Lawyers have taken over the Rally Cat Saga - MLB

The saga of Rally Cat has taken a troubling turn.

When last we checked in on this story, the Feral Cat Outreach center of St. Louis had taken temporary custody of Rally Cat and the St. Louis Cardinals believed they were going to obtain full custody. They had even planned a Rally Cat promotion and everything.

Not so fast, says the lawyer working for the Feral Cat Outreach Center! From the Riverfront Times:

Rally Cat may have captured the hearts of Cardinals’ fans, but the team cannot count on recapturing Rally Cat, says Albert Watkins.

The quotable Clayton attorney says he has been retained to help the St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach fight for the feline’s best interests — and at this point, the nonprofit is not at all convinced that his future lies with the Cardinals’ organization.

“While he will always be a Redbirds fan, he has to think about his future as well,” Watkins says. “His working days in the playing fields of Busch Stadium appear to be over. … Much like any custody battle for children the world over, what’s important here is what’s in the best interests of the health and welfare of the cat.”

It seems the Cardinals have upset the Feral Cat Outreach Center by virtue of their presuming that they’d get Rally Cat when it was anything but a done deal. They may have big plans for Rally Cat, but the Center’s lawyer says that there are still unanswered questions about how the cat will be taken care of. It’s all rather vague and some personal discord between Cardinals officials and Center officials seem to be complicating it. A tale as old as time? I dunno.

I do know cats, though. I’ve adopted seven cats from shelters in the past 22 years and there is, without question, a varying degree of, well, difficulty one experiences with certain shelters. Some are happy for anyone to come and take their cats as long as they seem like nice people and have a permanent address. Others are a lot more exacting. Back in 1995 I got a cat from a shelter in Alexandria, Virginia. They wouldn’t let me take her home until they conducted a home visit. No lie. They sent someone to my apartment to make sure it was suitable. I appreciated that their heart was in the right place — and I ended up getting the cat — but it was all rather ridiculous.

It’s hard to say if that’s what’s going on here. Maybe the Center in St. Louis is legitimately worried that the cat will become a sideshow and be shuffled between homes of interns or something. Maybe they’re just trying to get a big donation from the Cardinals. Maybe this lawyer is just a publicity hound and the story is getting blown out of proportion.

I will tip my cap to the lawyer for his hustle, though. If I knew there was business to be found in representing cats, I’d probably still be in the game.

UPDATE: OH NOES!

It's official, animal group says: Cardinals won't be getting Rally Cat https://t.co/rUMzwnI5vt via @stltoday

— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) August 24, 2017

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ATLANTA – Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total.

“That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said.

Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta’s seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.

“Getting a lead first is big, especially when you get that big of a lead,” Strider said. “… When we’re putting up runs, my job isn’t to be perfect. My job is to get outs.”

Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced right-hander Michael Soroka will be recalled to make his first start since the 2020 season on Monday night at Oakland.

Matt Olson hit a pair of two-run homers for Atlanta, and Strider became the fastest pitcher in modern history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.

“It’s incredible,” said Acuña through a translator of Strider. “Every time he goes out to pitch it seems like he’s going to strike everybody out.”

Acuña hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth before Olson’s second homer to center. Acuña had two singles in the first when the Braves sent 11 batters to the plate, collected seven hits and opened a 7-0 lead. Led by Acuña and Olson, who had three hits, the Braves set a season high with 20 hits.

Strider (5-2) struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander fired a called third strike past Nick Castellanos for the first out of the fourth, giving him 100 strikeouts in 61 innings and topping Jacob deGrom‘s 61 2/3 innings in 2021 as the fastest to 100 in the modern era.

“It’s cool,” Strider said, adding “hopefully it’ll keep going.”

Olson followed Acuña’s leadoff single with a 464-foot homer to right-center. Austin Riley added another homer before Ozzie Albies and Acuña had two-run singles in the long first inning.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and left fielder Kyle Schwarber each committed an error on a grounder by Orlando Arcia, setting up two unearned runs in the inning.

Strider walked Kody Clemens to open the third. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run homer for the Phillies’ first hit. Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the seventh.

LEAPING CATCH

Michael Harris II celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut by robbing Schwarber of a homer with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the second. As Harris shook his head to say “No!” after coming down with the ball on the warning track, Strider pumped his fist in approval on the mound – after realizing Harris had the ball.

“He put me through an emotional roller coaster for a moment,” Strider said.

SOROKA RETURNING TO ROTATION

Soroka was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, setting the stage for his final step in his comeback from two torn Achilles tendons.

“To get back is really a feather in that kid’s cap,” Snitker said.

Soroka will be making his first start in the majors since Aug. 3, 2020, against the New York Mets when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. Following a setback which required a follow-up surgery, he suffered another tear of the same Achilles tendon midway through the 2021 season.

Soroka suffered another complication in his comeback when a hamstring injury slowed his progress this spring.

Acuña said he was “super happy, super excited for him, super proud of him” and added “I’m just hoping for continued good health.”

Soroka looked like an emerging ace when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019 and placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen committee games as they attempt to overcome losing two key starters, Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder inflammation) to the injured list in early May. Each is expected to miss at least two months.

RHP Dereck Rodriguez, who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, was optioned to Gwinnett after the game to clear a roster spot for Soroka.

QUICK EXIT

Phillies right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, didn’t make it through the first inning. Covey allowed seven runs, five earned, and six hits, including the homers by Olson and Riley.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alex Bohm was held out with hamstring tightness. … LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw the bullpen session originally scheduled for Saturday. Manager Rob Thomson said there was no report that Alvarado, who was placed on the injured list on May 10, had any difficulty.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Following an off day, LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 9.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Kodai Senga (4-3, 3.94 ERA) in Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series in New York.

Braves: Soroka was 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed a combined four hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. RHP Paul Blackburn (7-6, 4.28 ERA in 2022) is scheduled to make his 2023 debut for Oakland as he returns from a finger injury.