Arraez becomes first Marlins player with cycle
PHILADELPHIA — Luis Arraez became the first Miami Marlins player to hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs in an 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
Before Tuesday, the Marlins were the only active major league team to not have a cycle in their history. Miami entered the National League as the Florida Marlins back in 1992.
“I had a lot of people who helped me work hard every day,” Arraez said. “I want to give this to my family and my wife, who is expecting our baby.”
Arraez won the American League batting title with a .316 average as a member of the Minnesota Twins in 2022 before being traded to the Marlins in a four-player deal on Jan. 20. He is 22-for-41 (.537) in 12 games to start the 2023 season. That is the highest batting average for any player through the first 12 games of a season since Frank Cattalanato hit .600 in 2000.
“I feel healthy, and I’ve felt that if I was healthy this year, I could do a lot of things,” Arraez said.
After doubling in the first inning and connecting on a triple to the right-field corner in the sixth, Arraez’s solo homer in the seventh helped provide the Marlins some cushion after a four-run lead was cut to one in the Phillies’ half of the sixth inning.
“It’s pretty special to be a part of it and to watch him go about his business,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s using the whole field and grinding out at-bats. It’s been an incredible pickup.”
Arraez singled to left field in the eighth off Philadelphia reliever Andrew Bellatti, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the final run of the night.
“I knew that I only had to get the single,” Arraez said. “I just wanted to hit the ball to left field. And when he threw me a changeup middle and down, I knew that I could hit it there.”
Jon Berti homered in the third inning and added an RBI single in the seventh for the Marlins, who entered the game with the lowest run total in the NL at 30 through the first 11 games. The eight runs on Tuesday were a season high. Jesus Luzardo (2-0) went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.
Chisholm, Yuli Gurriel and Jean Segura also had two hits for the Marlins, whose 14 hits were a season high.
Nola (0-2) was shaky for most of the night for the Phillies, allowing four earned runs and nine hits in 5⅔ innings while catching too much of the plate with his fastball. Nola’s ERA in his first three starts is 7.04.
Kyle Schwarber homered for Philadelphia, while Bryson Stott went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 11 games. Nick Castellanos and Josh Harrison also had multihit games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has banned two fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium from attending games at big league ballparks.
The league sent a letter to Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen this week informing them of the decision.
“On Oct. 29, 2024, during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, you interfered with play by intentionally and forcefully grabbing a player. Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior,” said the letter, the contents of which were first reported by the New York Post and later obtained by The Associated Press.
“Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities,” the letter said. “You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB. Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass.”
MLB has previously issued leaguewide bans for fans who trespass on the field or threaten baseball personnel. A fan who approached Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. at Colorado’s Coors Field in 2023 received a similar ban.
Capobianco and Hansen were ejected from the game on Oct. 29 and banned from Game 5 the following night.
Betts leaped at the retaining wall in foul territory and caught Gleyber Torres‘ pop fly in the first inning, but a fan in the first row with a gray Yankees road jersey grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out. Another fan grabbed Betts’ bare hand.
The Yankees at the time called the behavior “egregious and unacceptable.”
The team said Friday the two fans MLB banned were not season-ticket holders. The Post reported Friday that the person who is the season ticket holder was not at the game and will be allowed to keep them.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs and free agent Colin Rea have agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract, reuniting the right-hander with manager Craig Counsell, a source told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on Friday.
The 34-year-old Rea made one appearance with Milwaukee in 2021 and then pitched in Japan during the 2022 season before returning to the Brewers. He went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA over 27 starts and five relief appearances for the NL Central champions last year.
Counsell managed Milwaukee for nine years before he was hired by Chicago in November 2023.
Rea gives Counsell and Chicago another versatile arm for their pitching staff. The Cubs have Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd for their rotation, but Rea could push Javier Assad for the fifth spot or work out of the bullpen.
Rea became a free agent when Milwaukee declined its $5.5 million club option on his contract in November. The Iowa native was paid a $1 million buyout.
Rea was selected by San Diego in the 12th round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Indiana State. He made his big league debut with the Padres in 2015.
He pitched for the Cubs during the 2020 season, going 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in nine appearances, including two starts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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