Frayed Knot

We needed one more damn out out of Pill. After two innings last night he pitched a perfect 1-2/3 tonight. He then walked two straight after two were out and he had two strikes on each (I thought he had strike 3 on the second guy) But then he served up the 3R HR on the next pitch.

Is (SD pitcher) Phil Maton's car an automaton?

With a runner already on 1st, they just hit two consecutive balls off the wall and yet scored just one run out of it. #needtogetyounger

Hey let's see if we can hit some infield choppers!

We're getting our butts kicked these last two days by a 30 y/o rookie and a bunch of 21 y/o Rule 5 guys.

Maybe Lucas can play SS for the Rays. Bottom 9, 5-4 Rays, Brett Gardner on 3rd, 2 outs: Slow-footed Gary Sanchez hits a slow bouncer towards SS with 3 infielders on that side, the SS and 2B proceed to look at each other as neither went for the ball as it slowly rolled into the OF ... tie game.

TOP GUN was war turned into a music video. You didn't miss much Ronnie. What that SNY piece didn't mention was that SOME LIKE IT HOT was filmed at the Hotel Coronado. Now THAT's a movie worth seeing.

So now I'm thinking of this trade from the other side. Logan Morrison has been playing 1st for the Rays and is hitting for about as much power as Lucas. He (Morrison) played some OF earlier in his career but hasn't now in several years. Corey Dickerson is the DH/OF and he's having a good year too. Brad Miller has taking some of the DH ABs vs RHPs but he's a not-so-great hitting SS so maybe that's going to be Duda's new role.

Lots of 2-strike counts for Flexen so far, but he hasn't been able to put anyone away yet.

Nymr83 wrote: maybe this is one of those deals where the Mets get the prospect and bring back Duda in November? Don't see how there's any way he re-signs here. 1B is one of the two positions where the logical successor is known and (hopefully) ready to go. oe: it just occurred to me that Duda has been traded for a guy named Smith and likely will be replaced by a guy named Smith.

Drew Smith: will turn 24 at season's end. Drafted in the 3rd round 2015 by the Tigers out of Dallas Baptist University Dealt to Tampa in Jan 2017 as the PtbNL in exchange for 2011 1st round pick Mikie Mahtook, joined the Tampa org in late April. John Sickels (writing today): Due to the [April] trade he’s pitched for four minor league teams this year: High-A Lakeland in the Tigers system, High-A Charlotte in the Rays system, then Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham for the Rays. He’s been effective everywhere, posting a combined 1.60 ERA in 45 innings with a 40/9 K/BB and just 32 hits allowed. Smith is listed at 6-2, 190, born September 24th, 1993. He throws hard, 93-96 MPH, with enough movement for the fastball to play higher than the radar gun reading. He also has an above-average curveball and will occasionally mix in a mediocre change-up. His control has improved this year and he could be ready for a bullpen trial soon. We'll miss ya' big Luc! Sometimes you could be a real cool hand.

Tampa is currently playing the Yanx ... get him to the Bronx right NOW!!!!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Pomodoro is the Italian word for "tomato". Joe Schultz in Italy: 'Hey there blondie, how's your ol' pomodoro'

Luis Perdomo is the pitcher - I think Pomodoro is a restaurant or something. Anyway, he was a combination starter and relievers as a rookie last season. Strictly starter this year: 17 starts, 4-5; 4.71; 1.54 24 y/o (I think everyone on this team is under 25 right now) out of the DR, BR/TR. Never faced the Mets before which helps explain why I had never heard of the guy prior to today.

smg58 wrote: Pat Neshek just got the Phillies three prospects. All very young: a 19 & 20 y/o out of Venezuela both playing in Low-A. The other is a 23 y/o former 24th round draft pick just recently promoted to High-A. The older one is said to project as a future middle reliever; a much greater range of good or bad on the other two (IF & RHP) because of their ages. Obviously worth it form the Phils viewpoint even if all they get out of it down the road is one or two role players. Probably safe to assume that a package for Reed may yield something similar, but it doesn't sound like he's going to draw anything like the monster prospects that Miller & Chapman netted last year.

Yup, and that graph shows that every one of our upswings since then has been matched by a downturn of just about equal (if not greater) proportion.

I was going to go with 'SAN DIEGO SERENANDE' for our final game in California for the year NgwZW8-JhIs ... but Matz's shit outing and SDP gloves combined to ruin the mini-streak I was on (perhaps my first ever in CPF/IGT history) John Sickels profiles Chris Flexen 2017 has been impressive: 1.76 ERA in 61 innings between High-A and Double-A with a 63/10 K/BB and only 40 hits allowed. Listed at 6-3, 250, Flexen was born July 1st, 1994. He features a heavy fastball in the low-90s and mixes the sinker with a cutter, curveball, and change-up. His command was erratic in 2016 but he’s made big strides with that this year, keeping his mechanics in gear more consistently and dramatically lowering his walk rate, from 3.42 BB/9 to 1.47 BB/9. That’s made a huge difference.

Strasburg to the DL (his 9th time in 8 seasons) due to a "nerve impingement" in his right elbow but is expected to miss only the minimum amount of time. I wonder what that's like, guys going on the DL and coming off at the earliest possible date? They're expected to bring up their 1st round pick in 2014, Erick Fedde, from AA to take his place. In the meantime they have Scherzer out there this afternoon vs Milwaukee but it could be just about anyone as it's 15-1 Nats at the end of 4! The eight HRs might have something to do with that, including the back-to-back-to-back-to-back they hit in the 2nd (Goodwin, Difo, Harper, Zimmerman). Murphy then flew out before Rendon made it five HRs in six batters. Craig Counsell then decided that was the point when it was probably a good time to yank his starter (career reliever Michael Blazek). I mean, I don't want to say the guy was having a rough time of it but Scherzer himself got on base twice in the inning (walk + single). HRs: Goodwin, Difo, Harper (2), Zimmerman (2), Rendon, Loboton. That's 22 for Zimmerman in 90 games. He once passed 26 for a whole season and that was back in 2009

4 scoreless/hitless innings from the pen with 5 Ks and 1 BB Shoulda let them start the game and maybe let Matz clean it up at the end.

Those are the opps you can't let slide by when trying to come back from an early hole. We're getting out-pitched AND out-defensed in this game.

C'mon boys, keep my IGT streak alive! I already have tomorrow's song picked out and so don't want to lose my place in the rotation.

On a night where Randy Jones was talking about his 68-pitch CG game in his career, Matz uses 66 just to get through four (ugly) innings.

Matz opened up another branch of 'XBHs R Us' tonight. He's got a whole chain of those lately.

... and it's time to blow the room away [youtube:u5gpbibm]IIwi6DTP7pw[/youtube:u5gpbibm] Steven Matz vs Jhoulys Chacin (or so they say NOW)

Six outs on 18 pitches. Hell, I'd let him pitch the 9th if his spot in the lineup doesn't come up this inning.