TWiB Notes: September 3-9

[Edgy MD]

Ron just mentioned that the Sox are 34-8 in their last 42 inter-league match-ups.

The Mets still have them coming up, which is going to throw a real wrench into my grand plan of them winning out every game left in the season.

[Frayed Knot]

So I saw where the Braves, having lost their first two of a home series vs Boston this week, were getting a 2-hitter this afternoon from Foltynewicz and were up big (7-1) after the 6th ... so I stopped paying attention.
Later I pass by a TV in the gym where I see hi-lights of the Sox scoring 6 in the 8th then 2 more in the 9th to complete the sweep.
After the Sox' 6 run 8th, Freddie PH'd a solo HR to put the Bravos back up 8-7 but then 37 y/o Brandon Phreakin' Phillips, called up by Boston for the expanded rosters and playing his first ML game
all year, cracks a long 2-Out/2R HR in top 9 to give them their first and only lead of the game. Kimbrel then closed it out.

The Braves still have a 3.5 game lead but if Philly wasn't 5-11 in their last 16 it would a whole 'nother story up on top of our division.
Braves themselves are just +1 (29-28) since July 1st (Mets are +2) and the mediocrity at the top of the NL East is the reason why the Nats STILL aren't out of it despite conceding more than a month
ago and being -11 since the beginning of June!!

Braves & Philly have seven games remaining in the final weekend of the season and the Braves will be at CitiField for three in between those two series so maybe we can still have some say in
this race (either by winning or by sucking).

[Frayed Knot]

Doctors are recommending TJ surgery for Shohei Ohtani following a diagnosis of further tearing in his ulnar collateral ligament.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Doctors are recommending TJ surgery for Shohei Ohtani following a diagnosis of further tearing in his ulnar collateral ligament.

But impending TJS apparently doesn't stop Ohtani from hitting and he's 2-for-2 including a homer so far tonight during their game in Texas.

[Edgy MD]

That's a shame about Ohtani. It'll be interesting to find out the difference between how long he'll have to rehab before he's allowed to DH, and how long he'll have to rehab before he's allowed to pitch.

Also, since he has options, I guess he can DH with the big league club but go down to the minors every fifth day for a "rehab" appearance, even if it's not a rehab assignment.

The Sox are a disgustingly well-oiled machine right now. There are some good teams out there, but they're surely my bet at this juncture.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Doctors are recommending TJ surgery for Shohei Ohtani following a diagnosis of further tearing in his ulnar collateral ligament. But impending TJS apparently doesn't stop Ohtani from hitting and he's 2-for-2 including a homer so far tonight during their game in Texas.

There's a debate going on at another baseball site that is heavily into Strat about whether a pitcher with this kind of injury should be eligible for this year's games.
I find it grisly that as long as a player has a "card" you can play him, even though the player retired or has been injured this season.
What say you Strat players?

BTW, Ohtani finished the day 4-4, and I did slip a comment in there about how its good he plays in the AL and can take advantage of a silly rule where he won't have to play in the field. They are mostly Al fans, so I know they'll appreciate that.

Later

[Guest 41Forever]

Things are getting a little messy in the Tigers' booth.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2018/09/06/detroit-tigers-mario-impemba-rod-allen/1210999002/

[Frayed Knot]

The Tiger booth and the Mariners clubhouse on the same day.
A clubhouse erupting (this one reportedly between Dee Gordon and Jean Segura) I've heard of. Gotta admit, though, that fists flying in the booth is a new one on me.

[Edgy MD]

"It's hilarious. Everytime I talk to folks back home about you, they think I'm talking about a chick. The Mariners have somebody named Dee? Is she a ballgirl?"


"Dude, your name is Jean."


"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

[Frayed Knot]

btw, caught just a bit of Nats/Cards last night.
Nats were already down 3-0 in the top of the 1st (the recently dumped Matt Adams hit the first of his Two HRs against the team who dumped him) when Harper doubled w/2 outs.
Now it's unlikely he could have made it a triple but the way he ran simply assured it. Then a single followed but Harper neither ran hard on that one either nor did he slide at the plate where he was tagged out.
Nats went on to lose by one.

1) Does Harper even want a big contract at the end of the year? He certainly isn't playing like he does
2) Is it any wonder why the Nats are now 2 games under .500 despite the expectations AND despite still being +64 in RS/RA ? That's better than the Phillies (who have a negative RS/RA) and the
Pythag calculation says they should only be two games behind the Braves (not 7.5)

[Edgy MD]

The Mets better hunt them down and pass them before this season is out.

They gained on all three teams ahead of them last night.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frayed Knot wrote: 1) Does Harper even want a big contract at the end of the year? He certainly isn't playing like he does

Maybe he wants to be a Met!

[Frayed Knot]

Biggest series of the Sept 7-9 weekend:

- Braves @ Diamondbacks
This one actually got underway on Thursday with the Braves bouncing back off that brutal loss to the BoSox by beating Grienke and the Snakes - although it took them 10 innings after blowing another 9th inning lead.
Bigger for ARZ than the ATL from a standings point, but the Braves need to start winning games at some point after muddling along at .500 for more than two months now.


Dodgers @ Rockies
Another one too late for many of us, but the Rox have a 1.5 game lead on LA and 2.5 on Arizona and neither trailing team is sitting in a WC spot at this point (StL & MIL are)


Astros @ Red Sox
Boston's up by 10 games over the 'Stros so even if you think HFA is a huge deal in a potential ALCS this series likely won't matter on that front.
But a matchup between the two best AL teams is always a fun thing in September especially if it sets the stage for an October redux

[Frayed Knot]

Some dude named Lopez has a perfect game thru 8 for the Royals in Minnesota

looking him up ... Jorge Lopez, from Puerto Rico, turns 26 later this month. Has seen pieces of two seasons with Milwaukee (2015 & 2017) before being dealt to KCR just before the July deadline.
It's his 18th career ML game, 8th start. 2-5 record to date.
100 pitches so far.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Some dude named Lopez has a perfect game thru 8 for the Royals in Minnesota looking him up ... Jorge Lopez, from Puerto Rico, turns 26 later this month. Has seen pieces of two seasons with Milwaukee (2015 & 2017) before being dealt to KCR just before the July deadline. It's his 18th career ML game, 8th start. 2-5 record to date. 100 pitches so far.

Walks the leadoff hitter.
No hitter still intact obviously, but perfect game is gone.

[Frayed Knot]

And the Twins follow that up with a base hit.

Oh well.


And, not surprisingly, he's being pulled.
4-0 KCR, but two on and no outs.

[Frayed Knot]

Braves took three of four from the DBacks, winning in the 10th inning twice and today hitting three 9th inning HRs for a come from behind win. Big Lucas was one of them.
They do that a lot, the Braves do. 14 of the 24 runs they scored in this series came in the 8th inning or later.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers were taking 2 of 3 from Colorado which puts them just 1/2 in back of the Rox


Following their sisters of the poor tour (in which they went 18-8 vs the likes of Balt, DET, ChiSox, Miami, etc.) the Yanx wound up splitting six with Oakland (1-2) and Seattle (2-1) but it hardly matters
at this point unless they somehow go on to sweep the BoSox in the six games those two have remaining over the final nine days of the season. Boston, meanwhile, is trying to prevent getting swept
by Houston tonight.
Pretty much the only AL post-season question left is whether the Yanx are going to host Oakland in the WC game or the other way around, and even that isn't nearly as meaningful as many like to make it.