Frayed Knot

I know I'm supposed to root against the Phillies ... but watching the Yanx get their ass kicked is so much fun. Currently 6-0 Phils after 3. NYY did win the first two games of the series tho and are now threatening in the 4th (sacks full, two out). I guess NBC's M.O. for these Sunday night games is to have a revolving cast of color men from among ex-players of the teams playing that night. So it's Joe Girardi and Kruk tonight. Girardi, now that his buzz cut has gone completely silver, looks even more like an aging drill sergeant than he did while he was managing. And Kruk looks like he ate someone Girardi's size. I don't know what they're saying because I'm watching with the sound down while I listen to music, but I saw enough to know that Kruk was wearing a clip-on neck tie for the occasion. Marlins gave up four in the 8th to extend their losing streak to an even dozen. From ten gave over .500 to two games under in just two weeks. At least we got our 12 gamer dive out of the way early.

Yeah. I was just trying to shoehorn the words 'Mead' and 'drink' into the post.

The BoSox need a RH bat and Mead's having a good season [857 OPS in 87 G] so I'm sure Sox fans will drink to that deal.

But, due to the permanent DH rule, he hasn't spent a single moment in the (batter's) box.

Dodgers have tried challenging two pitches after running out of challenges. Looked to me like they would have gone one and one on those and the one they might have gotten was Teoscar with sacks loaded so that was a biggie.

Luke got in trouble then bailed himself out. But you know he's always been known to have the cool hand.

Puts down my book on famous Idahoan born sports legends.

I wasn't aware we were allowed to hit 3R HRs anymore much less two in one game. Those two bring the Mets total to ten for the season (about 8 more than I would have guessed), three of which belong to Tyrone T. (30% of the team's 3R HRs in 3.6% of their plate appearances). Oh, and tying run on deck.

Oh look ... a solo HR!!! The Mets are right at league average in HRs hit this year. But they get 11% fewer runs per/HR than the league average. Mets average 1.43 RS/HR while the league is at 1.59

I think some of you are tying yourselves up in knots to trying to support conclusions already reached. Baseball has come to the realization over the last few decades that the idea of having the field manager set company policy as far as what type of team they'd be and strategies they'd favor, was both outdated and inconsistent with what are now multi-billion dollar corporations anymore than any other corporation would turn towards middle management to set their agenda. So is Stearns involved in every aspect of of the club's operation? Of course he is! It's all kind of implied in the POBO label whether it's called that specifically or by some other title. So things like, Senga to the pen, or limits on pitchers coming back form injuries or in consecutive day usage, are all going to come from the top although hopefully with input from all those connected to those decisions. I don't believe this means he's calling pitches, making PH decisions, or directing specifically when a pitching change is made. Nor do I think this makes him different from his counterparts on other teams.

The time to PH Soto was for Polanco in the 8th (two on/two out). He would have then stayed in the DH spot and maybe batted again if/when it went to extras. But apparently it was pre-decided that Juan was to get a full two days off. Now in the last 10 games the Mets are 11/77 w/RiSP while 13 of their last 14 HRs are solos. Those kinds of numbers should be near impossible to sustain but they keep finding ways to sustain them. Even somewhere close to 'normal' results in either or both of those stats possibly flips their 4-6 record over the last week and a half to 6-4.

Or walk your way on. No chance of being thrown out that way.

There's a scene in GOODFELLAS where Henry & Karen are watching Bobby Vinton, or someone who looks remarkably like Bobby Vinton, sing at a club. The role was played by Bobby's son Robbie.

Heard far too often this year: 'And Alvarez is going to challenge' ... followed by, 'And the Mets are out of challenges'

Pirates score twice in the 10th then shut out the Yanx for a 5-3 win. Gregory Soto with the save. And the Sawx did win their 15th straight and will have a shot at 16 in tonight's second game.

Yanx & Pirates are going to the 10th tied at 3 in da Bronx Red Sox on the verge of a franchise record 15 game winning streak, lead 6-3 in the 9th vs Orioles.

Baty responsible for four of the five runs today. (Well, he had help)

Brewers being shut out this season to date = 4, and in four others they were held to just one run Mets = 9 shutouts + 13 times held to one

Even coming off a 1-2-3 inning, Scott is at 71 pitches thru 3

No it isn't. I have no idea why I said that ... except that I was just noting that both the Yanx and Red Sox have day/night DH's today due to rainouts on Tuesday and I brain-farted. So essentially Soto gets today and tomorrow off which might be good as he's looked a bit ragged at the plate lately.

Soto sitting in game one. Logan Henderson -- 24 y/o, R/R -- has made just 12 starts since his ML debut last year (5 in '25, 7 in '26) but is 6 - 1 in those 12 starts with a combined ERA of 2.45 and a 0.955 WHIP

Pirates with a split DH in the Bronx today as they got rained out last night. The game was called very early in the day so either the weather forecast was horrible or the Yanx didn't like the pitching matchup. The Mets, in addition to actually winning last night, also gained on the entire rest of the NL East. The best game might have been the Phils losing 2-1 to LAD. Last night G & K were talking about the need to get to a base and stay there during a run-down situation after the Mets caught a Brewer runner wandering. The Phils did the same last night only they ran into the final two outs of the game. Down 2-1 in bottom 9, the Phils got a one out single and double to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position: a grounder to 3rd found pinch runner Crawford in a pickle. He was tagged out between 3B and home but Realmuto, only a few feet from 3rd himself, inexplicably turned and started running back to 2nd where he was easily tagged out to end the game. - Braves lost 8-3 to Padres. Tatis Jr. said 'Hold my beer' to Robert Jr. with an MLB season-long 474 foot HR - Rox 8 - Nats 7 which, considering it involved the Nats and was at Cape Coors, was a low scoring game than you'd expect - HOU 5 - MIA 3 for the Marlins' 8th straight loss. Their season high of Ten G-over .500 is now back to just two

Nice win. But I also can't help but think that this one might have played out very differently had Soto been in LF tonight (all other things being equal of course).

Well, at least until he got shot.

What, just because it's from a novel older than me?