Dalbec, Brown lift teams to victory
A pair of rookies helped put their teams in the win column on Tuesday as Bobby Dalbec and Seth Brown each came through with go-ahead hits in the eighth inning for their respective clubs.
Dalbec swatted two opposite-field RBI doubles in Boston's 4-2 win over Minnesota. And not only did he come through with a pair of run-scoring doubles, but both hits came in big spots. Dalbec, who finished 2-for-3, tied the game with a double down the right-field line during a snowy fifth inning for his first hit of the day.
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Three frames later, the No. 85 overall prospect came through with another knock to give the Red Sox their first lead of the day.
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The 25-year-old corner infielder has 60-grade power, but Tuesday's performance was one of the few times he's made a big impact for the Red Sox so far this season. Although he's 5-for-28 (.179) with 10 strikeouts, there's cause to believe he's turning things around: Dalbec also doubled in Boston's previous game, Sunday.
Brown finished just 1-for-4 on the afternoon, but the hit -- his second career homer -- couldn't have come at a better time for the A's, who topped the D-backs, 7-5. Arizona jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but Oakland battled back and tied the game in the seventh.
In the eighth, Brown put the A's in front for good with a no-doubt blast that left his bat at 103.4 mph and traveled 422 feet.
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More notable performances from rookies on Tuesday:
Akil Baddoo, OF, DET
Baddoo just keeps hitting. The Tigers' No. 22 prospect, one of the best stories of the young season, kept up his torrid pace with a 2-for-4 effort in Detroit's 7-1 win over Houston. Baddoo put the Tigers on the board in the third inning with a solo homer, his fourth, and later added a single to finish 2-for-4. The 22-year-old is the only player in Tigers history to have four homers in his first eight games and is also the first Tigers player to drive in a run in six or more of his first eight games since 1931 (Don Ross). Gameday »
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Connor Brogdon, RHP, PHI
Make that five straight scoreless outings for Brogdon to start the 2021 season. The Phillies' No. 22 prospect worked himself into a bit of a jam as he walked and hit the first two batters he faced. However, just as he pitched his way into trouble, he pitched his way out of it. Brogdon struck out the next batter, then induced a flyout and another strikeout to put a zero on the board. Brogdon, 26, has thrown 5 2/3 innings this season and struck out six. Gameday »
Justin Williams, OF, STL
Williams appears to be finding his swing after starting the season in a slump. The Cardinals No. 18 prospect went 1-for-17 over his first eight games, but has hits in three straight contests, including his first multihit game of the season Tuesday. Williams, who finished 2-for-3 at the plate, also picked up the first RBIs of his career, driving in three in the Cardinals' 14-3 win over the Nationals. The outfielder came through with a pair of run-scoring singles in the fifth as St. Louis put up nine runs in the frame. Dylan Carlson also put together a strong night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a walk in the victory. Carlson has hits in six of his past seven games and is hitting .243 on the year. Gameday »
Joshua Palacios, OF, TOR
Palacios is off to a fast start in his Major League debut and continued to contribute in the Blue Jays' 7-3 win over the Yankees. The 25-year-old got the scoring started with a two-run single in the second. Palacios, Toronto's No. 28 prospect, finished 1-for-3 and is hitting .385 with three RBIs through the first four games of his career. More »
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Ryan Mountcastle, OF, BAL
Mountcastle showed up to the ballpark Tuesday stuck in a 3-for-18 slump. Orioles manager Brandon Hype opted to drop Mountcastle down to sixth in the order to take some of the pressure off and the move appears to have helped. The 24-year-old went hitless over his first two at-bats, but doubled in his final plate appearance of Baltimore's 4-3 loss to the Mariners. He then carried that momentum into the second game of the doubleheader, a 7-6 Orioles win, when he finished 2-for-3 with another double and also picked up his first career stolen base. Gameday »