Frayed Knot

I think they got the call (mostly) right. Yes, it's somewhat subjective to determine if the OF would have/could have caught the ball. But you have to make judgement calls sometimes and this one was simply too high on the wall to be caught (another inch or two and that's being ruled a HR). Not quite sure, though, how you award the batter a double but then at the same time determine that the runner scores from 1st. that's a bit too much imagination for me considering that the ball was out of play so it's not like you can factor how much it rebounded off the wall, etc. And if we want to go straight to ANY interference resulting in the batter out then fine, although that opens the possibility of a fan intentionally interfering with a live ball in order to get a desired outcome. And then in Milwaukee, just a few hours after the YSIII incident, there's this Dairy Bartman wannabe about to jostle his own OFer's HR-saving glove from three seats over. It is nice to see that at least the guy who interfered was ejected, as opposed to being celebrated then feted at City Hall by the Mayor and gifted front row seats for the next game as has happened in the past. Even those two guys who essentially assaulted Mookie Betts a couple years back got off easy at first. The MFY's initial reaction was to eject them for the rest of that game but allow them back in the next night. It wasn't until MLB stepped in that the Yanx said; 'Oh yeah, Lifetime Banishment, that's what we meant to say in the first place'. Maybe they're at least starting to learn a lesson and letting go of the idea that punishment depends on whether or not the interference helped or hurt the home team.

Every series is in action today and with only slightly staggered start times. CLE at CHW - where the White Sox are out to an early 1 - 0 lead (end of 2) as they look to close out the series the 6:00 time slot sees the Dodgers in Atlanta [series = 2 - 1 Dodgers] at 8:00 it'll be Rays in the Bronx w/the Yanx trying to save their season [0 - 2] and 10:00 EDT as the Brewers & Padres play on the left coast [2 - 1 Brewers]

Kike career: 706 OPS; post-season OPS = 826 (before tonight) Regular season HRs: 1 HR per 32 ABs; Post Season: 1 HR per 17 ABs

foul fly for 2nd out -- Mike Yastrzemski to PH ... and he grounds out and the Dodgers win. Lead series 2 - 1

Leadoff double - GO 1 out, runner on 3rd, tying run at plate side note: I can't believe braves fans are still doing that dumb chant

Dodgers with a two-run lead and they're turning to Edwin Díaz for the save. Lousy and injury interrupted season for Diaz but his last five games were near perfect [5 innings, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R]

Yes. Treat WAR as a piece of the argument not the end of it.

YEAH BABY!!!!

....

Yanx now have 4 errors, should have 5, could have 6. I'm no expert on these things but I think that's a lot for 5 innings. Tampa has 8 hits, one walk, and 4 reached on errors, that's 13 baserunners and only 15 outs ... in a Schlittler game!!

And the Rays chase Schlittler after 4-1/3. Not all of it was his fault, but still: 3 R (2 ER), 7 hits, plus 2 BB

Guardians got handed two runs in the 1st then barely got a hit until the run-scoring double in bottom 8

Yanx respond with a Three* Error (almost four) bottom of the 1st but the result is just one run. * McMahon, Chisholm, catcher's interference, and then nearly Chisholm again

They snuck him in just under the wire Not that he was much better with the ChiSox; 3-for-17 with the only highlight being a 3R HR in his 2nd game there, against the Guardians of all teams.

Freddie Peralta gets the start today vs Yanx and Cam Schlittler. Off to a good start: 1 - 2 - 3 on 8 pitches in top 1

Anthony Kay (one time NYM 1st round draft pick) gets the Game 2 start for the ChiSox today and lasts three batters: 1B, BB, GO ... and he's gone! Even by opener standards that's a quick hook. New pitcher (Sean Newcombe) goes to a 2 - 0 count and the call from the dugout is for an IW. Next pitch is an infield chopper/error by Newcombe and it's 2 - 0 Guardians, still with one out in the 1st. Over-managing by White Sox / Venable?

Agreed, I'm just thinking of the best option if given the worst case scenario. My NL order of preference is MIL - SDP - LAD - then ATL, those last two in that order for reasons stated above. AL I'm going TBR - CLE - CHW - Proud Boys - Medellin Cartel - Taliban- ..... - Yankees

So the Braves are essentially saying, "we don't need no stinkin' starters' and are managing the series so far with relievers you've barely heard of. Ten different pitchers have held the Dodgers to 7 runs over two games including getting a combined 13 innings with just one run allowed by such notable names as: Dylan Dodd [3.0 IP]; Didier Fuentes [3.2]; Ray Kerr [2.2]; Dylan Lee [0.2]; Robert Suarez [1.0] and Brent Suter [2.0] They'll counter with Chris Sale when the series resumes on Tuesday but I don't even know where they go from there. It's why I have to pull for the Dodgers in this series as I have to plan for who I think will be the potential best antidote for the Yanquis if it comes to that and I can't imagine this kind of patchwork staff thriving for the next two and a half series.

I think the difference can be passed off as normal growth for someone starting at age 21 as he was in that top picture. On the other hand, you can't spell Aroldis or Rodriguez without ROID, so maybe not.

Roof was open today so no such issues. Did you hear the audio of Game One's pre-game meeting at the plate? The umps brought up and outlined the ground rules including the ball hitting the girders or cables and such. Then the Brewer coach who brought out the lineup card chimed in with, 'I've been here six years and have never seen any of that ... so we'll probably see it tonight.'

Once again, baseball is such dull game.

His personality is a bit reminiscent of Ji-Man Choi, the Korean 1B/DH the Rays had in 2022. Big, kinda round, animated, better athlete than he looked. And while you had no idea how much English Choi knew, he seemed to be one of the boys and all in on the jokes and the rest of the dugout silliness. Murakami had a down second half -- Mar/Apr - May - July (IL all of June) = 930-ish OPS; Aug - Sep = 647 & 704 -- so the jury is still out on him as far as what degree of star he'll be on this side of the Pacific Maybe that's just a slump, or maybe pitchers are getting a book on him. And of course a million Ks but lots of walks and power to go with it. Plus he 's still just 26 y/o and absolutely thumped the snot out of his HR in game 1 vs CLE. Good hair game too.

A wacko ending which I was no longer up to see: 3 - 2 Brewers / one out top 9th / runner on 1st: a long drive down the LF line by SDP's Ty France strikes a cable up near the ceiling and drops right to the LF'er for the second out. Apparently the ground rules state that if it hits something on or near the roof while in fair territory then the ball is in play. Opinions vary as to whether this ball was fair of foul when it hit and as to whether it was going to stay fair (2R HR) or foul (strike one) if it didn't. Two pitches later, Jackson Merrill flied out (deep RCF) to end the game. Trevor Megill with the gutty/lucky save: K of Tatis w/2 on to end the 8th. Then in the 9th: single. K (Machado), FO (wire), FO Game two at 4 PM today on FS1

Only with one out there could 'pushing it' be considered a good move there no matter who you are. and, even then, you've got a great arm in RF (Wells may not have known that but the coaches sh/would have) on top of a slow-footed catcher. The 3B coach did put out the stop sign but Wells admitted to not seeing it until after being "already committed". Nice retrieval and throw from RF which gave the relay man time to make an accurate throw without rushing it because it certainly wasn't Trae Turner running. That wound up being the last pitch Rasmussen would throw but the closer was spot-on too so no damage. Now this gives Rasmussen time to recover for a potential Game Four or Five which, because of extra off-days in this series [Sunday / Tuesday / Friday], wouldn't be until Thursday or Saturday so the Yanx have that hanging over their heads going forward. Both AL series have Sunday off

Game 7 of the 1991 WS found me at a friend's house where I was constantly out-voted by the crowd there who insisted on watching the Sunday Night Football game. IIRC most there were more enthralled by Chris Berman's half-time highlight show than by the game itself but that's a separate story. I'd occasionally get the channel briefly changed over baseball where the room would see the score and declare, 'See, you're not missing anything' and immediately change back. I did eventually manage to see the ending but I vowed then never to put myself in that situation again. And I haven't.