Kyle Schwarber has coming out party in win against the Reds
Take a look around the league with Big League Stew’s daily wrap up. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.
If anyone doubted Chicago Cubs catcher Kyle Schwarber’s ability to adjust to the majors, he set the record straight Tuesday. Schwarber broke out in a big way during the team’s 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
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Schwarber managed to make an impact early in the contest. After a strike out in his first at-bat, Schwarber rebounded with a single in the third inning. He topped that in the fifth, putting the Cubs on the board with a ground rule-double.
His true heroics would have to wait until the later, though. The Cubs entered the top of the ninth trailing by two runs. With Aroldis Chapman unavailable, J.J. Hoover would get a chance at a save opportunity.
Schwarber would ruin that chance. After Dexter Fowler reached on a single to open the frame, Schwarber belted a game-tying two-run homer to right field. Hoover would get out of the inning without allowing any more runs, sending the game into extras.
That set the stage for Schwarber to strike again. With the game still tied in the top of the 13th, Schwarber stepped to the plate against Nick Adcock.
On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Schwarber belted an 87 mph slider out to right for the go-ahead home run. The Cubs would hold onto the lead, winning the game 5-4.
Schwarber finished 4 for 7, with two runs scored and four RBI. He’s hitting .410 over his first 11 games in the majors.
CHOO HITS FOR THE CYCLE IN BLOWOUT
Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had himself a night Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. Choo managed to hit for the cycle during the team’s 9-0 win.
Choo got things started immediately. He doubled in the team’s first run of the game during his first at-bat. His second time up, Choo would smash his 14th home run.
In the fifth inning, Choo picked up his single. With four innings left to play, all he needed was a triple to complete the cycle.
He got his chance in the seventh, but couldn’t get it done. Choo grounded out to short, failing to pick up the cycle.
In order to come up again, Choo would need some help from his teammates. He managed to get it. The Rangers sent six men to the plate in the eighth inning, guaranteeing Choo would receive at least one more shot at the cycle.
This time, he didn’t fail. Choo led off the top of the ninth inning with a triple. With the performance, he became the eighth player in Rangers history to accomplish the feat.
Choo finished the game 4 for 5, with three runs scored and three RBI. He’s hitting .235/.314/.413 over 358 plate appearances this year.
ANGELS CONTINUE WINNING WAYS
The Los Angeles Angels have been unstoppable lately. The club picked up their sixth-straight win during a 7-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
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While a six-game winning streak is always a good thing, the way the Angels have dominated their opponents lately has been impressive.
Surprisingly, the team managed Tuesday’s victory without Mike Trout. Not surprisingly, Albert Pujols played a big role in the win. Pujols picked up two hits during the contest, scoring one run. It was a fine performance, though he was overshadowed by Chris Iannetta.
The catcher went 2 for 3 at the plate, scoring one run and driving in four. He belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning, which put the game out of reach.
With the win, the Angels improved to 53-40 on the season.
NOLA DAZZLES IN DEBUT, BUT PHILS CAN’T COME THROUGH
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola looked like a crafty veteran during his major-league debut. Unfortunately for him, Nola couldn’t pick up the victory during the team’s 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the most part, Nola was excellent. He allowed just one run on five hits over six innings. Nola walked one and struck out six during the contest.
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Nola’s only mistake came in the third inning … against the opposing pitcher. Nathan Karns managed to take Nola deep, giving the Rays the lead. The team would never relinquish the one run lead, so the home run proved to be costly.
It’s not often an American League pitcher goes yard.
Nola also got a chance experience what it means to be a Phillie this season.
With the loss, Philadelphia dropped to 33-63 on the year.
Want to see more from Tuesday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
