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I got my first look at Anthony Volpe last Wednesday night... but only in the dugout. It was a pleasure chatting with and snapping several photos of the highly touted Yankees prospect. However, minutes after I took this shot, the skies opened up and the evening's game for his Somerset Patriots at Binghamton was rained out.

I came back for Sunday's series finale... where I saw Volpe in game action against Binghamton.
But the big story was the rehab start by Tylor Megill:
The Mets righthander looked dominant through most of his 55-pitch, 3-2/3 inning stint against the AA Yankees. His one mistake was hanging his "little slow slider" to Somerset catcher Josh Breaux, who launched it beyond the left field fence.

Speaking of the minors:
Brendan Rodgers authored the biggest game of his still young career Wednesday night at Coors Field. The Rockies 2nd baseman -- whom I first saw in 2018 playing for AA Hartford -- crushed three home runs, including the walk-off blast in the last of the 10th as Colorado outscored Miami 13-12. 


Joe Girardi's two-season-plus run as Phillies manager came to an end on Friday morning. Baseball's most disappointing team staggered to a 22-29 record (4-10 in one-run games), victimized by poor defense and a leaky bullpen. What those flaws weren't all Joe's fault, he takes the blame for a club with its biggest payroll ever, but with a double-digit-game gap behind the first place Mets. Things couldn't have gone better this first weekend under interim skipper Rob Thomson.
Bryce Harper's grand slam tied things in the bottom of the 8th. Even after closer Corey Knebel allowed a go-ahead run in the top of the 9th, Bryson Stott produced some magic of his own: a three-run walk-off homer to give the Phils a weekend sweep over the Angels.



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