Headline and Homers: Week of July 3rd

Every Friday, we dive into the top headlines surrounding the hometown team and highlight the biggest blast of the week. This edition of "Headlines and Homers" has some interesting tidbits, including an archrival at it again and a big week from the Mariner's Babe Ruth. 

Headline #1: Astros gonna Astro

The Mariners kicked off a critical series with the Houston Astros last night with a 5-1 win. All-star righthander George Kirby spun 6 2/3 of one-run ball, and Eugenio Suarez provided the thunder with two home runs. Still, the real story was Astro's outfielder, Chas McCormick, who seemed to channel his inner Alex Rodriquez. 

Luckily, Ty France wasn't injured. Twitter went nuts as fans across the league ripped the Astro's lack of class and culture. We're not privy to what goes on in that other clubhouse, but a seasoned veteran manager like Dusty Baker probably had some words for McCormick after the game. 

Headline #2: Mariners add two more to MLB All-Star roster

George Kirby and Julio Rodriquez were added to the AL roster for this weekend's MLB All-star game. They are replacing Rays ace Shane McClanahan and Astro's slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Kirby's first all-star nod is well-deserved as he leads the American League in quality starts with 12. Additionally, he has only walked ten batters in 106 2/3 innings. As for Rodriguez, he rode a nuclear month of games in which he hit .398 and became only the fastest Mariner in history to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases. 

Headline #3: Mariners send Flexen, Gott to Big Apple 

President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, has always been bold in making a move, even during a season when the team isn't living up to expectations. Trader Jerry struck up a deal with the New York Mets, another disappointing team sending Chris Flexen and Trevor Gott to the Big Apple. Zach Muckenhim, a Marco Gonzales clone, is the return.

Muckenhim threw his first innings for the Tacoma Rainiers last night and should provide valuable depth as the team manages Bryan Woo's and Bryce Miller's workload. 

Blast of the Week: Bomb by the Bay

The Homer of the Week award must go to Mike Ford. All he did was go out on his birthday and go 4-5 with three extra-base hits. One of those hits was a gigantic blast in San Francisco. 

The 31-year-old first baseman is on a tear of late, ranking in the Top 10 in fWAR since June 24th. He might make looking for a DH at the deadline an afterthought. 

And those are your headlines for an eventful week. Look for a bevy of headlines coming out of the All-star festivities this week as the sports world descends upon Seattle.