Toonstruck 1 » Jason Vargas never talks to fans

WILLIAMSPORT Darin Erstad Jersey , Pa. (AP) — from the on-deck circle, just like major league teams never line up after a game and shake hands.Put a big league game in a tiny park full of 11 and 12 year olds, though, and those kinds of customs get tossed aside.Amed Rosario had three hits and drove in three runs, and the New York Mets went from cheering on players in the Little League World Series to impressing the youngsters in an 8-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night.Jeff McNeil added a two-run single to back Vargas (3-8) as the Mets claimed the second Little League Classic and prevented the Phillies from moving into first place in the NL East. Philadelphia dropped into a three-way tie for the top NL wild card.“I had some cool interactions with the kids,” Vargas said of his in-game dialogue. “They were having a great time.”Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer for the Phillies, but Nick Pivetta (7-10) allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings in Philadelphia’s seventh loss in 11 games.After the final out, players lined up across the diamond for a postgame tradition for kids that’s never seen in the majors.“I thought the handshaking gesture was huge,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s something I experienced for the first time since I was in Little League.”Players and families from the 16 teams competing in the nearby LLWS packed into 2,500-seat Bowman Field, the 92-year-old home of the Phillies’ Class A affiliate in the New York-Penn League.And the spotlight shined on New York’s Todd Frazier and Michael Conforto and Philadelphia’s Scott Kingery, who are among 54 players who reached the majors after playing in the LLWS.“Pretty surreal because I walked into the dugout and they were getting ready to play a game and one of them was like, ‘Whoa, that’s Scott Kingery!'” said the rookie infielder, who doubled in the fifth. “That’s crazy, because I remember when I was sitting in that dugout.”Frazier, who sparked a four-run second with a leadoff single, helped Toms River, New Jersey, win the 1998 title when he led off the game with a home run and struck out the final batter.“It’s been a long day http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-upton-jersey , but well worth it,” said Frazier, who hadn’t been back to Williamsport since 1999. “I kept telling these kids, let it all sink in.”The Mets built a 6-0 lead in the fourth to take the five-game series and improve to 8-5 against the Phillies, who dropped a half-game behind division-leading Atlanta.The teams flew 185 miles Sunday morning from Philadelphia, where the first four games were played. They were met by youth players at the airport, then bused to the Little League complex.“We were driving through the city and people were coming out of their homes and waving to us,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.While watching the kids play, Mets ace Jacob deGrom interviewed some for TV. Santana took selfies with the youngsters. Phillies outfielder Rhys Hoskins chased down Little Leaguer and internet sensation Alfred “Big Al” Delia.“We share a common love, hitting dingers,” Hoskins said.Hoskins narrowly missed homering with a long foul in the third and a single off the wall in the sixth against Vargas, who entered with an 8.10 ERA.Santana followed with his 18th homer, and Vargas was lifted after allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.Rosario had a two-run single in the second, chased Pivetta with a single in the fourth and added a sixth-inning RBI single.The Little League teams were introduced, in full uniform, before the game. They danced between innings, ate plenty of ice cream and watched the lowly Mets collect 14 hits.“Some of them are stepping into America for the first time ever and they get to see a Major League Baseball game. I think that’s pretty cool,” Frazier said. “And that one kid who’s never been here before, you want to show them the right way to play and how exciting it is and how great it is.”NEXT YEARCommissioner Rob Manfred announced the Cubs will face the Pirates in next year’s Williamsport game on Aug. 18.HAPPY ADDITIONSTwo of the more excited players were Phillies C Andrew Knapp and Mets 1B Dominic Smith, who were recalled from the minors. Each team could add a 26th player because it was a neutral site game.“A tremendous experience Shohei Ohtani Jersey ,” said Smith, who had an RBI double in the eighth.Knapp purchased a West regional Little League cap. The California native fell a couple wins shy of reaching LLWS when he was a kid.“I didn’t get one when I was 11, so I had to get one now,” he said.TRAINER’S ROOMMets: Brandon Nimmo (left index finger) was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. … 3B David Wright (shoulder, back) ended an 0-for-14 rehab skid by going 2 for 3 for Class A St. Lucie while playing five innings in the field. … OF Jay Bruce (left hip) went 2 for 5 as the DH for St. Lucie.Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (right lat) allowed one run and three hits in 4 2/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.UP NEXTMets: RHP Zack Wheeler (8-6, 3.75 ERA) opposes San Francisco LHP Derek Holland (6-8, 3.83) on Monday night in New York.Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (8-9, 4.13) faces Nationals RHP Tanner Roark on Tuesday night to open a three-game series at Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt changed his lineup after arriving at Nationals Park, dropping catcher Yadier Molina from second to sixth.Molina responded with a grand slam, Marcell Ozuna homered twice and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 11-8 on Tuesday night.Molina’s sixth career grand slam provided a cushion for St. Louis, making it 11-5 with two outs in the ninth.“It did work out. We were happy with it,” Shildt said. “Just thinking about different ways as the lineup has looked the last couple of days, maybe lengthening it out, spreading some things out a little bit.”The Cardinals, who occupy the second NL wild card spot, hit five homers overall as they stopped a three-game skid.Right fielder Yairo Munoz robbed Ryan Zimmerman of a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, reaching over the fence and pulling it back into the field of play for a two-run double.Tyson Ross (8-9) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win and Jordan Hicks got the final out for his sixth save in 11 chances.Ozuna and Paul DeJong homered leading off the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie, and one out later, Patrick Wisdom went deep to make it 7-4.Making his second major league appearance, reliever Austen Williams (0-1) gave up all three of those homers. He allowed none in 68 innings this season in Double-A and Triple-A.“There’s just things that I might be able to do in the minor leagues that I can’t here Brandon Phillips Jersey ,” Williams said. “I need to trust my breaking ball more and just try and be better with two strikes if I want to throw a fastball.”The 4-hour, 10-minute game included 16 walks and 20 strikeouts. St. Louis pitchers walked 11.“The walks are concerning. That’s 11, 10 yesterday and eight the day before,” Shildt said. “It’s actually kind of impressive. … We’ve had a real opportunity to win all the last three games.”Wilmer Difo homered and Bryce Harper had a double and three walks in five plate appearances for the Nationals, who fell one game below .500 after relievers Williams and Solis combined to give up seven runs.“They are going to get an opportunity to pitch, so they got to realize if they want to pitch here they got to get outs,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I can’t keep using the same guys every single day.”Ozuna led off the second with his 17th homer, and Matt Carpenter capped the inning with a two-run single that made it 4-0.Washington rallied in the fifth when Zimmerman led off with a grounder to second that second baseman Munoz misplayed for an error. Harper later drove in two with his bases-loaded double, and Trea Turner and Juan Soto drew bases-loaded walks.Erick Fedde allowed four runs in five innings. John Gant of St. Louis allowed three unearned runs in 4 1/3 innings.WALK OUTSt. Louis picked up a first-inning out when Harper walked on a 3-2 pitch with Turner running from first. Despite the walk, catcher Molina threw to Munoz. The Cardinals appealed the play, and upon review Turner was called out. Though entitled to second base via Harper’s walk, Turner slid past the bag and was tagged out.ROSTER MOVESThe Nationals recalled a top prospect, OF Victor Robles, from Triple-A Syracuse along with INF Adrian Sanchez and RHP Austin Voth and selected the contract of RHP Kyle McGowin from Syracuse. Robles flied out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Washington reinstated Fedde and RHP Joe Ross from the 60-day disabled list and activated LHP Tommy Milone from the 10-day DL. Milone was then assigned outright to Syracuse.TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: Manager Mike Shildt said 2B Kolten Wong (left hamstring strain) will be activated Wednesday.Nationals: LHP Sean Doolittle (left toe inflammation) will throw another simulated game Wednesday. “His (velocity) was a little down in the last one so we just want to make sure he’s not tinkering with his mechanics or anything like that,” Martinez said. … RHP Jefry Rodriguez will move to the bullpen to limit his innings and Ross will start Friday against the Cubs.UP NEXTCardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (13-4, 2.96 ERA), who was originally listed as Tuesday’s starter, will instead go in Wednesday’s finale. He gave up four runs in seven innings to Washington on Aug. 13.Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (8-14, 2.96 ERA) makes the second home start of his career against the Cardinals.