MLB Bullets Has All Your Sox News

Tickets for the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Brooklyn this September go on sale today at 10:00 am New York time. If you're in Brooklyn, check out the teams from Israel, Brazil, Great Britain and newcomer Pakistan.

• I always try to lead with the biggest story of the day, so I bring you Paul Lukas breaking down how Stance has become the official sock provider of Major League Baseball and what that means for the hosiery of your favorite ballplayer.
• I kid, but there wasn't one overriding story that I haven't already covered. I guess I could have started with White Sox pitcher Chris Sale losing a game last night. Christina Kahrl looks at what went wrong in Sale's first bad game in a while.
• Phil Rogers thinks Sale will bounce back from this setback. Yeah, I'm not worried.
• Maybe I should have led with Jackie Bradley Jr.'s now 28-game hitting streak. ESPN.com has a tracker if you want to follow that. Or MLB.com will send a notifications to your phone every time Joe DiMaggio, who has been dead for 17 years, gets a hit. Is there a way to turn 65 year-old news off without turning off all notifications from MLB?
• I was not going to lead with Ryan Vogelsong getting hit in the face with a pitch unless I had to, because I hate to bring gruesome violence to you first thing in the morning. Vogelsong goes on the DL with a facial fracture.
• Vogelsong's wife Nicole thanked everyone for the well-wishes and prayer and assures everyone that Ryan will be OK.
• The other story that I was not going to lead with was the continuing difficulties of Matt Harvey, because that's what I led with on Monday. But after Harvey got knocked around by the Nationals yesterday, the Mets are contemplating their next move with their former ace. Just having him continue starting every fifth day and hoping he figures it out doesn't seem to be an option anymore.
• The Mets current ace, Noah Syndergaard, is not only good at getting strikeouts, he's also terrific at getting ground balls. That's a really nasty combination, on top of being able to bring forth rain with a hammer.
• The Mets put first baseman Lucas Duda on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his back. He's expected to miss at least 4-to-6 weeks.
• The agent for James Loney has contacted the Mets to see if they might be interested in the first baseman's services. Loney has been playing for the Padres Triple-A El Paso affiliate since the Rays released him, but he has an out-clause in his contract if someone were to offer him a major league job.
• Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will undergo knee surgery. He's out for the season.
• Cliff Corcoran wonders if Hamilton's career is over.
• Red Sox pitcher Carson Smith will miss the rest of the season after Tommy John surgery.
• Giants outfielder Angel Pagan hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain.
• Jay Jaffe writes that the Giants are showing signs of another season of even-year magic.
• Ken Rosenthal talks to Jeff Samardzija about his big turnaround this year, which is a big reason for the Giants strong start.
• Mike Axisa writes that the Giants need to fix the back half of their starting rotation.
• Tom Verducci thinks it is very unlikely that the Astros will rebound from their poor start this season to make the postseason.
• Clint Barmes retired. Because I know you were wondering.
• David Schoenfield says it's time the Phillies release Ryan Howard. There's someone whose career is over. He just doesn't realize it yet.
• Mark Simon explains how Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco is having an All-Star caliber season so far.
• Andrew Simon has some surprising facts about the MLB season so far, like how Andrew McCutchen has not been one of the Pirates three best outfielders and how Melvin Upton Jr. is now the good Upton brother.
• Will Leitch has ten MLB players off to surprisingly good starts.
• The Orioles traded Brian Matusz to the Braves and sent a draft pick along with him for two non-prospect pitchers. The Braves released Matusz immediately, even before I could complete my order for a Matusz Braves shirsey.
• Dave Cameron looks at the pros and cons of the Orioles essentially selling a draft pick again.
• The Marlins are suing season ticket holders for not renewing their tickets and are locked in legal battles with vendors who went bankrupt at Marlins Park because the crowds were so small. Because the people who own and operate the Marlins are the worst people in the world. Or at least the baseball world.
• Tony Gwynn's family is suing the tobacco industry.
• Craig Calcaterra puts his lawyer's hat back on to make an early judgement on the prospects of the case.
• Andrew Marchand writes that Ivan Nova is a big reason that the Yankees are playing better lately.
• Grant Brisbee thinks that Yankees are the most-interesting team around right now, because of the "buy or sell" dilemma they currently face.
• Francisco Rodriguez became the sixth pitcher to record 400 saves last night.
• This is an interesting piece by Daniel Brim about his first experience going to baseball games in Japan. He enjoyed it.
• You know things are going badly in Minnesota when the Twins players are complaining about what broadcaster Dick Bremer is saying on the air. Whatever happened to Minnesota Nice?
• Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon threw a 54 mph eephus pitch. And got a called strike out of it.
• Joey Votto stomped on a paper airplane on the field at Dodger Stadium, and Dodgers fans booed him for it.
• Trevor Bauer is the master of the live TV videobomb.
• Astros slugger George Springer hit a foul ball at Minute Maid Park that landed in a deep fryer for funnel cakes.
• And finally, are you and your fiancée going to be in California's Central Valley tomorrow? Are you looking for that special place to tie the knot? Look no further. Parker, the mascot for the Fresno Grizzlies, is now an ordained minister and will be marrying couples at the ballpark. Just bring your marriage license and buy two tickets. I'm not sure how Parker is going to officiate a wedding since he doesn't talk, but I'm curious who will take him up on the offer. Also, $2 24-ounce cans of Tecate and Tecate Light for the reception. Or anyone else who shows up.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster