1st reigning champ no-hit since the '90 A’s.
You were right.
Right now, the O’s are only above .500 due to their skill/fortune in one-run and extra-inning games. If I’ve managed to avoid double-counting the games that fall in both categories, I think they’re 11-6 in one-run and extra-inning games taken together, and they’re 29-23 overall right now. They’ve scored 230 and given up 227, which points to .500 without the need to calculate their Pythagorean.
Their current 2-9 streak only includes two one-run losses, and no extra-inning games, fwiw. So they’re not turning around and dying by the one-run game; they’re just losing.
What’s cool is that it’s both Eastern divisions.
My Nats had better find that mojo they had during the first few weeks, because nobody’s going to hand this division to them; if they keep playing .500 ball as they have ever since their 14-4 start, somebody’s gonna blow past them.
Finally we win one.
Hurang gets the win, and Scott Elbert shuts down a Rockies rally with one pitch.
Strasburg had a very sweet start last night, after having had a string of more iffy outings. 7 shutout innings, 90 pitches, very much in control in shutting down the Braves.
And Gio is on the mound this afternoon.
Interesting how that works out for their opponents: after Friday night’s rainout, the Braves had to face Strasburg and Gio this weekend, while the Mets, who are next up on the Nats’ dance card, will get to hit against the more mortal part of the staff. (Though to be fair, there’s nothing wrong with Jordan Zimmerman or Edwin Jackson that some half-decent run support wouldn’t cure.)
A Phil Hughes start for the Yanks that was a joy to watch. I can’t remember the last time I could say that. Complete game, 4-hitter against a good line-up, in Detroit. Not too shabby.
The AL East remains separated by a total of 3 games and all five teams are over .500. The next series sequence has Tampa Bay play the Yanks while the O’s play the BoSox; only Toronto is out of division (Chicago.)
The NL East? Separated by 3.5 games. Oh, and there’s (game-wise) a three-way tie for first. All teams over .500. Four of five teams playing each other in the next series.
This is just terrifically fun.
Well, the Cards finally scored against the Mets. Only took three games, and it was part of a 6-1 loss. This team is a mess right now.
I haven’t really been following them other than box scores…what is wrong with them? It looks like their offense is terrible.
Well, some of injuries (Berkman, Craig - back now, Jon Jay, a few others) combined with slumping offense and dodgy starters returning to what you expect (read: Lohse and Westbrook) and bad defense = losing streak.
The offense is still likely OK, even with what we saw in NY this weekend. It just really looks like a team that needs a day off and a nice home-stand.
The amazing thing is that even at 27-27 they still have the best run differential in the NL - a full 13 runs better than the Dodgers who are 12 games over. Anybody know the last time a team that outscored their opponents by almost a run a game finished at or below .500 - can’t happen that often.
Phillies phans are as bad as Dodger fans. Tight game, Dodgers go ahead by a run in the top of the 9th and the stands start to empty. The second Papelbon gave up that hit they gave up.
Thank Ghu there are other fans like that out there. It isn’t just in LA.
Just stay 3.5 games back (or more) and we can be friends IRL.
I actually commented to my wife that them showing the Phillies fans leaving like that was a bit disingenuous, given that five times the number of Dodgers fans would have started filing out at that point.
Say what you will, but the Dodgers are the single most-attended franchise in the history of professional sports. In any sport, ever, anywhere. Because of the move to Los Angeles.
If the fans wanna beat the traffic now and then, it’s hard to begrudge them that when they show up by the zillions. People in LA support the team, they just hav to deal with LA’s freeways.
Now and then? It’s every freaking game! “Arrive top of the third, leave top of the eighth” is the mantra around this town.
Although truth be told, two of those people beating an early exit to the parking lot are often us! :o
I actually don’t have any problem with people like silenus who are trying to beat traffic out of the stadium (which, while much improved in the last couple of years, is still no fun if you don’t get out right away). What bugs me is people who bail on the game as soon as the Dodgers fall behind. That’s not just beating traffic – that’s giving up on your team. That being said, I’ve never registered more than a shrug about it – people in LA like coming to baseball games, but they don’t like sitting through all three hours of it. I don’t expect anything to change that, and it isn’t that big a deal. It’s who we are out here.
Most of the people I sit with who have the same mini-plan I do, however, are all die-hards. The only time you’ll catch me leaving early is if I’m concerned about being too tired to make it home safely after the game.
Astros have a crazy home-road split. 17-12 at home, 6-19 on the road. Wonder what the record is.
James Shields apparently cannot pitch in Yankee Stadium. I give thanks.
Yanks are winning 7-0 with Andy Pettitte cruising. BTW, his comeback is going very well so far.
The Jays are finally starting to actually deploy players based on their ability (Adam Lind is still in the minors, thank God.)
But they’re still sending Fat Frankie Cordero out there. Since losing his closer’s job, CoCo has been relegated to pitching the seventh inning, or some other middle inning, the problem with this being that you can blow a game in the 7th just as much as you can in the 9th. I don’t see how the team’s any better off. Why they continue to roll him out there I do not understand. CANNOT understand.
Tonight Cordero pitched a scoreless inning, which belies the fact that actually he pitched like crap but the White Sox did him a few favours. So this will reinforce his continued use, and that makes me sad.
AL East remains interesting. Yankees beat the Rays tonight, O’s beat the Sox, O’s stay 1/2 game in front and Yankees move into 2nd if I’m reading the standings right. Everyone’s still at or above .500. Love it.
Looks right to me. Boston is in last but still .500 and only 4 games out. Philly is the only eastern team below .500 in fact.