It feels inevitable on nights the Arizona Diamondbacks have a late lead, that the bullpen will give up that lead. Wednesday was one of those times, and the feelings were justified, as the D-backs blew a 2-0 lead on the San Diego Padres, losing 3-2. Their record falls to 54-61
D-backs Make 3-Player Roster Move as Reliever’s Season Ends
https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-news/diamondbacks-roster-move-season-ends-ginkel-kelly-nelson
Hoffmann hoping traveling days have ended with call-up to D-backs
“I’m super excited. … After [GM] Mike [Hazen] called me on Saturday when I got traded, it was just initially, ‘Oh, I’ve got to move my life around now.’ And once you really settle in after a couple minutes, it’s like a new opportunity. [I’m] excited to be here with all these guys and keep competing.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/andrew-hoffmann-takes-roundabout-route-to-diamondbacks

“Obviously, I felt so happy to contribute to my team with that home run right there that gave us a lead,” Suárez said to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. But yeah, I think seeing the fans’ faces when I got the [trident], that was fun. That was really fun. A good feeling. But for me, a lot more important is to help the team win games.”

“He’s a right-handed pitcher… we see him as a starter. Really good breaking ball, he’s got two of them. The curveball has a chance to be plus. He’s been up to 95 MPH. With that stuff, as a starter, earned Big South Player of the year, you can see by his performance, 121 strikeouts in 77 innings, just someone that we thought had a chance to be a major league starting pitcher… durable, he’s proven himself as a starter.”

Zac Gallen Gets Honest on D-backs’ Nerve-Wracking Trade Deadline

“It was a little bit weird sitting there, not knowing what potentially could happen. I kind of had a feeling that I was going to be here. With all those things with the trade and just the value that I knew [Hazen] was trying to kind of recoup if he were to move me was going to be fairly high”

When the game started, the pitcher’s mound began to vibrate and as the first pitches were thrown, I could feel where the ball landed in the strike zone and if anybody made it to first base. Another important feature of the OneCourt device is its audio component. After each pitch, an automated voice would say what happened, from a home run to a foul ball and everything in-between.

Jen Pawol set to become 1st woman to umpire MLB game Saturday
“We had seen her in spring training a lot,” Philadelphia Phillies star Trea Turner said. “I don’t know much about her or statistics or anything like that, but if she’s doing a great job, I love seeing the opportunity for her, and I’m happy for her. I talked to her a little bit in spring training and she seems like a great person and I wish her all the best.”
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45914473/jen-pawol-set-become-1st-woman-umpire-mlb-game-saturday
Who is Jen Pawol? Female umpire set to make MLB history
Pawol to make history as MLB’s first female umpire
https://www.mlb.com/news/jen-pawol-to-become-mlb-first-female-umpire

Red Sox sign Roman Anthony to 8-year, $130M extension

“This is a guy who was the No. 1 prospect in the sport. We’ve seen the impact that he’s had on our major league team in just over 150 at-bats,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters. “And so when we think about the future of this organization, there’s no question that it got brighter today.”
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45914330/sources-roman-anthony-red-sox-finalizing-130m-extension

Naylz indeed: Naylor blasts 450-foot HR, swipes 2 bags in win
https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-naylor-hits-450-foot-homer-in-mariners-win

Is it possible we’re … underrating Paul Skenes?
He’ll make his 47th career start on Thursday against the Reds, and in the previous 46, he’s allowed exactly 60 earned runs – which is to say, “barely more than one per start.”

That comes out to a 1.99 ERA. If you’re wondering if that’s a notable mark over the last century-plus of baseball, it’s merely the best anyone’s done in their first 46 starts since the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920. He’s the only starter in the last 105 years to kick off a career like this with an ERA under 2.00.
https://www.mlb.com/news/paul-skenes-off-to-historic-start-in-career

Williams comes tantalizingly close to Cleveland’s first no-no since ‘81
Cleveland hasn’t had a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game against the Blue Jays on May 15, 1981. It is the longest active no-hitter drought in the Majors. Williams delivered the longest no-hit bid by a Guardians pitcher since Carlos Carrasco lost his chance for history with two outs in the ninth on July 1, 2015, against the Rays.
https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/gavin-williams-no-hitter-attempt-ends-on-juan-soto-home-run

This day in history:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-7
This day in baseball:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/August_7
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

In more shocking fun facts (perhaps literally): Alfred Southwick was a dentist who conceptualized electrical execution when he heard of an intoxicated man who died from touching a live electric generator. Realizing the man’s quick death, Southwick concluded that electricity could be an alternative to hanging for executions. However, he first intended for electrocution to euthanize stray dogs.
Captive Ravens can speak better than parrots.

Captive Raven eventually learn how to talk and mimic noises. In the past, Ravens have also been known to imitate wolves or foxes so that they can attract them to carcasses that it cannot open.