Ouch.
Yes, It has been a challenging first half. Thankfully the Giants play in the NL West where a 40-50 record (.444) leaves you only 7 games out of first and still in contention for the playoffs. Now if they played where the A’s are in the AL West, that’d be a whole different story. So, maybe we’ll see y’all in the playoffs?
And the Dodgers take a lead in the top of the 14th. I know it’s only July, but somehow, the difference between 3.5 games back and 1.5 games back feels huge.
Dem Bums is hotter than a two-dollar pistol right now. I’m beginning to see them running away from the division after the break. One more month like this in the NL West and it’s ‘turn out the lights’ time…
That new outside linebacker Puig is going lights out after a month up.
The Astros are claiming that they aren’t going to call centerfielder George Springer up from the minors before September; going to be hard to stick to that. Since being promoted from AA (where he put up a .978 OPS), he’s hit 7 homers in 14 games and put up a .417/.525/.917 line (that’s a 1.442 OPS). He does still strike out a lot, but at some point you have to just give up and say “who cares?”
Today’s comedy special from the LA Times sports pages is Ian Kennedy (Ian Kennedy!) grousing about Puig’s attitude problem and how if his team-mates don’t guide him, he could become a hated player in MLB.
Ian Kennedy. That just kills me!
Reds v Braves in Atlanta tonight. 2-2 after two innings. Should be a good show.
3-2 now after Freddie Freeman’s 3rd RBI of the game. That’s why he’s an All-Star, folks!
The Giants swept by the Mets at home. Can it get any worse?
Alright, so the Cleveland Indians can’t do much with the Detroit Tigers so far this season - but our Triple-A club stomped your Triple-A team tonight (Columbus Clippers 10, Toledo Mud Hens 3), mostly thanks to the worst fielding performance I’ve ever seen from a pro team.
The wheels came off in the bottom of the 5th with the score tied 3-3, two outs and a Clippers runner at second. The batter chops one over the mound, the shortstop makes a stab at it and somehow pushes the ball into right field for a two-base error (run scores). The next guy up waves feebly at two breaking balls in the dirt, then swings and misses at an even worse pitch, which skips about 12 feet behind the catcher. After standing at the plate like a log for a second or two, the batter realizes he’s supposed to make at least a token effort to run to first, and gets halfway there when the catcher’s throw hits him in the arm and bounds into right field, scoring another run. Not content with blowing two chances to end the inning, the Mud Hens put another aboard when the shortstop attempts a fancy short-hop pickup on a ground ball and boots it. At this point, steam coming out of his ears, the pitcher serves up a fat one to the light-hitting second baseman, who bombs a three-run homer to make it 8-3 and put the game out of reach.
Oh, and based on his performance tonight, Detroit fans shouldn’t expect to see Jose Valverde called up anytime soon. Every ball the Clippers put in play off him was smoked (two doubles, a triple and two line drive outs. He finally got the third out on a questionable strikeout call).
Did anyone watch the nats phils game by chance? There was some sort of bunt debacle involving Spann and Zimmerman but I couldn’t picture it while listening to the game on the radio. It sounded like Zim bunted clearly fair but neither he nor Spann bothered running so it turned a double.
He bunted it off the plate, it bounced maybe 10 feet in the air and was fielded off the bounce by the catcher about half a foot in front of home plate.
Play is around :38 second mark.
Probably…but not tonight!
Giants Win!!!
WOOHOO!!!1!
(too much?)
Not at all.
Thank goodness for MadBum!
Don’t look now, but Jarred Cosart of the Houston Astros is hitting his stride this evening. He’s having a mighty fine major league debut against the Rays in Tampa–through six innings at least. We’ll see what happens after that auspicious beginning.
…And Ben Zobrist singles in the bottom of the seventh to break it up after six and a third. Still a pretty good performance by the rookie.
Greinke gets a complete game shutout over the Rockies, keeping the Dodgers in second place behind the Douche-backs in the NLWest. The Brewers are currently leading Arizona, so the lead could get chopped to 1.5 games in an hour or so.
What, did this thread go on AS break early, or what?
At any rate, hell of a pitching duel at Dodger Stadium today. Tough game for the Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood to lose, giving up a run in the first inning (on a fielder’s choice, no less), pitching a complete game four-hitter, and still losing 1-0. Grienke was masterful today.
Big Time Timmy Jim looking sharp tonight.
Woohoo!!!