TWiB Notes -- June 2–8

[Edgy MD]

When economists publish our second-quarter national productivity figures, remember that growth will have been partially slowed by the entire workforce repeatedly watching this play in the Sox/Tigers game.





[media=youtube]FQ6a4MtFzJo[/media]

[Frayed Knot]

We had the schedule advantage last week when the ChiSox & Rox were on the sked, but things change this week while we're out in Chavez Ravine.



- Braves dropped their opener with Milwaukee so, after righting their ship and getting back over .500 following an 0-7 start, they've now lost 9 of their last dozen to drop back to five-under five-(hundred) at 27-32



- Phils knock off the Jays 8-3 in Toronto thanks in part to the return of Bryce Harper who sat out the last three games (HBP off the elbow) but HR'd in his first AB tonight plus two walks and scored twice.

[Frayed Knot]

ROX SWEEP!!!!



Colorado completed their first series sweep in over a year with a 3-2 win this afternoon over Miami after taking games Monday (6-4) & Tuesday (3-2)

This boosts their record up to 12-50 and rockets their projected season's record to 31 - 131 which, considering their projection was 25 - 137 when the

weekend started and they were riding an eight game losing streak, is quite an improvement.





Also the BoSox just knocked off the Angels with a walk-off 2R/2-out HR in the 9th. It was more like a little bloop justinside the 'Peskey Pole" and

measured at a whopping 308 ft. If there were a garbage can sitting just inside the pole the ball would have dropped straight in.

[MFS62]

In the old YS, that would have been in the third row.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Phils and Braves both lose today.

If the Mets hold on to their lead tonight they'll go 1/5 and 11.0 games ahed of those two.

[Frayed Knot]

Gary mentioned this earlier so I had to look up the details.

The Braves, at home, were up on the DBacks 6-0 (after 3), 9-3 (6), and then 10-4 after 8.

Then came the top 9th: K, HR (now 10 - 5), BB (takes 2nd on indifference), HR (10-7), BB

**out goes Scott Blewett, in comes closer Raisel Iglesies to put an end to the rally **

(or maybe not): 2B, IF 1B (10-8), PO-6, 1B (10-9), 2-RBI 2B (11-10 ARZ), BB, Line-out to CF

In bottom 9 the Braves got a 1-out BB to bring up Marcel Ozuna as the winning run .... and he grounded into a Double Play,

Thank You and please arrive home safely.

[Frayed Knot]

And then there's the Phils and their Jesus Lazardo problem.

Today he pitched 2-1/3 innings (vs TOR) and allowed 8 Runs (all earned) on 9 hits, 2 BB, 1 HR

and while it would be easy to just say 'Bad Day' it was actually an improvement on his last start

on May 31 vs MIL, Lazardo got hung with 12 Earned on 12 Hit, 3BB, 2 HRs in just 3-1/3

So added together that 20 R, 21 H, 5 BB, 3 HRs in 5-2/3 innings, or a 31.76 ERA



Prior to this past week Luzardo was having a pretty good season. But now, in just two starts/< six innings, his season's ERA has jumped from 2.38 to 4.46

Jesus wept, indeed.

[Edgy MD]

You may or may not have a memory of Andrew Toles, who was a multi-talented but only sometimes available leadoff hitter for the Dodgers from 2016–2018. Even before he started getting hurt, he was dogged by disciplinary issues that carried over through two university teams and two MLB organizations. He has been adrift since his last appearance on a field, and ultimately was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and anxiety, so that was some jackpot, but to the Dodgers credit, they just re-signed him (as they have every year since he fell off the map), just to keep him on health insurance.

[Frayed Knot]

Tampa won Thursday night on a walk-off 2-RBI infield grounder to 2nd.





- Phils are in Pittsburgh for the weekend

- Braves are in San Fran

- the Nats, who are currently 1.5 games ahead of the Braves, host the Rangers

[whippoorwill]

Edgy MD wrote: You may or may not have a memory of Andrew Toles, who was a multi-talented but only sometimes available leadoff hitter for the Dodgers from 2016–2018. Even before he started getting hurt, he was dogged by disciplinary issues that carried over through two university teams and two MLB organizations. He has been adrift since his last appearance on a field, and ultimately was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and anxiety, so that was some jackpot, but to the Dodgers credit, they just re-signed him (as they have every year since he fell off the map), just to keep him on health insurance.

That is incredibly kind

[Frayed Knot]

Pirates walk-off the Phils in bottom 9 on three soft hits and a Sac Fly

[Edgy MD]

Here is the win probability graph in that Diamondbacks/Braves game.



https://metsrostercentral.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/screen-shot-2025-06-07-at-1.19.38-pm.png>

[Frayed Knot]

Nice start to NL East action on the day when the Phils and Braves each take a big 'L' within about 45 seconds of each other.



- Phils lose 2-1 in Pittsburgh ... and it wasn't even a Paul Skenes start (Andrew Haney)



- Braves led 2-1 in SF with two outs in the 9th, or at least they did until Matt Chapman ended things with a 2R walk-off HR

The Braves have had a lot of losses recently and three killer losses in the last three days. The graph above is from the debacle on Thursday. They then lost in the 10th on Friday and now a 'defeat from the jaws of victory' walk-off today.

Edited June 7, 2025 by Guest

[whippoorwill]

Phillies pirates game was just over 2 hours

[Frayed Knot]

mlb.com lists the time of game at 1:59



The Yanx and Boston meanwhile are at 2:30 as I type and still in the 7th inning - although that game is 8-5 Boston, not 2-1.

At least it's not pre-rule changes otherwise be 3:30 in the 7th.

[Frayed Knot]

Corbin Burnes, meet Thomas Edward John. See you again in mid/late 2026 perhaps?



Burnes, the former CY winner for Milwaukee (2021), was Arizona's big off-season FA signing which lasted 11 starts before being shut down following their game six days ago.

His deal is for five years/$210,000,000 but it also contains an opt-out following the '26 season just as he'll be turning 32 y/o.

Whether that option will be advantageous for the player or for the team remains to be seen.

[Frayed Knot]

Red Sox 10 - Yanx 7 (2:57) to even the series at 1-1

And, Surprise!!!, this was the FOX game today AND will be the SNB game tomorrow night.

[Cowtipper]

Braves DFA Craig Kimbrel.



He has a 2.00 ERA in the minors this year and a 0.00 mark in the majors.



The Mets pitching has been magic this year.



They should give him a shot.

[whippoorwill]

Frayed Knot wrote: mlb.com lists the time of game at 1:59

Even shorter than I thought!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jacob deGrom was brilliant yesterday in handling the Nats and is presently in the top 10 in virtually every positive AL statistical pitching category.

[Frayed Knot]

13 starts this year for JdG, 76.1 total innings

in 12 of those games he went 5 innings or longer (7 is longest)

11 times where he allowed two runs or fewer (3 RA once, 4 once)

7 times with one run (3) or none (4) allowed

74 K / 17 BB







One thing I miss, from back when they were both in the NL East, is the deGrom/Freddie matchups. It was so enjoyable to watch in large part because they both got an obvious kick out of them. Nothing appeared to be said during their head-to-heads but there was a lot of non-verbal communications going on -- nods, winks, smiles, etc -- particularly after an AB ended, where it wasn't tough to read what each was thinking.

FF 'OK, you got me, but I dare you to throw me that pitch in my next AB'

JdG: yeah, I know, I got away with one there, I'm lucky you didn't mash it'

that sort of thing.





I recently thought about this and made a note to look up when TEX & LAD meet ... and I found out their one and only meeting happened in mid-April [FF went 0-3: K, GO, FO]

and who knows if they'll even face each other in 2026. Really only a 60% chance in a three game series and it's only that high if neither one of these mid-30s players is injured.

[Frayed Knot]

How is it I'm just learning now that Pawtucket, R.I. is no longer the AAA affiliate for the BoSox? Not only that but they relocated the franchise to Worcester, Mass after the 2019 season so there's been no team at all in Pawtucket for six years now. Not that this is earth shattering news or anything but it just seems weird as the 'Paw Sox' were one of those constants that had been linked with the big city up the road* for most of my life (since the early '70s).





* Less than 50 miles, about the same as from Boston to Worcester







Yanx & BoSox are trading HRs. 5-3 Boston in the 6th. Carlos Rodon just pulled.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I think the team goes by the nickname "Woo Sox," which is not quite as cool as Paw Sox.