LEADING OFF: Báez, Lindor set to hear from miffed Mets fans

By: The Associated Press Posted: 2:44 AM CDT Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 Last Modified: 2:45 AM CDT Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/08/2021 (1858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

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THUMBS DOWN

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez blows a bubble as he stands in the batter's box during the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, in Seattle. Perez flied out on at-bat. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Mets fans get their say after it was revealed stars Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez were among the New York players making derogatory hand gestures at Citi Field crowds.

Frustrated at their team’s poor play in August, Mets fans have been booing the club. Báez said Sunday that he and teammates have been turning double thumbs down on the crowd in response.

“When we don’t get success, we’re going to get booed,” Báez said. “So they’re going to get booed when we have success.”

Mets President Sandy Alderson said the comments and signals were “totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The Mets were off Monday. They return to action at home in the afternoon, playing Miami in the resumption of a nine-inning game that was suspended after just one out because of rain on April 11. The Marlins and New York then play a seven-inning game at night.

NO SHO

Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch for the Angels against Yankees in order to give his right hand extra time to heal.

Ohtani was hit in his throwing hand by a fastball while batting last weekend.

“It’s just sore right now. It was going to be problematic if he pitched,” Los Angeles manager Joe Maddon said.

Ohtani is 8-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 19 starts. The only time he permitted more than four runs this season came when he was tagged for seven runs while getting just two outs at Yankee Stadium on June 30.

Ohtani has hit a major league-leading 42 home runs. He connected Monday night in a win over the visiting Yankees.

VIRUS WOES

The NL West-leading Giants and the playoff-chasing Red Sox are both down a couple of pitchers because of coronavirus concerns.

Johnny Cueto was scratched from his scheduled start for San Francisco on Monday night against Milwaukee because of cold and flu-like symptoms. He’s tested negative and was put on the COVID-related injured list. Fellow Giants starter Alex Wood tested positive for the virus and is experiencing symptoms.

Boston lefty Martín Pérez and righty Matt Barnes were put on the COVID-19 injured list before Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay, which the AL East-leading Rays won 6-1 for their eighth straight victory.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Pérez had tested positive. Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor was considered to be a close contact and will quarantined. First baseman coach Tom Goodwin is also considered a close contact, while coach Ramon Vazquez tested positive.

SLUGGING SAL

Salvador Perez has homered in five straight games, matching the Royals record set by Mike Sweeney in 2002.

Perez has a pair of grand slams during his home run streak. He’ll try to extend the string when Kansas City hosts Cleveland.

The 31-year-old catcher has a career-high 38 homers this season, tied with Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for second in the majors behind Ohtani.

CARDINALS CLOSING IN

Tommy Edman, Paul Goldschmidt and the Cardinals are steadily surging, making a late-season playoff push. St. Louis is now within 2 1/2 games of the Reds for the second NL wild-card spot after a 3-1 win at Cincinnati on Monday night.

Quiet for much of the season, the Cardinals improved to 67-63 — they were 53-55 in early August. Cincinnati has lost three in a row, scoring exactly one run in each of those games.

Miles Mikolas (0-1), out for much of the year because of an injured right forearm, starts for St. Louis at Great American Ball Park against Sonny Gray (6-6), who has strung together a season-high 13 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts.

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