Frayed Knot

Just catching up here after watching the game (starting around 4PM) via catch-up mode. Would have been a VERY frustrating loss but instead turns into a quite inspiring win. And now NYM bats have gotten to G. Cole, A. Chapman, C. Burnes, J. Hader, and B. Woodruff, to one degree or another, over the last four games. Two weeks ago we weren't hitting any hurlers.

It's the second try at a deGrom day vs a 1st place team ... only now it comes with 22% less action!! 2:10 first pitch ... assuming no continuation of the recent deluge.

The second half of the schedule starts with tonight's tilt even if statistically the "second half" stats will only be those posted a week from Friday after the ASB And what a better way to kick off the back nine than with Jacob of Grom on the hill, just as we did when teeing off on #1 I'd call Milwaukee lefty Brett Anderson tonight's sacrificial lamb except that we tend to lose JdG starts with alarming frequency and sense-defying logic. Anderson, a 33 y/o in his 13th ML season, is just off the IL having previously made 12 starts in 2021 with a none-too-impressive 4.69 ERA and 1.458 WHiP NYM bats have made a habit of making mediocre pitchers look great over the last month (or three) but in the last few games they have gotten to the likes of Cole, Chapman, and Woodruff so maybe things are looking up.

Nice to settle (in the positive) that the Alonso Double was the PotG as opposed to the Alonso Double Play

and there are always final werk changes. Kyle Schwarber, for instance, is going to need to be replaced.

Frayed Knot wrote: I'm beginning to feel like we may never see Conforto get another hit. My reverse jinx pays off again ... or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

All ABs this inning > bunts, even the non-bunt bunt by McNeil

Now isn't that much better than a bunt, Frankie?

Lefty Specialist wrote: It may have worked, but I want Lindor swinging in that situation. I'm not sure it even can be said to have worked. It may not have even increased the odds of scoring that run.

I'm beginning to feel like we may never see Conforto get another hit.

So either Lindor's bunt "worked" in that the run scored even without benefit of a hit, ... or it didn't in that it almost assured the team that a leadoff double would lead to no more than one run.

The tough road continues because these Brewers is good [22-9 since June 1] And unlike in past years, these are Brewers can both hit AND pitch (6th best in NL at RS/G, 6th best in RA/G) so less one-dimensional than maybe we're used to. We're going to go all Tylor Megill on them while they counter with Brandon Woodruff, a 28 y/o 5th year RH drafted in the 11th round draft pick in 2014 [Miss St U] who has turned a corner for them and turned in 16 starts; 7-3; 1.87 ERA; 0.78 WHIP in 2021

April, and even May, night games on Saturdays in the northeast / midwest is the dumbest thing ever. The Mets weren't first on that bandwagon (I recall the Phils as early adopters) but they took to it almost exclusively in recent years even as the Yanx have managed to avoid it almost entirely (except when mandated by network TV).

Man, it would have been nice to sweep those fuckers!

Nothing like ending the game on an 'immaculate inning' -- 9 pitches, 9 strikes.

Yanx just put Locastro into LF But unlike Judge in RF in the 1st game, Locastro looks like he has a weak arm and also won't be throwing from 10 feet behind the infield dirt.

Braves come back from down 4 in the 9th to beat the Marlins Padres drub Phils Nats swept (4) by Dodgers as mentioned above And of course we'd pad our leads on all of them (1/2 on Braves, 1.5 on the other three) if we can find a way to flip this slim MFY lead.

Little League rules apply in both games today. 'twould be real nice to steal a win off of Cole and then play with house money in the nightcap battle of the TBDs. He's obviously the best they've got although has been less than great lately. Coming off a drubbing from the BoSox, Cole's ERA was way up (4.65) in June, his K's are down, BBs are up, and HRs allowed way up (8 in 31 June IPs). Perhaps the result of a Sticky Stuff ban?!?!? And, if nothing else, Saturday's game took reliever Michael King out of the running for both games on Sunday which, seeing as how no one in the lineup could touch him, moves everyone else in their pen up one notch. I want to see them have to use Chapman for mop-up duty in a blowout loss.

Donaldson is occasionally loud and brash and not shy about expressing opinions. Don't think that alone makes him an asshole although it probably doesn't exclude it either.

Yanx put OF Clint Frazier on the IL with Vertigo ( or maybe with Rear Window, I wasn't paying attention) and are replacing him with Tim Locastro, that real speedy guy whom we saw with ARZ earlier in the year. The yanx traded for him the other day.

Padres tie it up with two outs in the 9th!!

Phils, behind Wheeler and crazy dude Alvarado, are in the process of shutting out the Padres. 3-0 in the 9th, 1 out Oooops, 3-1, and its now raining there too. Nats are up 3-1 on LAD, behind Scherzer although Schwarber left the game with some kind of leg injury (sure, NOW he gets hurt!) And Acuna scored after being hit which, to this point, is the only run of the game. 4th inning And the Mets have been rained out, making this a pretty shitty Friday night baseball-wise. Good thing I don't have any liquor in the house.

So there's been some history of HBPs in Marlins/Braves games, specifically with Acuna being plunked. So tonight Acuna gets hit with the first pitch by Marlin pitcher Pablo Lopez. The umps issue warnings ... at which point Atlanta mgr Snitker gets pissed off ... at which point the umps call a conference ... at which point the umps decide to eject Lopez!! Not surprisingly, Mattingly quickly got run as well. Seems to me to be a hasty and overly nanny-ing call by the umps.

Whilst we're battlin' in the Bronx ... Marlins @ Braves (Go Fish!!) Nats hosting Dodgers (but won't face Bauer on Sunday) Phils hosting Padres

I hate going into a series against these fuckers while we're not playing well. Of course they're not playing well either [41-39; 12-14 in June] so who knows. In particular not playing well is closer Aroldis Chapman. After a good start to his season -- he didn't give up a run (at least not his own) until late May -- he finished June with an 11.42 ERA and 1.77 WHIP with 14 hits and 10 walks in 8.2 IP And it could have been a lot worse than that considering that he was bailed out of one game by a game-ending Triple Play, while just a few days earlier Vladdy Jr had been thrown out after being caught between 3rd and home as the tying run on a come-backer!! Others include SS Gleyber Torres: 38 HRs in 2019, 3 so far this season [79 OPS+] AND not fielding his position well. Also OF Clint Frazier: .186 with 5 HR in 200+ PA, and early season import 2B Rougned Odor: .211/.286/.414 We'll see Gerritt Cole tomorrow (vs Stroman) and the ever popular TBD on Sunday night (vs Megill). btw, tonight's game is MLBN's Friday Night 'Showcase' game for those shut out of other means of seeing it