Frayed Knot

That was the cleaned up version. At first it was: 'the Mets season is a dumpster on fire'

It's already five days past the expiration date on this TWiB. I'll let it go this time but there will be repercussions in the future. Only 14 appearances for Diaz this season but he's been scored upon in eight of them including seven of his last nine outings. But wait, it gets worse: half of those eight games have seen him allow multiple runs including allowing three runs in three of them! That the Dodgers are 4 - 4 in those 8 games (and that he's a mere 2 - 2) is some kind of minor miracle.

Abimelec Ortiz, a 24 y/o out of the Carlos Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico, played one game for his ML debut in July then was recalled on August 3 after the dust settled on all the deadline trades. Listed as a 1B/PH and at 5' 10" / 230 (that's a load!), he's pretty much playing every day now and is 10 for 30 in his brief career with four HRs already (1122 OPS) including a 3R job off Kevin Gausman yesterday to bust that game wide open. And remember, don't take Abimelec if you're allergic to Abimelec.

NY Post has a story up but it's still in the 'developing story' / 'no details' stage of things.

Was mine not good enough?

Well, at least we'll miss Cade Cavalli in this series. Cavalli just no-hit the Cubs thru 6-2/3 before losing it on a bloop single in the 7th. Wound up going 8 innings/108 pitches (of course they didn't let him finish) allowing just the one hit plus 2 BBs against 10 Ks. 7 - 0 was the final. So we'll head into tomorrow 6-1/2 games in back of the Nats.

The just completed nine game road trip where the Mets went 6 - 3 (which seemed disappointing only in that it was 6 -1 heading into the last two) now gives way to a 15-game span where only n odd one-series trip to the ChiSox sandwiched in the middle are away games [three games each vs WAS, SDP, @CHW, MIL, HOU]. So it starts Friday night vs the Nationals where Robert Stock faces 27 y/o rookie left-hander Andrew Alvarez. Following a September call-up in '25 he's been in 17 games / 9 starts this year compiling a 3.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP So where are the Nats now? Well, they're still the highest scoring team in MLB at 5.37 RS/G. On the flip side they're 3rd worst in preventing runs (5.24 RA/G). They're also the team directly ahead of us so catching and passing them should be the most immediate goal. We currently sit 6.0 games in back of them (pending today's game in which they lead 6 - 0) as they're tattooing Kevin Gausman one day after we got skunked by the likes of Tyler Mahle. Most recently they swept the Reds in a series but lost the first two at home to the Cubs. So since we last saw them (mid May): - they traded righty bat Curtis Mead to the BoSox (where he promptly broke his wrist in his 2nd AB) - dealt 1B/lefty masher Luis Garcia Jr to the Yanx - probably their best starting in Foster Griffin was sent to the Guardians - and their best player, James Wood, is currently on the IL

Well, a bunch of stuff ... and pretty much nothing at all. https://www.gq.com/story/noah-syndergaard-maha-washington-dc

We're very good at solo HRs tonight. Nothing else, but we've got that part down pat.

That two called balls reversed where the ball was completely or 90+% completely within the strike zone.

And then Dedniel happened.

Not a great outing by Thornton, but the fact that he's limited the damage when he had multiple base runners with no outs has kept this a game when the offense has consisted of two swings.

Meanwhile, HP ump Andy Fletcher is one of a group (of five or six I believe) who have already accepted MLB's offer of a buy out and will retire at the end of this season. With his B/S efficiency tonight (0-5 on challenges so far) it looks like he's getting an early start.

The radio guys were saying that his movement to one of the corners, probably LF, will begin on the next home stand ... so, Friday.

Still just 33 y/o but hadn't played all year and just 90 PAs (w/LAA) last season. Lots of potential -- 17th overall draft pick in 2013 and top prospect status pre-'15 & '16 -- but that talent was only occasionally realized mostly due to injuries as he played over 125 games just twice in ten seasons. Below average power and a woeful walk rate (career 3.7%) helped limit his value as well. Maybe most famous for his "Stalk-Off" HR into the Iowa cornfields vs the Yanx in the very first 'Field of Dreams' game. btw, Phils/Twins play in the FoD game tomorrow (on NetFlix)

And that just about puts the end to this party.

You're not jumping to conclusions, are you?

I'll go with Lindor's GS vs Philly in '24

Woo-Hoo! Nothing like going from behind to a 'W' on one pitch in the bottom of the 9th

Lenny's 1986 Game 3 NLCS 2R-HR off Dave Smith to flip the game

And now one for $3,500 !!!!! I've paid less for cars I've owned. For that price the fucking thing better kidnap the fish and force it onto the line.

Senga's first ML save and the Mets secure the season series from the Braves You look for small victories where you can find them.

Gotta say that the three run lead feels miles better than just two.

Senga needs to stick with the two Gs: Gas and the Ghost

Not a TV commercial, but an ad on this site for Cabela's (an outdoor chain) is featuring their 'bargain' price for fishing reels -- not the pole, just the reel itself -- for $1,000 and up. Really?!?