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Shohei Ohtani accomplishes another first in baseball history
On Wednesday the Los Angeles Angels made it known they are not trading Shohei Ohtani, and then followed that by going out and making a significant trade to land starting pitcher Lucas Giolito in an effort to make the playoffs.
On Thursday, Ohtani responded to that news by having one of the greatest double-header performances in Major League Baseball history.
It is so good, in fact, that it resulted in him doing something that no player in Major League history has ever done.
After throwing a one-hit shutout in the Angels 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers in the first half of the double-header, he followed it up in the second half by hitting two home runs within his first three at-bats.
That makes him the first player to ever pitch a shutout in one end of a double-header and then homer in the other half.
Shohei Ohtani is the first player EVER with a home run in one end of a doubleheader and a shutout in the other
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 27, 2023
OF COURSE HE IS
h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/gMluu9eerT
Babe Ruth is the only player to ever pitch a shutout and then start the other game at another position. Ruth did not homer in that game.
He is also the first player since Sonny Seibert in 1971 to pitch a shutout and homer twice on the same day. He of course accomplished both feats in the same game.
The shutout was the first complete game shutout of his career and lowered his ERA for the season down to 3.43, the 10th best mark in the American League. He has allowed the lowest opponents batting average in the league and is striking out 11.6 batters per nine innings.
He also has 38 home runs at the plate and leads all of Major League Baseball in home runs, triples, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS. He is the only player in baseball that qualifies for the batting title with an OPS over 1.000, and his current mark of 1.070 is .081 points higher than the next highest hitter (Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.).
As good as he was the past two seasons as a two-way player, he has managed to get even better this season. It is simply the greatest single season performance we have ever seen in baseball.
Ohtani did not have a chance for a third home run, leaving the game early with what the Angels are calling "cramps." The Angels have never made the playoffs with Ohtani on the roster but are making a serious push to do so this season.
More must-reads:
- Reasons for Angels' Shohei Ohtani decision revealed
- Angels make grave miscalculation by keeping Shohei Ohtani
- The 'MLB players who won MVP and ROY' quiz
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Braves dubbed landing spot for top free agent shortstop
The Braves really should be in the market for just about every free agent available that fills a need. It is not Alex Anthopoulos’ M.O. to get into bidding wars in free agency. The largest contract he’s ever handed out to a free agent was to Marcell Ozuna, a $65 million deal that was signed just before the start of the 2021 season. That’s pennies compared to what most of the top free agents will sign for this winter, but after not spending last year and with some money coming off the books, the Braves have every reason to be very active in free agency. Adding another impact starter feels like a must, and there are plenty available this offseason, with names like Dylan Cease, Michael King, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen set to test the market. The Braves also need at least one high leverage reliever, if not multiple. On the offensive side of things, a DH/outfielder should be considered with Marcell Ozuna hitting free agency. But the real issues lie up the middle in the infield. Ozzie Albies is amid a career-worst season. His future in Atlanta is cloudier than it’s ever been, and the Braves really can’t go into 2026 with Nick Allen as their starting shortstop. Despite being a wizard defensively, his offense just isn’t good enough to be an everyday regular in the lineup. Given how few high level middle infielders there are on the planet, not many of them become available in free agency, and that’s the case again this offseason. There’s really only one that will test the market, Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays, who Mark Feinsand of MLB.com dubbed the fifth best player in this year’s free agent class, naming Atlanta as a potential landing spot. 5) Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays (age 28) After leading the AL in hits in 2021 and ’22 and making his second career All-Star team in 2023, Bichette had a nightmarish 2024, playing in only 81 games — and unproductive ones, at that. This year, Bichette has looked like his old self, once again leading the American League in hits while hitting 16 homers with 82 RBIs and an .805 OPS in 125 games. The shortstop market will be thin this winter, putting Bichette in position to score big in his first foray into free agency. Potential fits: Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers After a dreadful 2024 campaign, Bo Bichette has bounced back in a big way this season, re-establishing his value by hitting close to .300 with 16 home runs. He’ll be one of the more intriguing free agents on the market this winter, though questions about his defense at shortstop could ultimately dictate how high the bidding goes. Long-term, Bichette may profile better at second base as he ages — a scenario that could line up nicely for the Braves. He could hold down shortstop for the next couple of seasons, then slide over to second once Ozzie Albies’ contract is up after 2027. By then, the hope is that one of the Braves’ top shortstop prospects will be ready to take over. As always, it will come down to the price tag, but you can bet Alex Anthopoulos will be checking in on Bo Bichette when the market opens.
Cowboys' Micah Parsons seen taking bizarre action in preseason finale
Micah Parsons showed up for the Dallas Cowboys' preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons in body only. The star pass-rusher showed no spirit and did not dress amid his hold-in for a contract extension. On Thursday, Parsons scrubbed the Cowboys from his social media feed. During Friday's game, he couldn't be bothered to be with his teammates on the sideline watching the whole game. Per a photo posted on X by The Athletic's Jon Machota, Parsons was seen lying down on a trainer's table during the contest. Parsons' actions come amid a turbulent week between his representation and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. In separate interviews, Jones told both Michael Irvin and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he did not plan to back down from his agreement with Parsons to work with agent David Mulugheta. During the pregame show on Friday, Jones boasted to 105.3 The Fan that defensive end is where the Cowboys have the most depth on the roster. "Frankly, our defensive ends may be the best depth, where we have the most talent of any position on the field," Jones said via Machota. "I'm excited about our depth and our numbers at pass rusher. ... I'm concerned because of having space on the roster to keep that many of our guys that have pass rushing ability." Following Friday night's game, the Cowboys' preseason is over. The situation between Jones and Parsons is not ideal for first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is tasked with trimming the roster to 53 players by Tuesday. If Parsons is traded or chooses not to play in Week 1, Schottenheimer is going to have to decide to take away depth from what Jones sees as a weaker part of the team to boost a unit that is without their best player because he won't negotiate with Mulugheta.
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Commanders fans receive hopeful Terry McLaurin update
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has suggested on multiple occasions that he is "one hundred percent" confident he will "be throwing some passes to" wide receiver Terry McLaurin during the 2025 season. It seems Daniels may have had some inside information. NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed Friday that the situation involving the Commanders and McLaurin "is in a better spot than it’s been" since the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "The sides started out pretty far apart," wrote Breer, "so there was a lot of ground to make up. Maybe the deadlines in the next couple of weeks will help push an agreement through." The "pretty far apart" line may be referencing a previous report that claimed "one person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations" said he had "asked for more than" the average annual value attached to DK Metcalf's five-year, $150M deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That same story insinuated that Washington may be more comfortable paying McLaurin around $27M or $28M per season via a multiyear extension. Coming off their trip to this year's NFC Championship Game, the Commanders likely won't be trading McLaurin's rights anytime soon. At this point, Washington acquiring a suitable replacement for McLaurin and getting him familiar with the team's offense in time for the Commanders' Week 1 game against the New York Giants is unrealistic. For an article published on Aug. 18, ESPN's Ben Solak wrote that he believed the McLaurin-Commanders standoff would eventually end "with a compromise extension before Week 1." It's unclear what McLaurin will do if this does not occur before the Giants matchup on Sept. 7, but it sounds like the two sides could work something out.
'Off the table': Cowboys have strong stance on Micah Parsons as saga gets uglier
Following Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones‘ latest comments on the Micah Parsons situation, the All-Pro pass-rusher took the increasingly common step of scrubbing his X profile of Cowboys material. The Cowboys have been known to prolong negotiations, regardless of price hikes, and they are well down this road once again with another standout. Multiple teams have inquired about Parsons’ availability, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said during a "SportsCenter" appearance. Nothing is moving on that front, as Dallas continues to hold tight during its latest contract saga. That aligns with what we heard last week, with GMs indicating they have not gotten the sense Parsons is available following his trade request. Noting it would take a Herschel Walker-like offer for the Cowboys to move Parsons, so it's "off the table," and Fowler points to team optimism a deal can still be finalized before the season. It should also be noted Parsons’ camp is less optimistic. Jones attempting to go around high-powered agent David Mulugheta in negotiations has understandably irked Parsons, who employs an agent to negotiate his contract. The longtime Cowboys owner referencing a $200M guarantee also reflects what is likely a five- or six-year Dallas extension offer. With the cap soaring annually, players are increasingly opting against long-term deals. The Cowboys prefer them, but it is notable Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb convinced the team to budge here by each scoring four-year extensions. It would surprise if Parsons signed for beyond four years, but Jones continues to reference his negotiations with the player — talks Parsons classified as informal — this offseason. A Cowboys source mentioned the 49ers’ Nick Bosa situation re: Parsons. San Francisco did not have Bosa signed until four days before the 2023 regular season. Bosa played in Week 1 despite holding out until his extension was done. Parsons has spoken out about how not practicing during a negotiation can negatively impact a season, and he long preferred to have his deal done by training camp. The Cowboys are well past that artificial deadline, as these talks now remind of the Prescott and Lamb pace. Neither of those performers requested a trade, which is a notable difference between this Parsons back-and-forth and previous Cowboys extension struggles. While Fowler adds Mulugheta certainly didn’t tell Jones to stick the team’s offer “up their (expletive),” the Cowboys going to these lengths to avoid dealing with one of the game’s top agents has been an interesting chapter. Jones taking this route is not out of character. But Parsons taking issue with it to the degree he has would seem to require the team to change course and huddle up with Mulugheta — if the intent is to finalize a deal before Week 1. The Cowboys’ Thursday night assignment in Philadelphia to open the season also gives them less time than they had with Prescott last year. Mentioning the Packers, Cardinals and Ravens as potential trade fits, Fowler outlines what would certainly be a robust market if the Cowboys did decide to explore what the top player would fetch in a trade. Of course, dealing Parsons would significantly weaken the 2025 Cowboys. Jones mentioned during his Michael Irvin podcast conversation the prospect of franchise-tagging Parsons next year. That would be an option, but the Cowboys are not giving up on a 2025 deal yet.
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