Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

That mighty swing of Shohei Ohtani produced his 42nd home run of the year Monday night as Angels pushed pashed the Yankees. Tack that on to 20 stolen bases and that 8-1 record in 19 games on the mound and he's a lock for the American League MVP.  All this positive buzz on Ohtani comes as Angels skipper Joe Madden sounded ready to write off Mike Trout, sidelined by a calf muscle injury, for the rest of the season. Imagine if those two had each played 140 games... how much closer would the Boys of Anaheim be to the Astros?  With more than a month to go in the regular season, the two-way sensation is on track to break the franchise record for homers: 47, set by Troy Glaus in 2000.  

After going through some mid-season adjustments following the crackdown on "sticky stuff" and then losing time after a bout of COVID, Gerrit Cole has returned to top form. Friday's night win in Oakland was the third straight strong start for the Yankees ace, who has allowed one run in 17-2/3 innings since returning to action. What a week for Noah Syndergaard! I saw him working out on the field Wednesday afternoon. The next day, he threw an inning for the Mets' Brooklyn farm club. But Sunday, just before his next schedule rehab appearance, we learned that he'd tested positive for COVID 19. Will he ever get back on a major league mound before becoming a free agent this winter? Healthy and productive again in his 14th big league season, Johnny Cueto still presents an imposing figure on the mound for the NL West leading Giants. He'll also be a 2022 free agent; this year's work will likely land this 35-year old another contract. Before helping start the thumbs-...

Aug. 27th, 1998: Bernie Williams doubles in Derek Jeter with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 6-5 Yankees win over the Angels. Aug. 27th, 1988: Tommy Lasorda wins his 1000th game as Dodgers skipper, as they beat the Phillies 4-2 at Veterans Stadium. Aug. 27th, 1982: Rickey Henderson breaks Lou Brock's single season stolen base record, when he swipes his 119th base off the Brewers battery of Doc Medich and Ted Simmons. He adds three more in the A's 5-4 loss. By season's end Henderson's total grows to 130.   Aug. 27th, 1980: Steve Carlton is a 20-game winner for the fifth time in his career. He teams with Tug McGraw as the Phillies edge the Dodgers 4-3 at Veterans Stadium. Aug. 27th, 1978: Joe Morgan becomes the first player to reach 200 home runs and 500 stolen bases. His 3rd inning solo homer produces the Reds only run in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs. Aug. 27th, 1977: Bump Wills and Toby Harrah of the Rangers author a baseball first: they hit back-to-back insid...

...you share it with   Elvis Andrus , who finally "left the building"  after 12 seasons in Arlington and is now the A's everyday shortstop. While never posting the eye-catching numbers of a Seager, Lindor or Correia, the runner up for 2009 AL Rookie of the Year provides speed and reliable defense. A skilled bunter, he's led the league in sacrifices three times.  The best known major league player sharing his first name with the King of Rock and Roll isn't the first with that distinction. That honor belongs to little known infielder Elvis Peña , who played 25 games with Rockies and Brewers in 2000 and 2001. Ranger Suarez appears to have a bright future in the Phillies rotation. After being one of Joe Girardi's most reliable bullpen arms, the Venezuelan lefthander made several impressive starts this month -- I caught him holding the Dodgers in check at Citizens Bank Park on August 12th. David Price , the talented lefthander who's starred mainly for the Rays...

Go ahead and roll Kool and the Gang's '80s classic "Celebration!" From the Yankees/A's game on June 18th, Rougned Odor jumps for joy and shares a fist bump with teammate Miguel Andujar after a home run. (Odor belted one of the Yankees three home runs in last night's thrilling 5-4 victory in Atlanta.)  

The Yankees and Braves made history Monday night, even before they took the field. The game was the first since September 1901 when two teams met with each riding a nine game winning streak. So you knew something had to give. The giving was by Atlanta starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa, who was tagged by Giancarlo Stanton for a 1st inning homer and a two-run double with two out in the 6th. Three big RBIs on a night that Stanton played right field. After spending the first half of the season exclusively as a DH, the former Marlin has been spending more time in the field the past month. Not only has his defense been fine, but his hitting has markedly improved. Sure, the addition of lefties Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo has helped balance the lineup. A .264 hitter as a DH, Stanton's average is more than 60 points higher (.328) when plays the field. Is he "more into the game" when he's not sitting on the bench waiting for his spot in the lineup to come around. Or is there more...

Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers. Sunday, his 6th inning blast off Blue Jays lefthander Steven Matz made him the 28th player -- and first native of Venezuela -- to reach 500 career home runs. With six weeks to go in the season, this four-time batting champ also got a chance to claim another milestone in 2021 -- he's 45 hits shy of 3000. Do you think the Phillies missed Rhys Hoskins during their recent slump? The  slugging 1st baseman returned Sunday from a groin strain and smacked two homers in a 7-4 victory over the Padres -- that gave them a badly needed series win. Still, the recent slump left them behind five games behind the pace-setting Braves. Donovan Solano , a valuable bench player for the Giants the last few seasons, delivered a two-run pinch homer that made the difference in Sunday's win. Trailing the A's 1-0, his two-out blast off Lou Trivino also helped the Giants maintain the best record in baseball. Finally... a Throwback from 2011 : These da...

Aug. 20th, 2020: The Padres become the first team ever to hit grand slams in four straight games. Eric Hosmer connects with the bases full in the bottom of the 5th inning, during an 8-7 win over the Rangers at Petco Park, helping earn this club the nickname "Slam Diego." Aug. 20th, 1996: The Yankees, after falling behind the Angels 5-0 in the top of the 1st inning, roar back with a vengeance: scoring the next 17 runs of the game (including a 6-run rally in the 4th, 4 more in the 6th and 5 in the 7th) for a 17-6 victory. Tino Martinez walks with the bases loaded that caps a six-run rally putting the Yanks on top in the 4th. Paul O'Neill, Mariano Duncan and Jim Leyritz (who had two other hits and finished with six RBI) all homered. Aug. 20th, 1985: Dwight Gooden strikes out 16 and shuts out the Giants 3-0 at Shea Stadium. The 20-year old sensation also makes history as the first National Leaguer to strike out 200 or more batters in each of his first two seasons. (Herb Score...

   ...you share it with  Bobby Richardson , the South Carolina native who made his mark in the Bronx during a dozen seasons with the Yankees. The club's regular second baseman during its five consecutive pennant winners at the start of the '60s, his video highlight was snaring Willie McCovey's line drive with runners on 2nd and 3rd that ended the 1962 World Series. A frequent visitor to Yankee Old Timers games, his baseball resume also includes two decades coaching at South Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Liberty Universities. Gary Gaetti , whose greatest Baseball thrill has to be a game winning homer in the opening game of the 1996 National League playoffs. Growing up a Cardinals fan in nearby Centralia, IL, the 3rd baseman played 14 big league seasons (notably with the Twins where he earned MVP Honors in the '87 ALCS) before returning home as a 1996 free agent. With 360 career homers, over 1300 RBI and three Gold Gloves, Gaetti also stands as the best player born on th...

A Yankees/Angels game means star power: Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge in pinstripes; Shohei Ohtani in red and white -- along with Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, out with injuries. I also took the chance to capture images of young players on the rise.  Rookie reliever Albert Abreu has rebounded nicely since being shelled by the Rays (surrendering six runs without recording an out) on July 29th. He pitched an effective inning and two-thirds Monday night, and then helped the Yanks out of a 5th inning jam in Tuesday's day game. While every appearance counts, if you total his other 15 games, his ERA is 1.85, with 25 strikeouts (alongside 11 walks) in 24 innings. The emergence of Jared Walsh (below) convinced the Angels to part company with Albert Pujols. He's settled in nicely as L.A.'s regular first baseman -- and made the All Star team for the first time. What a kick this homestand must be for Andrew Velazquez. Filling in nicely at shortstop for the injured Gle...

The Yankees and Angels were supposed to play a day game on July 1st -- until a rain storm that never materialized forced postponement. Believe me, this is one game that was worth a six-and-a-half-week wait. The intensity began from Monday night's very first pitch, with Gerrit Cole facing Shohei Ohtani... and continued for close to three hours. While Ohtani -- the two-way sensation with 39 home runs and an OPS over 1.000 -- struck out leading off the game, veteran Justin Upton put the guys from Anaheim on top two batters later. Cole then slammed the door, striking out nine in his first game back after testing positive for COVID 19. While the Yankees won 9 of 13 games while he was away, it was good to have their ace dealing once again. There were plenty of co-stars in Monday night's 2-1 victory. The "two" came on a rocket of a home run by Joey Gallo. Ever since Babe Ruth, lefthanded hitters have loved that cozy right field porch. Another crucial moment came in the top o...

  I'll admit being a fan of Nestor Cortes since his days with Double A Trenton. It's great to see how the "crafty lefty" has moved up the ladder from a borderline prospect lost for part of 2018 when the Orioles took him in the rule 5 draft, to being traded to -- and then let go by -- Seattle before becoming a vital member of the Yankees 2021 pitching staff. He sparkled on Sunday, holding those big White Sox bats to just one run over six innings in a series-deciding victory. Ranger Suarez looks very comfortable as a starting pitcher. I was on hand Thursday when he shut down the Dodgers lineup at Citizens Bank Park. In three games since moving over from the bullpen, he's worked 10 innings, giving up just a run and three hits (yes, I know he's also walked six). Still, as Joe Girardi searches for arms to fill out his rotation, he looks like a strong candidate.  And how cool are those Phils' Throwback Thursday blues? Speaking of blue, you wonder how Albert Pu...

Aug. 13th, 2018:  Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes the fourth player ever to lead off both games of a doubleheader with a home run. The Braves sweep the Marlins 9-1 and 6-1 at SunTrust Park as Acuña joins Harry Hooper (Red Sox, May 30, 1913), Rickey Henderson (A,s, July 6, 1993), and Brady Anderson (Orioles, Aug. 21, 1999) as the only players in that select circle. Aug. 13th, 2009: Hideki Matsui homers twice, Deren Jeter adds a solo shot and CC Sabathia wins his 13th, holding the Mariners to a run and three hits over eight innings, while striking out 10. The Yankees win 11-1 in Seattle.  Aug. 13th, 2007:  Placido Polanco of the Tigers sets a new record for 2nd basemen as he completes his 144th straight game without an error. But Detroit loses 7-2 to the A's at Comerica Park. Aug. 13th, 2005: The Athletics retire Dennis Eckersley's number 43. He saved 320 games during his nine seasons with Oakland and won both the 1992 Cy Young and AL Most Valuable Player awards. Aug. 13th, 1995: ...