Torn ACL for Acuña.
Thanks Gerritt Cole for disagreeing vehemently with Boone who was about to pull him and let Chapman blow the game for the Yankees last night. Boone relented and Cole pitched a complete game shutout. Bonus points to Judge for clutching his jersey during his home run trot and mocking Altuve.
They’ve already called off Cubs/Cards today, kinda surprised. It’s just drizzling here by Wrigley and it’s supposed to stop this afternoon. I’d definitely be pissed if I paid $$$ for tickets.
The NWS forecast is predicting on-and-off rain all day – nothing heavy, but potentially more than drizzle. It might be a bit early to postpone the game, but given that it’s the last day before the All-Star break, they may not have wanted to start the game, and wind up pushing it into the evening.
Forecast for the Wrigley area:
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.9482&lon=-87.6556#.YOshHUxOlPZ
The Giants PR department handed out creamsicles to the press corp at the game…so at least they leaned into it. 
Thou shalt not troll Jose Altuve.
Eh, he probably put the buzzer back on. Still too chickenshit to show his face at the all-star game.
Anybody have any thoughts on Yelich’s ejection today? I say it was the right call, the duck the left is a move towards 2nd. All he had to do is hustle back to the bag and he’s still safe.
If Boone just had the good sense to leave German in there or had someone take over for Greene after his 3rd batter, it would have been a different story.
There’s no rule that says that. It says the batter-runner cannot attempt to run to second; Rule 5.09(b)(11).
That certainly did not appear to me to be an “Attempt to run to second.”
But can we agree that demonstrating an “attempt to run to second” necessarily involves moving towards second at some point? If so, it simply becomes a definitional game of what constitutes an attempt.
My thinking is that a pitcher who made that much of a move towards the plate would be charged a balk if he didn’t throw, so that much of a move towards second shows intent to attempt to advance.
I see absolutely no attempt to run to second on that play. Terrible call.
It will be on Fox. The home run derby is on ESPN.
Aw shit, we gotta listen to Joe Buck again.
I’m going to suggest that the act of “running” would at least include turning one’s body towards, and stepping towards, the intended destination. Yelich doesn’t even turn his body towards second. He doesn’t even leave the baseline.
All the support for the ump, everywhere I’ve seen, begins with reference to the myth that any movement towards second removes the overrun protection.
The best defense for the call is in rule 5.09(b)(3)
A batter-runner cannot be tagged out after overrunning or oversliding first base if he returns immediately to the base
I can buy the not returning immediately to first base, not the making a move toward second.
.
Yelich rotates his right hip and takes a step to the left. When he changes his mind and resumes running straight, he’s a foot inside the foul line, whereas he was on it before.
And that’s enough. I’ve never seen an umpire not be super-strict on that call. They don’t give the runner the benefit of any doubt, and Yelich should have known that.
Well except that…
This. It was a visible movement. It was a safe move in case the fielder got it cleanly (which he did), but the right move for Yelich at that point was to:
*
In which case we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
* NOTE: The quote from BobLibDem was from baseball’s rules. BLD disagreed with the call as made on the field.
Yes given that Yelich didn’t return to the base immediately makes this the right call and I retract my objection. I think last week Aaron Judge made what could more readily be perceived as a move to second and the umpires declined to call him out and if I remember correctly, replay confirmed the call.
I would love to see video. For me, it’s honestly like a balk. ANY move towards second, any HINT of a move towards second, and you’re at risk for the tag out. Or hustle it back to the bag and let’s play ball.