TWiB Notes - Week of Aug 6-12

[Frayed Knot]

So Tuesday night, the Red Sox got shut down for 7 innings by Toronto starter Marcus Stroman [1 R, 2 H], got only 4.2 out of their own starter Pomeranz, needed 7 hurlers to finish the game, got a blown save opp out of Kimbrel, and got out-hit 13-9 for the game.
Eh, no problem, they'll just score 4 in the 8th then 5 more in the 10th so that, even though the Jays scored in every inning (5 runs total) from the 7th thru the 10th innings, the Sox won going away (10-7) for their [u:2i014r1y]80th[/u:2i014r1y] win of the year against 34 losses.

They're currently on a pace for 114 wins.

[Guest 41Forever]

Big news in Seattle: King Felix is headed to the bullpen.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-undecided-if-felix-hernandez-will-make-his-scheduled-start-on-sunday/

[smg58]

The Phillies get Justin Bour from the Marlins for a C-grade prospect.

The Phillies get bench depth for approximately nothing. The Marlins trade a guy who had a .902 OPS last year, and would probably cost less than $6M after arbitration next season, for approximately nothing. Hell, I'd have made this deal (the Mets would have had waiver priority over the Phillies but didn't put in a claim). If Alonso is ready in the spring, we could simply move Bour along for a profit (which would not be hard).

The good news is we are not the worst-run organization in baseball.

[Frayed Knot]

LAD closer Kenley Jansen to the DL for "about a month" after being hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat.
Dodgers currently in a dead heat in the NL West with Arizona


Mike Trout also DL'd after sitting the last four or five games.
That could have an effect on his MVP run: 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th so far in his six ML seasons (and in that "down" 4th year he still led the league in OPS)

[Frayed Knot]

smg58 wrote: The Phillies get Justin Bour from the Marlins for a C-grade prospect.

Not true. It's Justin Bour and cash for a grade C prospect.

It's lefty starter McKenzie Valentine Mills (cool name anyhow) -- 22 y/o, currently pitching in high-A.
Was originally drafted by Washington so he'll be hurling for his third NL East org in the last 12 months Plus he's from Marietta, Georgia so there's a rule that the Braves get to claim him at some point
if he ever gets good.

Other than that, can't find out much about him so far. Definitely a strange move on the surface. Kind of an off year for Bour but good OBA despite his .227 BA and 19 HRs
I guess the only downside is that he's already 30 y/o despite having only 3+ years of ML service coming into 2018, but of course that also means two more years of team control.

[Frayed Knot]

I have no idea who Ronald Guzman is for the Rangers, but he's got 3 HRs vs the Yanx in the Bronx tonight ... and now as I type he K's in the 8th so that's probably his final AB

[Ceetar]

Baltimore about to be eliminated from the AL East. It's August 10th.

[Edgy MD]

The A's fans thought they had seen some arm porn with Yoenis Céspedes. Check out Ramón Laureano.

[youtube:u2doejrl]pEqupc0s9DY[/youtube:u2doejrl]

Ex-Met Eric Young, Jr. playing the hapless victim.

[Frayed Knot]

You think we make the least of our chances?
The Brewers out-hit the Braves 19 to 9 - plus get 4 BB and 2 Atlanta errors - yet lose the game 8-7
4-for-14 w/RiSP will kill a bunch of chances as did getting Ryan Braun to ground into a bases-loaded/tie-game/one-out GiDP in the 7th



Mariners completed a four game sweep vs Houston
Astros now just 3.0 games ahead of Oakland (who are winning as I type) and 4.0 up on Seattle, a gap which was obviously 8 full games at the start of the weekend.

[Frayed Knot]

Nationals rode seven innings of Scherzer schut-out ball at Wrigley to a 1-0 lead, then got two all important insurance runs in the top of the 9th ... but it wasn't enough.
Cubs load the bases on Ryan Madson without ever getting a ball out of the infield (IF single + 2 HBPs) before rookie David Bote (I don't even know how to pronounce that) hits a 2-out/walk-off Grand-Slam!!
Ooooh that one's gonna leave a mark.

Tough day on Sunday for would-be contenders Nats, Brews, and also the Dodgers who got walked-off by the Rox who are hot on their heels.