Frayed Knot

Another day, another 9th inning loss by the Dodgers. They had actually tied the game with a run in bottom 8th and decided to turn the 9th inning of the tied game over to starter Kenta Maeda. But he promptly served up a run on three singles and LA failed to match in their half. So that's now five straight losses, all to division rivals (COL & SFG), all by one run and/or walk-off, and with 9 of the 19 runs they've allowed during that stretch coming in the 8th & 9th innings. Oh yeah, and they're not hitting either: 12 RS in 5 games

Flicked over briefly to the Braves/Marlins game (6-6 after 6) and was just in time to see Biddle pitching to Riddle. That would be Jesse of Atlanta vs J T (Joshua) of Miami

That was not a "bad" play by Frazier. Bad luck is all. 3rd baseman need to go for virtually everything they can reach over there and for him to pull up and simply assume that Rosario can both reach that and then get an out would be a bad play.

Annnnd the game was just put out of reach.

So they're talking about how the Orioles have the second worst pitching in all of baseball [ERA = 5.03, ahead of only KCR] and yet the Mets have scored 3 runs against them in 25 innings.

Man, the Dodgers are having all kinds of late game problems without Kenley Jansen in the mix (heart issues for which he'll probably need off-season surgery though still could pitch this year). First they lost two straight via walk-offs to Colorado over the weekend: a 3R HR in the 9th in Saturday's game where they led by 2; then a tie-breaking walk-off walk in the 9th on Sunday They then faced the Giants on Monday in a Kershaw/Bumgarner face-off. Kershaw got the better and LA led 2-1 heading to the 9th only to see SFG put up a 4-spot after Kershaw was gone. Scott Alexander, J. T. Chargois, Dylan Florio, and Pedro Baez have been their 9th inning wannabes lately and whether this 'proves' that the 9th inning is different or merely shows that it's different only if you suck, it's safe to say that those guys aren't exactly working out right now. All this trouble has put LAD 1.0 game out in the west (behind ARZ and tied with COL) but also 2.5 out of the 2nd WC Right now it's looking like they have to beat out at least four from among the group of ATL, PHI, MIL, COL, ARZ, & StL -- which is something you can say for all of those teams but the Dodgers are currently behind or tied with all in that group. Oh, and Manny Machado 2018 OPS = 963 w/BAL, 733 w/LAD

Conforto apparently wanted to go with; Yeah I'm a sucker for sliders in the dirt, what of it?, but that was rejected due to limitations of space on the jersey

Edgy MD wrote: c: Caleb Joseph (.216 / .251 / .342 // .593) 1b: Chris Davis (.158 / .242 / .299 // .541) 2b: Jace Peterson (.196 / .313 / .318 // .631) 3b: Renato Núñez (.248 / .319 / .396 // .715, but .292 / .361 / .462 // .823 in 19 games since coming over from Texas) ss: Tim Beckham (.229 / .289 / .361 // .651) lf: Trey Mancini (.234 / .301 / .396 // .697) cf: Cedric Mullins (.385 / .500 / .538 // 1.038 in four games, but .267 / .332 / .425 // .757 in 59 games for Norfolk, the stolen affiliate) rf: Adam Jones: .283 / .313 / .428 // .741 dh: Mark Trumbo: .266 / .320 // .468 // .787 Well at least that 541 OPS'ing Chris Davis isn't the one who's 32 y/o and in the second year of a deal for $23 mil/year and running thru 2022. Oh wait, it is! That's former Brave Jace Peterson at 2B across from one of the most unsuccessful former #1 overall draft picks (tho not by Bal'mer) Tim Beckham. Those are the two who are replacing Machado & Schoop LF'er Mancini is coming off a decent rookie season but his OPS+ fell from 120 last season to 92 in, this, his second full year And I've never heard of Cedric Mullins who sounds like he should be in the NBA

I understand that Reyes's new nickname is 'Pop Out'

Three series wins (sort of) in a row.

Oh my my, oh hell yes

32% chance we win this game.

A one batter outing for Blevins ... be nice if he retired him. oe: And He Does!! On three pitches also. Nicely done Jerry

Would prefer to see a bigger lead considering that were out-hitting them 12-5 and have out-HR'd 'em 5-0 1/6 w/RiSP

We should send Kurkjian a link to the CPF Rankings project.

'twould be nice if some of these HRs came with, y'know, runners on base ... but I'll take it.

Suxx that Jake's gotten nicked up by a bloop-a-thon. I think Austin Romine's 2nd inning single is their hardest hit ball of the game for the home team.

Edgy MD wrote: I think someday, perhaps quite soon, slow-mo replay and umpire reviews are going to show the world that almost all sliding players break contact with the bag for infinitesimal moments. But don't worry about it. Replay is only going to be used to correct obviously blown calls. That's what we were promised anyway.

So this will make it about six minutes between live pitches. But, hey, at least they're 3.6% more sure that they got the call right and that's the only thing that matters (or so I've heard)

How do Yankee fans live with that crap? Simple: Because they believe it benefits them more often than not. NOW Conforto gets a hit.

Other than a few more pitches from JdG than are ideal, a very positive 1st inning.

In the words of the late great American philosopher Thomas Earl Petty: 'Oh my my, oh hell yes'

Severino on the season: 24 starts; 15-5; 3.11 ERA; 1.10 WHIP Severino last six starts: 32 IP; 26 ER (7.54) on 47 hits (1.69 WHiP) The short version is that he's given up exactly the same number of earned runs in his most recent six starts as he did over the first 18 I think his presumed Cy Young went Cy O'Nara

1) they can't hit at home 2) they can't hit on the road 3) they can't figure out anywhere else to play

Nationals rode seven innings of Scherzer schut-out ball at Wrigley to a 1-0 lead, then got two all important insurance runs in the top of the 9th ... but it wasn't enough. Cubs load the bases on Ryan Madson without ever getting a ball out of the infield (IF single + 2 HBPs) before rookie David Bote (I don't even know how to pronounce that) hits a 2-out/walk-off Grand-Slam!! Ooooh that one's gonna leave a mark. Tough day on Sunday for would-be contenders Nats, Brews, and also the Dodgers who got walked-off by the Rox who are hot on their heels.