Baseball Notebook for August 18, 2016

I came into work and brought up the Cardinals vs the Astros as the MLB.TV free game.  There was a potential no-hitter in progress for the Cards.  Please stop doing “No-hitter” alerts in the 6^th inning MLB.com.  Don’t even bother until the 8^th.  The birds won handily, but I doubt they’re going to the playoffs since I don’t think the Cubs are going to lose again until the World Series (against the Rangers).  The Astros are falling off again.  Look for management to start blaming the manager.  Meanwhile the Giants are swept by Pirates.  Who knew that all the Dodgers really needed in order to win was for them to lose their two best pitchers (Kershaw and Greinke), send down Yasiel Puig, get rid of some other cancerous elements on the team, and for the Giants to collapse?   

I again missed the story from Tuesday’s Ranger game.  Lucas Harrell came out of his start early and injured.  I don’t think they can afford to lose any more starting players.  Jon Daniels is likely looking for a waiver trade a lot more seriously than he was a week ago.  I was almost afraid to look in on Wednesday’s game versus the A’s, but leading 6-2 to in the 9^th, I thought I’d chance it.  Matt Bush struck out the side to end it.  That’s a three-game sweep.  I’d be tempted to anoint Bush the new closer, but it’s probably really more a matter of the bullpen guys getting overused and being constantly put into pressure situations that’s burning them out.  Yu Darvish pitching 7 innings and Ian Desmond and Jonathan Lucroy driving in all 6 runs (3 apiece) to provide a cushion had to help.      

Tim Hagerty was in much better spirits for the Chihuahuas game in Colorado Springs tonight.  Strangely, it seemed like the conditions at the stadium were what changed his attitude.  First, he had bad encounter with the concessions people.  Tim took time to praise the El Paso vendors for their friendliness.  (He’s right.  They’re been very nice when I’ve been there.)  Then, there were only a bit more than a 1000 people there for the game on a fairly pleasant night.  There were people enjoying the hot tub in the outfield.  I didn’t know there was a hot tub there.  Now, I’m really sorry I didn’t get to see a game when I was there in May.  And then, he needed to buy a light so he could see inside the dark pressbox.  In short, Tim may have come to the conclusion that since the Chihuahuas had a superior baseball organization, they will prevail.  And indeed they did tonight, 5-3, breaking their losing streak.  OKC even helped out by coming back in the 9^th to beat the Isotopes.

Tim had a great story about a minor league player during the game.  The pitcher had been informed that he was going to be released after the game.  He ended up coming in as a reliever.  When the manager started out of the dugout to take him out of the game, the pitcher tossed his glove and the ball, took off his shirt, walked off mound, left the stadium, and drove away.  But I’m sure he really loved his job.