The MLB season is bringing a lot of ups and downs. There have already been some incredible performances, as well as a few upsets. The good news is that fans are able to drink more beer at games, provided the stadiums can find enough people to fill the seats. The Detroit Tigers just learned that this isn’t easy, with their double-header against the Cleveland Guardians almost empty. There’s still a lot of action remaining, though, with plenty of hits and misses to keep fans on their toes.

Marcus Stroman Sets Cubs Record

Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs has become a notable pitcher with an impressive performance. His recent achievement of shutting down the Oakland Athletics 4-0 on Tuesday speaks volumes about his experience on the field.

During the game, Stroman, who also became the first violator of the new pitch clock, rules this season, held the opposing team to just two hits over a six-inning period and marked five strikeouts. Since the beginning of the year, Stroman has participated in four games and successfully maintained an ERA of 0.

His talent puts him in golden glory among the roster. Through the first four games of the current campaign, Stroman had an ERA of 0.75, putting him at the top of the club.

Sliders Out, Sweepers In

Justin Lawrence represented Panama in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he pitched two innings in two games and picked up three strikeouts. Back with the Colorado Rockies, the Panamanian is adding his name to a growing list. He now wants to be recognized for throwing sweepers, not sliders.

The sweeper, essentially a kind of slider, is a variation of breaking the ball that is characterized by having horizontal movement, turning out to be more transversal than up or down. Most fans may remember it when it was known as a slurve.

The sweeper has been used in Japan’s Nippon League and MLB for years, but its practice has intensified. Pitchers such as Corey Kluber and Yu Darvish include it in their repertoires.

Lawrence is 0-1 with a 3.12 ERA in seven games, where he has worked 8.2 innings. During that time, he allowed five hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts.

Kershaw States Case For Hall of Fame

Clayton Kershaw, an eminent pitcher, achieved a milestone in his career by making his 200th career MLB hit on Tuesday night. This achievement strongly suggests he’s earned his place to be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kershaw, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has an outstanding record of 288 wins. His .694 hitting percentage is the highest among all MLB pitchers, with more than 200 hits.

Among pitchers who have achieved 200 wins, his career ERA of 2.48 is the lowest in baseball history since the introduction of RBI in 1920. The baseball player from Texas achieved a significant milestone and became the 117th person to reach it, earning a spot in the record books.

During Tuesday night’s game, he also gained a new ranking as the 22nd most strikeouts in history. Additionally, he joined an elite group of only two other LA Dodgers players, Don Sutton and Don Drysdale, to reach a career total of 200 wins in the series.

Anyone Can Be A Pro MLB Player

Despite facing opposition, there are various MLB regulations that have been introduced during the 2023 season. A new one, the “designated pinch runner,” is likely to be one of them. Commissioner Rob Manfred, however, likes it.

In every game, a club can have a designated pinch runner not part of the starting lineup. This runner is permitted to replace any player on base at any point. The substituted player can come back into the game later on. Furthermore, throughout the game, the manager is at liberty to utilize this player in the same capacity multiple times.

The rule is being tested in the Atlantic League, the MLB’s test bed. However, it’s important to note that, until now, almost all the lab tests in the Atlantic end up in the Majors.