Frayed Knot

The only thing surprising about Johnson's bases-loaded K is that it took four pitches rather than three.

NOW the game is out of reach.

Nice recovery anyway by Syndy after the infield hits and the error cuz this game was one hit from being essentially over. Now the biggest problem is that it took him about 225 pitches to get through those first two frames.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: When a pitcher makes the error that results in a run, is it still an unearned run? It's unearned because the idea is to sort out the runs caused by the pitcher's pitching and ones that were caused by his (or someone else's) fielding.

d'Kong76 wrote: G. Garcia 2B Diaz SS Piscotty RF Holliday LF Adams 1B Gyorko 3B Molina C Hazelbaker CF Martinez P I hadn't realized that this Jeremy Hazelbaker guy was back with the big club. He's the 28 y/o (29 in a few weeks) career minor leaguer who was thrown into the starting lineup out of necessity at the start of the season and, in what seems like typical StL fashion, was suddenly hitting .300+ with power (4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HRs in his first 60 ABs) for the entire month of April. He then came back down to earth and was back in the minors before long but not before establishing himself as a temporary cut hero for them.

As expected the Cards made several pitching moves in advance of today's games, including DL'ing former closer Trevor Rosenthal plus sending back the guy who got bombed on Sunday night. They called up two relievers I've never heard of with scant ML experience and also veteran Jerome Williams who's pitched for 7 teams over the last ten seasons but has spent all this year in AAA. And the Mets get a free move too as you get to use a 26th man for DH's, rumor has it that it's to be lefty reliever Josh Smoker. They'll also have to think about the rotation four days from now as well seeing as how the rain out screws things up with no off-days for another two weeks.

Following up on a few of the guys/contracts mentioned at the start of this thread: - Prince Fielder's season is officially over as he is about to undergo his second neck surgery in three years. I don't if one can be more 'susceptible' to herniated discs than the typical person, or if a first surgery leads to a greater likelihood of a second, or if this is just a really bad coincidence for the rotund slugger. No word on the timetable for a return. - and it doesn't look like Carl Crawford, who was DFA'd by the Dodgers back in early June, ever latched on anywhere else. He'll turn 35 next week so I suppose taking the remainder of this season off with an eye towards looking for something next spring isn't out of the question. But, if not, there's a guy to cite as an example of one pretty much falling into the abyss once hitting age 30.

Philly scores once in the 8th off Rodney then 3 times in the 9th against Ramos to shut out the Marlins 4-0, so we gain a virtual 2nd place/2nd WC tie for our off day troubles. Nationals not scheduled for Monday. Tuesday they begin a two-gamer in Cleveland, then go to San Fran for four, then Arizona for three.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: No backlash in Chicago over Chapman's domestic violence issues? I doubt it. He's a rental who both didn't commit the act under their watch and likely won't be around past this season. If anything, Cubs fans might be wondering why their mgmt didn't pick up Chapman back in the beginning of the year when they would have only had to give up shit prospects to get him. oe: And maybe Cincy fans are suddenly thinking that their mgmt acted too rashly and should have held onto him longer.

Ashie62 wrote: That means two games for one ticket? That's right kiddies, just like it used to be back when we walked to school uphill in both directions.

First game of a straight 'Twi-Night' DH - so there'll be NYM baseball from late afternoon until far into the night. And, yes, I had totally forgotten that it was my IGT to start prior to Monday night's rain-out.

Yanx are really making out on this Chapman deal as the details start to come in. The got him via a salary dump by Cincy although his salary wasn't super high to begin with for a closer ($11.3 mil) because he was still on the final year of his original deal. So for taking the money the Yanx threw four nothing prospects to the Reds (more like four suspects) and then wound up only paying about half that salary anyway between him being suspended for April and banished for August & September. Now they're getting back two Top-100 prospects, also RP Adam Warren who was the pitcher they gave to the Cubs in exchange for Starlin Castro, and it looks like a fourth player thrown in as well all for a guy who is able to walk after the season anyway. Of course it's still a bit of a blow to them to admit that they're not always in 'Go For It' mode even as they're coming off maybe their best two weeks of the season (3-1 vs CLE, 3-1 vs BALT, 2-1 vs SFG) but Chapman was clearly their most expendable guy.

Lefty Specialist wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: #1441273142 Familia's good, but I don't think they're retiring his number yet. Actually, after that bases-loaded escape act during the Cubs series, the club voted to retire it even while it's still being worn.

The schedule and other circumstances give us a bit of an edge here; they won in 16 innings on Friday then had to play the ESPN night game last night and got their asses kicked in a game that lasted nearly four hours in 100 degree weather. So my guess is that they landed at LaGuardia about 10 minutes ago all hot, tired, pissed-off, drunk, and with their pitching staff wrung out. Expect a move or two to be made prior to game time. They started rookie Mike Mayers last night (the first game this season using someone other than their top five starters), and the TV crew made a big deal about showing his mom & pop & sis in the stands for his ML debut. Well after the fourth ML hitter he faced (A. Gonzalez) hit a Grand Slam and he finally walked off after the top of the 1st down 6-0, let's just say there weren't a lot of smiles in the family section. Second inning wasn't much better, final line: 9 earned on 8 hits plus 2 BBs in 1.1 IP I think it's safe to say they're going to send him down and refresh the pen in advance of this series. Rosenthal, the ex-closer mentioned above, was even used in mop-up duty during last night's debacle. Somehow he was charged with no runs despite a line of 2 hits plus 3 walks in one inning of pitching. And then Matheny even went to new closer Oh in the 9th (Cards had fought back to only training 9-6) and he wound up throwing 27 pitches in one inning of work. I think it's safe to say that Matt Holliday turned out to be a better signing than Jason Bay.

He was a lot nicer than I would have been. Hey, and to all you Mets fans who booed me for OPS'ing ONLY 876 my first month after the trade and then 1000 or more* every other month that first year: Fuck Off!! * 997 in July, 1077 August, 1177 September Lefty Specialist wrote: ... but DIDN'T mention Nelson Doubleday, the real driving force behind getting and keeping him in New York in 1998. That's debatable.

Just in case anyone is still paying attention. DATES OF SERIESSWORN ENEMYVOLUNTEER EXPERT7/25-7/27STLLunchbucket7/28-7/31COLLefty Specialist8/1-8/2NYYFMan8/3-8/4@NYYFman8/5-8/7@DETMets Guy in Michigan8/9-8/11ARIGwreck8/12-8/14SDPSeawolf8/15-8/17@ARIGwreck8/18-8/20@SFGLeiterWagnerFasterStrongr8/23-8/25@STLLunchbucket8/26-8/28PHI8/29-9/1MIAEdgy9/2-9/4WAS9/5-9/7@CINThe Old Mole9/9-9/11@ATL9/12-9/14@WAS9/16-9/18MINTransMonk9/19-9/21ATL9/22-9/25PHI9/26-9/28@MIAEdgy9/30-10/2@PHI

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: bmfc1 wrote: I understand the tradition but shouldn't the HoF speeches be made when games are not ongoing? Perhaps 7 to 8 PM? Make it the final event of Baseball Week. Monday MLB Draft Tuesday HR Contest Wednesday All Star Game Thursday Futures Game Friday AAA All Star Game Saturday Sunday HOF Weekend Which leaves the question of whether they'd be making up for these extra off days by starting the the season earlier, by extending the season and tacking them on to the end, or by shortening the schedule.

With all the talk about him going in as a Met or as a Dodger, I was wondering whether he'd go in as a blond - but apparently not. Remember that look kids?

bmfc1 wrote: Helluva job by Papelbon today. Wow, just reading the results of this one now. It looks like Dusty was trying to win the game while giving his closer the day off (he sat Harper as well) so he stuck with Shawn Kelley even though it was he who gave up those back-to-backs in the 8th. Given the second chance, Kelley started the inning: Single - RBI Double. So NOW DB decided it was Papelbon time but let's just say things didn't get a whole lot better: Line Out - Walk - K but PB so the batter reached - RBI Single - Single - Infield Single - 2-RBI Double He was then yanked so Y. Petit could get the final out before, y'know, something bad happened, but then the Nats went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half and the Pads had a 10-6 win in a game they trailed 6-4 entering the 8th So an overall good weekend for the good guys, losing only the game to Fernandez while picking up a game on Miami and also on Washington while they were playing a weaker team. btw, 3 more hits for Muffy including 2 doubles plus a Sac Fly

And the Padres just jacked two solo HRs in the 8th to tie up the Nats 6-6

The length of Hechavarria's 'hit' there to end the game was shorter than the name banner on the back of his jersey.

Nice to see a no-drama save by Jerry Family.

Zvon wrote: I never knew Mattingly was such a whiner. Did you miss the entire last series played at CitiField? I think he challenged the Star Spangled Banner rendition.

It's often said that every position player throws a knuckleball ... or at least thinks he can.

Ashie62 wrote: Gonna be hot hot hot out! But the game's going to be played in in in.