Frayed Knot

So, other than the multiple HRs given up and the getting no-hit part, this game isn't starting out too bad.

G-Fafif wrote: Some Nats: Span 8, Zimmerman 5, Werth 9, Desmond 6, LaRoche 3, Ramos 2, Moore 7, Rendon 4, Gonzalez 1 Bryce Harper will NOT be available for at least the first game of this series; is back in the D of C getting his aching hip looked at. We'll also miss Strasburg who had a very odd game yesterday: he pitched well for the most part but somehow managed to balk twice with the bases loaded. I thought Mike Pelfrey had patented that move.

- Nice of Tampa to win an actual game on Sunday - their 5th over the last 15 games. - Oakland has taken over the West so currently it's Texas & Tampa sitting in the WC spots. Cleveland and Baltimore are 2 & 5 games behind those teams; the Yanx another half-game back, and the Royals a game behind that. - I've pointed out the Yanx rather easy sked through the end but Cleveland might have it even better: KC - ChiW (4) - KC - HOU (4) - ChiW (2) - MINN (4) - Yans get the Orioles starting tonight. Rays & Red Sox starting tomorrow, but the Sox have built up enough of a lead where they can take a hit here. A's are at Twins while the Rangers host the Pirates.

The Pirates get to 81 wins -- and then promptly lose their next four while getting out-scored 35-13. That three of those losses were to StL made it even worse. You don't suppose ... ? Pitt & Cincy are tied for the two WC slots while Washington & Arizona, the only other contenders, have been essentially spinning their wheels at a time where they have to be not just making up territory but pretty much gulping it up.

I'm not suggesting that roster expansions are unforeseen or are unfair to any particular team*, but playing a ballgame with 35 players available is a whole lot different compared to when there are just 25. * although some have argued that the poorer teams make fewer call-ups because they can't/won't pay for the hotels and meal money costs associated with extra players. Montreal in its final days was banned by its MLB overlords from calling up anyone for those very reasons.

Any manager who kicks himself after winning a game (only exception being a player injury due to something done) just likes to kick himself. Not that he should have been kicking himself after the game, and maybe it was one of those situations where he would have PR'd Hamilton once the potential winning run got to 2nd. But, as the play was unfolding with the hit heading for the corner, my immediate reaction was that I bet Dusty wishes he had put in Hamilton in place of Cozart running from 1st and that I bet he wishes he had too. Cozart being safe obviously made it all moot (and in fairness to Dusty I don't know what his SS situation looked like if the game stayed tied and they needed to continue after that half-inning) but every game at this point is critical to Cincy and the play at home was close which it wouldn't have been with the pinch-runner. I don't mind expanded rosters but I'd like to see some sort of limit. And, yes, part of this is a reaction to watching Francona opt for a new pitcher after every other batter yesterday, something which helped to turn a 2-1 game into an ungodly-paced 3:43. But, in general, it does seem odd to play stretch-run baseball under radically different rules than the rest of the season. Like maybe we could hold it down to just slightly different. Managers survived all year with 25 and suddenly now 30 isn't enough?

And the Reds win on a walk-off double without using Hamilton - but I wonder, as that play was unfolding, whether Dusty was kicking himself for NOT using him there in the 9th as Zack Cozart, the runner on 1st, was justbarely safe at the plate.

Hamilton has now been in four games since his call-up, but doesn't have an AB yet. He's pinch-run four times and has stolen a base each of those four times. - In one of those games he got as far as 3rd but then was doubled up straying too far on a line drive come-backer. - In the other three he's scored the game-tying or game-winning run. Reds have yet to use him in tonight's game but the Reds are tied 2-2 with the Dodgers in the 9th Orel Hershiser called Hamilton "Aroldis Chapman's set-up man" - although, tonight, Chapman is in now so he may be setting up Hamilton. Reds going for the sweep.

I believe that's five blown saves for Rivera over the last couple of weeks - but, frustratingly, the Yanx have won four of those games IIRC.

Edgy MD wrote: Matsuzaka saves his career for another week. So, maybe, does Frank-Frank. Somebody had a note in one of today's papers quoting the ever-popular 'unnamed NYM official' as saying they weren't happy with Ef-Ef's effort during rehab and that they couldn't wait for him to get off the DL they could "release his ass" the next day. I suspect that they'll most likely just hang onto him for the next three weeks. They're paying him anyway so they might as well put him to work.

Can anyone say: 'Frank Francisco, winning pitcher'? I knew you could.

Can anyone say: 'Frank Francisco, winning pitcher'?

3-1/2 hours for 8 innings of a game with a total of 2 runs and 10 hits. Bud should be made to watch this game on constant loop each day this winter.

Why doesn't MLB just allow Francona to carry 27 pitchers on his roster so he can use one for each out of the game?

G-Fafif wrote: Bay tended to hit for power in Interleague games...and nowhere else. And would often double up within one game or one series.

Justin Tuner-ing on the powah!!

Yeah, my bad on the game time. Yanx/BoSox was yesterday's FOX GotW, will be next Saturday's FOX GotW, and will be next Sunday's ESPN GotW, but they are allowing the nation to see the Dodgers & Reds tonight.

1) So who would have bet, back in the 1st inning, on Niese outlasting not only the Cleveland starter but the first three relievers as well? 2) Two more runs scored for Turner tonight making it three in the last game and a half and bringing his season total to ... nine. Double figures is now within his grasp.

Quick, let's trade Turner to the Indians while they think he's a power hitter!!

Maybe the Mets could try striking out for a change. It's like they decided that too much contact hurts their ears.

Frank-Frank has been pitching in the minors for a while: 12 innings in 12 appearances across three different levels and his rehab time had probably run out. I just wasn't sure they wanted to spend for the plane ticket in order to get him back, but it does give Terry one more arm out there and it gives FF a short time to showcase himself for next year. With, y'know, a different team.

After all the games the Yanx snuck away with earlier in the season while they were hardly scoring anything, it's nice to see them lose three straight despite putting up 8, 8, and 9 runs (still 8 games over .500 with a negative-2 RS/RA differential). Mike Napoli hit like 7 more HRs today, plus I think his beard grew at least another half foot. One more between these two teams tomorrow night (and can you believe it's the ESPN game?!?!) and then another series next weekend in Fenway.

With a view towards the AL WC race, this series takes on a 'if we have to lose a series let it be this one' kind of flavor to it Eric Young Jr., lf Daniel Murphy, 2b Zach Lutz, dh Lucas Duda, 1b Justin Turner, 3b Juan Lagares, rf Matt den Dekker, cf Travis d'Arnaud, c Omar Quintanilla, ss Jonathon Niese, lhp Michael Bourn, cf Nick Swisher, 1b Jason Kipnis, 2b Carlos Santana, dh Yan Gomes, c Asdrubal Cabrera, ss Ryan Raburn, lf Mike Aviles, 3b Drew Stubbs, rf Corey Kluber, rhp - Check out that hot Zack Lutz DH action! - Kluber, a 27 y/o RHP, is in his 3rd ML season and is making his 20 start (plus 2 RPs) of the season for Cleveland with a pretty decent 7-5; 3.54; 1.12 line - and Frank Francisco has been activated for the game!!! At this point he's been out so long that I can't remember what his original injury was.

Edgy MD wrote: Yusmiero Petit, coming within one out of a perfect game, instead settles for a one-hitter as pinch-hitter Eric Chavez singles with two out in the niinth. A diving Hunter Pence justbarelymissed snagging the ball before it hit the ground on what was almost a great ending. Perhaps a less gangly RF catches that although it would have been a helluva grab.

The Closer: Not Quite as Important as You Think Nothing new about that concept of course, but you wonder if this idea will finally gain a bit more traction because of it being printed in the NY Times. Tyner Kepner uses last night's Sox/Yanx game as a kick off point - the one where Mariano failed to convert a save while Koji Uehara continued his (somewhat short) run as a near flawless closer in Boston which includes, according to what I heard last night, the highest percentage of perfect (1-2-3) innings this season. Some of the quotes are kind of fun to read: -- �I don�t want to take away anything from what I did,� Dennis Eckersley said Thursday before the game. �But it�s not as tough as you think.�, and I like that the piece attempts to debunk the idea that 9th innings are so much different than any other (Uehara was Boston's 3rd choice for the job) something I suspect 98+% of media-types repeat as if gospel. And even though the current season is not yet over, it's still tough to remember some of the really bad deals/trades signed over last winter: - Brandon League & Jonathan Broxton- both around 3 yrs/$22+ mil - Boston trading for (and assuming the contracts of) Andrew Bailey (last year) and Joel Hanrahan (this year). None of the four are closing