Report: Marlins’ Game vs. Orioles Canceled Amid COVID-19 Outbreak Within Team

A foul ball that was hit into the stands sits on the ground of an empty stadium during the eight inning of a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Philadelphia. The Marlins won 11-6. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Less than a week into the 2020 MLB season, a COVID-19 outbreak among Miami Marlins players and staff has resulted in the cancellation of their home opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported eight more players and two coaches have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the team’s total to at least 14.

The team remains in Philadelphia, where it will undergo further testing. Players and coaches who tested positive will be placed into quarantine until they have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

According to Jayson Stark and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “there are no specific standards within the health and safety protocols that trigger the shutdown of a team or all teams. That decision is solely in the hands of commissioner Rob Manfred.”

The commissioner had the power to suspend or cancel the 2020 season, should an outbreak create a disruption in competitive balance. 

The Phillies are scheduled to host the New York Yankees on Monday. There has been no word on the status of that game, which is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Yankees would be using the same dugout and clubhouse as the Marlins. It is also unclear if Phillies players will have to undergo a new round of testing after being in close quarters with Marlins players since their series opener on Friday.

While the swiftness of the outbreak may come as a surprise, MLB’s plan for the 2020 season always carried significant risks. By allowing players to travel by air, stay in hotels and interact with the general public—to essentially move forward as if this were a normal season—MLB was all but guaranteeing several employees would test positive throughout the year.

The Marlins’ outbreak provides a stark contrast to what is being done by the NBA, which has seen zero positive tests among players since sequestering them in a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida. 

MLB’s rapid descent from Opening Day joy to fear of an outbreak canceling the season may also provide a harrowing example for the NFL, which is also planning its 2020 season without a so-called bubble. 

This content was originally published here.

Red Sox Wrap: Boston Wallops Orioles On Opening Day To Tune Of 13-2 Victory | Red Sox Wrap | NESN.com

You really couldn’t have drawn up a much better Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox.

Thanks in large part to a four-run third inning and six-run fourth, the Red Sox pummeled the Baltimore Orioles for a 13-2 victory on Friday at Fenway Park.

Nathan Eovaldi — who was making his first career Opening Day start with Eduardo Rodriguez unavailable — dazzled in a six-inning, one-run outing while each Sox player in the starting lineup got on base and scored at least once.

The Red Sox climbed to 1-0 with the win, while the Orioles fell to 0-1 with the loss.

Here’s how it went down:

GAME IN A WORD
Promising.

The bats were alive. Eovaldi was sharp. The bullpen was mostly fine. If you’re a Red Sox fan, this is exactly what you want to see.

ON THE BUMP
— Eovaldi going on a dominant run like he’s known to do will go a long way in the Red Sox making a push for the postseason in 2020, and Friday most certainly was a step in the right direction. The hard-throwing righty began his night with a 100 mph heater, and from there allowed just one run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk over six innings, using 89 pitches to get through his night.

The 30-year-old began his night with a 1-2-3 first inning, and though he would allow a runner to reach in each ensuing inning, he didn’t really wander into any trouble through five.

The Orioles didn’t bring in their first run until the sixth, when Anthony Santander scored from second on a Renato Nunez two-out double. Eovaldi responded by striking out Chris Davis on three pitches to end his night.

Yep, still nasty. pic.twitter.com/jiKcLWuKAl

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 25, 2020

— Austin Brice took over in the seventh inning and allowed a one-out homer to Rio Ruiz before punching out the next two hitters.

— Phillips Valdez handled the eighth, and after hitting a batter to begin the frame, he forced a double play and induced a fly out for a scoreless inning.

Valdez returned and hit one batter in a hitless, scoreless ninth.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— It took the Red Sox’s bats a few innings to get going, but when they came alive they did so in a big way, beginning with a four-run third.

Jose Peraza and Jackie Bradley Jr. began the stanza with back-to-back doubles to score the game’s first run.

After Andrew Benintendi struck out, J.D. Martinez brought home his first RBI of the night with a two-bagger down the left field line to score Peraza.

With two down and runners in scoring position, Kevin Pillar roped a double of his own to score both and make it 4-0.

First 4 hits of 2020…
All doubles! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/KNqU6CPi5f

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 25, 2020

— That only was the beginning though, as the Red Sox offense would return for the fourth and put up six.

Michael Chavis and Bradley Jr. began the inning with back-to-back walks, then a Peraza single loaded the bases. Benintendi would work a walk to bring in the fifth run of the game, and Martinez proceeded to rip another double.

With one down, Xander Bogaerts, Pillar and Christian Vazquez would hit three consecutive RBI singles to further Boston’s advantage to 10 before Baltimore escaped the inning.

— After a scoreless fifth, the Red Sox resumed scoring in the sixth.

Pillar singled with one out, then moved to third the next at-bat on a Vazquez ground rule double. With two outs, Bradley Jr. smacked a double off the Green Monster to plate both and stretch the host’s lead to 12-1.

Peraza then did the same thing, doubling off the Monster to score Bradley Jr. for the 13th run.

— Peraza had four hits.

— Martinez, Bradley Jr., and Pillar each had three hits.

— Vazquez had a pair of hits.

— Bogaerts and Tzu-Wei Lin had one hit apiece.

— Benintendi, Chavis and Devers went hitless, as did Jonathan Arauz in his lone at-bat.

TWEET OF THE DAY
Correct.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Orioles will play the middle contest of their three-game set Saturday afternoon. Martin Perez is set to get the ball for the Sox and will be opposed by Alex Cobb. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 1:35 p.m. ET.

This content was originally published here.