This week in baseball

Everything you need to know to get caught up

August 17th, 2021

There's a lot of baseball every day. It's part of what makes the sport so great. But we get it, you can't possibly keep up with everything that happens in a week. That's where we come in. Here's a quick refresher on the seven most fun moments you may have missed.

1.) A truly historic no-hitter

This time last year, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Tyler Gilbert was an apprentice and working for his electrician father. The global pandemic had put a pause on baseball’s development system and forced thousands of players like him to continue pursuing their dreams away from fans and removed from live competition.

This past weekend Gilbert made history by becoming the fourth pitcher on record to throw a no-hitter in their first Major League start.

The 27-year-old Gilbert had made three appearances as a relief pitcher prior to throwing his no-hitter, which was the eighth in MLB this year. This ties the 1884 season for the most in a season in history (pending the inclusion of Negro Leagues stats).

2.) The Field of Dreams becomes reality

MLB turned back the clock and paid homage to the 1989 classic Field of Dreams when the Yankees met the White Sox in Dyersville, Iowa, just a few feet away from the site where the original movie was filmed.

The game itself stood out for a number of reasons as the two teams combined to club eight home runs and score 17 runs in a back-and-forth contest which concluded with a grand finale off the bat off White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson.

Anderson summed up the scenes best when he stepped onto the field for the first time, saying "This is where you want to be!"

3.) Just sliding in …

Sometimes it’s the little things. In a week full of big moments, a slide by Dodgers star Trea Turner captivated fans on social media thanks to its silky smoothness.

While Turner is an incredible talent who makes sliding -- and a lot of other really difficult things in baseball -- look incredibly easy sometimes, it begs the question on where it ranks on the list of baseball's all-time best slides.

4.) Miggy marches toward No. 500

Future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cabrera hit career home run No. 499 this past week, meaning he is just one away from becoming the 28th player in MLB history to join the 500 home run club.

Additionally, the 38-year-old infielder enters the Tigers series against the Angels only 49 hits shy of 3,000 for his career. Cabrera and the Tigers have just under 25 percent of their season remaining, meaning Cabrera could become just the seventh player in MLB history to post both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits throughout the course of their career.

5.) Wainwright goes the distance

Veteran pitcher Adam Wainwright turned back the clock during the Cardinals 4-0 victory over the Pirates, throwing a complete game shutout which featured seven strikeouts and 88 total pitches.

Wainwright recorded just as many hits as a batter (2) as he allowed during his dominant performance, and essentially won the game for himself thanks to a sixth inning RBI single.

6.) Silver lining siblings

The Chicago Cubs made the most of their 17-4 loss to the Brewers when they sent infielder Andrew Romine to the mound so that he could pitch to his brother Austin, creating a memorable and historic moment for the Romine brothers on what was otherwise a difficult day at the ballpark.

"I mean, we weren't even sure if we were ever going to be on the same team in the same organization," Andrew Romine said. "Today was a surprise. ... To be able to see him in the dugout was pretty cool."

7.) New position, same result

San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. returned from a right shoulder injury by doing what he does best: hitting home runs.

The current NL MVP favorite was not bothered by making his first career start in right field, as the Padres franchise player went on to record four hits and incredible energy in his return to the lineup.

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Michael Guzman is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @mike486.