Frayed Knot

Yup. Phils wound up with 20 hits [inc three 2Bs, one 3B, two HRs] plus 5 walks in eight innings. Seattle struck out 17 times.

The FOX grid differs from the NY Post one only in a few cases -- and not always in a good way as they split up the Dodgers & Giants -- and all these 'fixes' are great at telling you what they improve while ignoring what they make worse. This one makes a big point of telling you how Colorado never belonged in a 'West' division as they weren't even in the Pacific time zone while failing to note that, in their plan, Cincy is the lone EDT team in the entire western half of the bracket. Or, as they call it, the National League. Also, like everyone else, they go straight to four team divisions without even a discussion of any other format. At some point these are all just exercises in who can draw the prettiest circles. Finally, if the Mets, Phillies, Braves, Pirates, Nationals, Marlins are moved to the American League, while the White Sox, Royals, Angels, Mariners and A's are now National League clubs, is the traditional league set-up really being 'preserved', or is keeping the names just a way of pretending that it hasn't been chucked entirely?

Now 13 hits/5 XBH for the Phils thru six and still just 3-1 (11 LOB) Be nice if the M's could steal this one. oops, now 3-2, Eugenio Suarez HR as the first batter to face David Robertson in the 7th

The Phils are tattooing Seattle's Luis Castillo (same guy we hit last week) to the tune of 10 hits thru 4 innings including three 2Bs, one 3B, one HR, two BBs plus a SB ... and yet are leading just 3-1 On the other side, Jesus Luzardo now has 14 outs from 11 Ks, with the only run coming from Julio Rodriguez's 1st inning HR Houston down 7-2 to the Tigers but at least they scored. The Astros lost their previous three games 10-0, 12-0, and 1-0

Edgy MD wrote: In my experience, most of the bigger-ticket Nat fans down in the bowl hail from Northern Virginia. Yup. Arlington, Fairfax County, Loudon County, Montgomery County Md. iow, where many of the D.C. lobbyists, lawyers, and journalists live.

Yeah, those front row seats, like they are in every stadium, are for the rich and/or well-connected. The biggest difference here is that no one knows how to distance themselves from a loser like the well-connected D.C. crowd.

So at least three weeks. Lesson: Stop sliding head first.

Three wins in a row!! Which brings our total wins in August up to ... five

So since the Met game was a quickie I immediately switched to Phils/Mariners as Gary had announced just earlier that the M's had tied the game at 4-4 Bottom 8 was just beginning as I tuned in. And then four pitches into it it's 6-4 Phils [Harper 1B - Realmuto HR] Cubs won their DH opener with the Brewers earlier (supposed to be a DH yesterday but night cap was rained out) and are currently leading 2-1 in the 4th. Cardinals are also winning [6-4 in the 9th in Miami] while the Reds have a late start out west. So we're not much help so far today. oe: Phils Win

Edgy MD wrote: I think Juan Soto may turn out to be a dude someday too. As long as you keep the bases cleared* for him ... amirite folks? * 24th of his 31 HRs w/bases empty

52 pitches thru 5 for Peterson. I hope that by noting that I didn't jinx anything.

But the story is still short on specifics, with reports saying only an "injured thumb". No mention is made of ligaments, tendons, bones, termites, or anything else, nor is any time frame mentioned. https://nypost.com/2025/08/19/sports/francisco-alvarez-going-on-il-in-brutal-mets-injury-blow/

More accurately, what I was getting at* was the idea that both can be true, that realignment (depending on how it's structured of course) can be good for the players AND the owners. Yes, the owners want reduced travel costs and the potential of increased post-season revenue for their bottom line. But they also have to sell this whole idea to the players and reduced travel time is a carrot that they'll dangle out there as incentive for MLBPA to sign up. * perhaps not too eloquently: "Is geographic alignment for the benefit of owners with reduced travel expenses or for the players with less travel time?" Yes

I don't think identifying James Wood as a colored player is the way to go here. I mean, he is, but we don't do that sort of thing in 21st century America. Remember also that the game times for this series are: 6:45, 6:45, 4:10 (T/W/T)

Let's also not lose sight of the fact that Manfred works for the owners so any changes coming down the pike aren't being driven strictly from Park Avenue on down. If the teams and their TV partners/potential partners weren't behind at least some form of these proposed changes then there wouldn't even be a discussion on these topics.

Yes, but I'm saying that 4 groups of 8 is MUCH > 8 groups of 4. And yet every floated proposal always goes the other way as if the nirvana of set-ups is to get to the smallest division sizes possible. Among other things (some previously noted) would be that 8x4 would lessen the 'stacked' division issue. Combine the NYM, NYY, BOS, PHI quartet with the [WAS, BAL, PIT, CLE] group then you avoid creating a semi-permanent 'Group of Death' situation that World Cup fans seem to carp about every time. Presumably the post-season format (assuming they don't decide to totally wreck this by going to 20 teams) would be each of the (four) division winners plus four WC from each. Div winners get 1st round byes, the other eight play down to four leaving eight, then four, then two, then one ... all of which ends just in time for Thanksgiving.

Is geographic alignment for the benefit of owners with reduced travel expenses or for the players with less travel time? Answer: Yes The NY Post floats this idea -- using the 8 x 4 teams like everyone assumes will be the case even though none like to point out drawbacks when they do so. And, as always, one of the big issues with splitting the country east/west is that the teams aren't cleanly divided into east and west. In the Post's example the team getting screwed here most is Cincinnati as they'll be the lone Eastern Time Zone team in the 'west' playing a lot of games in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific zones. Also Milwaukee not being grouped with their TWO closest teams the Cubs & ChiSox. And while the long running argument in favor of realignment has been that in-state teams should be matched up, this one still separates the two Pennsylvania clubs (split apart 30+ years ago killing a near 100-yr rivalry in Bud Selig's first realignment "fix") and still keeps the two Ohio clubs and the two Missouri clubs apart. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Now some of those issues could be fixed by group 4x8 instead of 8x4 but not all of them. One of those five divisions either on or east of the Mississippi has to be grouped in the west and all logical options still have drawbacks. [FIMG=600]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/19s.MLB_.RealignmentGFX_web.jpg?resize=1024,607&quality=75&strip=all[/FIMG]

Particularly not when Senga, Manaea, Montas, Blackburn, and Megill have all missed time to injury this season and then you've got Holmes doing an on-the-fly transition from a reliever. I think it's clear there's an overall philosophy in the org to Not push beyond certain limits even if they frustratingly cling to that 'policy' seemingly without any degree of flexibility.

Those starts in Phoenix in 1999 were 11 PM starts -- 8:09 local time first pitch to be precise for both Game 1 & 2 TV wanted to keep the two NYC teams from conflicting with each other and the Tex @ NYY games 1 & 2 in that same round started at 8:10 EDT so even a 10:00 start time wasn't going to cut it*. And that's what Manfred hinted at last night, that a more regional approach to the early playoff rounds would keep east coasters from having to endure late starts and west coasters from potentially having a first pitch in road games come during the middle of their work day. Both cases are going to contribute to a ceiling for TV rating$ - and of course the TV networks are going to have a voice in these decisions. * Naturally the first two TEX/NYY games totaled over 7 hours (because of course they did) so there were still some conflicts anyway.

This sounds like one of those deals -- like the universal DH, like the Ghost runner -- that has already been decided long before MLB's eventual announcement. Only the reveal of which new cities and the details of realignment remain. Manfred all but said that this is being done to save travel expenses and have playoff matchups between teams in the same time zones as much as possible (y'know, at least for the opening five rounds). So the idea that the east coast NL teams and west coast NL teams are to remain in the same league/conference/play-group (whatever they're going to call it) sounds unlikely to say the least. - what I expect to see is the Mets 'grouped' with eastern and near-eastern team while teams in the western half of the country in effect become the 'other' league who we'll see one series/yr. iow: basketball I say this every time the topic of expansion/realignment comes up, but divisions made up of just four teams is a HORRIBLE idea (and one which I fully expect to be the end result) - it greatly reduces the chances of a good and meaningful race for 1st place which, in turn, gives birth to the idea of MORE wild cards are needed to make up for divisions effectively being clinched in August - it also greatly increases the odds of a division being won by a sub-.500 team - so if you're going to 32 teams (again, a fait accomplishment IMO) 4x8 is > 8x4 despite what your math teacher told you all those years ago

Five straight hits to start the bottom of the 2nd, the last one a Trea Turner 3R HR, and it's 5-0 Phils, still w/no one out. btw, they must have had a concert down there recently too although their OF looks to be in MUCH worse shape than the slightly worn CitiField OF did when the recent homestead began. I mean they've got bare spots out in RCF and not just little ones. Couldn't have been from a riot seeing as how the Eagles haven't even begun their season yet.

Let's start off the week by updating some news from the tail end of last week: Wheeler was put on the IL with a blood clot in his upper right arm. Wheeler had a surgical "thrombosis procedure" today to remove the clot but the next step(s) and projected return are currently TBD, a statement that doesn't make it sound like he's going to be on top of a pitching mound any time soon. Phils (+5.0 G on NYM) pick up the next step of the Mariners tour of the mid-Atlantic tonight. Logan Gilbert vs Ranger Suárez Series involving our closest WC contenders early this week include: - Cubs (+4.5) are hosting the Brewers for a five game set with G #1 already in the books and it wasn't pretty for the home team [7-0 MIL] They'll play another one tonight then single games TUE, WED, THU - Padres (+3.5) host the Giants for a four game set so this is a check-the-scores-in-the-morning set of games (except day game THU). - the Reds (-1.5) are also out west visiting the Angels starting late tonight Yanx start a series with fading Tampa Bay (14-26 since July 1) starting tomorrow in St Pete (the town, not our first baseman)

Suxx that the lone game we lost ws totally winnable, but whatyagonnado?

Edgy MD wrote: My conclusion from this series — it appears Cal Raleigh is for real. You mean the gold glove winning, switch hitting catcher on pace for a 170 OPS+ and 60+ HRs?

9th inning, four run lead, and it's Tyler Rogers on the mound. Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies.