Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Baseball Journal August 12, 2018

8-12-18
Apparently, it was a much less threatening day in New York City, though the crowd was noticeably smaller.  Once again, Giancarlo Stanton started off the game with another solo home run.  The guys in the booth were impressed with it at 112mph, 413’, and a 17 degree launch angle.  (Those numbers don’t mean a lot to me.  I’m not sure why I recorded them.)  1-0 Yankees. 

In the second, Miguel Andujar committed an error, there was a blown double play, and Joey Gallo got an infield hit (!) after a poor throw by CC Sabathia.  The net result of all that was no runs.  The Rangers got more runners on in the third, but still didn’t score.  In the fifth, Didi Gregorius did made a spectacular play at short on Delino Deshields to shore up the Yankee defense.  In the bottom, the wheels came off on Martin Perez, the Rangers’ starter.  The big blow was a two-run homer by Gregorious.  It was now 6-0.

In the sixth, Eric Nadel talked about Sabathia’s problems, including recovering from alcoholism and his weight.  Eric thought it was interesting that the current career wins leaders in the Major League baseball were CC and Bartolo Colon, a pair of rather stout fellows.  Andujar made a two-base error to put Elvis on second, but he was stranded there.  Perez came back out in the bottom, but was pulled after getting hit some more.  A run scored after he came out to make it 7-0.

CC left in the seventh, having given up 1 hit, though the Rangers had had their chances.  Sonny Gray came in and gave up a couple of hits.  Yankee fans immediately started booing him.  Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.  Gregorius made another great play to get him at first.  Deshields drove in Gallo on an infield hit.  Yankee fans were audibly grumbling some more.  The play at first was reviewed, but Delino was still safe.  This brought out another loud outburst from the crowd.  This is the problem with being a Yankee fan; up 7-2 in the seventh and you’re angry it’s not a shutout. 

In the eighth inning, Gray gave up two more hits and was pulled.  The crowd gave him the business on the way out.  Maybe it’s just personal between him and Yankee fans.  The Rangers loaded the bases with two outs, but left all of them stranded.    

The Yankees won 7-2, but the Rangers did get one good highlight.  In the bottom of the eighth, Gallo went over the wall and robbed a home run from Austin Romine.  Eric kept hesitating on the call as Joey delayed showing the ball in his possession.  In the postgame, Matt Hicks mentioned that Joey had words with fans out there after the catch.  He then threw ball into second deck to some Ranger fans.  Given the way the outfield wall is at Yankee Stadium, I’m surprised he didn’t have to slap the fans away from the ball to get it.

The Chihuahuas versus Rivercats’ game started a bit before the Rangers and Yankees ended.  I flipped back-and-forth for the first two innings and didn’t think I’d missed much.  In the postgame, I found out I’d missed Forrestt Allday robbing Gregor Blanco of a home run at the wall and some strange mayhem on the basepads that helped the Chihuahuas out. 

I did hear the Tim Hagerty calling two kids colliding with each other trying to catch a foul ball on the grassy knoll in the outfield in the first.  The crowd got a good laugh out of it.  Tim got a chuckle in the third over a bunch of kids chasing another foul ball there.  Sacramento was also played The Price is Right theme as bumper music one inning.  Maybe there was a fan contest that inning.  Tim didn’t offer a badly needed explanation.

In the third, Cesar Puello drove in the first run of the game for the Rivercats.  In the sixth, fighting sleepiness (not because of the game, just tired), I took a nap with the game on.  I was listening, but I totally dropped out at some point.  When I woke up, it was 1-1.  Once again, I had to wait until the postgame to find out how it happened.  Luis Urias got a hit, Francisco Mejia drove him to third, and Ty France sacrificed him in. 

In the bottom, Shane Peterson made a great jump catch near the wall.  In the bottom of the seventh, the defense shined again on three good plays on grounders.  France did well there too.  The Chihuahuas’ defense in general has really been sparkling lately. 

Still tied at one, we went to the ninth.  France led off with a single.  Brett Nicholas struckout.  Peterson drove France to third.  Raffy Lopez struckout.  With two out, Javy Guerra came up big with a single and brought France in and gave the pups the lead.  Allen Craig came up as a pinch hitter and drew a walk to load the bases.  Allday (and all night) singled to right and scored two more.  The ‘Cats finally brought in a new reliever to finish off the inning.  (See, this in-depth coverage totally makes up for me falling asleep earlier.) 

Up now 4-1, Rowan Wick came in to close in the bottom.  He allowed a leadoff double, but got the save.  Chihuahuas win 4-1!  This has been one tightly-played series in Sacramento.  I’ve been impressed with the team’s composure over these four games.  They couldn’t bash their way to victory as they usually do, but found a way anyway.

I can’t believe there has been nothing on TV today, and I’ve been listening to baseball games on the radio all day.  Let’s keep going.  KROD obligingly went right from the Chihuahuas to the ESPN Radio pregame coverage before the Cubs versus Nationals’ game.  They spent way too much time talking about who should be the NL MVP this year.  Their picks are Javier Baez and Max Scherzer, both of whom were playing tonight, and Nolan Arenado on the Rockies.  This seems terribly irrelevant with a month and a half left before the playoffs.  The most interesting man in baseball, Bryce Harper, wasn’t even mentioned.  They barely mentioned him at all during the game. 

Tonight’s pitching matchup was between Scherzer and Cole Hamels.  The announcers mentioned how much better Hamels has been pitching since he was traded from the Rangers.  That’s just great.  He only pitched the Rangers into last place in their division.  Scherzer set the tone for his performance tonight with his first pitch, which brushed Anthony Rizzo back off the plate.           

In the second, Mark Reynolds sacrificed in a run to give the Nats a 1-0 lead . . . for the next seven innings.  Perhaps sensing a pitcher’s duel, the hosts talked about wins being meaningless in awarding the Cy Young Award.  Of course, Cy Young ironically holds the record for most wins pitching, but don’t let that bother you.  They did offer a recent quote from Jayson Werth, “Super nerds are killing the game.”  [Tim Hagerty did an interview with Jayson in Triple-A a couple of months ago (6-3-18).]  They also talked about Anthony Rizzo’s recent pitching performance in a blowout.  When asked if he had a memento from getting out the one batter he faced, Rizz said, “I have a 0.00 ERA.”

Hamels went seven innings, only giving up 1 hit and 1 run.  In the bottom of the seventh, Albert Almora Jr. hit a double and Wrigley erupted and I wrote in my notes, “Like a grand slam.”  (Foreshadowing.)  The Cubs got a couple on, but Scherzer slammed the door with his eleventh strikeout to end the inning. 

In the ninth, Trea Turner tripled as Kyle Schwarber misplayed the ball in the outfield.  (Is it too late to use him as a catcher?  Or is he a bigger liability behind the plate?)  Juan Soto walked.  Ryan Zimmerman then doubled them in to make it 3-0 Nats.  But this is Wrigley.  Remember, games there are like an opera and everybody dies in the third act. 

With an anxious Bill Murray looking on from the owner’s box, the Cubs got two runners on off Ryan Madson.  He got the next two outs, but then hit Willson Contreras to load the bases.  Please note that this sequence of events took approximately 20 minutes to play out.  Two words: pitch clock.  In the time it took to get to this point, the Nationals could have called up a reliever from Triple-A to enter the game.  An unassuming David Bote then came into the game to pinch hit.  Fed up with the pace of play, Bote promptly jacked out a walkoff grand slam to end the game.  The Wrigley Field faithful erupted like Albert Almora Jr. just hit a double.  4-3 Cubs win!  Cubs win! 


Admittedly, this wasn’t the greatest game to listen to, but what an ending!  Meanwhile in the Nationals’ locker room, Bryce Harper wished he’d been traded before the deadline.  Meanwhile, Nationals’ ownership wondered if they can still trade Bryce Harper for more than a bag of chips.  Meanwhile, Max Scherzer looked in the mirror and wiped away a tear as he said to himself, “I’m gonna be the MVP because wins don’t matter.  Sniff.  They don’t matter.”  

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