MLB

Red Sox slam Braves as Altuve keeps going deep for Astros

By Sports Desk June 17, 2021

Christian Arroyo's seventh-inning grand slam lifted the Boston Red Sox past the Atlanta Braves for a 10-8 victory Wednesday. 

The Red Sox (42-27) continued to gain ground on the first-place Tampa Bay Rays while digging an even deeper hole for the Braves (30-35), who are now tied with the Washington Nationals for third place in the National League (NL) East. 

Boston took an early lead and built a 6-3 edge by the fifth inning before home runs by Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman put Atlanta on top 7-6. 

But Atlanta's veteran reliever Shane Greene loaded the bases in the seventh before giving way to A.J. Minter with two outs, then watched as Minter surrendered Arroyo's 467-foot blast to left-center field. 

 

Altuve keeps going deep for Houston

Jose Altuve's home run swing carried over from Tuesday to Wednesday, as he opened the bottom of the first inning with a home run and added another in the eighth to lead an 8-4 Houston Astros win over the Texas Rangers. According to Stats Perform, Altuve is the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in one game and a leadoff home run in his team's next game. 

Charlie Blackmon's ninth-inning single scored Trevor Story to give the Colorado Rockies an 8-7 win and a three-game sweep over the slumping San Diego Padres. 

The St Louis Cardinals also walked off for a sweep as Yadier Molina's single down the left-field line in the ninth inning scored Paul Goldschmidt for a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. 

 

More injury worries for deGrom

The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 but will anxiously await word on the status of star pitcher Jacob deGrom, who left the game with right shoulder soreness after striking out eight of the nine batters he faced in an abbreviated three-inning start. 

Another road game, another road loss for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who allowed five home runs in a 13-7 defeat against the San Francisco Giants. Arizona's 22nd consecutive loss away from home tied the 1963 Mets and 1943 Philadelphia Athletics for the most in modern MLB history. 

The Baltimore Orioles are right on Arizona's tail, as their 8-7 loss to the Cleveland Indians gave them 18 straight defeats away from Camden Yards. 

 

Baez makes it look easy

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez showed his Gold Glove form with a beautiful, sliding scoop-and-throw on a bouncer up the middle to get Mets catcher Tomas Nito at first. 

 

Wednesday's results

New York Mets 6-3 Chicago Cubs
Washington Nationals 3-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Yankees 3-2 Toronto Blue Jays
Cleveland Indians 8-7 Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox 10-8 Atlanta Braves
Cincinnati Reds 2-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Detroit Tigers 6-5 Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox 8-7 Tampa Bay Rays
Houston Astros 8-4 Texas Rangers
St Louis Cardinals 1-0 Miami Marlins
Colorado Rockies 8-7 San Diego Padres
Oakland Athletics 8-4 Los Angeles Angels
San Francisco Giants 13-7 Arizona Diamondbacks
Minnesota Twins 7-2 Seattle Mariners
Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Reds at Padres

Two teams headed in opposite directions square off in San Diego as the Padres (38-32), losers of nine of their last 11 games, host the Cincinnati Reds (35-31), who have won six in a row and 11 of 13. 

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    City sit a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table after their narrow 1-0 win over Southampton, while Bournemouth are 11th after their last-gasp leveller for a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

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    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo

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    The Bournemouth midfielder also has three goals and an assist to his name this season in the competition, a tally he will hope to add to on Saturday.

    Manchester City – Phil Foden

    Talisman Erling Haaland only has one goal in four league matches against Bournemouth, so Phil Foden may be expected to step up here.

    Foden has scored in each of his last five appearances against Bournemouth in all competitions (five goals), also providing three assists in these games.

    MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN

    Guardiola's side are the heavy favourites for this clash, considering they have won all 14 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth.

    City have outscored the Cherries 45-7 across their winning run, which is the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.

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    The Cherries have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% such loss rate in the competition’s history.

    Given City are unbeaten in 28 Premier League games in 2024 as well, a feat bettered by only two sides in England's top-flight history, it is hard to imagine anything other than an away win here.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Bournemouth win – 19.8%
    Draw – 22.2%
    Manchester City win – 57.9%

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    Hosts Newcastle are winless in five league outings, slipping down to 12th in the table, and boss Eddie Howe warned no player is guaranteed selection before Wednesday's 2-0 against Chelsea in the same cup competition.

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    Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

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    MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

    Arsenal may be winless in their last two league games but they will be the favourites against Howe's struggling side.

    Newcastle have not tasted victory in their last five league outings, their longest winless streak since a six-match run across August and September 2022.

    Arsenal may have been beaten in their last trip to Bournemouth, too, but they have not suffered back-to-back away defeats in the league since May 2022.

    The second of those defeats did come at Newcastle, however, where the Magpies have won two of their last three home Premier League games against Arsenal.

    That is as many wins as Newcastle managed across 19 previous home league fixtures with Arsenal, who lost this exact fixture 1-0 last season thanks to Anthony Gordon's controversial winner.

    Fortunately for Arteta, Arsenal have not suffered defeat in consecutive away league games against Newcastle since their first three such visits in the Premier League between 1994 and 1996.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Newcastle United win – 27.1%
    Draw – 25.1%
    Arsenal win – 47.8%

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