BASEBALL

Photo Credit: Matt Slocum

Michael Lorenzen walked to the mound to start the ninth inning — of just his second start with the Phillies, his first in Philadelphia — engrossed in the passion of fans roaring for him to complete a no-hitter, and considered the scene the coolest moment of his baseball career.

“Just walking out of the dugout, hearing the fans go wild, it gave me the chills,” Lorenzen said. “It gave that boost of energy that I needed, for sure.”

Photo Credit: Frank franklin II

Astros owner Jim Crane texted Justin Verlander with a simple message moments after they reacquired him Tuesday from the New York Mets in a blockbuster trade.

“I said: ‘Welcome back. We missed you,’” Crane said. “‘We’ll see you in New York. Hope you pitch well for us against the Yankees.’”

Verlander is back with Houston, rejoining the team he helped to two World Series titles, and expected to start Friday or Saturday in the Bronx.

Photo Credit:AP

We are all very familiar now with sports teams in the elite spheres who have gone heavy on the spending, only to find that there is much more than that to finding success in the game.

A prime example in the last decade of that would be Manchester United in football, who have spent huge amounts of money on new players but have not seen the kind of return from that which you would expect when you think of trophies won.

There is a very good chance that come the end of the season, the New York Yankees will be added to that list. They have invested around 295 million dollars in the team for this MLB season and the results are really not showing it.

Photo Credit: Lindsey Wasson

Of course a Junior had to do something special in Seattle.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night, matching Vladimir Sr.'s 2007 title to become the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat.

As far as who might win a head-to-head swing-off, well, that depends.

“It’s kind of difficult right now,” the Toronto Blue Jays star said with a wide grin, speaking through a translator. “With the time, with the minutes, I’ll win. If it’s by outs, he’ll win.”

In a ballpark made famous by the Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr. a generation earlier, Guerrero beat Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena 25-23 in the final round. He was 8 when his father won the crown in San Francisco.

Photo Credit:AP 

LSU’s stars stole the spotlight at the College World Series. It carried over to the top of baseball’s amateur draft.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected hard-throwing LSU right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes with the top pick in the draft on Sunday night, with teammate Dylan Crews going No. 2 to the Washington Nationals.