G-Fafif

One of the telling incidents of a long lifeless season on Sunday (Gary underlined this) was Manaea picking off a runner on a pretty obvious balk move and nobody on the White Sox arguing whatsoever.

=Gwreck post_id=168556 time=1725380339 user_id=56] Mayer has been seen at other Mets games in recent years, including in LA. He may be a real fan.

It's not going great for Chris Flexen of late. From ESPN: The Chicago White Sox had their latest skid extended to 11 games with a 13-3 rout at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, the 20th straight loss in which Chris Flexen started to set baseball's modern-era (since 1900) record for most consecutive losses in a pitcher's starts that had been shared with the Washington Nationals' Bob Groom. Coming off an 0-10 homestand, Chicago dropped to 31-108 and is on its third-longest skid this season after slides of 21 games from July 10 to Aug. 5 and 14 from May 22 to June 6. The White Sox would have to go 12-11 to avoid tying the post-1900 loss record set by the 1962 New York Mets, who went 40-120. Chicago is on pace to finish 36-126, which would be the second-most defeats behind the 1899 Cleveland Spiders at 20-134. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the White Sox are 4-41 in their past 45 games, the worst record over a 45-game span since the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. Flexen (2-14) allowed three runs and seven hits in 3⅓ innings and is 0-11 with a 5.73 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts) since winning May 8 at Tampa Bay. He moved out of a tie with the Washington Nationals' Bob Groom to take sole possession of the longest losing streak in a single pitcher's starts since 1900, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Nationals lost 19 straight games started by Groom in 1909. Flexen is also two such losses ahead of the Brewers' Chris Capuano, who was 0-13 with a 6.12 ERA for Milwaukee in 23 appearances (18 starts) from May 13, 2007, through June 3, 2010, missing 2008 and '09 following Tommy John surgery. "Every time I take the ball, I expect myself to go out and be competitive, have strong outings," Flexen said. "I don't think a lot of them have been all that great, a couple of quality starts in there; but overall, my performance has been very disappointing on my end."

I was a little verklempt after the weekend series once I calculated that the 1962 Mets were, at the same spot in their schedules, four games ahead of the 2024 White Sox. My god, the 1962 Mets have never been four games ahead of anybody. I think it made me at least as happy on Sunday as picking up ground on the Braves. For all their gracious protestations that they want nobody else to carry the onus, I figured the 1962 Mets had carried it long enough. The downside is the 1962 Mets won't get brought up as readily (usually with fondness) when another team challenges for Worst Ever status, though I'm thinking the White Sox are putting that distinction out of reach.

J.D. Martinez has gone on Paternity Leave for the Red Sox series. D.J. Stewart has been recalled to fill in.

The Reds have DFA'd Dom Smith less than a week before they come to Citi Field.

=Marshmallowmilkshake post_id=168375 time=1725225291 user_id=119] It's rare that I get to see them in person - and rarer that I get to see them win. This was glorious!

Orioles have signed Adrian Houser.

1,250. Pablo Reyes

Chance Sisco flies the Ducks coop, lands with the Memphis Redbirds in the Cardinal chain.

Tommy Pham reportedly headed to Royals.

The Cubs have released Tomás Nido.

Megill needs to be left unprotected in an expansion draft.

Two out of three lost to the Angels and A's this month. Not a trend to be continued.

Travis Jankowski among those veterans also-rans have put on waivers.

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: That there's some good quotin' Gracias.

Member of Met payroll reaches milestone.

=Marshmallowmilkshake post_id=168114 time=1725039635 user_id=119] I'm glad they sought out such a respected authority on Mets fandom! Great work!

Tim Britton asks all kinds of people about the 2024 White Sox reverse-chasing the 1962 Mets. Greg Prince, who pens the popular blog “Faith and Fear in Flushing” and has written four books about the Mets, ultimately agrees with the majority. “I've been charmed by all that went into creating 40-120 my entire rooting life,” Prince wrote in an email. “The legend of the 1962 club will endure no matter who holds the record. All that being said, hell yes, let somebody else lose more than my team. Plus, you know, history. Somebody setting a mark like this while we're here to witness it is worth a dozen Danny Jansens facing off against another dozen Danny Jansens.” https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5729682/2024/08/30/mets-white-sox-mlb-most-losses/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5729682/2024/08/30/mets-white-sox-mlb-most-losses/

Anthony DiComo notices who's on the schedule. Sixty-two years after the Mets' inaugural 1962 season, that team not only remains the worst in modern baseball history, but a symbol of futility even beyond the game -- at least for now. For the first time in more than two decades, the '62 Mets face a realistic challenge to their record 120 losses from a White Sox club featuring a 31-104 record and a 124-loss pace. What's more, the Mets have a chance to bury the White Sox further when they visit the South Side of Chicago for a three-game series beginning Friday. "It might happen,” said Craig Anderson, another '62 Mets pitcher who finished his career with a 19-game losing streak. “We understand it might happen. But no, we would not want them to do that." "I wouldn't wish it on anybody,” agreed Hook. “Why would I wish that somebody is terrible?" Much as the Mets waited 50 years for their first no-hitter, their 40-120 record in their inaugural season is more a quirk of history than a referendum on the franchise. It's always been part of what has made the Mets the Mets. Rather than bemoan all those losses, members of the '62 team recall the summer fondly. They have warm memories of Stengel charming reporters at the tail end of his career, and of fans who packed the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan, thrilled to have National League baseball back in New York. "You know, it could have been a horrible year,” said Hook, who kept the ball after recording the first win in Mets history in the franchise's 10th game. "But I think with the fan base that we had, and the attendance we had and the way the fans treated us, it wasn't. It could have been horrible, but it wasn't that bad." https://links.mlb.mlbemail.com/e/evib?_t=c632e003a756446c956a8e0347d00d08&_m=c82766e8e8e54be5a9547688c1b9f1a9&_e=GFl3KlkOi0n6qBTmbwYJFSlxEIDtptjDCW0SXMF73TDC4bNQh1ZXmIg8RMUlxioJOqjXyPswGXJOJJmcpTRuWg%3D%3Dhttps://links.mlb.mlbemail.com/e/evib?_t=c632e003a756446c956a8e0347d00d08&_m=c82766e8e8e54be5a9547688c1b9f1a9&_e=GFl3KlkOi0n6qBTmbwYJFSlxEIDtptjDCW0SXMF73TDC4bNQh1ZXmIg8RMUlxioJOqjXyPswGXJOJJmcpTRuWg%3D%3D

Lindor admits to Ken Rosenthal that he's a hugger. At first, I wanted to hug a lot of things (take responsibility and control). I felt like that was part of why I came here, to help guide the organization in the right direction. I have learned that I came here to play shortstop at a very high level. If there is something in my way, I can hug it, protect it. If it needs to be fixed, fix it. But if not, just keep moving. Let the manager hug other things. Let Stearns hug other things. Let (owner) Steve (Cohen) hug other things. I don't have to be the one hugging everything. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5732760/2024/08/30/francisco-lindor-new-york-mets-interview/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5732760/2024/08/30/francisco-lindor-new-york-mets-interview/

Tommy Pham, picked up by the Cardinals for the stretch run, being put on waivers now that the Cardinals have decided they won't have a stretch run.

Nuñez on IL, per Pat McCarthy on Mets Audacy pregame.

Lindor SS Marte RF Nimmo CF Alonso 1B Winker LF Martinez DH Iglesias 3B McNeil 2B Torrens C - Peterson LHP (8-1, 2.85)