SUMMER SOLSTICE SUNDAY NOTES
FROM THE BILL CHUCK FILES
99 DAYS TO GO
Today is the Summer Solstice, and there are only 99 days of play remaining in the 2026 regular season to enjoy the boys of Summer. It’s hard to believe. Well, not really, we’ve had 88 days of interesting baseball already, and I anticipate that the next days will be even better.
Just to keep you updated, the All-Star Game is in 23 days, and the trade deadline is in 44 days.
BOOKENDS
I was fascinated by the bookends at the beginning and end of the Orioles/Dodgers game on Friday night. What I found interesting was that the game’s beginning and ending were a great reflection of each team’s season. We don’t often get to see such a clear delineation between a first-place team and a fourth-place team.
Here’s what happened. Leading off the game and facing Roki Sasaki, the Orioles DH, Taylor Ward, singled and got thrown out trying to stretch it into a double on a throw by Andy Pages.
Ending the game, the Dodgers’ catcher Dalton Rushing singled to right field off closer Ryan Helsly, which scored pinch-runner Alex Call from second. Ryan Ward, who walked, then scored on Tyler O’Neill’s throw to the plate that sailed wide of the O’s catcher, Samuel Basallo. O’Neill had entered as a defensive replacement in the 7th.
As a reporter for the Baltimore Banner described it, “First, O’Neill didn’t have a real play at the plate. He could’ve hit the cut-off man. Second, Basallo could’ve caught or blocked the ball. Third, Helsley could’ve backed up the plate in a more advantageous position, against the backstop, to give him the best chance to cut off the ball.”
There you have it: the Dodgers executed a momentum-stopping play, and the Orioles committed an error that cost them the game. Digging into this, the Dodgers are second in the majors with 16 outfield assists, led by seven from Andy Pages. Kyle Tucker has five, Teoscar has three, and Andy Call has one.
The Orioles have 10 outfield assists and are tied for the MLB lead with nine outfield errors. The Dodgers have made three OF errors.
Let’s continue to talk about defense for a moment because it may be the most underappreciated aspect of these back-to-back champions.
On the season, the Dodgers have made a total of 25 errors; only the Padres, with 22, have fewer. The Orioles have made 45 errors.
But it is the number of unearned runs allowed that shows the Dodgers’ dominance.
Teams have allowed an average of 27.3 unearned runs. The Orioles, including last night’s winning run they scored, have now allowed 45 unearned runs this season. Only the Pirates (47) have allowed more. The Dodgers have allowed eight (8) (ocho) (huit).
If you want to score against the Dodgers, you are going to have to do it against their pitchers. The team’s defense provides very few extra opportunities.
Therein lies one important reason why, following this game, the Dodgers were 49-27, and the Orioles were 35-42.
WALKOFF HOMERS
Yesterday, Ozzie Albies became the first Braves player with multiple home runs in a game, including a walkoff homer, since Justin Upton on April 6, 2013. About that game: Justin homered off two Carlos: in the 1st, he homered off the Cubs’ starter Carlos Villanueva, and then again in the 9th off closer Carlos Marmol. In the 9th, the Braves were trailing 5-4 when B.J. Upton, Justin’s brother, homered to tie it up, and then Marmol allowed the walkoff to Justin. Do you find that interesting? I love it.
In yesterday’s Braves game, Ozzie homered off the Brewers’ pitching sensation, Kyle Harrison, in the 5th and then hit his walkoff against the Brewers’ Aaron Ashby. It was Ashby’s third blown save, but his first loss.
Aaron Ashby is 10-1 on the season and leads the majors in wins. He’s been in 34 games, pitched 45.1 innings, and has 10 wins, which I find amazing. Last season, Adrian Morejon led all relievers with 13 wins. It really doesn’t matter that we’re just halfway through the season, as relievers picking up wins are truly a crapshoot. Since the start of the 2019 season, only 15 relievers have had as many as 10 wins in a season. No other reliever has more than seven this season. Remind me to keep track of this.
NAME THE OTHER TWO WALKOFF HOME RUN LEADERS?
Since 2010, there have been four walkoff home run leaders, each with 8 game-ending blasts. Three of them are still active; Josh Donaldson has retired. Carlos Santana is hardly active, but he’s one of them. (the answer is below)
GOLDEN YOSTS - EVERYTHING IS GOING JAKE
There have been 10 Golden Yosts (four walks in a game) this season by nine different players. I neglected to share with you that Milwaukee’s Jake Bauer has had two, both
