The GIST's Quick Hits - US (May 6, 2021)

⚾️Baseball: The hurlers are proving the haters wrong. Following up LA Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani’s incredible dual-threat performances, Tuesday saw Atlanta pitcher Huascar Ynoa become the first pitcher to blast a grand slam since 2018. Go off.

• And while some pitchers are getting hits, others aren’t allowing any. Baltimore Oriole John Means no hit the Seattle Mariners yesterday, marking this season’s third no-hitter that also just missed being a perfect game. Close, but no cigar.

🏒Hockey: Here’s a doozy: On Monday, Washington Capitals right winger Tom Wilson who has a history of rough play and subsequent disciplinary action — acted severely outside traditional hockey violence boundaries and went after Rangers’ star Artemiy Panarin, injuring him. Wilson was only issued a slap on the wrist $5,000 fine. Um, WTF?

• In response, the Rangers put out a statement calling for the firing of the NHL’s head of player safety on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, the Rangers made their own firing, abruptly cutting ties with their president and general manager. Didn’t see that coming.

• The teams faced off again in their final meeting of the season last night, and unsurprisingly, things started with a line brawl. The first period alone ended with 20 penalties and Wilson leaving with an upper body injury. Saw that one coming.

⚾️(Minor League) Baseball: Following last year’s COVID-19 cancellation, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) returned on Tuesday, 595 days after the last season ended. Highlights from Opening Day include Tampa Bay Rays prospect (and the No. 1 prospect in baseball) Wander Franco going 3-for-5 in his Triple-A debut, including an RBI triple. What a welcome.

⚽️Soccer Football: USMNT forward Christian Pulisic continues to shine across the pond. His sweet assist in yesterday’s Champions League semifinal helped lift Chelsea to a 2–0 win (3–2 on aggregate) over Real (pronounced REY-al) Madrid. Chelsea is the first club to send their women’s and men’s teams to a Champs League final in the same season. Bloody cool.