TWiB Notes -- July 22-28

[Frayed Knot]

-- 30 y/o utility man Tyler Saladino went into Sunday with 5 hits (all singles) and 0 RBI in 49 ABs this year and had 17 career HRs in just under 1,000 ML ABs in pieces of six ML seasons (ChiSox & Brewers)

So naturally he hit Grand Slams on back-to-back days for Milwaukee. And, as I always like to point out when a player hits his 2nd ML GS, this puts him one ahead of Derek Jeter





-- Paul Goldschmidt also hit a Granny on Monday, his broke a tie in the top of the 10th ... and it turned out that the Cards needed every one of those runs.

Pirates got three runs in and had two on with no one out [Double - Double - HR - Single - E6] but then bunted into a force play (BiFL!), had the tying run thrown out at the plate on a single, and then flew out to end it.





-- Twins got out-HR'd at home (5-3) on Monday but still managed to beat the Yanx 8-6 for like the 3rd time in their last 378 tries (or something like that).

They were helped by Gray Sanchez grounding into a 5-4-3 Triple Play. Sanchez is now 6-for-54 [.111/.186/.204] in July

[seawolf17]

Frayed Knot wrote: And, as I always like to point out when a player hits his 2nd ML GS, this puts him one ahead of Derek Jeter

Wait, WHAT?! How did I not know that stat? That's awesome. 260 home runs, ONE of them with the bases loaded.



Because I had to check, three other guys finished their career with 260 home runs. Eric Chavez hit five grand slams, Tim Wallach hit six, and Javy Lopez hit seven.



That's gotta be the most career home runs with only one grand slam, right? Gotta be.

[MFS62]

Did Jeter send the pitcher a gift basket?

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Wait, WHAT?! How did I not know that stat?

And, IIRC, it didn't even come until the middle/late part of his career. He had been an oh-fer for many years*.

Of course being a leadoff (and often 2nd place) hitter has something to do with that. But the reason that stat always stuck with me was the whole 'clutch' thing.



It got explained away by the amen chorus by saying that of course Jetes just concentrated on driving in runs in those kinds of situations rather than trying to be the hero.

Naturally had he wound up with more than his share of GS's then THAT would have also been used as 'proof' of his obvious clutchability.

It's the old Win-Win argument which so personified the Jeterites.









* oe: 2005, right about the mid-point of his career

Edited July 23, 2019 by Guest

[seawolf17]

It was in 2005, off Joe Borowski. I did a little Googling and a little clicking around B-R, but I can't find any other power hitter with less than five grand slams.



HILARIOUS.

[Frayed Knot]

btw:

Innings 1-3 = 116 career HRs (44.0% of HRs in 40.9% of ABs)

Innings 4-6 = 85 (32.7% - 30.6%)

Innings 7-eog = 59 (22.6% - 28.4%)

Edited July 23, 2019 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Twins & Yanx are in the midst of an absolutely ridiculous game here on Tuesday night.

Didi Gregorius has 7 RBIs for the Yanx (two 2-RBI doubles plus a 3R HR), but Miguel Sano just hit his 2nd 3R HR of the game (450+) w/2 outs in the 8th making it now 11-10 Twinkies as they head for the 9th.

They're already at the 4-hour mark and who knows how long this will go when and if it ends.

[Frayed Knot]

And now, after two were out and no one on in the 9th, the Yanx go Walk - HR (Aaron Hicks) to go up 12-11

23 runs on 32 hits with the Yanx still batting

[Frayed Knot]

Twinkies tie it up in bottom 9, but should have had more.

Aroldis Chapman started the inning Walk - Walk - Walk, but Twinkies managed only one run out of all that on a Sac Fly.



Wish I could stay with this one but no telling how long it'll last so I'm out.

[G-Fafif]

Tuesday night:



Five extra-inning affairs

Three one-run decisions besides

Cano's three homers

Trea Turner's second career cycle

Trout homering, nailing Muncy at the plate in Freeway Series

Bumgarner last start in SF intrigue



As September a night as baseball could have in July.

[Frayed Knot]

Yanqui relievers can't even fuck-up their way into a loss.

Chapman and Ottovino combined to give up Six Walks while recording just five outs and yet allowed only one run.

A diving catch by Aaron Hicks w/2 outs and the bases loaded in the 10th sealed the 14-12 MFY win. Twins had 5 LOB in the 9th & 10th

Yanx are now 2-0 this season in games where they allowed 12 or more runs



btw: 10 innings, 5:03

[seawolf17]

Keep in mind that the Twins haven't beaten the MFYs since like 1994.

[bmfc1]

It's confusion regarding the DH from today's BOS @ TB game and Angel Hernandez was involved:

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/07/24/red-sox-play-wednesday-afternoons-game-vs-rays-under-protest/https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/07/24/red-sox-play-wednesday-afternoons-game-vs-rays-under-protest/

[Frayed Knot]

The devil, as it always is, is in the details. And not just of the switch itself but also what was said to the men in blue as it was being done and what Angel & co did or didn't do with that info.

But just from reading that brief description via the link, this sounds like the rare type of protest that might actually have a chance at succeeding.





This game concluded the 3-game Boston/TBR series which saw the Sawx catch the Rays for 2nd place last night before falling back again as a result of today's game.

But these games were also the first three of fourteen straight games the Sox have against Tampa and the Yanx

2-1 vs TBR in Tampa

Four games vs the Yanx in Fenway starting Thursday

Then, following an off day Monday, Tampa comes to Boston for three

then the Sox head to the Bronx on Friday for four more including a Saturday DH



MFYs started today with a 10 game lead on each so it's not like life hangs in the balance here. But if either of those teams are going to make a move it would have to

start now and the loser of the TB/Box race is likely to be fighting Oakland and/or Cleveland for the 2nd WC slot.

Yanx have a two-game set with the DBacks in between the two four-gamers w/the Red Sox

[seawolf17]

It all stems around the stupidity of the DH and the fact that it's two guys in the same "spot" in the lineup. Let's call that spot Pitcher/DH, or in this case Morton/Meadows. If the ESPN boxscore is right, then I don't think the protest will be upheld.



* d'Arnaud moves to catcher, and Choi comes in to play first, batting ninth and knocking Zunino out of the lineup. Kolarek/Meadows replaces Morton/Meadows on the mound. Meadows is still the DH, batting for Kolarek. Still ten guys, we're good.

* Chaz Roe comes in to replace Choi - I know, not technically, but so far so good, because you'd put Roe in his spot in the lineup. The problem comes when Kolarek/Meadows moves to first, because now they're are now both in the field at the same time but occupy one spot in the lineup.

* So Meadows is out because you lose the DH, which means it's just Kolarek 1B in Meadows' spot in the lineup.

* Then they switch Kolarek back to the mound, still batting in the third spot, and have Lowe replace Roe in the nine spot and play first.



Of course, if we'd just ban the DH, none of this would happen.

[Frayed Knot]

Nelson Cruz, currently with the Twins, is on a 3-HR night and is batting for the 4th time in only the 6th inning. No one has had a four-HR game at his age (39) or older.

But it's 2019 so a lot of that kind of goofy records are going by the wayside these days.



(he just K'd)

[Frayed Knot]

Tampa Bay was in 1st place and 17 games over .500 as recently as June 10th

They've now sunk to 9 over and 3rd place after blowing a 6-run/8th inning lead vs Toronto tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

In the NL East:

Nats avoid the three-game sweep by beating the Dodgers behind Strasburg on Sunday

Phils also win to avoid being on the business end of the broom from Atlanta

Braves travel to Washington starting Monday for three games in what should be the most meaningful NL East series of the year to date.

Braves currently up by 6.5 games





650th HR today for Prince Albert of Pujolsia (6th ever to reach that mark)