MLB Bullets never wants to know the odds

The Fourth of July should never fall on a Wednesday. It messes up the whole week. If the Fourth is scheduled to fall on a Wednesday, I suggest we add an extra day to June to make it a 31-day month. Then the Fourth will fall on a Thursday. The calendar can get back on track by having just a 30-day July.

• With the Nationals having fallen below .500 this week, things looked like they hit rock bottom when the team fell behind the Marlins, of all teams, 9-0 on Thursday night. But behind two home runs by Trea Turner, including a grand slam, the Nats came back to beat the Marlins 14-12. Turner had eight RBI in this game, which ties an MLB record for a leadoff hitter.
• Here are some more facts from that record-setting Nationals comeback.
• Until the All-Star team rosters are announced, most of the news is not news but rather rumors. The latest trade rumors coming out of Queens is that the Mets are unlikely to trade either Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard.
• There was one actual deal as the Reds traded reliever Dylan Floro to the Dodgers for two minor leaguers.
• Jorge L. Ortiz reports that for the first time in a while, the Athletics could be buyers at the trade deadline this year.
• Thomas Harrigan looks at five second basemen who could be dealt by the end of the month.
• Mike Petriello has some players who aren’t likely to be traded, but there is the reasonable possibility for a surprise deal.
• Whitney McIntosh evaluates the possibility that the Rays trade a starting pitcher to the Yankees.
• The Orioles problems at the trade deadline are compounded by the fact that general manager Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are not likely to be back next season, writes Jerry Crasnick. So they’re going to be expected to make moves for the Orioles future while having no idea who the new people running the team are going to be or what players they like.
• The Orioles have another problem, according to Zach Kram. The O’s are quite possibly the worst defensive team in recent memory.
• Jennifer Langosch looks at the trade needs of each team in the NL Central.
• Speaking of the NL Central, Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler returned from paternity leave and spoke to the press about the comments made by general manager John Mozeliak. Fowler termed the comments that he isn’t giving his full effort “bulls***.” He also declined to say he was happy playing for the Cardinals, although he did say he had the support of all his teammates.
• While Fowler defended his effort, I’m sure even he would admit he’s having a bad season. Jay Jaffe examines what has gone wrong for Fowler this year. He does add that the front office ripping Fowler publicly is pretty stupid.
• Bob Nightengale notes that the pressure is on Cardinals manager Mike Matheny to win or find a new job. Although in typical Nightengale fashion, he falls back on old “the manager can’t be held responsible for the players stinking” argument.
• Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer announced that he should be an All-Star. I hope so, as long as Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole is named to the team as well. That would be fun to see.
• Rian Watt uses Albert Almora Jr. to make a point. Almora is having a great year, Watt admits. He might even finish the season with the highest batting average in the league. But it seems silly to award Almora the “batting title” based on his batting average when no one thinks he’s the best hitter in the National League. Using batting average to determine a “batting champion” is anachronistic. I think most of us would admit that as much as we love Almora, he’s not even the best hitter on the Cubs, let alone the National League. An All-Star? Oh yeah. He should be that.
• Jonah Keri doesn’t list Almora because maybe we should have seen him coming. But Keri does have three players, Matt Kemp, Brandon Nimmo and Eugenio Suarez, who are having surprisingly great seasons.
• Mariners DH Nelson Cruz has a fairly unique way of getting ready for a game: he takes a one-hour nap just before game time. He should go full Lee Smith and nap during games. The problem is that as a DH, he’s likely going to have to bat in the first or second inning, which doesn’t leave much nap time.
• The Dodgers got bad news as first-round pick J.T. Ginn announced he won’t sign and will be going to Mississippi State. Since the start of bonus pools in 2012, just two other first-round picks have turned down signing and went back to school. And one of them was also a Dodgers pick, Kyle Funkhouser. (The other one was Mark Appel.) Two more have failed to sign because they failed their physicals and the teams withdrew their offers.
• Jordan Shusterman looks at the disappearing stolen base.
• Rob Schaefer notices that the LOOGY (left-handed one-out guy) is also disappearing from bullpens. Although Schaefer does note that is in part (although only in part) because everyone in the bullpen seems to be a “one-out guy” these days.
• A roundtable discussion at ESPN.com about the state of the pennant races on Independence Day.
• The Angels announced that they will hold a Pride Night next season, making the Yankees the only team in MLB to have never hosted one.
• Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka became only the second Yankee to homer for each of his first three hits. (Fonzie was the other one.)
• Astros outfielder George Springer made a “ho-hum” throw off the wall in right field to nail a runner trying for a double.
• Rays outfielder Carlos Gomez struck out and hilariously destroyed a few dugout Gatorade coolers.
• Mark Townsend compares Gomez’s meltdown with some of the other great dugout meltdowns of recent history.
• Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp broadcaster Roger Hoover calmly gave the play-by-play of his laptop being destroyed by a foul ball.
• And finally, this LEGO baseball stadium this Canadian fan made needs to be seen to be believed. (Get the whole tour here.)

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.