Rangers, posting arguably the best season of his nearly decade-long career. In his first season with Texas, Lynn posted a 3.67 ERA and a 16-11 record, striking out 246 batters in 208.1 innings.

Woodward gave the nod to Lynn over 2019 Opening Day starter Mike Minor and offseason addition and former Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.

The manager had to choose between Minor and Lynn for the spot. “I know Corey is a tremendous pitcher and a two-time Cy Young winner, but what Lance and Mike have done for our ball club, especially last year, they deserve that start,” Woodward explained. “I went back and forth with Lance and Mike. I know I gave it to Mike last year and I talked to Mike about this. He did nothing to not deserve this start this year.”

Texas will open its season either on July 23rd or July 24th against an to-be-named opponent in a location that is to be determined.

The post Lance Lynn Named Rangers Opening Day Starter appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Giants informed season ticket holders on Thursday that they will be able to submit an image of themselves, which will be printed onto a weatherproof cardboard cutout and placed as close as possible to their season ticket seats. These cutouts will be displayed at AT&T Park throughout the season.

Giants fans who aren’t season ticket holders will also have the option to pay $199 in order to submit an image and have it placed in the stands at the stadium for the entire season.

Some soccer clubs in Europe, such as Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach and Spain’s Villarreal CF have tested a similar initiative to widespread praise after the sport returned to empty stadiums in the continent.

The Giants are the first franchise to announce an initiative such as this in the United States, which they hope will improve the image of the stadium on television broadcasts and make things look not so “empty.” Don’t be surprised if more MLB teams follow suit.

The post San Francisco Giants to Display Cardboard Cutouts of Fans During the 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The league, which will come back either on July 23rd or July 24th, will feature some important rule changes including a universal designated hitter which will eliminate the National League tradition of pitchers hitting, at least this year.

The designated hitter rule, which has allowed teams in the American League to take the pitcher out of the batting order and replace him with an offensive player that doesn’t play the field, has been in effect in the AL since 1973.

The National League, however, has never allowed a designated hitter under its rules since the league was founded in 1876.

While it is still unknown if the DH will remain a part of the National League beyond the 2020 season, the abbreviated season which will be played this year will allow players and teams the opportunity to see whether or not they like the controversial rule.

Teams are expected to report to “Spring Training” at the beginning of July in preparation for the new season.

The post MLB to Introduce Universal DH in 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Rays took a lead early and did not relinquish it despite Houston’s attempt at a comeback, sealing up a 4-2 victory which will send them towards a chance to play for the franchise’s first ever Commissioner’s Trophy.

Veteran starter Charlie Morton took the ball in Game 7 and was excellent, hurling 5.2 innings of shutout ball with 6 strikeouts and only one walk.

Tampa Bay was able to jump on the board early, scoring a pair of runs off of Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. after postseason standout Randy Arozarena hit a two-run home run.

The Rays increased their lead the next inning after Mike Zunino went deep, pushing their lead to 3-0. The catcher then drove in another run on a sac fly in the sixth inning to give his team a relatively comfortable 4-0 lead.

Bullpen standout Nick Anderson entered for the Rays in the sixth inning and did well, allowing only two hits. However, Peter Fairbanks then relieved him and Carlos Correa’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning made things a bit hairy for Tampa.

Fairbanks escaped the jam, however, and pitched a clean ninth inning, sending his Rays teammates into a state of euphoria as they realized they were heading to Texas to play for the World Series.

They will match up against the winners of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Atlanta Braves series.

The post Rays Clinch World Series Berth with Game 7 Win Over Astros appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The league, which did not allow fans inside of the ballpark for any of the regular season games played, is set to sell 11,500 tickets per game for these matchups, which equates to a 25% capacity of the Texas Rangers’ new stadium.

Globe Life Park, which has yet to see any paying fans enter the stadium in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced games to be played behind closed doors, will be used as a sort of experiment for baseball as they look to safely allow at least some fans inside of stadiums.

The ALCS, which will be played at Petco Park in San Diego, will not allow fans in the stadium due to more restrictive COVID-19 regulations in the state of California.

Fans will reportedly be seated in a socially-distanced “checkerboard” pattern which will allow for sufficient safety precautions to be taken. The tickets will be available for a mixed group of people, including Rangers season ticket holders, players’ family members, and the general public.

The NLCS is set to kick off on on Monday, October 12th and the World Series will start on Tuesday, October 20th.

The post MLB to Allow a Limited Number of Fans for NLCS, World Series Games appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Reyes broke into the Major Leagues in 2003 with the New York Mets. He soon gained a reputation as a speedy, slick-hitting shortstop who was a pain for opposing teams and pitchers on the basepaths. Reyes’s best seasons came between 2006 and 2011 with the Mets, when he made the All-Star team four times, picked up a Silver Slugger Award, an NL batting championship, and led the league in steals three times.

The Dominican shortstop was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2012, where he spent only one season. He then moved on to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he put up a pair of strong seasons.

Reyes then returned to New York where his production began to decrease, leading the team to release him following the 2018 season. After not finding a job in 2019 and during the first half of 2020, Reyes finally decided that his career had come to a close.

His social media announcement marks the end of the career of one of baseball’s best shortstops of this generation, who will go down in history as one of the Mets’ best all-time players.

The post Veteran SS Jose Reyes Announces Retirement From MLB appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Godley, who established himself as a key, successful member of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ starting rotation in 2017 and 2018, had a difficult season last year. He rotated between the starting rotation and the bullpen in Arizona before being traded later on in the season to Toronto.

The former Tennessee Volunteer posted a bloated 5.97 ERA in 33 games last season, struggling to find the form that had made him a quality mid-rotation starter the previous two seasons.

Godley posted a 23-20 record in 2017 and 2018 along with a 4.10 ERA in 57 starts.

The 30-year-old player righty signed a minor league deal with an invitation to Big League camp for the lowly Tigers, but decided that he would rather pursue opportunities elsewhere after reporting to Detroit earlier this month. Godley asked the team for his release, and the request was granted on Monday.

Godley could be an intriguing rotation option for several teams which are looking for quality starting pitching depth. The Red Sox have been mentioned as a potential fit for Godley, as they have plenty of camp spots open and could use some more starting pitching options.

Expect Godley to sign on with a new team later on this week.

The post Tigers Grant P Zack Godley Unconditional Release appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While most players who have decided to sit out 2020, including Dodgers pitcher David Price and Giants catcher Buster Posey, have done so due to concerns about COVID-19, Kopech’s case appears to be different by all accounts.

The White Sox pitcher has previously struggled with anxiety and depression, and was absent at the beginning of this summer’s camp due to “personal reasons.” It appears that these problems are the main reason that Kopech has decided to sit out this season and look forward to 2021.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn said, “We recognize that reaching this decision is incredibly difficult for any competitive athlete, and our organization is understanding and supportive.”

Kopech, who at 24-years-old is considered to be one of the building blocks of a group of young talent that Chicago has accumulated in a bid to return to relevancy, was penciled in as a starting pitching option in the Sox’s rotation heading into 2020.

The flame-throwing righty appeared in 4 games last season in the Big Leagues, posting a 5.02 ERA in a short cameo.

The post White Sox P Michael Kopech Opts Out of 2020 MLB Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Japan, a country of 143 million people which has managed to keep the coronavirus outbreak largely under control and which is seeing very few new cases currently, will reportedly either allow up to 5,000 fans or 50% of the stadium’s capacity (whichever is smaller) into the stands later in July.

Both the J-League and Nippon Professional Baseball organizations are in full swing and have a docket of games from now until the fall.

By making this announcement, Japan will effectively become the first country with major leagues of any sport which will allow fans to return since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

Other major leagues around the world are currently either playing behind closed doors or have suspended their seasons due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While most other countries are still not in a position to allow fans to watch their games in person, the news from Japan suggests that it might not be too long until at least some fans are able to return to the stands to watch their favorite sports teams play.

The post Japan’s Baseball and Soccer Leagues to Begin Allowing Fans at Games appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Minor League Baseball, an organization affiliated with the MLB which contains several levels of professional baseball that are used to develop young players, has been a crucial part of the league’s structure since being formed in 1901.

This season’s cancellation puts many of the league’s 100+ franchises in financial danger, as revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and food and beverage purchases will effectively dwindle to zero in 2020 for an industry that does not make a lot of money in the first place.

Despite the rough news for Minor League Baseball, league Commissioner Pat O’Conner understood why the decision was made. “I had a conversation with (MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred), and we were unable to find a path that allowed us to play games,” he said. “It wasn’t an acrimonious decision on our part.”

The league will now hope that the pandemic slows down enough to allow teams and players to return to the field in 2021.

The post Baseball’s Minor League Announces Cancellation of 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Lynn was a standout in 2019 for the Rangers, posting arguably the best season of his nearly decade-long career. In his first season with Texas, Lynn posted a 3.67 ERA and a 16-11 record, striking out 246 batters in 208.1 innings.

Woodward gave the nod to Lynn over 2019 Opening Day starter Mike Minor and offseason addition and former Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.

The manager had to choose between Minor and Lynn for the spot. “I know Corey is a tremendous pitcher and a two-time Cy Young winner, but what Lance and Mike have done for our ball club, especially last year, they deserve that start,” Woodward explained. “I went back and forth with Lance and Mike. I know I gave it to Mike last year and I talked to Mike about this. He did nothing to not deserve this start this year.”

Texas will open its season either on July 23rd or July 24th against an to-be-named opponent in a location that is to be determined.

The post Lance Lynn Named Rangers Opening Day Starter appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Giants informed season ticket holders on Thursday that they will be able to submit an image of themselves, which will be printed onto a weatherproof cardboard cutout and placed as close as possible to their season ticket seats. These cutouts will be displayed at AT&T Park throughout the season.

Giants fans who aren’t season ticket holders will also have the option to pay $199 in order to submit an image and have it placed in the stands at the stadium for the entire season.

Some soccer clubs in Europe, such as Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach and Spain’s Villarreal CF have tested a similar initiative to widespread praise after the sport returned to empty stadiums in the continent.

The Giants are the first franchise to announce an initiative such as this in the United States, which they hope will improve the image of the stadium on television broadcasts and make things look not so “empty.” Don’t be surprised if more MLB teams follow suit.

The post San Francisco Giants to Display Cardboard Cutouts of Fans During the 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The league, which will come back either on July 23rd or July 24th, will feature some important rule changes including a universal designated hitter which will eliminate the National League tradition of pitchers hitting, at least this year.

The designated hitter rule, which has allowed teams in the American League to take the pitcher out of the batting order and replace him with an offensive player that doesn’t play the field, has been in effect in the AL since 1973.

The National League, however, has never allowed a designated hitter under its rules since the league was founded in 1876.

While it is still unknown if the DH will remain a part of the National League beyond the 2020 season, the abbreviated season which will be played this year will allow players and teams the opportunity to see whether or not they like the controversial rule.

Teams are expected to report to “Spring Training” at the beginning of July in preparation for the new season.

The post MLB to Introduce Universal DH in 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.