Edgy MD

Three runs in three innings will be tougher. I'll certainly take one run in the next one inning with great happiness.

Nobody ever grounded into a double-play by taking strike one.

That's it. Just stop swinging and let this guy walk you. And Jeff didn't listen ... .

Four innings to score three runs? Also, totally doable.

Goldie drops to .3234! A half point behind!

Five innings to score three runs? Totally doable.

Mid-game, McNeil has pulled into a virtual tie with Goldschmidt at .324, with but Goldie currently edging by the skin of his teeth at .3240 to .3239. Dodgers haven't started yet in Arizona.

=bmfc1 post_id=107193 time=1663115402 user_id=73] What is the purpose of umpires if they are going to make calls they shouldn't (Sunday) and not make calls they should (today)?

Also, McCann hurts himself being positioned in front of the plate, presumably because of the non-blocking rule.

Squeezes work, Keith.

This is Fate's revenge for J.C. Martin.

I know I'd certainly pick out Judge faster. He's a Yankee of Unusual Size. I could pick Trout out of a lineup. I could pick Judge out of a crowd.

Well, at least we know that Dr. Altchek isn't Dr. Altcheck at all, but Dr. Cahill. So much for my cryptology training. Our guy is clearly a 60, and no Met wore that on the field in the 20th Century, much less the 1970s, so that would suggest that we're perhaps looking at a coachie, other support staff (bullpen catcher?), or a ghost Met. It would seem to be a Spring Training number, but the background is Shea, so there we are.

Action developing in the batting race. Starling Marte (and José Iglesias, for that matter) are doing some improvement just by standing still. But the greater action is at the top. Freddie Freeman has overtaken Paul Goldschmidt, and is even pulling away some. If Freeman can pass Goldie, then McNeil can catch them both. National League Batting Average, 2022 1) Freddie Freeman (STL): .330 2) Paul Goldschmidt (LAD): .325 3) Jeff McNeil (NYM): .321 4) Trea Turner (LAD): .305 5) Manny Machado (SD): .301 6) José Iglésias (STL): .300 7) Nolan Arenado (COL): .298 8) Alec Bohm (PHI): .293 9) Starling Marte (NYM): .292 10) Nico Hoener (LAD): .291 With 20 games to go (21 for Goldschmidt), Freeman has the advantage of playing for a team far enough ahead in the standings that they can rest him liberally. On the other hand, he has a real good shot at 200 hits, for whatever that's worth, which provides motivation to get his swings in. Also, in 2022, resting guys in September isn't as easy as it used to be. The advantage for McNeil is that he has played fewer games and made fewer trips to the plate than the two guys ahead of him, so he gets a little more uptick for any hits he gets going forward. Still, he has to get them. Assuming four at-bats per game for each of the top three, McNeil needs one more hit than Goldschmidt to catch him, and five more hits than Freeman. Doable.

Well, props to Newsday for working around the failures of our two canine-punnable players, but better performances could have given those editors so much more..

The glass certainly distorts the faces, but it appears to be Mike Vail, Willie Mays, and Lee Mazzilli. But I'm mostly guessing at Vail. The autograph, of course, looks like none of them, and appears to be addressed to "Dr. Altchek," presumably Dr. David Altchek, but his association with the team began well after the tenures of those three players ended. Beyond that, the signature appears to be of some guy named Al, or at least, some guy whose name begins with A. So that puts us at something of a sticking point. Are you seeing Dr. Altchek for your orthopedic needs?

Darrin Ruf just had to have a bad game on Bark at the Park Night. It's like kids today don't even care about the Tabloid Cover Derby.

=G-Fafif post_id=107095 time=1663077730 user_id=55] =G-Fafif post_id=104120 time=1660656923 user_id=55] Darin Ruf will compete for August Bench Player honors largely on the strength of his pitching.

Fifty-five strikeouts in his first month back.

Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Alonso due up fifth in the ninth. Yeah, and? Well, I figured the results would speak for themselves.

Alonso due up fifth in the ninth.

Let's go, H.R. Rufnstuf.

Givens becomes the pinch-runner? Even though he's in the game? Do we give up the DH here?

September September 12 has always been a tough day.

Edgy MD wrote: They may not be the strength of the batting order, but they've now hit in six straight games. Seven!