Basically, yes, this is how it will be from now on. Or at least till they change it again:
4 games against your “natural rival” (though see previous posts) team from the corresponding division to yours (East/East, Central/Central…), split 2H 2R.
3 games against 4 of the 5 teams in your division’s “rival division for the year”, 2 of the series at home, 2 on the road.
4 games, split 2H and 2R, against the last team in the rival division. I don’t know how they decided that the extra Indians game vs. the NL East teams would be against the Phillies–for all I know it was random.
20 games total.
The division vs. division thing is supposed to rotate by year. When the division v. division thing rotates around to West/West, East/East… (the division with the rivals you play every year), I would guess that they’d have each team play each of the other 5 teams 4 times each, since that way the numbers work out, but I don’t know for sure. Again, I’d guess that will be 2 home series, 2 road series, and the rival games being split 2H and 2R–but don’t quote me, and I can’t find the specifics in a quick search.
The Yankees go for their ninth win in ten tries against the Blue Jays today (their prospects look good for win #9, seeing that Sabathia is pitching against Dickey).
If N.Y. could arrange to play all their games against Toronto, they’d have the division clinched by now (not to mention anticipating a record 157 wins for the season, by my calculations).
An interesting day for rookie call-ups today. Jake Odorizzi (one of the steals that Tampa got out of the Shields/Myer trade with KC) makes his MLB debut while David Price is on the DL, and Jurickson Barthelomeus Profar got called up in Texas to fill in for Ian Kinsler while he nurses a minor injury.
Odorizzi has the potential to be a decent #3 starter, and Profar is the top prospect in the game right now. Both are in interesting circumstances - Texas has a surplus of top quality offense and little room for Profar, and Odorizzi is one of about a bazillion pitching prospects on the Rays. The Rangers always seem to be in this predicament. What do they do? Shift Kinsler to 1B, and stick Moreland (who’s very hot right now) in the OF? Who gets bumped out of there? What does Tampa do when Price returns - convert Odorizzi to a long relief pitcher as he gets used to MLB hitting, or does that stunt his development?
Odorizzi had two starts for the Royals last September. His Rays debut, not his MLB debut.
And speaking of the Royals, the mirage seems to have faded. They’re down to .500, and if Hosmer’s and Mostakas’s bats don’t wake up soon, they’re not likely to go back over it any time soon.
The Reds finish their 9-game road trip at 7-2 and gain a little ground on the Cards. In today’s game, Joey Votto was batting in the third inning against Matt Harvey with a runner on second and one out and the Reds were down by one run. Teams almost always walk Votto in these situations or regret not walking him. The Mets didn’t walk him. They regretted it when he placed a 3-0 fastball in the left field seats. Later in the game, they intentionally walked him twice.
The winning run scored, though, when Ike Davis declined to field a ball that he thought was foul, but bounced over first base. There was no reason for him not to field the ball, since if it was foul when he fielded it, nothing would have happened.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey Reds…that suit is YOU! You’ll get some leg tonight FOR SURE!”
“C’mon Dusty, gimme a break”
“Hey, hey, hey, hey…one break…COMING UP!”
UNCHAINED! And you hear the Reds coming!
Unchained!
The Reds will win the game!
Unchained!
Their opponents go running!
Unchained!
Jay Bruce hits again!
Ok, that was lame. Now that I have your rolleyes attention, the Redlegs went 7-2 on their road trip. So to sum up recent memory, they swept the Brewers in 3, swept the Marlins in 3, lost 2 of 3 to the Phillies in a hotly contested and close series, and now have swept the Mets in 3.
I don’t know what it means either since the teams they have dominated fucking suck. But one break…coming up! flanging guitars
ETA: Beaten to the punch by MentalGuy. And he’s right about Ike Davis. Jesus what a boner move assuming the foul ball and not snatching it. It turned the whole game around.
It’s going to be interesting as to who departs first, Mattingly or Ethier. My money is on Andre heading somewhere east before the middle of June. Puig or Pederson will take his place in right.
Rockies @ Giants just ended in the bottom of the 10th … Giants down by 1, Angel Pagan hits a walk-off, 2-run, inside-the-park HR. That’s something you don’t see every day – possibly, ever.
Actually, I have a vague recollection of the origin of the phrase…I think it was coined by Dennis Eckersley, and it refers to the actions of the losing pitcher. If I’m not mistaken.
I’m in Las Vegas and the diamondbacks are blacked out as a local game? Yes, I can go watch the game in the sports book, but I’m in my hotel room resting up for a bit.
