Seems the key to the Dodgers success today was Toronto’s bullpen strength, or lack thereof.
Never give up! Never surrender! 
Don’t look back! Something might be gaining on you!
Mariners have won 8 in a row and are now only 4 games under .500! If the Twins can beat the Angels tonight (questionable - Twins pitcher just walked in the tying run in the bottom of the 9th) the M’s will take over 3rd place in the AL West.
Tonight’s game ended great. Top of the 9th, Mariners up 4-3 on the Indians. Runners on 1st and 3rd, with nobody out. Then this happened:
For those who don’t want to watch the video: Bouncer to 3B. Seager fires to rookie 2B Nick Franklin. Franklin looks to 1B, then notices the runner on third heading home. Franklin fires to rookie C Mike Zunino, who runs down the baserunner, tosses the ball to rookie SS Brad Miller (last week’s AL Player of the Week) who tags the runner out, saving the tying run.
These rookie infielders at C, 2B, and SS have really lit a fire under the Mariners’ collective ass. Miller and Franklin have been amazing, both with their fielding and batting 1-2 in the order. And Zunino … this kid was the M’s 2012 #1 draft pick, and spent only 5 months in the minors. Now he’s the regular starting catcher. The whole pitching staff is praising his work behind the plate — one of the key things they’re all saying is that he’s earned their trust.
Also, the M’s have won the last two games without manager Eric Wedge, who has been in the hospital undergoing tests after suffering an unexplained dizzy spell Monday.
Surprising stats: The M’s are #2 in total HRs, and have scored more runs than anybody so far in July. Quite a reverse! They’ve already hit more HRs than they hit in all of 2010.
Edit: And geez, if the Mariners win again tomorrow, it will be their third consecutive series sweep.
Okay, I think I can say the M’s are in 3rd place now - I just checked the MLB Gameday thing and the Twins are suddenly up 8-3 in the 10th. And there’s only 1 out.
Sometimes, even an 8-3 lead isn’t safe.
The Jays had a big team meeting that was supposed to fix everything just before that embarrassment.
I’ll admit I was wrong in one prediction; I predicted that if the Jays didn’t win this year, Alex Anthopolous was doomed. It appears he is not, and he and his hand-picked coaching staff that had led the team to a disgraceful performance will carry merrily on into 2014. I find that astounding.
Indeed, I’m shocked the team isn’t already dumping. I like Casey Janssen but you know they could get something good for a 50-inning pitcher so why not get it? J.P. Arencibia needs to go as soon as possible, as his value drops every day and by this time next year he will bring nothing at all in a trade, whereas now I think someone might still see his power and be willing to give something up for it.
Plankton, I’ve just gotta say, that for a Giants fan, you appear to have some redeeming qualities. You’re breaking me up over here. Of course, every joke is funnier when you’re in 1st place and overcome huge deficits to continue a winning streak, and it looks like Donnie finally has gotten the bullpen sorted out.
I wish your boys all the success in the world AFTER today. That was heart-breaking last night. And the Tribe is slipping further behind Detroit when they need to be taking advantage of Miggy being absent. So just let us have this one today, will ya?
Heh. The M’s radio guys were mentioning that this series so far is kind of making up for the earlier series in Cleveland where the M’s suffered three heartbreaking walk-off losses. I remember listening to those games on the radio. If my head wasn’t already shaved, I would have been tearing my hair out!
Nice - thanks!
Thanks…the laughter keeps me from breaking into hysterical sobbing.
I haven’t given up all hope yet, though I am close to resigning myself to the fact that we might only be able to win the World Series every ***other ***year…I guess I can deal with that 
And perhaps in support of this view: “A-Rod’s personal doctor: ‘I don’t see any sort of injury there’”
The Yankees say he told them about the injury, and at least one baseball source thinks his story is kind of ridiculous. There were some reports that he was talking to MLB this week about a deal, but if that was true, those talks seem to have broken off. There was a rumor going around that he might face a lifetime ban. I don’t know if that’s plausible or gossip or if MLB is floating its position to try to get him to negotiate. Reports today say no matter what suspension he faces, he’ll appeal.
What a mess this whole PED business is. I’ll be grateful when (if ever) it goes away. Especially in baseball, moreso than the other major sports, the numbers, the legacy…it should mean everything to the players and the fans and not have a tainted dark cloud hanging over it.
Now the lot of us fans are cynical every time someone is doing particularly well swinging the bat. And talking about taking away awards. It sucks.
This is supposed to be grown men playing a kid’s game. How do you get a child interested in the game when this kind of shit is going on? How do you explain to them when their favorite player is one of the cheaters?
FGE-The ONLY way to rid baseball of PEDs is to introduce blood testing and make it 1 strike and you’re out.
Are the testing procedures accurate enough to guarantee no false positives?
Doesn’t need to be. That’s what “instant replay” is for. Any positive gets checked three times. Third strike = out.
I think we may have just witnessed the end of Tim Hudson’s career. Gruesome injury on a play on first base when he was covering on a groundball. Eric Young stepped on Hudson’s ankle/achilles as he ran hard to the base. It was a Theisman-esque moment when Tim’s leg seemed to bend above the ankle in a way that it just can’t.
He’s 38 years old. I’d be amazed if he comes back from this. Damn shame. 
I agree except I also agree with the union position that there needs to be a provision for stupid mistakes and one-time offenders. A “felony” versus “misdemeanor” levelof punishment, if you will.
Good question. I don’t know.
As far as instant replay is concerned, I am all for it. This stupid attachment to the “human” element of the game WRT umpires is laughably stupid. It’s cost teams games, pitchers no hitters, etc. It needs to be implemented NOW.
Jesus, that’s gruesome. Sorry to see it, especially on a routine play. Ouch, that had to hurt.
You realize, of course, that the “instant replay” I was referring to was running the drug test three times, with differing levels of sensitivity to weed out false positives, right?