I saw a funny post game interview with Lance Lynn a while back. He had just completely shut down the other team (I forget who). The reporters were asking him about his strategy and how he decided on certain pitches. His response was, “I don’t even remember that. I was just throwing whatever Yadi put down.”
While I don’t have many quibbles with Matheny, the number of pitching changes drives me crazy. There are currently 5 good starters. Couldn’t they occasionally venture into the 8th or 9th inning? The MLB atbat app is currently playing pretty much non-stop Progressive commercials during pitching changes. I can’t take that much Flo!
And yes, whatever they’re paying Molina, it’s probably a bargain.
In a good news (Rios), bad news (Herrera) situation, two Royals have been diagnosed with chicken pox.
Maybe Cueto can catch it before his next start . . .
Sounds like the Dan Jennings experiment will end shortly in Miami. Remember how weird it was when they named him manager in the first place? There seems to be uncertainty whether he will be offered his role of GM or any front office role again.
Cubs are setting up for an epic September meltdown to miss the playoffs
if anyone can do it it’s teh Cubs
Giants pitchers frequently say the same thing about Buster Posey, who I often hear described as “the second best catcher in the league, behind Yadier Molina”. I don’t know if any great catcher ever gets the amount of credit he deserves for his team’s pitching success, but I think that ‘people who know’ are fully aware of the extent of the role he plays with his pitching staff.
I’d be OK with that 
I’m at the ballpark tonight watching the Mets and the Phillies (got the tickets by virtue of donating platelets–a good deal all in all*). In the second inning the Mets’ Ruben Tejada blooped what looked like a single down the right field line, only the right fielder overran the ball and fell into the stands and the ball rolled slowly to the wall–inside the park home run.
Not something you see every day.
*dare I say that I am in the nosebleed seats? Well I am
Toronto came into tonight’s game 75-57, which is
- The furthest above .500 they have been since they won the World Series, and
- Exactly the same record they had after 132 games both years they won the World Series.
I’ll take hope wherever I can find it.
In game news, Troy Tulowitzki hit a sacrifice fly… to the second baseman.
Please? That’s pretty much the only way the Giants can make the playoffs.
In a game last week, a Giants opponent hit a pop up that barely made it to the pitcher’s mound. It fell for a double.
Now, now, let’s be accurate…it didn’t “barely make it to the pitcher’s mound”…
It didn’t even come ***close ***to the pitcher’s mound…it landed about 30 feet from home plate.
Ain’t gonna happen. They’re dead, Jim.
Sorry. 
(for you as a human sports fan, not at all as a giants fan).
In other news, I am glad I stayed awake for that final game of the series. Kershaw set his strike out record tonight, threw (I think) 97 strikes, got 34 swinging strikes, 15 strikeouts. Gave up 4 hits (one of those should be an error) and one run in a complete game. It might be my favorite Kershaw game that I have seen. I’m not sure. But sweeping the Giants to take the division lead to 6.5 games makes the context of this win pretty sweet.
If anyone can handle throwing a 132 pitches in game, I’d imagine Kershaw can. Still, I can’t say I was thrilled to wake up and see that in the box score.
Now I’ll just hold my breath the next four days while I wait for Matt Kemp to have the series of his life.
Kemp could walk on water and it wouldn’t make a difference. Have you seen the rest of the Padres this year?
The Reds get to be the goats this year and be the first team eliminated from post-season chances.
Did you guys see this catch by the ball girl? Holy shit!
Bryce Harper’s final box score line for tonight (he has been pinch hit for):
0 at bats
4 runs scored
Definitely…unusual.
Fake. Gatorade ad.
Snopes
Ahhhh shit. Thanks Pat.