TWiB Notes -- Sept 1 thru 7

[Frayed Knot]

So the Phils won in Milwaukee in a game which sounded maybe not unlike ours. 10-8 was the final as the Phils scored 3 in the 6th, 2 in the 8th, 2 in the 9th

There were 24 total hits off 14 pitchers (7 each). Starters Taijuan Waker gave the Phils 4 innings (5 ER/85 pitches) and Les Mis(iorowski) a whopping 4.1 for the Brews (3/73)



Also Reds won at home with 3 in the 9th after the Blue Jays had seemingly stole the game by scoring 3 to take a 4-2 lead in top 9th.



In other NL WC news: Cubs beat the Braves in the 10th; Padres down by one to the Orioles in the 5th (game in SD); Cards lost; Giants won.

[Gwreck]

San Diego lost, which means the Mets are two behind for the #5 seed (functionally 3, as the Padres are very likely to have the tiebreak because of the series sweep by SD earlier this year — Mets still will play 3 with SD in New York later in September).



This is a year in which the #5 seed is desirable over #6 (probably wasn't that way last year). The #5 seed still plays on the road in the WC game but plays the #4 seed (currently: Cubs) rather than the division winner without a bye (most likely Dodgers or Phillies).

[Frayed Knot]

Jays 11 - Reds 9, bottom 8, runner on 3rd, 2 outs ... and Ke'Bryan Hayes Ks to end the inning.

Going to the 9th.

[Frayed Knot]

Jays tack on one, 12 - 9, Reds coming up

They won a game a few days ago by scoring three times in the 9th.





Giants leading early in Denver

Padres/O's just getting started in SD

Phillies are oddly off today, will resume in Milwaukee tomorrow

[Gwreck]

Frayed Knot wrote: Phillies are oddly off today, will resume in Milwaukee tomorrow

Monday was the 18th consecutive day on which the Brewers were scheduled to play. Per the basic agreement, no team can be scheduled for 20 days in a row without an off day, so playing Mon-Tue-Wed and having the off day Thursday wasn't an option.



Instead, they played yesterday to make sure there was a Labor Day game, and then had the off day today.



An (all-too-rare?) example of baseball doing the right thing for the fans.

[Centerfield]

How do you guys know this shit.



Impressive.

[Frayed Knot]

Cubs won, Padres lost.

So 1.0 G behind SD for WC #2, 5.0 in back of CHC for WC #1

5.0 G in front of both CIN and the suddenly streaking Giants (9-1 over last 10)

[Frayed Knot]

BoSox rookie sensation Roman Anthony*, who's been a big part of their post-Devers second half surge, goes to the IL with an oblique strain.

They're saying his return date is TBD but:

a) obliques are never quick

and

with < a month left in the season the Sawx better hang in the playoffs for a while if they want to see him again this year.



With a .292/.396/.463 slash line in his first 300 PAs and a nine year contract already under his belt, he's both a big part of their present and their future.







* Roman's father and brother are both named Anthony ... that's right, Anthony Anthony Sr. and Anthony Anthony Jr.

[Frayed Knot]

The 5-0 Reds lead over Toronto after 2 has turned into a 12 - 7 Blue Jays lead in the 8th



Also nice to see that the Brewers lead the Phils 6-1 in the 6th, and that the Braves lead the Cubs 4-1 in the 7th



It wasn't a good day in Mets-land but you look for good news where you can find it.

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: The 5-0 Reds lead over Toronto after 2 has turned into a 12 - 7 Blue Jays lead in the 8th

13-9 is your final, so Reds gain no ground.



SFG, the same distance behind us as the Reds when the day began, IS looking to gain ground and are currently leading the Rockies 4-1 in the 5th in Denver



Phils have closed to 6-3, top 8th

[Fman99]

Mets up four in the WC with 22 games left to play.



The Giants have shot past the Reds for the last spot looking in after winning 9 of their last 10. Mets do hold the tiebreaker having beaten San Fran four out of six times this year. The Reds, on the other hand, took 2 of 3 from the Mets earlier this year, so they currently hold the tiebreaker edge over us, making it all the more important that we do well against them this weekend.

[Frayed Knot]

=Fman99 post_id=203211 time=1756980445 user_id=86]
Mets up four in the WC with 22 games left to play.

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanx had a 3-0 lead in Houston but gave up a run in the 5th, two in the 6th, one in the 7th, then four in the 8th ... all of which were just enough to have Cody Bellinger's 2-out/9th inning/3R-HR leave them one run short as the final was 8-7 Astros. But at least the Yanx have narrowed down the problem and, guess what?, it was the umpires!!!

As has been the case for (looking up the # of games played) the 139th time this season, the umpiring was -- according to them -- stacked against them. This all led to many mad players and allowed Aaron Boone to tack on to his ML-leading ejection lead. I think that's now eight heave-hos for 'Boonie' and all, I believe, have been for arguing B/S calls. Because if a Yanqui says that a pitch was either a ball or a strike then it's not a subjective call, it's a fact.

[Lefty Specialist]

Something to consider is that the Giants have the tiebreaker, having won 4 of 6 from the Mets this year.

[MFS62]

I was surprised to read that MFY loss broke a 7 or 8 game winning streak for them in Houston. I thought Houston battled them better than that. Or have the trash cans been removed?

Later

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanx have lost 3 of 5 this season to Houston with the final game tonight.

They did have a recent seven game winning streak [Aug 24 - 30] but none of that had anything to do with the Astros.







Phils just beat Milwaukee 2-0

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: The Yanx have lost 3 of 5 this season to Houston with the final game tonight. They did have a recent seven game winning streak [Aug 24 - 30] but none of that had anything to do with the Astros.

That's the way it was reported and, as I said, it surprised me.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Later

[Gwreck]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Something to consider is that the Giants have the tiebreaker, having won 4 of 6 from the Mets this year.

I think you have that backwards. The Mets took 4 of 6 (they swept the series in SF) and thus have that tiebreaker.

[Frayed Knot]

Cubs played their common Friday afternoon game and thrashed the Nationals 11-5 so they get the jump on the WC pack as we start the weekend.



- Phils will spend the weekend in Miami

- San Fran is @ StL

- Padres @ Rockies so advantage them

- DBacks host the Red Sox



And for some AL drama, the Blue Jays visit the Bronx

Yanx start this series 3.0 G behind the AL East leading Jays and have lost 7 of 10 to them this season.

[MFS62]

Speaking about umpires, there was a big hoo-hah about an illegal bat used by a Houston player in that last game. Apparently it was a two toned bat that didn't meet the strict regs for two - toning. There were "dark spots" because it was well worn, and not because of pine tar or other verboten substance.

How desperate are the MFYs to have a hissy fit over something like that?



Later

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanx started Judge in RF today. I'm not sure if this is the first time since his elbow issues landed him on the IL a month or so ago, but he has been DH'ing either

exclusively or almost exclusively since. But when youDH him that means you have to put Stanton in the OF and that brings a whole host of problems on its own.

Anyway, just seeing pieces of tonight's game I've seen Judge have to return two balls to the IF and he can't throw at all. Coincidentally, the last OF'er I saw

throw this poorly was Stanton following his elbow issues. Prior to that it was Rusty in the 1973 NLCS after he fucked up his shoulder by crashing into the RF wall.

He hit like .400 afterward but had to throw underhand.



The first one tonight he couldn't throw definitely cost the Yanx a run: a bases loaded single that scored two where no 3B coach sends the runner even if Nimmo were in RF.

Didn't matter in the long run as the Jays just closed out a 7-1 win, but it's a problem for them going forward. Do they start the RF who can't throw or the one who can't move?

[Centerfield]

Marlins have now dropped 4 in a row since leaving Flushing.



Giants pounding the Cardinals. So we won't gain any separation tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

Well of course we do put extra distance between us and Cincy, and on StL whom the Giants beat.

Also Padres down 2-0 in the 7th. But that game is in Denver so I think the projections are currently giving the Rockies a 14% chance to win.

[Frayed Knot]

One last thing, the pen tonight: 3-2/3, 0 runs, 2 singles (one on the infield), 3 BB, & 7 Ks, all in relief of Peterson who had nearly blown leads of 4-0 & 5-1 and allowed two of the first three hitters to reach in the 6th.

iow, probably not a good time to be calling Mendoza a pinhead for his mound management tonight.

[Edgy MD]

Pretty amazing that the game has been engineered so a team can hide a good hitter who is too compromised to play the field, but the Yankees can't hide Judge at DH and they can't hide him at first. He has over 7 WAR and they can't find a spot for him.



Maybe they can really practice some alchemy and put Judge at first and Goldschmidt at third or in the outfield. Everybody out of position!

[Fman99]

Frayed Knot wrote: Well of course we do put extra distance between us and Cincy, and on StL whom the Giants beat. Also Padres down 2-0 in the 7th. But that game is in Denver so I think the projections are currently giving the Rockies a 14% chance to win.

Padres have now lost five straight and are tied for the Mets for the second wild card/5 seed. Padres, so far, hold the tie breaker edge over the Mets (having swept them earlier this year in San Diego) but if the Mets can put a bit more daylight between them and the Padres then some other team can feel the press from the next batch of teams and that'd be OK by me.



Twenty one games left to play.

[roger_that]

Edgy MD wrote: Everybody out of position!

Sort of like the Mets with McNeil at DH, Baty at 2B, and Vientos at 3B?

[Centerfield]

Giants blow a 2-0 lead in the ninth. Remaining 4 back.

[roger_that]

=Centerfield post_id=203559 time=1757214938 user_id=65]
Giants blow

[Fman99]

=Centerfield post_id=203559 time=1757214938 user_id=65]
Giants blow a 2-0 lead in the ninth. Remaining 4 back.