Photo by: Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

MLB 2022 Weekly Preview: News, scores, and upcoming games

There’s never a dull moment in the 2022 baseball season. Find out all the latest news, gossip, and scores from across the Major League here.

MLB important headlines

• Ohtani helps Angels end 14-game losing streak with win over Red Sox
• Yankees almost stumble but come out with tough victory against Twins
• Dodgers vs. White Sox high-scoring game but LA wins, 11-9
• Rays beat Cardinals in 2-1 snoozefest
• Yankees outfielder Miguel Andujar requests trade
• Astros’ Hector Neris receives four-game suspension for throwing ball at Mariners’ Suarez
• Five Tampa Bay players refuse to wear Pride uniforms
• MLB’s home run rate best of all season

Game of the week

Boston Red Sox – 2 @ Los Angeles Angels – 5 on Thursday, June 9^th

Losing 14 games in a row is no team’s idea of a fun time, but the bad streak had to come to an end at some point. Hence, the Angels finally got a win by defeating the Red Sox, 5-2.

While Boston (30-28) could certainly have played better, a lot of the credit for the win needs to go to the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese prodigy was outstanding and truly carried the 28-31 LA team on his back for the much-needed victory.

Ohtani was fantastic from the mound, as he gave up four hits and one run but struck out six when pitching. The most notable strikeout was his removal of Rafael Devers using a lightning-quick 101-mph fastball. More than that, he was also amazing when stepping up to the plate, getting two crucial hits as well as the game-ending home run (his 12^th homer of the season).

The Angels’ Andrew Velazquez was also a key part of the win, adding a three-run homer in the sixth inning that put the game largely out of Boston’s reach. This is the first victory under new Angels head coach, Phil Nevin, who replaced Joe Madden after his firing.

This was a surprising win for the Angels because it was the second game in a row where star batter Mike Trout was missing due to a groin injury. It’s a great sign for the Angels (currently 8^th in the American League) to stop playing second fiddle to the more established Dodgers in Los Angeles.

One of the more unique moments in the game happened when Ohtani was nearly whacked in the head by Franchy Cordero’s broken baseball bat. The bat snapped in two and Ohtani managed to duck out of the way just in time.

This was the last of four matchups of the Red Sox vs. the Angels, with Boston winning 3-1.

MLB Power Rankings 2022

Here are the best teams in the MLB right now.

1. New York Yankees: 40-16

It’s usually not a shock to see the Yankees at the top of this list, but they’ve certainly earned it this season. Nester Cortes has been the anchor of the Yankees’ incredible run, as the pitcher has a fantastic strikeout rate and a 1.96 ERA (7^th in the MLB). Aaron Judge is the MVP so far with a .310 batting average (13^th in the MLB) and leads the league in homers with 22.

It’s not just Judge and Cortes, of course, as Gerrit Cole,Jordan Montgomery, and Jameson Taillon have all helped the Yankees to become the behemoth of the league and one of the early candidates to take home the World Series.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: 36-20

Losing the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney has really disrupted the Dodgers’ pitching stats, but both are likely to return ASAP and help navigate a few bumpy patches. Walker Buehler has filled in well enough as a star pitcher in the meantime, although his strikeout rate is dropping and he’s allowing far more runs than usual. Still, the Dodgers are a force to be reckoned with and all will be calm soon enough.

3. New York Mets: 38-21

The Mets going 2-2 in a massive series against the Dodgers can only help to boost their confidence for the remainder of the season. We really like what we’re seeing from third baseman, Eduardo Escobar, who has upped his game of late and turned into a dependable player on the Mets roster. Escobar’s stats don’t astound just yet (batting average of .243 and five home runs), but he’s just what the Mets need right now.

4. Houston Astros: 36-21

The Astros’ spot in this list is here largely thanks to pitcher Justin Verlander, who is becoming one of the best starters in the league. Verlander (ERA 2.13, eighth in the league) struck out 12 batters against Seattle the other day in a terrific performance that we hope he can keep up. This is especially amazing considering the pitcher is 39 years old!

5. Toronto Blue Jays: 33-23

The Blue Jays’ iffy start in May has worn off and the team is reeling off win after win at last. Catcher Alejandro Kirk has been the unsung hero of the team’s offense, especially in batting average and on-base percentage, and we’re thrilled to see what Toronto can cook up for June.

6. San Diego Padres: 35-22

The Padres have had a fantastic pitching roster for a while now, but it’s only getting better and better. The team is excited to have Adrian Morejon back from injury, as the young lefty picked up two scoreless innings recently. Morejon could very well become the starting pitcher for San Diego if he continues to rehab from surgery and proves to the team he’s worthy of the top spot on the mound.

Manny Machado has also impressed everyone with his superb batting recently, as the talented 29-year-old has an average of .329 (6^th in the MLB) and nine homers.

7. St. Louis Cardinals: 32-25

The Cardinals are a bit lower than they would like, but there’s still a lot to enjoy about this scrappy team. Paul Goldschmidt has been huge for the squad, even winning Player of the Month in May, but the Cardinals will need some more contributions from others if they are to be a real threat in the NL. St. Louis continues to pitch well at home and on the road, which certainly helps them stay in games, but some improved batting will see them rise quickly.

Must-see upcoming MLB game

Check out the following matchup on the MLB schedule.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday 11^th June

Likely first pitchers:

• Diamondbacks – Zac Gallen
• Phillies – Kyle Gibson

The Phillies are absolutely rolling right now and looking for their eighth straight win when they take on the Diamondbacks.

Philadelphia (28-29) is having such a good run via the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Odubel Herrera, but really, it’s mostly down to the stellar play of Bryce Harper. The designated hitter is having a career season with a batting average of .308 (14^th in the MLB), 15 home runs, and 62 hits.

Harper missed five games of the season due to an elbow injury, but his re-emergence into the lineup has boosted the Philadelphia squad and helped them rapidly climb the National League standings

Phillies’ pitcher Kyle Gibson will take to the mound first, and while not having the season we hoped he’d have, he’s still a reliable first pitcher with an ERA of 4.40 (48^th in the MLB) that shows he’s got the goods.

The Diamondbacks will almost certainly be the underdogs in this first of three matchups against the Phillies, but they’ve got Christian Walker to step up to the plate and cause havoc. Walker already has 15 homers and a solid batting average of .200, although his status for the game is day-to-day after a facial contusion.

It’s hard not to see the Phillies making it eight wins in a row, but we won’t be surprised if the Diamondbacks take at least one game in this series.

Author: Joe Garland