The Upper Deck

Welcome to The Upper Deck, Baseball America’s daily look at the biggest stories around the game and some lighter fare.

THAT’S USING THE OL’ NOGGIN’

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Alex Verdugo, the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect, doesn’t need help hitting homers, but he sure got it Tuesday. Verdugo blasted a ball to right field that conked off the head of Reno’s Zach Borenstein and over the fence for a three-run homer. Reno, the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, ended up with a 9-7 win over Oklahoma City.

INFIELD IN?

Hammy, anyone?#WWWWWindians #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/4wE5bR5AxW

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 26, 2017

It was a night of wild plays and long homers, including Edwin Encarnacion’s walk-off grand slam. Encarncion’s shot off the Angels’ Bud Norris soared over a five-player, drawn-in infield to cap the night for the Indians, who had blown a 7-0 lead.

TIE INTO ONE, TAIJUAN

Look again. That’s not the No. 99 you’re used to … #PitchersWhoRake pic.twitter.com/FjLZvosdiN

— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2017

Diamondbacks righthander made like Encarnacion—minus the parrot—with the blast above, his first homer. Walker, who became a dad for the first time this week, celebrated by clubbing a game-tying home run in the fifth inning against the Braves’ Mike Foltynewicz. Despite that bomb, the Braves went on to beat the Diamondbacks 8-3.

RUNNING AROUND

Little. League. Homer.@ynscspds motors all the way around. pic.twitter.com/SvvgEC3XDg

— MLB (@MLB) July 26, 2017

Yoenis Cespedes went the conventional route for a homer and then hit one of the Little League variety in the Mets’ 6-5 win in San Diego. He was awarded a triple on the play and ended up just a single shy of the cycle.

WAHOO STAYS

A post from SABR’s baseball cards committee suggested card company Topps was moving away from using the Chief Wahoo logo on Cleveland Indians card in favor of the block ‘C’ logo.

That is not the case, the trading card giant said.

“Topps has not changed its practice regarding logos on its cards,” a Topps spokesperson wrote in an email to Baseball America. “We continue to use the primary and secondary logos that are determined by MLB and its clubs and show players in whatever uniforms they happen to be wearing. To the extent we show team logos on a free-standing basis, it is generally the then current primary logos of the clubs.”