...And Whoever's Playing the Nationals

[Frayed Knot]

Papelbon just got tossed for coming up and in -- REALLY up and in (missed first time, hit him with the second) -- to Machado two pitches in a row w/2 outs/bases empty in top 9

All of which means that now there's a new team and group of fans who hate Papelbon.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I switched to this game as soon as the Mets ended. Going into the bottom of the ninth. Three outs away from avoiding a disastrous dsy.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Papelbon just got tossed for coming up and in -- REALLY up and in (missed first time, hit him with the second) -- to Machado two pitches in a row w/2 outs/bases empty in top 9 All of which means that now there's a new team and group of fans who hate Papelbon.

Just caught the replay on MLB... it seemed like a really questionable ejection.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Old friend Darren O'Day to close for Baltimore

[Zvon]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I switched to this game as soon as the Mets ended.

Me 3.

[Frayed Knot]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Papelbon just got tossed for coming up and in -- REALLY up and in (missed first time, hit him with the second) -- to Machado two pitches in a row w/2 outs/bases empty in top 9 All of which means that now there's a new team and group of fans who hate Papelbon. Just caught the replay on MLB... it seemed like a really questionable ejection.

Except that Machado had hit the game-changing HR his previous AB and the HBP was the second in a row that was headed near his noggin.
Taken by itself it's certainly questionable. Add it all up and maybe not.

Now the question is why Papelbon is allowed to stay on the bench after being tossed?!?

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's over! Orioles win!

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's over! Orioles win!

Now THAT was an efficient closing job!
I think it took O'Day maybe 10 pitches*. No muss, no fuss.



* turns out it was only 8 pitches to close the game 1-2-3

Edited September 23, 2015 by Guest

[Zvon]

Whew, I'm way behind. 1 out here. But this is a nice spoiler.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Except that Machado had hit the game-changing HR his previous AB and the HBP was the second in a row that was headed near his noggin. Taken by itself it's certainly questionable. Add it all up and maybe not.

Add it all up, and it's even more questionable-- it's a one-run ballgame, and Papelbon's their last rock-solid bullpen arm available. How likely is it that he was "sending a message," versus backing a guy off the plate who just hammered a middle-out fastball over the fence?

[Frayed Knot]

How likely is it that he was "sending a message,"

Look, I had just tuned in when this happened so I'm not going to claim to have had my finger on the pulse the entire time. But it was a 3-2 count when he hit him so that's not a set-up for the put-away pitch coming up. And it was the second one that AB separated only by a slider away. It was also 2-out/none-on so perhaps he feels like he can put Machado on AND take some flesh with him without putting his team in too much danger. And do remember that we're not exactly dealing with the sharpest razor in the barber shop here; probably figured that hitting him is better than pitching around him.
I was also taking my cue from the O's announcers (not Gary Thorne who usually does their games) who seem to have no doubt it was intentional although they certainly could have a bias on the topic. The ump also obviously thought so immediately and Machado himself did as well.

[Edgy MD]

A pitch doesn't have to be a beanball to piss off a team. Nor does it have to be a beanball to piss them off justifiably. Sometimes, just being seemingly or demonstrably reckless or indifferent to the power you have to seriously maim an opponent is enough to be infuriating.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: A pitch doesn't have to be a beanball to piss off a team. Nor does it have to be a beanball to piss them off justifiably. Sometimes, just being seemingly or demonstrably reckless or indifferent to the power you have to seriously maim an opponent is enough to be infuriating.

Which makes it all the more infuriating that Clemens' reckless bat-shard chucking went unpunished.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Gay dame today around 4:00 so we'll know going in sometime early
tonight where the quest for a lower magical number stands...

Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (4-6, 4.73)

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Good, I hope this means we'll be able to post Swoboda and Dystra pictures tonight, and then update them to Harrelson and Santana pictures later in the night.

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (4-6, 4.73)

I suspect that the number of MLB games started by pitchers named Tyler and Tanner in the 21st century have already surpassed those amassed by SPs with those names for the entire 20th.

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: Now the question is why Papelbon is allowed to stay on the bench after being tossed?!?

Didn't see this last night, read about it this morning on a couple of message boards. None of the articles I read mentioned this. I would think not leaving the dugout would be a suspend-able offense.

[seawolf17]

Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (4-6, 4.73) I suspect that the number of MLB games started by pitchers named Tyler and Tanner in the 21st century have already surpassed those amassed by SPs with those names for the entire 20th.

Had to check.

TANNER: Only three total MLBers with the given first name "Tanner." Roark, Tanner Scheppers (currently pitching for Texas), and Tanner Joe Meyer, who went by Joey while whomping home runs and striking out in the late 80's for Milwaukee.



Note: Was not actually a "future star" at all, as it turned out. Can't win 'em all, Topps.

TYLER: 26 total given first name "Tylers" in MLB history. Only three of them played in the 1900s, and all three of them post-1993 (Tyler Green, Tyler Houston, Ty Van Burkleo).

[Centerfield]

1-0 good guys.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Manny Machado, America's Greatest Hero

[Frayed Knot]

2R HR from Jonathan Schoop - I'd say that makes him an American Hero as well. Or at least an all-Curacao one. 3-0 Birds in the 4th

I'm just hoping that he didn't name his sons Perry or Telly.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It would be so nice for the Orioles to win this game. Not only for the magic number, but I think it would help the psyche of the Mets players as they get ready for their game in Cincinnati.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe this one won't come so easily. Nationals have two runs home in the 5th and still only one out.

3-2 Orioles, Harper up with a runner on first.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Harper ends the inning with a GIDP.

I think the Nationals hit for their starter, and if so, they're into the bullpen for the top of the 6th.

[Zvon]

Watching now. 3-2 Birds, top of the 7th.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ramos smashed a deep homer to left field to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th. 3-3.

[Zvon]

Ugh.

4-3 Nats

[Zvon]

Wow, O's answer right back with a two run bomb by Wieters.

5-4 Orioles

[Zvon]

I'm gonna have to buy Matt Williams dinner during the off season.

Nats: Lead off double in the 8th. Tries to bunt him over-OUT @3RD!

[Edgy MD]

"When you throw at somebody's head on purpose first pitch, straight out the get-go, then you throw a curveball, then you throw again at the head, that's just ... ," Machado said, using a street term. "You know it's coward stuff. It's just coward."

Manny Machado, most important non-Met to the 2015 Mets.

I actually like the second-to-third bunt play with no outs, as bunt plays go.

Of course, I like it better when the Nats fail to execute it.