Frayed Knot

The Tigers wound up winning that game but Verlander didn't get the 'W' The daughter also threw out the pre-game first pitch - to catcher J. V. Verlander ends his career 10 Ks ahead of Max Scherzer [3,560 to 3,550] among 'active' pitchers. Scherzer's going to start today for the Blue Jays. He says it's not for the purpose of catching Verlander and, as mentioned above, he also hasn't said this is it for him (tho I suspect it is). In 17 starts this year Scherzer did reach 10 strike outs once [10 Ks in 7 IP on 8/30] but that's the only time he got past 6 innings and his only game with more than 5 Ks so he's not likely to catch or pass J. V. even if that is his goal.

Mets @ WAS is starting early, as is Orioles @ Yanx. And then there is Cubs vs Red Sox in Tampa, all moved up and/or out due to the storm ... and meaninglessness. All other games today (including Cubbies/Sawx) start at 3-ish PM EDT

So, DUH!, Phils wind up losing (12 - 1 was the final) but Diamondbacks lose too meaning Philly needs a win OR a DBacks loss to clinch the final WC slot. So 75% chance for Philly, 25% for ARZ Phils did Not wind up using a position player to pitch but they did use seven actual hurlers, one inning from starter Nola plus six relievers splitting the other eight. They'll go with Zach Wheeler today (making him unavailable for playoff Round 1 if they get there) and hope he can give them some length and, y'know, a win. Houston AND Texas both won on Saturday, so they enter the final day in an 80 - 81 dead heat. H-2-H edge goes to the Astros so they, like the Phils, have a 75% chance of making it by needing a win OR a Rangers loss. So will we have a .500 ALW division winner or a sub-.500 one? Those are your only choices and, once again, remember this when fans and writers start talking about what great four-team divisions they can design after the next expansion. Cleveland won while the White Sox lost making the Guardians the AL Central champs which in turn locks the ChiSox into the #3 WC team.

10 - 0 thru 6 Philly phans in the stands really must be enjoying this one. They're probably getting ready to start chucking batteries at their players ... car batteries!! Things could be worse, though, they could be getting rained on. Oh wait, they are!! Padres have taken a 3 - 2 lead

Phils have used five pitchers to get through five innings ... and all that's gotten them is a 7 - 0 deficit. They might wind up pitching a position player in this ultra-important game just to have some arms around and at least semi-fresh for tomorrow's even more important game. The other problem, besides their pitching right now, is that they've scored two runs in the last 32 innings. DBacks lead 2 - 1 in the 3rd inning of their game vs SDP

So the Phils (vs Tampa) didn't move the time of their game today, I guess they figured they're far enough 'in -land' to avoid the worst of this storm even as NYC and Boston were getting swamped. The 7:15 start was pushed back until 7:50 due to some lingering rain but they're underway now ... and Tampa immediately jumps out to a 3- 0 lead in top o' the 1st. Aaron Nola has been put in charge of saving their season. Not that the Phils can eliminate themselves tonight but they can sure put a spot in jeopardy. One game up on Arizona but without the tie-breaker in their favor, they need to be at least one game better than Arizona on Sat + Sun. Snakes are at home vs San Diego and will start within the hour. The DBacks were five games behind the Phils just eight days ago but have run off six straight wins since while the Phils have been tripping over their own dicks. And the Phils go down 1 - 2 - 3 in bottom one.

The final week of TWiB was kind of shoved aside by the 'Post Season Picture Comes into Focus' thread. All games on Sunday are scheduled for 3 PM Eastern, no matter what time zone you're in, so that any last day drama for playoff hopeful teams will play out in different cities simultaneously. They've been doing this for several years now and it's actually one of the good ideas MLB has come up with in this century.

And learning the strike zone. And not being flummoxed by left handed pitching.

And THAT's why Pache is on the roster.

It's on the one I'm watching. 5 innings in the books and in just under two hours. Gonna party like it's 2019

Of course they won't be able to play at 12:45 if the current game isn't over by then. Both teams might have to sleep in the locker rooms, get a few hours shut-eye, and then go straight out for Game #2 warmups.

Lotsa rain expected later in the day in the D of C Re-work your lives accordingly.

AND IT'S STILL JUST THE 3rd INNING!! Although they at least finally got the 1st out of B-3

NYM hitters stranding a lot of puppies out there so far. Alvarez's day so far: inning ending GiDP w/bases loaded; E-2 on a terrible throw allows a runner to advance; yet another really bad challenge; K w/runners on 1st & 3rd/one out Did have a nice throw leading to a caught stealing

So at the start of business today ... The Padres, winners of 16 of 19 since Sept 4th, had muscled their way into the #1WC slot one game ahead of the Cubs who are in turn one game up on the Phillies who are two games in front of the Desert Snakes. But business has already started today. The Cubs finish their season at Fenway but impending weather caused them to move Sunday's game to today* as part of a D/N DH, one which saw Boston win 4 - 3 in the opener. So mark the Cubs an extra half game away from the Padres and 1/2 closer to Philly. The Cubs, and obviously SDP in front of them, Have already clinched WC spots so it's just seeding concerns for those two. Philly has yet to secure meaningful October baseball status. Padres host the DBacks; Phillies host the Rays (with nothing specific to play for); and the Cubs, as mentioned, are in Boston and will likely have two results up prior to either of the other teams posting even one [Game 2 in Boston starts at 6PM]. Over in the AL, both CLE and CHW secured spots as neither can be caught by HOU or TEX. So those two Central teams fight it out for which is Division Champ and which will be WC #3 as both are miles behind #2WC BoSox. The Guardians, with a one game lead on the ChiSox but NOT the H-2-H tie-breaker advantage, will spend the final weekend in Kansas City while the White Sox host the Rockies. Both teams have got to be thinking 3 - 0 And that leaves just TEX & HOU to fight it out for which is the tallest midget in the AL West circus and which goes home after Sunday. Currently they're deadlocked at 79 - 80 with the Astros holding the tie-breaker. The Astros play in West Sacramento while the Rangers head to Minneapolis. * Orioles at Yanx also to play two games today and no game on Sunday.

So it's blonde wigs and BYOB* night for all ticket holders? * Bring Your Own Boobs

Trade options for Nimmo trade were probably also very limited. He had full N-T protection so could have vetoed any deal he didn't like. What made Texas attractive -- possibly what made Only Texas (and probably Houston) attractive -- was that the NImmo clan had recently pulled up stakes in Wyoming and relocated to Austin. Without that side benefit of having family within reasonable reach, It's possible Brandon would have put the kibosh on deals with some of all of the 28 non-Lone Star State clubs.

Looks like we're going to have to sweep.

A win here in the 9th (or beyond) is the difference between needing a sweep vs the Nationals to escape the dreaded 'cellar dweller' label vs needing only two of three. Soto - Bichette - Benge ... and now the inning looks like it'll end quicker than it took me to type the above sentence.

Too bad Alvarez challenged a pitch that was a foot and a half out of the zone a couple innings back otherwise Cionel would have two outs already.

He's intermittently good.

Ronnie dropping names of country chart toppers.

Watch out for fourth pitch Brett!!

Watch out for 'First Pitch Brett' Nope: not this time.

See! If we had let Morabito swing away he would have driven a single up the middle with two runners on in each of his last two ABs. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.