MLB 2018: let the games begin!

[ghost of miles]

1 minute ago, Dan Gould said:

These are two different issues. Throwing in to try to back someone off the plate is completely different from throwing at someone with intent, because the rest of the starting staff can't keep him in the yard.

Lame. Stupid. Pathetic. 

And completely different.

I'm with Dan on this one.  I don't really follow the Braves or Marlins, so when the buzz about this incident began last night online, I assumed it had to have been retaliation for the Braves throwing at or hitting a Marlins batter... but beaning a guy because he's been hitting homers off you?   "Lame. Stupid. Pathetic" sums it up quite nicely.

[paul secor]

Jose Urena, the Marlin pitcher, is tied for the league lead in hit batters, with 11. Last year, he tied for the league lead with 13. Looks as if opposing pitchers need to protect their teammates by going after him. I don't like to see something like that happen, but sometimes things need to be done. If the league won't protect players, their teammates might have to.

[Brad]

1 hour ago, paul secor said:

Jose Urena, the Marlin pitcher, is tied for the league lead in hit batters, with 11. Last year, he tied for the league lead with 13. Looks as if opposing pitchers need to protect their teammates by going after him. I don't like to see something like that happen, but sometimes things need to be done. If the league won't protect players, their teammates might have to.

Exactly, that is what you have to do. Those are the unwritten laws of the game. The Braves need to protect Acuña and I’m sure the Marlins would expect retribution the next time they play. The trouble is that the umpires will probably issue a warning and take it out of the hands of the players. 

2 hours ago, paul secor said:

I agree with you in theory, but I think that there are a lot of young pitchers today who don't have the control to throw inside without hitting and injuring a player.

I’m not sure I completely agree but be that as it may it’s a foreign concept too many pitchers. 

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

These are two different issues. Throwing in to try to back someone off the plate is completely different from throwing at someone with intent, because the rest of the starting staff can't keep him in the yard.

Lame. Stupid. Pathetic. 

And completely different.

Not at all.  It’s a question of not letting the batter feel comfortable. I don’t encourage head hunting but hitting someone in the backside can be effective.  Pedro was good at this. He used to hit people and also back them off the plate. Sometimes, the thought that you might get hit can be just as effective as the real thing. 

[Dan Gould]

Well that's a crusher for the Yankees. Lose the series to the Rays at home, 3-1 after:

Stanton home run that would have made it 3-2 in the eighth is ruled a double (and on an old fashioned umpire conference, and clearly the right call)

bases loaded nobody out in the 9th, I switch tabs and resume work, and the next thing I know Rays set the Yanks down on a foul pop and two strikeouts.  

10.5 games now.  27-25 vs the East, when the Red Sox are 43-15.  That's the difference, and more. Not to mention splitting with the Mets.

[Brad]

I watched the end of the game. Tough one when you have the bases loaded and no one out. 

[Soulstation1]

We’ll see where the Tribe stands next week 

4 games vs the Red Sox 

i predict a 4 game sweep 

[Soulstation1]

triple play

[ghost of miles]

Given the Yankees’ struggles of late, there’s still great pleasure to be taken from a Giancarlo Stanton moonshot:

https://www.mlb.com/video/c-2396342783

Paul O'Neill's always a lively, entertaining, and insightful announcer to listen to as well (I really enjoy hearing him with David Cone and Michael Kay... Ken Singleton's fantastic too for the road games, glad to hear he's coming back for another year).  

Edited August 18, 2018 by ghost of miles

[Dan Gould]

17 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

We’ll see where the Tribe stands next week 

4 games vs the Red Sox 

i predict a 4 game sweep 

Sale pitches Sunday and Bauer is out for 4-6 weeks, so the odds don't favor a sweep.

[ghost of miles]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Sale pitches Sunday and Bauer is out for 4-6 weeks, so the odds don't favor a sweep.

Surely SS meant that the Red Sox would sweep?! 😜 Has anybody swept the Sox this year, even in a shorter three or two game series? In any event, given Boston’s blistering pace of play over the past few weeks (and throughout 2018 in general), even the biggest booster of his/her favorite team would be stepping into the Big Foolhardy with that kind of prediction.

[Dan Gould]

2 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Surely SS meant that the Red Sox would sweep?! 😜 Has anybody swept the Sox this year, even in a shorter three or two game series? In any event, given Boston’s blistering pace of play over the past few weeks (and throughout 2018 in general), even the biggest booster of his/her favorite team would be stepping into the Big Foolhardy with that kind of prediction.

Sale has a terrible career mark against Cleveland. (They collectively OPS .766 against him in 29 starts, so a season's worth of games - easily the worst of all teams with an appreciable number of games-against.) As a comparison the Yankees OPS .544 and the A's are .560, in a little more than half as many games.)

Another way to put it would be that when Sale faces the Indians, he faces 2018 George Springer with every batter.  Or a little better than 2018 Adam Jones, every batter.

Last year I complained bitterly about this when I realized their ace is so pedestrian against a team they are pretty likely to encounter in the playoffs. 

[Dave Garrett]

Bottom of the ninth, tying run for the A's thrown out at home on an incredible highlight-reel defensive play by Correa from the right field foul line. 

Call challenged by the A's, but the home crowd at Oakland Coliseum is pretty quiet when the play gets shown again on the Jumbotron. 

Call overturned by the replay officials in New York, game tied, A's go on to win in extra innings on a walkoff, putting them one game behind the Astros in the AL West (and they may well wind up tied for the division lead if their lead in today's afternoon game holds up).

"Clear and convincing evidence" to overturn an on-the-field call, my ass.

[Aggie87]

5 minutes ago, Dave Garrett said:

Bottom of the ninth, tying run for the A's thrown out at home on an incredible highlight-reel defensive play by Correa from the right field foul line. 

Call challenged by the A's, but the home crowd at Oakland Coliseum is pretty quiet when the play gets shown again on the Jumbotron. 

Call overturned by the replay officials in New York, game tied, A's go on to win in extra innings on a walkoff, putting them one game behind the Astros in the AL West (and they may well wind up tied for the division lead if their lead in today's afternoon game holds up).

"Clear and convincing evidence" to overturn an on-the-field call, my ass.

I watched that last night, and completely agree with you.  BS call.

I hope the Astros bats wake up today (and in general).  It's been tough watching them over the past couple of weeks without Altuve, Correa, and Springer.  Not sure any team could've done any better without their three best players.  Hope Altuve's back soon.

[Dave Garrett]

14 minutes ago, Aggie87 said:

I watched that last night, and completely agree with you.  BS call.

I hope the Astros bats wake up today (and in general).  It's been tough watching them over the past couple of weeks without Altuve, Correa, and Springer.  Not sure any team could've done any better without their three best players.  Hope Altuve's back soon.

I think I read somewhere that Altuve is running and taking batting practice, so if that's the case he should be close to either being activated or a rehab assignment. Fortunately we have Correa and Springer back now, and Correa's return has had an immediate impact.

 

 

[Soulstation1]

Yankees 30 games over .500 and still 10 games outta first 

that’s some crazy $hit 

[Dan Gould]

14 hours ago, Dave Garrett said:

Bottom of the ninth, tying run for the A's thrown out at home on an incredible highlight-reel defensive play by Correa from the right field foul line. 

Call challenged by the A's, but the home crowd at Oakland Coliseum is pretty quiet when the play gets shown again on the Jumbotron. 

Call overturned by the replay officials in New York, game tied, A's go on to win in extra innings on a walkoff, putting them one game behind the Astros in the AL West (and they may well wind up tied for the division lead if their lead in today's afternoon game holds up).

"Clear and convincing evidence" to overturn an on-the-field call, my ass.

Well if he actually tagged him from that position yeah he's obviously out. But the different angles particularly from the infield show that the glove didn't touch him until his hip slid into it at which the point the hand is clearly thru the plate.  Very clear, very convincing.

Also very convincing to my mind is the reaction of the players in this new era. He was jumping up and motioning immediately because he knew. Players who are out on tag plays know.

[Dave Garrett]

13 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Well if he actually tagged him from that position yeah he's obviously out. But the different angles particularly from the infield show that the glove didn't touch him until his hip slid into it at which the point the hand is clearly thru the plate.  Very clear, very convincing.

Also very convincing to my mind is the reaction of the players in this new era. He was jumping up and motioning immediately because he knew. Players who are out on tag plays know.

Fair enough, but the angles I saw replayed during the game were at best iffy, certainly not definitive enough to overturn the call. I believe MLB has a webpage containing information and/or videos related to all plays that are reviewed, but I wasn't able to find it when I went searching for more info about why the call was overturned. 

Astros did indeed wind up losing yesterday to slip into a tie with the A's atop the division, but won decisively this afternoon to maintain a one-game lead. The A's are neck and neck with the Red Sox in terms having the best record over the past 55 or so games. The AL West is gonna be a dogfight - right now there are three teams in it that have won 70 games. Only one team in the entire NL (the Cubs) has 70 wins to date. 

[ghost of miles]

14 hours ago, Dave Garrett said:

 

Astros did indeed wind up losing yesterday to slip into a tie with the A's atop the division, but won decisively this afternoon to maintain a one-game lead. The A's are neck and neck with the Red Sox in terms having the best record over the past 55 or so games. The AL West is gonna be a dogfight - right now there are three teams in it that have won 70 games. Only one team in the entire NL (the Cubs) has 70 wins to date. 

AL West has become a dogfight alright, and there are six teams overall in the AL at 70+ wins. Yankees are 32 games over .500, second-best record in the majors and on track to win 102 games, and yet at both teams’ current rate they’ll end up 12 games behind Boston, on pace to win 114. Most NY fans online seem to prefer Oakland over Houston as a potential WC opponent because they’re wary of facing Verlander in a one-off, but given the way the A’s have come on (and they played both NY and Boston tough early in the season), I think any WC game is going to be a nailbiter. Seattle’s obviously still within striking distance as well, and if NY collapses, you could have an all-AL West WC game. Shades of the NL Central 2015, right?! (Though that really was ridiculous—the teams with the second and third best records in the MLB relegated to a sudden-death playoff game.)

Good Lord—now it looks like Didi Gregorius is headed to the DL. If so, three NY starters will be currently out of commission, though Sanchez is now on rehab. No idea yet of when Judge will return. And Stanton’s been DHing because of hamstring tightness, which has led to the unpleasant spectre of Neil Walker occasionally playing rightfield. (Clint Frazier still trying to come back from a recurrence of concussion issues.) Yet more fodder for why NY is by no means a lock for a WC spot. 

Edited August 20, 2018 by ghost of miles

[Dan Gould]

For the record the A's closed a similar sized gap with the Astros in about exactly the length of time left on the season, and if you look at the schedule (Yanks get Marlins, Orioles, White Sox, Tigers thru Labor Day, while the Sox get Cleveland, Rays on the road, then Marlins and White Sox) the Yankees could tighten the race. Red Sox are so overdue for a slump I am just waiting for any signs. With a chance for a sweep they managed two hits against the Rays and get Kluber today. That can knock a line up backwards.

In short while I am not supposed to, I am welcoming Gregorious' trip to the DL as insurance that the Yankees won't make me sweat even a little bit.

 

[Dan Gould]

Well I will cop to being a tad concerned after they dropped the first two but when I went thru the remaining schedule I assumed a split with Cleveland and that's what we got so I can't be too upset. Hopefully Moreland isn't hurt too bad considering that Holt is back up 3B and 2B and 1B if Devers stays out any longer.

August 23 and sitting at 90 wins. On to the Rays who are really playing pretty well.

[Soulstation1]

Tribe only plays vs one .500 team the rest of the season Boston 

[jlhoots]

Seems like the Cubs win every day by one run!!

[Soulstation1]

Damn Rays swept Boston 

Tribe softened them up 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Soulstation1

[paul secor]

I don't know if the Rays will keep it up, but right now Kevin Cash gets my vote for AL manager of the year.

[ghost of miles]

46 minutes ago, paul secor said:

I don't know if the Rays will keep it up, but right now Kevin Cash gets my vote for AL manager of the year.

They are 8-7 against the Yankees so far and 8-11 against the Red Sox. That’s an awfully good result against the two highest-winning teams in the majors with a combined winning percentage around the .665 mark.

On another note, Didi Gregorius is a joy to watch even when he’s on the DL:

Didi cheers on teammates with smiley sign

Edited August 26, 2018 by ghost of miles