Surprise! Moisés Ballesteros' parents travel from Venezuela and see son make his MLB debut
Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — The parents of Moises Ballesteros traveled from Venezuela thinking they were going to see their son play for the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa.
Instead, the 21-year-old catcher was called up by the Cubs after Ian Happ was put on the 10-day injured list, and the Ballesteros' family was able to attend Moisés' MLB debut on Tuesday night.
While Ballesteros had a lackluster 0-for-4 outing in his first big league game, Chicago did manage to pull out a 5-4, walk-off victory over the Miami Marlins.
After the game, Ballesteros said he was anxious and that his nerves got the better of him, but that he was trying to 'give it his best' every time he was at the plate with his family making their first trip to the U.S.
'My parents had never watched me play in person as a professional,' Ballesteros said. 'To have them be here at my first professional game, I was trying to just make them proud and go out there and give it my best. We're going to move on to tomorrow, but it was really special.'
Ballesteros earned the start as a designated hitter. In his final at-bat, with runners on first and second in the ninth inning, Ballesteros grounded into a fielder's choice and beat out the throw to reach base safely. The play also advanced Carson Kelly to third base, a crucial part of the Cubs' three-run ninth comeback.
Per MLB Pipeline, Ballesteros was the Cubs' No. 4 prospect and the No. 8 catching prospect in the minors.
Ballesteros' first major league game was an exciting one, he said, and he reiterated how great it felt that his team was able to come together for the win.
While he is still looking for his first big league hit, he did get his first MLB game out of the way. Now, Ballesteros will focus his opportunities moving forward.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Can the inexperienced Cristian Chivu's playing success translate to the dugout at Inter Milan?
Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan appointed Cristian Chivu as coach on Monday despite his relative inexperience, and he will hope to be as successful as he was in his playing career with the Nerazzurri. The 44-year-old Romanian replaces Simone Inzaghi, who resigned last Tuesday and took charge of Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal the following day. 'FC Internazionale Milano is pleased to welcome Cristian Chivu as the new head coach of the first team,' the club said. 'The coach has signed a contract with Inter until 30 June 2027.' The appointment was announced by the Champions League runner-up just hours after Serie A rival Parma agreed to terminate Chivu's contract. Italian media reports that Chivu will earn 2.5 million euros ($2.9 million) a season. Al-Hilal lured Inzaghi with an offer of reportedly more than 20 million euros ($23 million) per season. Chivu has overseen only 13 matches in Serie A, securing safety with Parma after being given his first senior coaching position in February. Parma was in a dire position when it turned to Chivu, having lost four straight matches and sitting 18th in the 20-team league. Chivu swiftly turned things around and only lost three of his 13 matches in charge, recording impressive results against eventual champion Napoli, Juventus, Atalanta and Inter itself. He had spent the previous seven years in charge of various youth teams at Inter, where he ended his playing career in 2014. The former Romania defender was part of Inter's famous treble-winning team in 2010, lifting the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup trophies. He also helped the Nerazzurri to another two Serie A titles among the nine trophies amassed during his seven years at the club. Chivu will not have much time to settle, with Inter scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Wednesday for the Club World Cup. It opens up against Monterrey on June 17 and also plays Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate in the group stage. Inzaghi had spent four seasons at Inter. His final match in charge was the 5-0 rout by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final at the end of last month. The 49-year-old Inzaghi coached Inter to the Serie A title last year and was also in charge when the club lost the 2023 Champions League final to Manchester City. __ AP soccer: in this topic
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sports betting roundup: Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals each at 1-1 headed into Game 3s
Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand (63) scores the winning goal against Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Leon Draisaitl (29) watches during the second overtime period in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Friday, June 6, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) The Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals have each played two games, and both series are knotted at a game apiece. In the NHL, the Panthers won a double-overtime game Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers to tie that series at 1-1 heading into Monday's Game 3 in Florida. Both games have gone to overtime. Advertisement In the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from a Game 1 loss to even the series against the Indiana Pacers. Game 3 in that series is Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Trends of the Week After losing Game 1 to Indiana, Oklahoma City was an 11.5-point favorite in Game 2, and they comfortably covered, winning 123-107. At the BetMGM sportsbook, the Thunder took in 70% of the money, but only 37% of the bets. Since 2005, teams to lose as double-digit favorites in the NBA playoffs and be favored by 10 or more points in the next game are now 5-2 against the spread. Oklahoma City ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run to lead 26-20 after 12 minutes. This allowed the 4.5-point first quarter spread to cash, with 91% of the money coming in on the Thunder. Advertisement Following Edmonton taking Game 1 against Florida, the Oilers were -235 to win the Stanley Cup. Now, with Florida winning Game 2, Florida is a slight favorite to win at -115, with Edmonton coming in at -105. Upset of the Week At the French Open, Coco Gauff (+185) upset Aryna Sabalenka to win the women's title. Only 29% of the money was on Gauff to win. On the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz came back from two sets down against Jannik Sinner to win a second straight French Open title. Alcaraz was +5000 live when he was down to sets. Ryan Fox won for the second time on the PGA Tour this season at the RBC Canadian Open. Fox beat Sam Burns on the fourth playoff hole after both players finished the event at 18 under. He was +5500 in pre-tournament winner betting, and took in only 0.8% of the bets and 1.7% of the money. Advertisement Coming Up NFL minicamps get underway this week and the Philadelphia Eagles remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl at +650. The Eagles are followed by the Baltimore Ravens at +700, the Buffalo Bills at +750 and the Kansas City Chiefs at +800. The Detroit Lions round out the top five at +1000. ___ This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM online sportsbook. ___ AP sports:
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
MLB Could Limit Playoff Viewers With Apple TV+ Deal: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Major League Baseball is enjoying strong growth this year, though a major aspect of the near future is in doubt. After ESPN announced it would be ending its partnership with MLB three years early, questions about how commissioner Rob Manfred would make up that revenue going forward have risen. "Major League Baseball is off to its best start in years," according to Lucas Shaw and Hannah Miller of Bloomberg, who reported that ESPN, TBS and Fox are all enjoying double-digit viewership lifts this year, while game attendance hit a seven-year high in 2024. "And yet, the league is scrambling to find a buyer for a major TV package that includes 30 regular season games, the Home Run Derby, the Wild Card playoff round and up to 10 spring training games." Without ESPN, MLB is left to scramble for a new partner to broadcast some of its most popular events, particularly the wild card playoff round. And it might have found that new partner in a broadcaster whose reach is not nearly as wide as ESPN's. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Rob Manfred, Commissioner, Major League Baseball speaks onstage during the Growing the Game panel, at the Fortune Global Forum on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Rob Manfred, Commissioner, Major League Baseball speaks onstage during the Growing the Game panel, at the Fortune Global Forum on November 11, 2024 in New York City. (Photo byfor Fortune Media) More Countess/Getty "Major League Baseball is close to announcing a new TV deal for the package that ESPN opted out of from 2026-2028, and a source indicates that Apple TV+ is currently the highest bidder," per Boston Red Sox reporter Sean McAdam of MassLive. "Baseball is, like most sports, out to make a deal for the most revenue possible, but if MLB puts an entire round of its postseason on a streaming service with just 45 million subscribers, it deserves all the grief it's going to catch." MLB and Apple TV+ recently partnered on a "Friday Night Baseball" package that gives the streamer exclusive rights to high-profile matchups each week. Those broadcasts can frustrate fans of the involved teams as they require a subscription to watch. But as Manfred seeks a profitable replacement for ESPN, he seems likely to move the package to whichever partner makes the highest offer. Soon, that could mean some of baseball fans' favorite moments will require a new subscription. More MLB: Phillies 'Bench Bat' Becomes One of Team's Best Pitchers Amid Downward Skid
