Frayed Knot

White Sox went on to win the other NYC/CHI tilt 5-1 - AND it was a Gerrit Cole game which is the one day in five they definitely can't afford to lose - AND Aaron Boone got ejected again, and it was for arguing balls and strikes again In an era where manager ejections are severely down due to replay, Boone has got to be leading the league over the last couple seasons as he once again shows that the Yanx don't just want all the calls to go their way but they expect them to. If the NYY say it's a ball and the ump disagrees then the ump is, by definition, wrong. No word on whether or not he referred to his team as "savages" this particular time. So they slip back into last place behind slumping Boston and are now just 3 games over .500 with a dead even RS/RA differential They also resumed the Braves/Pirates game in Pittsburgh after a lengthy delay with the Pirates holding on for a 7-6 win in a game where they led early 6-0 ... which sounds about right for an Atlanta game this season. The only surprise was that the Braves scored just one in the top of the 9th and not six.

GOODFELLOWS, like a lot of Scorcese movies, was packed with music ... right up until Henry's arrest in his driveway. And while a lot of it was not specific to the plot as much as it was used to mark the passage of time -- doo-woppy '50s and '60s stuff early, then running towards Donovan and the Stones later on -- the opening of Tony Bennet's RAGS TO RICHES and closing with not just MY WAY but a more defiant and punk-ish version, were great bookends that reflected the movie as well as Henry himself.

- Rained out in Philly before even starting where the Phils were set to host the Nats - Rain delayed in Pittsburgh where the Pirates have a 7-5 lead over Atlanta in the 6th so, just as in our game, that one is official it they can't re-start. btw, Spenser Strider might lead the planet in K-rates (at least for starters) but he also gets cuffed around every now and then and tonight the Bucs hit him up for 6 R / 5 H / 3 BBs in just in 2.2 IP. He's had several of those type this year including once to us (we lost anyway) and tonight pushes his ERA for the season to up near 4.00 Not horrible obviously but also to exactly CY territory - Yanx down 2-0 in the 4th vs ChiSox on a day where big FA signee Carlos Rodon goes back on the IL Just six starts / 27 Innings pitched this season

Even when the Yanx, both before and during the Steinbrenner years, pulled this sort of thing, they managed to not act so blatantly. They chose not to retain Red Barber in the mid-60s after he pointed out the lack of attendance during some meaningless late season game. Later on they made it clear that they weren't fans of either Tony Kubek and Jim Kaat when they didn't toe the company line often enough. But even they were smart enough to not to be so truthful as to the cause-and-effect by going directly to a suspension.

Well that certainly beats the shit out of starting the game with two GiDPs Drew no longer Smyly

A low pitch count inning in the 1st for Kodai but then long ones in 2nd & 3rd and he's now up around 50 thru 3 Nice job limiting the damage though and isn't getting much help from the defense.

So Baty is demoted and Vientos is even worse.

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A few random Thoughts on the Game!!!! Balls hit to 3B right now are essentially a coin flip as to whether or not they'll be turned into an out. At least this sweep, unlike the previous one, had the advantage of hurting the Yanx which is ... something.

A game where we trailed from the 1st, never led, and never really threatened, ... and yet this 4-run loss seemed like an improvement.

Given ar least a dozen opportunities to throw a runner out on the bases over the last few days (at all four bases) the Mets have succeeded in throwing out None of them.

That one is pretty iconic. A bit different in that it was a song written specifically for the movie rather than an existing song chosen for it, but it still works.

Disappointed that this pitcher, Coulombe, pronounces his name Cool-lome rather than Column-Bee because it would be cool if Column-Bee could relieve current ChiSox reliever Alex Colome [Column-Ay] during a game.

A ball out of the infield!!!! Take the ball out of play. Get it to the Authenticator.

1) K, K, Weak Grounder 2) K, K, Weak Grounder 3) K, Weak Grounder, K Anyone noticing a pattern here?

The low-K rate pitcher Ks four of the first five. The other was a weak grounder.

Say goodnight Gracie

Plus an option for a 5th

Heard the Beach Boys' 'ALL SUMMER LONG' (one of my faves) a couple days ago. Not so unusual for late July/early August but this particular hearing reminded me of how perfect its use was over the closing credits for AMERICAN GRAFFITI So that kicked the topic into my head where a couple others came to mind. - Lyle Lovett's version of STAND BY YOUR MAN over the closing credits of THE CRYING GAME. I literally LOL'd in the theatre as soon as I recognized the song - The German language version of Bowie's HEROES to close out JO JO RABBIT Anyone got any?

He shouldn't have been sent. He's not running well (though I had no idea he was THAT lame) and it was clear from how he went from 2nd to 3rd. There were 2 outs so I guess the coach figured it was worth the shot but he was dead meat even though it wasn't even a particularly good throw. Stanton is shot He's actually been hitting well lately. But his problem, the same one he's had his whole career, it that those hot streaks never last very long even though still only 33 y/o. He can carry a team for a few weeks, but not for months. But, hey, the Yanx are only on the hook for four more seasons!

Verlander, facing the Yanx for his second time in his last three starts, takes an 'L' in his first start back with the Astros. Not a bad outing: 2 R, 7 hits over 7 innings, but HOU got only an Altuve solo HR and lost 3-1

It's not a question of which direction JMcN hits the ball, it's that he's trying to pit-a-pat it in whichever direction. If the pitch is inside he pulls out the cricket swing and hopes it gets over an infielder (but in front of the OF). With pitches over the plate or away he's trying to poke and aim and maybe get lucky. So if all goes right the upside is a single or, if particularly well placed, a hustle double. If not it's an easy put out that doesn't advance a runner. And if on the ground with runners on it's an easy two outs.

Edgy MD wrote: As far as I'm concerned, he can flick it to left a lot more. The upside of which is the occasional single. This one resulted, as many of them do, in a foul pop up. The problem isn't that he flicks the occasional ball to LF, it's that that seems to be his intent, that a defensive swing is his fallback position as it's his only remedy to keep from K'ing. The defending ML batting champ currently has 21 XBHs in 400+ ABs and an OPS+ in the low 80s. That he's usually hitting 3rd just spells out how bad the current situation is.

Edgy MD wrote: Nimmo the tying run is on sextuple deck! No he's not, he was taken out of the game. Gary: "McNeil flicks it to LF ... what an apt description of his season.

Ortega gets his first hit as a NYM as well as the Mets' first hard hit ball of the night.