But it didn’t bring the Nats good luck.
It was actually praying for some Phillies runs
Victor Robles had a companion patrolling center field with him during the ninth inning of Monday’s Nationals–Phillies game.
Robles was sitting in the dugout in the bottom of the eighth when a praying mantis took up residence on top of his hat and stayed there even after Robles jogged out to take his place in center for the ninth.
He might have been unaware of the bug’s presence at first but as the inning wore on, Robles began interacting with his new buddy. After Luke Williams struck out, Robles signaled to his fellow outfielders, and then to the mantis, that there was one away.
The mantis was not good luck, though. Washington led 3–2 heading into the ninth and allowed the Phillies to score five runs on its way to a 7–5 loss. But even with all that action over the course of a long inning, the mantis never left its perch on top of Robles. When he jogged back to the dugout after the third out, it was still there.
Who can blame Robles for wanting to make a new friend? He must be a little lonely after the Nats traded away so many of his teammates at the deadline.
Who wants free stuff?
It’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway, and I’ve got a good one today. It seems like readers love when I give away food and drinks, so I’ve got both this time.
First is ShineWater, a beverage that contains 100% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin D, in addition to other vitamins, minerals and electrolytes.
The other product is Fillo’s, which makes shelf-stable Latin American cuisine. Its 10 varieties include dishes from Peru, Puerto Rico, Cuba and more.
Three readers will win sample packs of both products (two 12-bottle variety packs of ShineWater and one 10-pack sampler of Fillo’s). Here’s how to win:
- Go back to Monday’s Hot Clicks
- Find the name of the announcer who had his tribute to his uncle interrupted by a home run
- Send me an email (dan.gartland@si.com) with the exact subject line August giveaway and put the announcer’s name in the body
- The 10th, 25th and 50th people to email me following those instructions with the right response will win
The best of SI
Kevin Durant came to the rescue to lead the U.S. past Spain and into the semifinals. ... Grading Lonzo Ball’s deal with the Bulls. ... Follow along here for all the latest NBA news as the free agency frenzy begins.
Around the sports world
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, the top football recruit in the country, is skipping his final high school season and will enroll at Ohio State in time for this season. ... Louisville will build a statue in honor of Lamar Jackson outside Cardinal Stadium. ... The Olympic men’s golf tournament puts prize money for medals in perspective.
He broke the 29-year-old record last month and went even faster this time
Nats-Phillies wasn’t the only game with an unexpected visitor
Sometimes you need to plug a guy’s podcast if you want the scoop
The Giants are led by a high school coach
Gus Johnson and Aqib Talib will be an electric pairing
Not sports
A Canadian man is on trial for refusing to quarantine after returning from a Flat Earth conference in the U.S. ... Authorities in Utah are begging people to stop stringing their hammocks between power lines. ... Travis Scott’s film production company has signed a deal with A24.
CGI has come a long way since the original movies
A good song
Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.