Morning Mound Visit: Wander Franco homers, doubles in major league debut

Franco wastes no time; Sinkers are good, actually; The Cardinals deadline plans

Jared Ward | DRays Bay: Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a three-run homer in his major league debut. Franco didn’t just have a big night at the plate. He also made a nice play at third, starting a double play. Franco’s big night wasn’t enough for the Rays, however, as they fell to the Red Sox 9-5 in extra innings.

Justin Choi | FanGraphs: One recent trend sees pitchers ditching their sinkers in favor of high-spin fastballs they can throw across the letters. Sinker usage is lower than it’s ever been, but that doesn’t mean it’s a worthless pitch. The sinkers that are being thrown are better than they’ve been.

Blake Newberry | Viva El Birdos: The Cardinals are looking up at the Brewers and Cubs in the NL Central, and St. Louis’s rotation is a big reason why the team has underperformed. The trade deadline is a little over a month away, and it’s never too early to make plans. If the Cardinals are to make a playoff push, they’ll need to target starting pitching.

Quick Hits

The Reds won a back-and-forth contest against the Twins on a three-run homer from Tyler Naquin.

Wander Franco’s first hit as a big leaguer left the yard.

Sergio Romo proved he has nothing to hide.