It’s Sunday and the Fourth of July has come and gone. With the All Star break around the corner it feels like a good time to go Around the Horn and catch up on some more top stories from around baseball. We’ve got a jam packed edition so let’s dive in!
First Base
Bedeviled by Devers & Boogie Down Breakout: Sometimes in this game a guy just has your number. Rafael Devers versus Gerrit Cole is one of the situations to say the least. Dever’s home run in the clip above improves his line against the righty to 13 for 38, one double, 8 homers, 18 RBI’s, and four walks. At some point just put him at first pal. And if you don’t like him pimping the homer then pitch better and stop pouting. Fortunate Cole said this himself.
Meanwhile the Yankees may have found a new star in the 14-4 win, as Ben Rice went deep three times. He joins Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Mike Stanley, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, and A Rod as the only Yankees to have 3 home runs and 7 RBI’s in a game.
Rice had some trouble figuring out how to take his first Yankee Stadium curtain call…good news is Ben, there will be more chances to perfect the curtain call if he has more games like this.
The Yankees were in desperate need of his win and they have struggled to score of late, so this contribution was huge. Whether the youngster will join the Yankee first base lineage or Gehrig, Chambliss, Mattingly, Martinez and Teixeira or end up like flashes in the pan Kevin Maas, Shane Spencer and Shelley Duncan remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, Rice was born to have a big game against the Sox.
Second Base
Go Get ‘em Kid: ESPN usually should be ignored but I think Jeff Passan (who is one of the good guys there) is onto something here. The All Star game should be an entrainment event as the best in the world square off, so why not magnify that. Paul Skenes has taken the league by storm as his celebrity off the field is matched by on field performance. The 22-year old righty is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA and 78 strike outs in 59.1 innings. He will be on the all star roster for the NL and for the potential matchup excitement should get the start.
If NL skipper Torey Lovullo gives him the ball to face Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, maybe we could recreate the magic of Pedro in 1999…
Third Base
Catch of the Year: I’m just gonna let the highlight do the talking here, just an unreal effort, the type we’re getting used to from the red hot Astros!
Home Plate
Game of the Year: Friday night spoiled us with the catch of the year and the game of the year as the largest crowd in Petco Park history (47,171 fans) were treated to what might be the game of the year. This back and forth affair between the Diamondbacks and Padres was a thriller. The Padres are starting to round into form and the D Backs are closing on the wild card. Sit back and enjoy the highlights above, with the play by play from the great Don Orsillo and his partner Mark Grant.
Extra Innings
An unreal shot of Coors Field at Rockies fireworks night 
The big ballpark in the Bronx lights up the Big Apple 
Target Field with a nice fireworks display 
The Mariners put on one heck of a display for their fans to celebrate the nation 
The Royals festivities were fit for a king 
Derek Law had some fun riding the Nationals bullpen cart 
Jose Ramirez got in on the holiday spirit
Fourth of July Best: Baseball is probably the most photogenic sport around, and the Fourth of July always creates for some great shots. Here’s a slideshow of the best shots from this past week.
The Walkoff
The One Night Game A Year: With the Fourth of July having just passed, I wanted to share one of the best baseball movie scenes ever. The Sandlot is rightfully celebrated for being one of the better baseball films, and the scene above is the one that defines it for me. The joy of playing baseball as a kid, pretending to be a big leaguer, especially over the Fourth of July is special. It’s the child like wonder that makes the game special and you hope everyone keeps in them as a player or a fan. A little Ray Charles doesn’t hurt either. Enjoy the scene and Happy Birthday America.
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The Broadway Breakdown 
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