MLB 2023

[Pariah]

The Colorado Rockies won a 1-0 game.

 

Against the Cardinals.

 

In St. Louis.

 

[unclevlad]

Eh, the Cards have been flailing all year too.  They've only won 5 more.

 

I mean...Rockies pitchers only strike out 5, and they don't force the Cards to hit into any double plays.  BUT, they give up 8 hits and 6 walks...but still throw a shutout.  Cards were 0 for 9 with RISP.  That sounds like bad, over-anxious hitting.  Mmm...bottom second.  Fly out, double, grounder to first gets the runner to 3rd.  Line out.  No runs.  Bottom 5...ground out, single, fly out, Goldschmidt doubles but the runner's held at 3rd.  (Can't say if it's reasonable or not, but...it is 2 outs.)  Intentional walk to Arenado.  And another ground out.  Bottom 6...single, fly out, fly out, single...ground out.  Bottom 7, pop out, walk, single (1st and 2nd)...strike out, pop out.  Bottom 8, first 2 make outs, then single, walk, HBP, bringing Goldie up.  Fly out.

 

OK, yeah, despite the fact it's Rockies pitching, they get some credit...but that's just too many crunch-time failures.  IIRC, too, that's been a Cards problem much of the year.  

 

Meanwhile...August can be considered Moving Day, like the 3rd round of a real golf tournament.  It is not the month where you want to start 0-6.  Who has?  Angels, D'backs, Reds, and Mets.  OK, fine, the Mets gave up...but for the other 3, they've gone from in the mix, to on the outside looking in.  Angels are now 7 behind in the WC (Toronto right now) and 4th in their own division.  D'backs have a disastrous..I believe it's 7-22 now...stretch since 2 July.  They're now 9th in the NL.  Reds have been caught by the Cubs.  The NL WC is insane, so even the Padres can get hot...the Cubs have won, I believe, 16 of 19...to get them tied with the Reds.  The D'backs had theirs;  the Reds had theirs.  Perhaps the Padres have theirs coming up.....

[unclevlad]

You may have seen this by now, but if not...

 

Kevin Brown is a pretty good, popular, young announcer.  His main gig is play-by-play for the Orioles, he also does gigs with ESPN.  So, in pregame talks, he commented that the Orioles had won more games against the Rays this year, than they had in the last 2 years combined.

The owner suspended him for that.

 

This has become a total disaster...for the owner.

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/free-kevin-brown-orioles-suspension-reaction-PTACZLYJ35EQ7JICOJ5LDHTJMQ/

 

O's are up against the Astros tonight;  it's a TBS game, in Baltimore.  So the fans in the stands...who're buying up that shirt...start chanting "Free Kevin Brown!" in the middle of the game.  

And this was a PLANNED comment, as was pointed out.  Scroll down that link, you can see the clip.  There's a graphic about it.  

 

Part of this is, Peter Angelos, the owner, released Jon Miller for criticizing bad play when it happened.  I somewhat prefer Miller as a radio broadcaster;  his style fits radio a bit better, IMO.  But he's a hall of fame broadcaster, and deserves to be.  So this is the second time...because as was pointed out, ya gotta think Brown is LIKELY to look for a new gig.  If there's an opening?  He'll be HIGH on anyone's list.

 

Another take:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacques/2023/08/08/kevin-brown-suspended-baltimore-orioles-announcer-angelos/70553885007/

 

The ownership needs to grow up.  Me...and probably many of you...when the broadcaster's team makes a mistake, and the announcing team blows it off?  I lose respect for them very quickly.  And here, my gosh, how stupid can they be?  Even the most casual fan recognizes how disastrously bad the Orioles were...so the resurgence now, so quickly, is something to take pride in.

 

There's a side point here...about whether the Orioles can sustain success.  They've got a young team.  We know about this incident because it went public.  The USA Today story talked about some other aspects.  Well, what kinds of petty moves does management try to impose on the players?  Don't know, but baseball's contract situation isn't like the NBA's, where re-signing with your current team is the way to max out your contract, so there's no implicit reason to stay.  If you're not sure how management is gonna treat you?  Of course, we won't know if this is gonna actually be an issue for a while....  

 

 

[unclevlad]

Good first impression at home, or setting a bar utterly impossible to maintain??

 

Michael Lorenzen makes his 2nd start for the Phillies, first at home...and throws a gem.  125 pitches despite 4 walks...in a no-hitter.  

 

2nd this month, 3rd in just over a month, 4th in about 6 weeks.  3rd individual no-no.

[unclevlad]

Huh, well...they don't work for the Orioles...

 

More or less, the parting shots tonight by the D'backs post-game pair, after another lackluster, 2-0 loss, wasting a very nice start by Merrill Kelly.  6 shutout innings, had to leave top 7 with cramps starting.  8th straight loss.  Division's about gone;  they're now 11 back.  WC is still in play, but you have to reverse the slide.

 

And that's where the parting shot was...I think accurate, but still surprising.  That some players weren't focused, weren't thinking...more or less, if you will, that they'd already checked out.

 

When the team's own broadcast people say it, that is Seriously Bad.  But so is winning, now, 7 of your last *30*.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

 

 

[unclevlad]

As we start seeing the playoff contenders and pretenders shake out...the Yankees, Angels, D'backs, and Padres are all IMO on the wrong side, altho FanGraphs still gives the Padres a reasonable chance to get in, at 30%...

 

It's time to start talking about who's going to get axed, either before the season ends, or soon thereafter.

 

Rising to #1 on my list now is Torey Lovullo with the D'backs.  Mad Dog called them, IIRC, putrid yesterday...something rather strong in any case.  In 6 full (non-COVID) seasons...over .500 the first 3, then COVID (I ignore that season)...then a disastrous '21 and bad '22.  Only winning 7 of 31 or so...8 straight right now.  Listless.  Can't bode well.  I don't think he'll last much past elimination day.

 

Aaron Boone.  I'm not sure it's his fault;  I still think it's more roster issues, but I also don't think he's making the team any better.

 

Bob Melvin with the Pads, Buck Showalter with the Mets.  Melvin...article pointed out that the Padres are *terrible* in key situations.  Dan O'Dowd mentioned that he thought the clubhouse was likely a mess, the players were just playing for themselves.  Some of that has to be on the manager;  it also argues to totally blow the team up.  Showalter shares the Big Money, theoretically Big Talent, Big Loss Total burden.  

 

Oliver Marmol with the Cards.  Maybe, maybe not, but the Cards have been bad on fundamentals.  That doesn't fly in St. Louis for long.

[slikmar]

Nevin with Angels probably, definitely pitching coach Wise, who only got job when he was assistant pitching coach but the guy they had hired as PC, Mickey Callaway was banned by MLB due to a sexual harassment investigation. Too many of our pitchers took steps back.

[Pariah]

Dick and Charlie Monfort for the Colorado Rockies.

 

What? 😇

[unclevlad]

I omitted Nevin because the Angels have a much, much bigger issue to resolve first, and Nevin's fate probably won't be determined until *that* situation is determined.  The timeline for that is rather looser.

 

Plus, I'm not sure how much this is Nevin's fault, versus the front office's fault.  Overpaying, both in terms of contract extensions and quick-fix trade deadline deals that sent away the future.

 

MLB Now just did a segment on the Padres, because Juan Soto said this:
 

Quote

"We've got to play as a team. We've got to go out there grind every day. Grind every at-bat. ... It's been really inconsistent. Some days we do, some days we don't. We gotta do it every day. Days like this series, we just give up. Like literally, we just give up instead of keep grinding, keep pushing. We've got to forget about yesterday and keep moving."

 

Which is also, as Steve Phillips points out, something you DO NOT want discussed in public.  This was at least the 4th closed-door players-only meeting.  That's also Not Good.

 

They're a mess.

[slikmar]

Long rant, sorry.

The problem with saying the Angels traded away future isn't really true. only 1 of those players was a top 100 prospect, Quero, the 19 year catcher, the rest were not close. Angels farm system isn't great and they have pitching there. Quero was a future perhaps, but would have probably played behind O'Hoppe, so again, not really trading away future. they traded for need, which at the time they were 2 games out of a playoff spot, iirc. they got a supposedly decent #2 starter behind Ohtani, picked up 2 fairly good relievers, traded for an infielder to replace Urshela (out with a broken hip) in Escobar - it just happened to coincide with Rengifo remembering how to hit - and a first base combo with Power to trade off with Moustakis and Cron in a righty/lefty split. They also picked up a starting outfielder until Trout returns due to theirs being hit in the face by a fastball. So none of the trades were huge, but were needed. Sadly, their pitching did not do well and during the 8 game losing streak that probably removed them from playoff contention the team era was 6.83 with their all-star closer who was 22 for 22 in saves blowing 2 in a week, including a grand slam in a game they seemed to have won. So I do not have a problem with the trades. Most of the young players the Angels would be using now and in next few years are here - O'Hoppe, Neto, Detmers, Sandoval, Silseth, Canning, Soriano, Ben Joyce, Sam Bachman (the last 3 bullpen guys who throw 98+). All of these would have been ranked above any of the pitchers they traded, so when someone says Angels traded their top 2 prospects or whatever, it is not the same as Tampa or the Dodgers or whoever doing so. Prior to Minasian, our minors was destroyed by 7-10 years of GMs trading away guys. I like what Minasian, current GM is doing, given the limitations due to salary.

And not his fault the contract for Rendon became such a dead weight. First, not sure he wanted to sign him, but Moreno has fits when he misses on guys and he missed on Cole to Yankees so pivoted. REndon, prior to signing with Angels, had played teh most games for a 3rd baseman (heck top 15 iirc in baseball) the prior 3 years, was an all-star, close to winning a world series MVP. There was NO signs of his injuries piling up. Trout was a no brainer to sign, and if he were healthy, was worth it. As for Ohtani, no idea what will happen. maybe he resigns with Angels. He really likes it here. The Angels, for 10 years did what you don't want to do, played average baseball by keep trying to fill gaps in lineup with veterans who come and for whatever reason, do not play to the back of their baseball card, not entirely sure why. Look at Ryan Tepera, Aaron Loup and Raisel Iglesias - all 3 signed prior to last season (Iglesias as a result of his prior year as a closer) and all 3 were HORRIBLE last year to the point that Loup is only now getting any trust in games and Tepera was DFA'd and Iglesias is with Atlanta, where of course he back to stellar levels.

Rant over.

 

[unclevlad]

Braves at Nets on MLB Network right now, using the Mets broadcasters.  They dropped a tidbit from last night's game.

 

Mets got 7 hits and 9 walks.

 

And didn't score.

 

First it's happened in the modern era (1903+), but the form of the question was specifically 7+ hits and 9+ walks, which is clearly a sharply limiting filter just for the walks alone.  Still, if it was broadened to 16 separate base runners (for ANY reason, including errors)...walks and hit by pitches advance runners the least amount possible, so have to have the lowest contribution to scoring runs.  That suggest the variations that still yield 16 runners, but no runs, also have to be darn near unique.

 

And apparently Juan Soto tried to walk back his "quitter" comments. 

Stop giggling, peanut gallery...

No...really...stop....

Hey Mr. Soto? 

🤣

See what you made me do, Mr. P?????

🤣

[unclevlad]

Even the Mets broadcasters are calling the post-deadline team non-competitive today.  Braves hitters are in a full-on feeding frenzy today.  The 9th started with the Braves up 13-3, so the Mets are using a position player...and, yeah, against the Braves, this is a BAD!!!! idea.  First 5 batters get on...4 runs.  

 

"It's one thing to lose.  It's another to get your head handed to you."  Gary Cohen, just now.

 

17 runs.  19 hits.  4 doubles, 5 home runs.  Correction...18 runs on 20 hits.  RBI single with 2 out in the 9th.  OHHHHH man....then the next batter hits a ground ball *off the first base bag* for a double.

Oh.
No.

Next guy up caps it.  3 run upper deck shot.  8 runs against a position player.

 

And there's a game 2 later on.

 

Standings before the deadline, Mets were 50-55.  They're now 52-64.  Run differential before this game, for the 10 games since the deadline...-23.  Last power rankings were just after the deadline;  they were #22.  But it's not accurate now;  they're much lower.

[unclevlad]

Oh my.  A brief look-in on the Yankees-Marlins game wasn't looking so good.  Yankees were up 7-3, bottom 9th.  We join the game when the Marlins have loaded the bases with 1 out.

 

Then P Clay Holmes throws the ball away on a play at 1st.  2 runs score, runner to 3rd.

Just about the LAST person you want to see is next...Luis Arraez.  STILL hitting .365.  Rips one into the right field corner...2 run triple.  Game tied.
Walk.  Runner takes 2nd, defensive indifference.  

SINGLE!

 

Game OVER.  Yankee late inning relievers give up *5* in the ninth.  4 earned, 4 hits, 2 walks while getting only 1 out.

 

Luscious.

Meanwhile, the A's elimination number is down to 12.  They probably won't set the loss record at this point, tho, at least.

[slikmar]

any time a pitcher has an error, the runs should still count against them.

[unclevlad]

25 minutes ago, slikmar said:

any time a pitcher has an error, the runs should still count against them.

 

At first glance, I agree.  But...let's take this scenario.

7th inning.  Starter gets one out, but then single, walk.  Runners on 1st and 2nd.  Starter gets pulled.  

Reliever comes in, let's say, gets a strikeout.  Then tries to pick the runner off 1st because it looks like he's drifted off too far.  BAD throw...goes down the line.  Runner on 2nd gleefully scores.

 

Under current scoring rules, the starter's charged, but it's unearned.  Under what you suggest, should the run be charged here *to the reliever*, and if so, should it be earned?  The reliever wasn't responsible for the runner on 2nd.

[unclevlad]

Youch...

 

The A's probably won't end up with the most losses ever, or worst record in the modern era...but they're on pace to have the worst run differential in history.

 

By a LOT.  

 

119 games, -286.  The record's -349 by the 1932 Red Sox.  Projected out?  At the current pace, the A's will be -389.

 

Per game...Red Sox were -2.27.  Through 119, the A's are -2.43.

[slikmar]

17 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

At first glance, I agree.  But...let's take this scenario.

7th inning.  Starter gets one out, but then single, walk.  Runners on 1st and 2nd.  Starter gets pulled.  

Reliever comes in, let's say, gets a strikeout.  Then tries to pick the runner off 1st because it looks like he's drifted off too far.  BAD throw...goes down the line.  Runner on 2nd gleefully scores.

 

Under current scoring rules, the starter's charged, but it's unearned.  Under what you suggest, should the run be charged here *to the reliever*, and if so, should it be earned?  The reliever wasn't responsible for the runner on 2nd.

Well, that goes to a whole other argument of where runs should be charged. They need to figure out a formula for partial runs per pitcher. An inning starter who gets 2 outs and a man on first leaves and reliever comes in and immediately gives a walk and hr, the reliever, to me is more responsible for that run than the starter or if reliever came in no outs and man on third then starter more responsible. In your scenario, it’s worse to me, starter gets unearned run, but, provided no other runs score, looks like reliever has clean slate.

There needs to be a formula based on what base and how many outs. My math isn’t good enough for it.

[unclevlad]

It might be better in principle, but there'd be infinite argument in practice.  I mean, just look at us here.   The virtue of the system that exists is simplicity and consistent applicability.  Heck, just look at the vagaries of hit vs. error calls.  This might well be worse.

 

I've got my own conceptual stat for offense.  Call it the Move the Line stat.  In every at bat, determine how many bases the batter gained OR LOST as a result of the AB.  A grand slam?  10 bases.  A line drive to 3rd, doubling off a runner there?  -3.  The harsh version?  Make the 3rd out with the bases loaded...-6.  (A single, scoring 2 and leaving 1st and 3rd, is +6.)  There are base running situations that are more problematic.

 

Speaking of base running, I'd love to see Runner's Errors.  Like last night, Yankees-Braves.  Harrison Bader got picked off 1st...down 6 runs.  Or a runner, with 2 outs, trying to stretch a play to get to 3rd...and getting tagged out.  

 

Note that the reliever has a stat...percentage of inherited runners stranded, IIRC, altho it might be the converse, that scored.  That's at least as important to stat-heads, I think, than just ERA.  

 

 

[unclevlad]

Oh MY...Boston at the Yankees, Cole's on the mound for the Yanks, so realistically it's a MUST WIN game for them...the rest of their pitching staff isn't doing well.  But the Sox are being aggressive...loaded the bases with none out in the second.  Got one infield out, forceout at the plate...but then BOOM... grand slam.  Given the Yankee lack of offense, their comeback chances are Not Good.  It also doesn't help that Cole's approaching 40 pitches in this inning alone...and it's only the 2nd.  If the Yankees lose again...it'd be their 7th straight...they'd fall 8 back in the loss column to Seattle, 7 to Toronto, for the last playoff berth.    With less than 40 games to go.

 

Out west, where 3 separate series had to be shifted due to the approaching hurricane...D'backs blew a great pitching performance from a rookie starter.  7 innings, 1 hit, no runs...but the D'backs ran into 2 outs on the base paths and left runners on all over the place.  This is an important series for NL wild card.  D'backs slip back to 3 up on the Padres, but still 2 back of Miami and Cincy.  If D'backs sweep the Padres today, the Pads are in desperate shape.  If the Pads sweep, the D'backs continue to lose ground, and continue to lose games they need to win.  A split hurts both...but helps keep the Padres on life support, at least.  These are the last 2 meetings of the regular season, with the adjusted schedules;  it's not like the last few years where most games were divisional games.  Padres' win last night gave them a 6-5 season lead.  The split, they win the season series, which is the first tie breaker.  If the Padres lost both, then the D'backs take the season series, and that means the Padres are effectively 6 back, instead of 5 back.

 

Oakland has been mathematically eliminated from winning the AL.  Their division elimination number is 3;  their playoff elimination number is 8.

[unclevlad]

Oh my....in a pretty shaky game all around, D'backs take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th.  Bring in Selwald, the deadline acquisition brought in to be their closer.

 

Sewald gets jobbed a bit on the first batter;  a clear strike's missed.  But overall, he's VERY shaky.  Walk, hit the batter, go deep into the count before a grounder to first gives 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd, now with the lineup rolling over.  Leadoff man pops out.  Tatis walks to load the bases.  Soto sends one out there......but a couple feet SHORT of the wall.  Fly out.  Game over.

 

EDIT:  and game 2 isn't close.  D'backs 8-1;  a grand slam blew open a semi-close game.  More Padres mistakes hurt them...Soto lost track of outs, so a fly ball that called for a pretty good catch, turned into a double play because Soto was on 3rd.  Some not-so-good defense too.

 

FanGraphs dropped the Padres' shot at making the playoffs from 23% yesterday, down to 12%...despite the Marlins also getting swept.  And honestly, I think that's too high.  They have talent, fine, but they just play BADLY too often.  FanGraphs thinks they'll win close to 60% of their remaining games, and the schedule is reasonably favorable...but the team is at best a paper tiger.

 

D'backs and Marlins are now TIED.  Philly has a small working margin, but SF has the 2nd WC, with Cubs/Reds tied a half game back, and then Marlins/D'backs another half game back.  Then it's the Padres, a full 5 back of the Marlins and D'backs...and lost the tiebreak with the D'backs now.

5 teams within 1 game for 2 spots.

 

 

[unclevlad]

Well, that was fun!

 

Rangers at D'backs.  Pitching duel despite the fact that it was a bullpen game for the D'backs.  Rangers score first on a solo homer in the 7th.  D'backs tie it with a solo homer in the bottom of the 9th.  Top 11, Rangers get 2.  Bottom 11, D'backs string together 3, winning on a walkoff, clean single to right center...runners on 2nd and 3rd, no doubt about the hit, and enough in the gap that there was never a shot at stopping the winning run.  D'backs have quietly won 8 of 10 again, somehow...

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Damn, Rays. What did you get yourselves into? 

 

 

[unclevlad]

29 minutes ago, Logan D. Hurricanes said:

Damn, Rays. What did you get yourselves into? 

 

 

 

Yeah, but this story's been building for a week now.  Not sure why MLB did it now, but I'd assume it's basically just the process moving forward.  The question's gonna be how the investigation in the Dominican pans out.  As long as there's a credible investigation?  MLB pretty much has to use administrative leave.  Procedurally, I think this is basically like the Bauer case.  MLB doesn't want to let him play while the investigation happens, but they also can't issue an extended suspension until the case is resolved.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

I've been watching the story unfold and even though there are few specific details, the ones we have are very off-putting. He's on my favorite team, as well as my fantasy team, so I've been getting regular updates. All you can do at this point is shake your head.