Tag: Drew Smyly

WATCH: Former Hog Drew Smyly has perfect game bid end in heartbreak

Former Arkansas and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly sees his bid for a perfect game end in heartbreaking fashion.

Throwing a perfect game is the hardest thing to do at any level of baseball – let alone in the MLB. It requires a pitcher to be fully engaged and on the mound for nine innings to successfully accomplish what has only been done 23 times.

Former Arkansas pitcher [autotag]Drew Smyly[/autotag] was just six outs away from completing the 24th perfect game in major league history when it all went horribly wrong.

On the second pitch of the eighth inning, Dodgers outfielder David Peralta hit a dribbler down the third-base line. Smyly trotted to scoop up the ball and throw it to first for a routine out. However, just as Smyly was about to grab the ball, Smyly’s catcher, Yan Gomes, ran right into his back. Both players fell to the Wrigley Field grass.

Peralta reached first with ease and was credited with a hit – ending Smyly’s chance at history.

The one positive in this heartbreaking development was that the Cubs picked up an impressive 13-0 win over the Dodgers. The former All-SEC ace did make some history, though, becoming the first Cubs pitcher to be perfect through seven innings since 1993.

What a heartbreaking way to end a perfect game bid.

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Cubs’ Drew Smyly lost a perfect game in the 8th inning because his catcher tackled him

This is a heartbreaking way to lose a perfect game.

Perfect games are some of the rarest feats in baseball, something that hasn’t happened in the majors since 2012.

Back then, it was Felix Hernandez throwing a perfect game for the Mariners, and it was just the 23rd ever in MLB history. Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly nearly threw the 24th on Friday.

Smyly had a perfect game going against the Los Angeles Dodgers all the way into the eighth inning, needing just six more outs to get there. With pinch-hitter David Peralta leading off, Smyly induced a slow dribbler up the third-base line for what appeared to be a tough but routine first out.

Instead, it turned into disaster.

Oh my goodness, that is tough. Smyly lost his perfect game on a weak single with an exit velocity of just 32.9 miles per hour, all because his catcher accidentally tackled him.

It’s hard to fault anyone because both Smyly and catcher Yan Gomes were going hard to make a play. There was just miscommunication on who was going to get the ball, and that was all she wrote.

Maybe neither player would’ve made the play, but I’m sure Smyly would have appreciated a try at it. After the hit, he got two more outs before being pulled with a solid line that included no walks, no runs allowed and just that one hit. He was so close.

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Former Razorback gets start in “Field of Dreams” game

The Chicago Cubs will go to former Razorback Drew Smyly on the mound as they face the Cincinnati Reds in the “Field of Dreams” game Thursday night.

Two Major League Baseball clubs will play a game on Thursday night in… Iowa?

The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will open a three-game series on Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa, with the first game being on the site of the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.”

As the Cubs take the field, they will turn to former Razorback, LHP [autotag]Drew Smyly[/autotag] on the mound to go to battle with the Reds. Smyly, in 14 starts this season, holds a record of 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 65.2 innings pitched.

Last season, he became the fifth former Razorback to win a World Series, as he was a member of the Atlanta Braves’ championship club in 2021. He joins [autotag]Andrew Benintendi[/autotag], [autotag]Dallas Keuchel[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Hinske[/autotag], and [autotag]Dick Hughes[/autotag] as those who accomplished that feat.

On the other side, Arkansas will also be represented on the Cincinnati Reds. Second baseman [autotag]Matt Reynolds[/autotag] is currently on the 40-man roster for the Reds, and has recorded three home runs and 18 RBI. Reynolds was a part of Arkansas’ roster from 2010-12, and was a teammate of Smyly’s for one season in 2010.

The Cubs and Reds meet in the “Field of Dreams” game Thursday night at 6:15 p.m. CT on FOX.

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7 best bets on the Field of Dreams Game between the Cubs and Reds (fade the NRFI)

Two bad teams, one grand stage and plenty of opportunities to cash some bets.

Baseball is back in Iowa.

The 2022 MLB Field of Dreams Game—easily one of the coolest things the league has done in decades—is ready to play ball in the middle of the cornfields once again. After an epic inaugural event between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees ended with Tim Anderson’s storybook walk-off homer, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will try to provide the elusive Hollywood sequel that proves better than the original.

It won’t be easy. The Cubs (-1.5) and Reds (-115 ML) are each 20 games under .500. The name recognition among players on either side is relatively minimal compared to last year’s game.

Still, the spectacle of it all will be hard to turn away from. And if we’re going to watch this game, we’re certainly going to bet on it.

Here are seven of the wagers we feel most confident on. Best of luck tailing.

Odds via Tipico

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