TWiB Notes -- July 28 thru Aug 3

[Frayed Knot]

The week gets off to a good start with the Yanx (to TB) and Phils (the ChiSox!!!) post losses within minutes of each other.

[Frayed Knot]

The big series to start the week is the Cubs in Milwaukee for three games as the two began the night tied for 1st in the NL Central

Cubs jumped on Les Mis(iorowski) for 3 in the 1st but the Brewers scored 8 of the next 9 runs so 8-4 is your final.

[Edgy MD]

It is kind of crazy that Emmanuel Clase gets suspended pending the outcome of a gambling investigation, and the story seems to be the impact that has on the trade deadline.

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanx' schedule for the upcoming week:

- home to a Florida team (TBR)

- at a Florida team (MIA)

- at a Texas team (TEX)

- home to a Texas team (HOU)





It seems like that series of games could have been in a more efficient manner.

[Frayed Knot]

On the plus side, in this so far miserable week, the Phils lost two of three to the friggin' White Sox! ... so still in 1st place despite it all.





Elsewhere, the Cubs salvaged the finale vs the Brewers today. So a one game lead for MIL atop the central.

[Frayed Knot]

So if my team is going to suck I'm going to find some good news where I can get it.



The Yanx were in Miami where they went up 6-0 in the 4th then 9-4 in the 7th before giving up 6 in the bottom of the 7th and were down for the first time 10-9

Eh, no problem, they notched 1 in the 8th plus 2 more in the 9th to take a 12-10 lead with their newly revamped bullpen to take care of business.

Except there were problems: GO, 1B, Walk, 1B + E9 = 2 runs and a tie game w/winning run on 3rd/1-out.

Infield grounder/no play at the plate and the Marlins win 13-12



New NYY bullpen acquisitions:

- Jake Bird (7th): 0.1 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 1 BB

- David Bednar (7th & 8th): 1.2 IP, 2 R, 4 H

- Camilo Doval (9th): 0.1, 3 R, 2 H, 1 BB

Total: 2.1 IP, 9 R (7 ER), 9 H, 2 BB







Not as much at stake but along those same lines:

Pirates scored 9 in the top of the 1st in Denver. Then late led 12-6 in the 5th and 16-10 after 6

Rox came back with 2 in the 8th then, with one out in the 9th, went: HR, BB, 3B, 1B, 2R-walk-off in the 9th for your routine 17-16 Coors Field win.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Pirates scored 9 in the top of the 1st in Denver. Then late led 12-6 in the 5th and 16-10 after 6 Rox came back with 2 in the 8th then, with one out in the 9th, went: HR, BB, 3B, 1B, 2R-walk-off in the 9th for your routine 17-16 Coors Field win.

son: "What was that, daddy?"

father: 'That's called clutch hitting, son. We don't see much of that around here."



Later

[Frayed Knot]

A two-RBI triple by Javy Baez puts the Tigers up 7-3 in the 8th in Philly

The Phils had been down 5-0 until closing to 5-3

The Phils were losing most of yesterday's game too before rallying late.

[Frayed Knot]

Harper: 2R HR in bottom 8

Now 7-5 Tigers

[Frayed Knot]

Marlins, now hanging around the fringes of the NL WC race, shut out the Yanx on 2 hits to take the second game of that season.

[Edgy MD]

Hector Neris gets points for creativity. After Trevor Story's RBI double for the Sox, Neris got it in his head that Story was stealing his signs, and decided to intentionally balk Story to third to move him out from behind the mound.



Sox won, of course, and they have now moved ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. They have been the 2024 Mets of 2025.

[Frayed Knot]

The Marlins just broke out the brooms (there were literally folks carrying brooms in the stands) as they complete the sweep of the Yanx.

Maybe the best thing all weekend was yesterday when Jazz Chisholm got doubled off of 1st on a routine infield pop-up to 2nd late in a 2-0 game.

He had just a normal lead off the base while the ball was airborne but, after the catch, turned his back and went back too casually.

He's a talented guy but might make more dumb/stylin' mistakes than anyone in the game.

[Edgy MD]

I bet Gleyber Torres is happy to leave that title with his former teammate.

[Frayed Knot]

Amazing that, of the top two probable claimants to the title of 'MLB's Most Casual Fuck-ups', one succeeded the other at the same team & position.

Come to think of it, Robinson Cano had his share as well.





The Marlins, btw, now at .500 for the season (62-100 last year) and currently sit a shrinking 7.0 G behind the Mets in the standings.

[Frayed Knot]

Philly hurler Christopher Sanchez is thru 8 innings on 84 pitches as the Phils lead the Tigers 1-0 heading to bottom 8 in PHI



NYM pitchers refer to 84 pitches as 4-2/3 IP

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: NYM pitchers refer to 84 pitches as 4-2/3 IP

I've noticed that some of the Mets top pitching prospects throw a lot of pitches, too.

It's as though they're not trusting their stuff and are resorting to nibbling at the corners.

Is that an organizational pitching philosophy or is that something that is causing the epidemic of five inning starts with close to 100 pitches that we now see around the league? I wonder.

Something to keep track of.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Schwarber HRs in bottom 8th, new closer cruises thru the 9th 1-2-3 for a 2-0 Philly win

So it's the Phils turn to man 1st place NLE for the next 24 hours.