Settling the Score: Saturday’s results

By Drew SilvaAug 19, 2012, 8:37 AM EDT
17 Comments

The longest current winning streak in the National League belongs to the 61-59 Arizona Diamondbacks.

With center fielder Chris Young going 4-for-5, right fielder Justin Upton finishing 2-for-6 and second baseman Aaron Hill driving home three, the Snakes cruised to their third straight victory on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, stomping the Astros 12-4.

Young has four extra-base hits and five RBI over his past four games and has lifted his OPS a whole 40 points (from .728 to .768) in just four days. Hill, meanwhile, boasts 15 total homers and 52 total RBI.

The Diamondbacks are 19-16 since the All-Star break — keeping afloat in the National League West.

Your Saturday box scores and recaps:

Rangers 2, Blue Jays 1

Cubs 3, Reds 5 (Game 1)

Red Sox 4, Yankees 1

Pirates 4, Cardinals 5

Orioles 3, Tigers 2

Diamondbacks 12, Astros 4

White Sox 4, Royals 9

Mets 2, Nationals 0

Rays 10, Angels 8

Phillies 4, Brewers 3

Dodgers 6, Braves 2

Cubs 9, Reds 7 (Game 2)

Indians 5, Athletics 8

Marlins 6, Rockies 5

Twins 2, Mariners 3

Giants 8, Padres 7

Nationals back off of minor league stipend cut

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By Craig CalcaterraJun 1, 2020, 1:17 PM EDT
3 Comments

Yesterday it was reported that the Washington Nationals would cut the weekly stipend paid to their minor leaguers from $400 a week to $300 per week through the end of June.

For frame of reference, MLB had agreed to pay all minor leaguers $400 per week through May 31. Several teams have agreed to extend that, with the Royals and Twins agreeing to do it all the way through the end of August. The Oakland A’s decided to stop the payments in their entirety as of today. The Nationals were unique in cutting $100 off of the checks.

The A’s and the Nationals have taken a great amount of flak for what they’ve done. The Nats move was immediately countered by Nationals major league players announcing that they would cover what the organization would not.

The A’s are, apparently, still sticking to their plan. The Nats, however, have reversed course:

One can easily imagine a situation in which Nats ownership just decided, cold-heartedly, to lop that hundred bucks off of each minor league check and not worry about a moment longer. What’s harder to imagine is what seems to have actually happened: the Nats did it without realizing that anyone would take issue with it, were surprised by the blowback, and then reversed course. Like, what kind of a bubble where they living in that they did not think people would consider that a low-rent thing to do?

In any event, good move, Nats, even if I cannot even begin to comprehend your thought process.