Michael Troelstrup is a sports fan, commentator, and contributor to online publications within the professional sports industry. In the following article, Mike Troelstrup discusses the ever-evolving landscape of America's favorite pastime - the world of MLB news.
Spring Training seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye, and the 2023 MLB season is already well underway. With the Opening Day done and dusted, there have already been lots of twists and turns in the season thus far, with plenty more to come.
As key dates are just around the corner, fans can take a look back at everything that's happened so far to make well-informed predictions about what lies ahead.
Michael Troelstrup Reports: The Orioles Beat Yankees, Their Archnemesis
It was the eight-run seventh inning that turned this game to the Orioles' favor as the team clawed their way to a 9-6 victory against the Yankees.
Upon reigning supreme, Gunnar Henderson, who played an imperative role in the winning rally, stated that the Orioles always "battle back" and the team has "no quit."
Michael Troelstrup says that despite his statement, the odds of this victory were pretty slim after six innings. The team had been trailing the Yankees 5-1, but their momentum sky-rocketed in the seventh and rapidly turned the tide. Among other amazing feats, Adam Frazier got the team back in the game with a spectacular
three-run homer.
By the time the game ended, the Orioles had built an eight-run inning that became their largest since the 2021 nine-run eighth against the Royals.
It's safe to say O's fans experienced an insane amount of adrenaline toward the end of this game!
Jhoan Duran Sets New Pitch Speed Record for 2023
In the Twins' 7-1 win against the Giants yesterday afternoon, Jhoan Duran played the season's first 104, pitching three balls at 104mph or faster. His high was 104.6mph, with a strikeout of Casey Schmitt occurring at 104.0mph.
Michael Troelstrup explains that, taking the cake for this season's fastest pitches, he breaks the previous record thrown by Jordan Hicks on March 30 of 103.8mph.
Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that such speeds are Duran's personal best. In fact, he's the eighth pitcher to throw at least 104mph in pitch-tracking history, which dates back to 2008 — quite a feat!
Shane McClanahan Reaches 8-0 Record
The Rays suffered a decidedly lopsided loss. However, the team quickly rallied, with the left-hander Shane McClanahan reportedly saying they were
putting their next foot forward and moving on.
And there was no better way to do just that than with McClanahan’s display yesterday on May 24th at Tropicana Field. He sailed through the seven innings and got a ton of run support in the Rays' win over the Blue Jays.
Mike Troelstrup reports that the star player became the season's first eight-game winner, with his latest performance giving him an ERA 1.97. Not to mention that he also became the third pitcher in club history to start a season with an 8-0 record, joining Charlie Morton in 2019 and Matt Moore in 2013.
Right off the bat, McClanahan was in evident control, retiring Toronto's initial ten hitters in order. Throughout the game, he faced 25 batters and only collected a three-ball count on two players.
Danny Jansen's Injury Takes Him Off the Pitch
Shane McClanahan is undefeated, so it was no surprise that many people lost to him. However, losing Danny Jansen doesn't happen very often.
Jansen departed the Rays 7-3 loss at Tropicana Field with left groin tightness following his run out of a ground ball during the fifth inning. Even though John Schneider, the team's manager, stated it was only a "precautionary move," it remains a nerve-racking outcome for the Blue Jays lineup —until this point, it was one of the healthiest in Major League Baseball.
In a statement to reporters, Schneider told fans that they are taking Jansen's injury "minute by minute." It's quite unfortunate, as he had been making a name for himself as the "1A" catcher with a solid grasp of rotation and a brilliant stretch at the plate, notes Mike Troelstrup.
With Jansen potentially out of the picture, the team requires big things from Alejandro Kirk, who hasn't been so impressive this season. While he still possesses an amazing plate approach, he isn't generating as much power as he was last season. And since he's one of the league's slowest runners, this is generally a difficult pill to swallow.
However, Schneider does still have hope. He believes Kirk will continue doing good for the team, and that he will only improve once he's back and swinging again.
