TWiB Notes - Sep 2 thru 8

[Frayed Knot]

Several holiday afternoon games of note will proceed ours on this Labor Day



Cards @ Brewers (2:10 EDT)

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks (4:10) for the final game of their four-game wrap-around series

Astros @ Reds (4:10)

Tigers @ Padres (6:40)

and also Pirates @ the suddenly hot Cubs (7:40)



Phils and Braves both off today following their 11 inning Sunday game affair (eight teams have today blank).

Starting Tuesday the Phils will be in Toronto while the Braves will host the Rockies

[Frayed Knot]

Darren Baker debuted with a pinch-hit 9th inning single on the first, and so far only, ML pitch he saw. No word as to whether someone picked him up by the scruff of the neck right afterward. If only the Nats could have brought him (and the following twelve guys behind him) in to score they would have tied the game.

But, alas, the next dude hit in a game-ending GiDP as the Cubs edged Washington 14-1





Sunday's Nats game was also the ML debut for pitcher Zach Brzykcy (BRICK-see).

His outing wasn't nearly as successful as Baker's but hopefully he can bring his career ERA down below 67.50 sometime soon.

In the meantime maybe some enterprising Washingtonian will scan EBAY to see if a Twins fan has a slightly used 'Buy A Vowel' banner left over from the Kent Hrbek days.

[Frayed Knot]

Dodgers just turned their lead over the DBacks into a rout. 10-3 ... whoops 11, still batting top 8. FFF has two HRs



Brewers beat StL earlier



Orioles routed the ChiSox

[Gwreck]

Frayed Knot wrote: Several holiday afternoon games of note will proceed ours Tigers @ Padres (6:40)

Tigers are playing in San Diego for the first of 3 games today. Then they have an off day tomorrow, before finishing the series Wednesday and Thursday. Not the usual scheduling one usually sees in the middle of the season.

[The Hot Corner]

Padres currently leading the Tigers 1-0 through 7.

[Frayed Knot]

The Hot Corner wrote: Padres currently leading the Tigers 1-0 through 7.

2-0 bottom 8, Padres still hitting w/0 outs.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Several holiday afternoon games of note will proceed ours Tigers @ Padres (6:40) Tigers are playing in San Diego for the first of 3 games today. Then they have an off day tomorrow, before finishing the series Wednesday and Thursday. Not the usual scheduling one usually sees in the middle of the season.

That's weird. They must have something scheduled at Petco tomorrow (tractor pull? Phish concert? [CROSSOUT]Billy Graham crusade?[/CROSSOUT]) cuz I can't fathom any other reason for splitting up the games that way.

[Frayed Knot]

3 - 0 Padres is your final.

[Frayed Knot]

Did youse guyz hear the stat Gary mentioned earlier about how Willy Adames of Milwaukee hit his 13th 3R HR of the season?

He said it tied an ML record set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1996. Except that Grif hit 49 that season. Today was Adames's 29th.

So nearly half his HRs this year (44.8%) have been with two men on, right around 4x the league wide average (11.2%)

He's got as many or more 3R HRs than seven teams do this year.

I mean, I know the Brewers get their fair share of baserunners, but that's crazy!!

[MFS62]

Are the Mets one of those seven teams?

Later

[Frayed Knot]

The Mets have hit 18 3R HRs this Y-T-D

[Frayed Knot]

3-0 Braves heading to the 9th.

Not looking good for a comeback.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: 3-0 Braves heading to the 9th. Not looking good for a comeback.

I was right.

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx take 4-1 lead into bottom 8 in Texas, and then a 4-3 lead into bottom 9

Clay Holmes, in for the save, got the leadoff hitter but never got another: 1B, BB, BB, GS

Thanks for coming, please arrive home safely.

Holmes has blown a ton of games this year, particularly in the second half.

Orioles back atop the ALE by 1/2 game.

[Fman99]

Frayed Knot wrote: Yanx take 4-1 lead into bottom 8 in Texas, and then a 4-3 lead into bottom 9 Clay Holmes, in for the save, got the leadoff hitter but never got another: 1B, BB, BB, GS Thanks for coming, please arrive home safely. Holmes has blown a ton of games this year, particularly in the second half. Orioles back atop the ALE by 1/2 game.

Just watched the MLB game recap. Delightful. That's 11 blown saves in 2024 for Clay Holmes

[MFS62]

White Sox up 6-1 over Baltimore in the fifth.

Later

[Fman99]

No Mets game today so it's a good day to root for Miami (vs Philly), Colorado (vs Atlanta), Detroit (vs San Diego) and the Giants (vs Arizona), all of whom are ahead of the Mets in the division and/or WC standings.

[Edgy MD]

Not only are legacy players everywhere right now, but Darren Baker was the eighth adult child of a Major-Leaguer to debut in 2024 alone, following Griffin Conine (Jeff), Grant McCray (Rodney), Will Wagner (Billy), Jacob Wilson (Jack), Angel Martinez (Sandy), Jack Leiter (Al) and Jackson Holliday (Matt).

[Frayed Knot]

Giants just walked-off the DBacks 3-2 in the 9th

So the Mets pick up a half game while just sitting around.

[Gwreck]

Arizona has 3 in Houston this weekend. Great opportunity to pick up a game or two on them.

[Frayed Knot]

Rox knock off Braves 3-1. ATL scored in the 1st inning (and I said 'Here we go again') but not once afterward.



We've gained more ground sitting on our asses than we have lately by putting together a seven game winning streak (or so it seems).

[Gwreck]

Top of the 9th, down 3 runs, two outs, 3-2 count, and the Tigers' #9 hitter Spencer Meadows hit a grand slam off Roberto Suarez to give the Tigers the 4-3 lead over the Padres.



Mets pick up the half game on San Diego too.

[Edgy MD]

Brilliant. They're tumbling like dominoes.

[Frayed Knot]

After nine HRs in the preceding ten game span, Aaron Judge has now gone ten straight games without a single HR

That stretch drops his pace down below 60 (54.7)

[Frayed Knot]

Snakes lose, Padres leading 3-0

So tied with Atlanta, 1.5 in back of ARZ, and either 2 or 3 behind SDP when the night is done

That beats the shit out of 4, 6, and 7 GB just nine days ago.

[Fman99]

Padres did win so the only team the Mets gained on was Arizona. Better than nothing I suppose.



Twenty one games left and four teams vying for three spots, barring a miraculous late surge by the Cubs or Cardinals.

[Frayed Knot]

They're not making it easy on us ... but we're gaining.



Last 20 games:

NYM 15-5

ATL 13-7

SDP 12-8

ARZ 10-10





Would be nice if just one of them fell apart for a while.

[Edgy MD]

=Fman99 post_id=169104 time=1725707349 user_id=86]Better than nothing I suppose.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Game and a half behind the D-backs.

[Frayed Knot]

Elvis (Andrus) has left the Major Leagues.

Spent his last two seasons w/the ChiSox but hadn't played at all this year. Just now announcing his official retirement.

15 seasons, 12 w/Texas, 2nd RoY*, twice an All-Star, and one really good punch to the jaw of Jose Bautista**





* in 2009 to Oakland reliever Andrew Bailey who cashed it in after 2017. Probably tough to find a more anonymous RoY







** I just realized I whiffed on the puncher to Bautista's punchee. It was Rougned Odor, not Andrus. I conflated Texas middle infielders.

Odor also left MLB at the end of last year but he's back home in 2024 playing in Venezuela