1
The most interesting team in the minor leagues might be the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Tides have Miguel Tejada, Bill Hall and Nate McLouth on the roster, with Joel Piñeiro and Dontrelle Willis, at extended spring training, heading their way soon.
Also joining the Virginia team is none other than Jamie Moyer, who was signed to a minor-league contract by Baltimore and threw five scoreless innings in a win for the Tides on Saturday.
Moyer, cut by the Rockies, may get two more starts at Norfolk as the Orioles try to decide if he has anything left.
“Jamie Moyer is a veteran pitcher and he has been a winning pitcher and we are going to see if he can help us,” said GM Dan Duquette. “He is going to take a couple starts at Triple-A, and if he can do well, he then will be in a position where we can put him on the ballclub.”
— Seattle Times
2
Amid the chaos of the starter leaving with an injury, a two-base throwing error, three walks and five pitching changes, umpire Brian Runge was not paying attention to the history the Seattle Mariners were making.
When six Mariners pitchers tossed the 10th combined no-hitter in major league history, Runge found his own chapter in the annals of baseball umpires.
Runge was the home plate umpire for Friday’s no-hitter in the Mariners’ 1-0 win over the Dodgers.
And he was behind the plate April 21 in Seattle when the White Sox’s Philip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in baseball history.
Runge is the first umpire since Drew Coble in 1990 to be behind the plate for two no-hitters in one season.
“It’s an amazing story, just to be a part of it and be on the field, but then to be behind the plate both games,” Runge said. “You can’t really write that stuff. It was storybook.”
Runge has now been behind the plate for three no-hitters, the first Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter for San Francisco on July 10, 2009.
Runge is in his 14th major league season.
— The Associated Press
3
The oddsmakers at the Golden Nugget sportsbook in Las Vegas have posted betting lines for four University of Washington football games this fall.
The Huskies are 21-point underdogs against LSU on Sept. 8 in Baton Rouge, 19-point underdogs against USC in Seattle on Oct. 6, 20-point underdogs against Oregon in Eugene on Oct. 13 and 3-point underdogs against Washington State on Nov. 23 in Pullman.
The LSU line is unlikely to change much, but the spread in the USC game and being underdogs to the Cougars is a bit surprising.
