The last matchday of the regular season saw plenty of excitement, especially in the National League where St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers managed to lock up the remaining two playoff spots.

Cardinals got the 5-2 win in a head-to-head duel against the Brewers, leaving Milwaukee to hope for help from other teams. San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies needed wins to clinch the final postseason ticket, but neither team managed to get the job done, allowing the Brewers to get in with a 29-31 record.

Cardinals will now face San Diego Padres in the wild-card game, while Brewers meet the first-seeded LA Dodgers. Check out the rest of the NL playoff picture below.

In American League, Minnesota Twins clinched the AL Central title for the second straight year despite losing 5-3 to Cincinnati Reds. This was thanks to Chicago Cubs and their 10-8 win over Chicago White Sox.

The Twins will now play against Houston Astros, while White Sox fell in the lower part of the seeding pool and play against Oakland Athletics. Take a look at AL matchups below.

The post MLB Wraps Up 2020 Regular Season, Sets Playoff Bracket appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

This hard fall of the Yankees, which included a 12-7 loss to Blue Jays on Monday even though they led 6-2 at one point, even caused the team’s manager Brian Cashman to speak out. Cashman organized a meeting with the team on Tuesday, in which he addressed his concerns about the team’s current form. 

“It’s not something that we’re accustomed to, having a slide like this,” – Cashman told reporters after the meeting. “We’re used to better baseball than this, our fans deserve better baseball than this.”

According to Cashman, he didn’t have any harsh words for the players, and just wanted to encourage them to bounce back.

“[I wanted] to just remind them, first and foremost, that I believe in them,” – he added. “They all were acquired for various reasons, to come together as a group as a team for high expectations.”

New York Yankees opened the season by going 16-6 and then lost 15 out of their next 20 games. However, several factors influenced this change of form, including numerous injuries to the team’s key players. This included having four of their All-Stars – Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Gleyber Torres – on the injured list at one point. Since then, LeMahieu and Torres returned to the active roster, but Judge and Stanton might be out until playoffs. That is if the Yankees manage to get there.

The post Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman: “Our Fans Deserve Better Baseball Than This” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Judge’s Sunday night blast came in the eighth inning with two outs against Sox reliever Matt Barnes. The gargantuan 468-foot blast untied the game, giving New York a 9-7 lead that they would not cede.

The two-time AL All-Star and the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year has missed 110 games over the past two seasons due to injury, but has proven himself to be one of the game’s biggest bats and most terrifying power threats for opposing pitchers when healthy.

The former Fresno State Bulldog smacked 52 home runs in his only full season in the Majors in 2017, quickly gaining admiration around the league for his potent bat.

Judge is already up to six home runs after eight games in the pandemic-modified season, easily outpacing the MLB for the league’s home run lead.

The slugger will have the opportunity to go for a sixth consecutive day with a home run on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The post Yankees OF Aaron Judge Homers in 5th Consecutive Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Jays, learned last Friday that they would need to find a place within the United States to play, had been rumored to be considering their triple-A affiliate’s park in Buffalo, New York as well as their Dunedin, Florida Spring Training facility for this year’s games. However, reports soon followed that both facilities were deficient in terms of locker room space and lighting.

This meant that the Blue Jays have had to look at other options, and the idea of playing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and sharing the Pirates’ stadium with the Buccos is a possibility which is attractive for various reasons.

PNC Park is considered one of the best stadiums in all of professional sports, and COVID-19 cases in the Pittsburgh area are currently much lower than in other Major League cities.

“This will be a monumental challenge for our staff, but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best. If we are able to safely accommodate, not only will it bring additional international attention to our city, it will also bring with it jobs and revenue for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses that will support the Blue Jays organization as well as additional visiting teams,” said Pirates president Travis Williams when asked about the possibility of the Jays sharing their home stadium with them.

Toronto is running out of time to settle on its Plan B choice, with their home opener coming up on July 29.

The post Blue Jays Reportedly Considering Sharing PNC Park With Pirates For 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Hernandez, a long-time star with the Seattle Mariners who joined the Braves on a one-year deal during the offseason, became one of the biggest names in the game to reveal that he would not play this year with his Saturday announcement.

The Venezuela native was looking to rejuvenate his career in Atlanta and win a spot in its starting rotation after a rough past few years with the Mariners. The six-time All-Star and 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner has struggled mightily ever since 2018, failing to post an ERA under 5.55 in each of the past two seasons.

While Hernandez originally sought to find the form that made him one of the sport’s top pitchers for most of the 2010s, it seems as if the risks associated with playing the sport during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic simply made him decide not to take a risk.

Hernandez was set to earn only just over $300,000 if he made the Braves roster for the season, a possible secondary motivation for his decision to play it safe and stay at home.

“The King” will instead look to rejuvenate his once-stellar career in 2021 with some team in the league.

The post Braves SP Felix Hernandez Decides to Sit Out 2020 MLB Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Desmond, the concerns he has over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused him to make this decision.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made this baseball season one that is a risk I am not comfortable taking,” Desmond wrote on Instagram. “But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving baseball behind for the year. I’ll be right here, at my old Little League, and I’m working with everyone involved to make sure we get Sarasota Youth Baseball back on track. It’s what I can do, in the scheme of so much.”

Desmond also explained that he wants to spend time with his family as they are expecting a new member.

“With a pregnant wife and four young children who have lots of questions about what’s going on in the world, home is where I need to be right now,” he added.

Ian Desmond joined the Rockies ahead of 2017 season, signing a five-year, $70 million contract with the organization. In the past three seasons, Desmond had a .261 batting average with 49 home runs and 193 RBIs.

Earlier in his career, Desmond also played with Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers. He has three Silver Slugger awards and was an All-Star in 2012 and 2016.

The post Colorado Rockies Outfielder Ian Desmond Says He Won’t Play in 2020 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 league and MLB Players Association were previously locked in three months of negotiations about the season resume but couldn’t come to an understanding. However, the previous agreement between the two sides from March 26th gives commissioner Rob Manfred an option to implement the season, which he’s now going to use.

The players are expected to report to their teams by July 1st and sign on the health and safety protocols for MLB to officially resume its activities.

MLBPA asked Manfred to impose a season of the desired length last week after the league rejected their most recent counter-proposal. MLB made a final attempt to avoid this scenario in recent days, introducing an improved offer to the players that included 60 games, full prorated salaries, expanded postseason, and several salary bumps. However, the players union voted against the proposal on Monday with a 33-5 tally.

With the imposed season, players will also get full prorated salaries, which will amount to $1.5 billion and 37% of the money they would receive for a usual 162-game season. However, the advance of $170 million that the players received under March 26th agreement won’t be pardoned, and the players won’t get previously proposed postseason bonus money and share of television revenues from expanded playoffs next season.

Players did, however, kept the option to file a grievance against the league and will most likely use it soon. But that shouldn’t change their willingness to step out on the field and play games, which means that baseball fans will still get some entertainment in 2020.

The post MLB Plans to Have a 60-Game Season with a July 24th Start appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The last matchday of the regular season saw plenty of excitement, especially in the National League where St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers managed to lock up the remaining two playoff spots.

Cardinals got the 5-2 win in a head-to-head duel against the Brewers, leaving Milwaukee to hope for help from other teams. San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies needed wins to clinch the final postseason ticket, but neither team managed to get the job done, allowing the Brewers to get in with a 29-31 record.

Cardinals will now face San Diego Padres in the wild-card game, while Brewers meet the first-seeded LA Dodgers. Check out the rest of the NL playoff picture below.

In American League, Minnesota Twins clinched the AL Central title for the second straight year despite losing 5-3 to Cincinnati Reds. This was thanks to Chicago Cubs and their 10-8 win over Chicago White Sox.

The Twins will now play against Houston Astros, while White Sox fell in the lower part of the seeding pool and play against Oakland Athletics. Take a look at AL matchups below.

The post MLB Wraps Up 2020 Regular Season, Sets Playoff Bracket appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

This hard fall of the Yankees, which included a 12-7 loss to Blue Jays on Monday even though they led 6-2 at one point, even caused the team’s manager Brian Cashman to speak out. Cashman organized a meeting with the team on Tuesday, in which he addressed his concerns about the team’s current form. 

“It’s not something that we’re accustomed to, having a slide like this,” – Cashman told reporters after the meeting. “We’re used to better baseball than this, our fans deserve better baseball than this.”

According to Cashman, he didn’t have any harsh words for the players, and just wanted to encourage them to bounce back.

“[I wanted] to just remind them, first and foremost, that I believe in them,” – he added. “They all were acquired for various reasons, to come together as a group as a team for high expectations.”

New York Yankees opened the season by going 16-6 and then lost 15 out of their next 20 games. However, several factors influenced this change of form, including numerous injuries to the team’s key players. This included having four of their All-Stars – Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Gleyber Torres – on the injured list at one point. Since then, LeMahieu and Torres returned to the active roster, but Judge and Stanton might be out until playoffs. That is if the Yankees manage to get there.

The post Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman: “Our Fans Deserve Better Baseball Than This” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Judge’s Sunday night blast came in the eighth inning with two outs against Sox reliever Matt Barnes. The gargantuan 468-foot blast untied the game, giving New York a 9-7 lead that they would not cede.

The two-time AL All-Star and the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year has missed 110 games over the past two seasons due to injury, but has proven himself to be one of the game’s biggest bats and most terrifying power threats for opposing pitchers when healthy.

The former Fresno State Bulldog smacked 52 home runs in his only full season in the Majors in 2017, quickly gaining admiration around the league for his potent bat.

Judge is already up to six home runs after eight games in the pandemic-modified season, easily outpacing the MLB for the league’s home run lead.

The slugger will have the opportunity to go for a sixth consecutive day with a home run on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The post Yankees OF Aaron Judge Homers in 5th Consecutive Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Jays, learned last Friday that they would need to find a place within the United States to play, had been rumored to be considering their triple-A affiliate’s park in Buffalo, New York as well as their Dunedin, Florida Spring Training facility for this year’s games. However, reports soon followed that both facilities were deficient in terms of locker room space and lighting.

This meant that the Blue Jays have had to look at other options, and the idea of playing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and sharing the Pirates’ stadium with the Buccos is a possibility which is attractive for various reasons.

PNC Park is considered one of the best stadiums in all of professional sports, and COVID-19 cases in the Pittsburgh area are currently much lower than in other Major League cities.

“This will be a monumental challenge for our staff, but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best. If we are able to safely accommodate, not only will it bring additional international attention to our city, it will also bring with it jobs and revenue for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses that will support the Blue Jays organization as well as additional visiting teams,” said Pirates president Travis Williams when asked about the possibility of the Jays sharing their home stadium with them.

Toronto is running out of time to settle on its Plan B choice, with their home opener coming up on July 29.

The post Blue Jays Reportedly Considering Sharing PNC Park With Pirates For 2020 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Hernandez, a long-time star with the Seattle Mariners who joined the Braves on a one-year deal during the offseason, became one of the biggest names in the game to reveal that he would not play this year with his Saturday announcement.

The Venezuela native was looking to rejuvenate his career in Atlanta and win a spot in its starting rotation after a rough past few years with the Mariners. The six-time All-Star and 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner has struggled mightily ever since 2018, failing to post an ERA under 5.55 in each of the past two seasons.

While Hernandez originally sought to find the form that made him one of the sport’s top pitchers for most of the 2010s, it seems as if the risks associated with playing the sport during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic simply made him decide not to take a risk.

Hernandez was set to earn only just over $300,000 if he made the Braves roster for the season, a possible secondary motivation for his decision to play it safe and stay at home.

“The King” will instead look to rejuvenate his once-stellar career in 2021 with some team in the league.

The post Braves SP Felix Hernandez Decides to Sit Out 2020 MLB Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Desmond, the concerns he has over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused him to make this decision.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made this baseball season one that is a risk I am not comfortable taking,” Desmond wrote on Instagram. “But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving baseball behind for the year. I’ll be right here, at my old Little League, and I’m working with everyone involved to make sure we get Sarasota Youth Baseball back on track. It’s what I can do, in the scheme of so much.”

Desmond also explained that he wants to spend time with his family as they are expecting a new member.

“With a pregnant wife and four young children who have lots of questions about what’s going on in the world, home is where I need to be right now,” he added.

Ian Desmond joined the Rockies ahead of 2017 season, signing a five-year, $70 million contract with the organization. In the past three seasons, Desmond had a .261 batting average with 49 home runs and 193 RBIs.

Earlier in his career, Desmond also played with Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers. He has three Silver Slugger awards and was an All-Star in 2012 and 2016.

The post Colorado Rockies Outfielder Ian Desmond Says He Won’t Play in 2020 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 league and MLB Players Association were previously locked in three months of negotiations about the season resume but couldn’t come to an understanding. However, the previous agreement between the two sides from March 26th gives commissioner Rob Manfred an option to implement the season, which he’s now going to use.

The players are expected to report to their teams by July 1st and sign on the health and safety protocols for MLB to officially resume its activities.

MLBPA asked Manfred to impose a season of the desired length last week after the league rejected their most recent counter-proposal. MLB made a final attempt to avoid this scenario in recent days, introducing an improved offer to the players that included 60 games, full prorated salaries, expanded postseason, and several salary bumps. However, the players union voted against the proposal on Monday with a 33-5 tally.

With the imposed season, players will also get full prorated salaries, which will amount to $1.5 billion and 37% of the money they would receive for a usual 162-game season. However, the advance of $170 million that the players received under March 26th agreement won’t be pardoned, and the players won’t get previously proposed postseason bonus money and share of television revenues from expanded playoffs next season.

Players did, however, kept the option to file a grievance against the league and will most likely use it soon. But that shouldn’t change their willingness to step out on the field and play games, which means that baseball fans will still get some entertainment in 2020.

The post MLB Plans to Have a 60-Game Season with a July 24th Start appeared first on yoursportspot.com.