Frayed Knot

bmfc1 wrote: Let's make it 3 series in a row by winning on Monday! That's right. Depending on how you want to look at it, tomorrow is either a series by itself or the completion of a shortened 1-1 series.

You think we make the least of our chances? The Brewers out-hit the Braves 19 to 9 - plus get 4 BB and 2 Atlanta errors - yet lose the game 8-7 4-for-14 w/RiSP will kill a bunch of chances as did getting Ryan Braun to ground into a bases-loaded/tie-game/one-out GiDP in the 7th Mariners completed a four game sweep vs Houston Astros now just 3.0 games ahead of Oakland (who are winning as I type) and 4.0 up on Seattle, a gap which was obviously 8 full games at the start of the weekend.

Edgy MD wrote: Is Sierra using Kate Bush for walkup music? Only during games in Houston when he has to run uphill. and, yeah, I know that they got rid of the CF hill, but let's not spoil [crossout]good[/crossout] mediocre jokes with over-verification

Definitely a lot of CAHNfidence in throws coming across the diamond from Frazier. Haven't necessarily had that from recent 3Bmen: Flores, Reyes, etc, and brief glimpses of Wright

bmfc1 wrote: Damn, that was nice. Not sure why Jose punched himself in the head twice to celebrate. Duh, cuz it was only two outs. He reserves the rare triple punch for triple plays.

Gary & Keith seem to forget that Mattingly always gets multiple challenges per game.

12 innings pitched for the Marlins pen so far this series: Mets have 2 runs (the Plawecki 2-RBI single in Game 1) on just 4 hits off that crew

No ground balls hit to him at 3rd so no updates on his throwing. He did catch one pop-up though so, y'know, there's that.

Look, a lot of players DON'T get to decide when they go out and Wright may very well turn out to be one of those. Simply because he may be able to prove that he's capable of playing doesn't mean he's going to be good enough going forward to hold down a job. I just don't get the attitude of NYM fans who, in some cases for years now, have been demanding that he quit trying.

MFS62 wrote: I want to see him retire ... I want to see him play.

It occurs to me that if a manager wanted to delay the game for some reason -- allow the reliever to warm up, wait for weather to improve (or NOT improve) -- he could order his pitcher to continually throw pick-off moves to 1st and then request his 30 seconds (or whatever it is) each time before "deciding" not to challenge.

Edgy MD wrote: And while calling him up or not calling him up in April may be an issue of delaying arbitration ... Holding out for April would be for the purpose of delaying FA status (effectively 7 rather than 6). There's no specific cut-off date for assuring a delay in arbitration eligibility but it's usually considered to be around June 1st. And who knows whether the rules are even going to be the same if/when Alonso gets to be somewhere between his 3rd thru 7th years of ML service.

Yeah, I agree with the part about not just automatically delaying call-up dates for every maybe prospect who comes down the pike. The Cubs did it with Kris Bryant but he was an uber prospect coming out of a major college program and the #2 slot in the draft, but cases like those are more the exception rather than the rule. That said, Alsonso is hardly a finished product at this point. Since his promotion to AAA: his BA is down some 70 points and his OPS around 100; his strikeouts are up even with fewer ABs (nearly 1/3 of the time) and reports on his fielding are basically rotten. Power is up somewhat but, remember Jake, it's Vegas-town. So let's not act as if his non-call-up this September (if that turns out to be the case) is some sort of example of workplace malfeasance.

After a win this afternoon (Sat), the Yanx are now 5-1 through the early stages of their dregs of the AL (and sometimes NL) tour ... CHW x 3 (3-0) TEX x 4 (2-1) NYM x1 TBR x 3 TOR x 3 MIA x 2 BAL x 4 CHW again x 3 DET x 3 ... a stretch which will likely go a long way towards ensuring them one of the WC slots. But they've still got to be at least a wee bit worried about Aroldis Chapman. Starting back with his near-blown game vs us back on 7/21 [3 walks, pulled from the game] he now has issued 10 BBs (plus 2 HBP) over his 7 appearances/6 innings starting that night while needing an average of over 26 pitches to get through a typical inning (average ~15). His famed velocity also seems to be down. Today he again got away with loading the bases although this time he was able to protect the two-run lead on his own [Walk, K, Single, Pop-out, HBP, K] Also didn't help matters that, after trade deadline pick-up Zach Britton got the first two outs in the 7th, he proceeded to allow the Rangers to tie the game by going: Single, Single, Walk, Walk, Balk (the Balk was Bettances) and had to be pulled without ever finishing the inning.

MFS62 wrote: Well, I guess they'll need something to attract fans in September ... Or maybe, just maybe mind you, Wright has been cleared to play and wants to play even if his attempt is to the dismay of some of the fans from his own team who seem more interested in rooting for insurance policies.

Centerfield wrote: Triple Happiness! Is that even a thing anymore? Sure, it's anytime we get three or more hits in a game.

I have no idea who Ronald Guzman is for the Rangers, but he's got 3 HRs vs the Yanx in the Bronx tonight ... and now as I type he K's in the 8th so that's probably his final AB

Rut-Roh

smg58 wrote: The Phillies get Justin Bour from the Marlins for a C-grade prospect. Not true. It's Justin Bour and cash for a grade C prospect. It's lefty starter McKenzie Valentine Mills (cool name anyhow) -- 22 y/o, currently pitching in high-A. Was originally drafted by Washington so he'll be hurling for his third NL East org in the last 12 months Plus he's from Marietta, Georgia so there's a rule that the Braves get to claim him at some point if he ever gets good. Other than that, can't find out much about him so far. Definitely a strange move on the surface. Kind of an off year for Bour but good OBA despite his .227 BA and 19 HRs I guess the only downside is that he's already 30 y/o despite having only 3+ years of ML service coming into 2018, but of course that also means two more years of team control.

LAD closer Kenley Jansen to the DL for "about a month" after being hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. Dodgers currently in a dead heat in the NL West with Arizona Mike Trout also DL'd after sitting the last four or five games. That could have an effect on his MVP run: 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th so far in his six ML seasons (and in that "down" 4th year he still led the league in OPS)

RealityChuck wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Danny Napoleon, 1964 in Auburn (NY-Penn League) had 134 RBI.Plus 20 more in the Florida State League that year. Able was he.

The John Sickels Mid-season Prospect Update report for the Mets. Keep in mind that this is a review of his winter list meaning that both the rankings and the grades given remain unchanged from his pre-season assessment so don't get all bent out of shape over the specific order. What's new here are the comments on how each has progressed (or not) thru this half-season-plus (published on 8/2)

Too much flexen' of his knee I suspect.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It will be true of the Mets too if Jose Reyes gets 15 hits per year for the next 17 years. 17 hits per year for the next 15 seasons is much more realistic IMO.

Edgy MD wrote: Yankees! Jeter (hits), Ruth (homers), Gehrig (ribbies) Yup, that one works. Lou nudged out Babe for the RBI crown 1,995 to 1,978