Baseball Notebook for August 17, 2016

Okay, another day and another loss by the Chihuahuas.  This time it was an 11-3 loss to Colorado Springs.  (I didn’t get to see them when I was in Colorado in May.  I wonder how they’re doing with the fans there, since the Sky Sox aren’t an affiliate of the Rockies anymore.)  Tim Hagerty is trying to be brave, but he’s getting worried and depressed.  That’s pretty easy to get when the team gets clobbered, stops hitting, and commits three errors in the game.  Worse, the game seemed to take forever to play out, even with the outcome not in doubt.  They’re up like 7 games on the Isotopes, but have 9 games with them remaining, 5 of them in Albuquerque.

I missed the big story with the Rangers on Monday.  Shin-Soo Choo’s arm was broken and he’s out for the season.  Choo and Prince being out so much this season has at least gotten several other players significant major league playing time.  Let’s hope they’re up to it.  Joey Gallo still lurks in the shadows.  If he’s capable of getting hits without striking out ¾ of the time, now’s a good time to start showing it.

This was one time when watching the game playing out on Gameday, without TV or radio, was still really exciting.  In the 9^th, the Rangers had a 1 run lead over the friggin’ A’s.  (Yes, I’ve decided to tag these guys like I have the “hated” Angels.)  Another blown save.  The Rangers really need to explore the concept of the insurance run.  In the 10^th, the A’s knock in two runs to take the lead.  In the bottom of the frame, with the bases loaded and one out, Beltran singles to drive in two and tie the game.  Nice game for Carlos, 4 for 5, 3 RBI’s.  Adrian Beltre, who’d burned the A’s so badly yesterday, was given a free pass to reload the bases.  And the first pitch to Roogie hits him.  I’m sure he didn’t even feel it.  Rangers win 5-4.

Thanks to a two-hour rain delay, I was able to catch half of the Rockies/Nationals game on the radio when I got home, and I had good signal.  The rain had chased off the four-legged fans, who had come for Bark at the Park.  Wet dog smell and thunder and lightning doesn’t work well with a bunch of dogs in attendance. 

The game was tied at 2 in the 5^th.  I arrived just in time.  DJ LeMahieu hit a triple and was driven in by Nolan Arenado on a grounder.  DJ had a heck of a game.  In the post-game, I heard the dramatic call from earlier, as he hit a monster home run into the wind, rain, and lightning.  David Dahl came in as a pinch hitter in the 7^th and drove in two runs on a double.  Dahl’s consecutive game hitting streak was broken, but he’s still gotten a hit in 21 of 22 games he’s been in.  Rockies win 6-2.  Two notes.  Nolan drove in two runs making outs while I was listening.  That’s a professional team player who wants to win.  The new higher fence at Coors Field kept in two potential homers for the Rockies.  I don’t know if this is good or bad.  If they just had some pitching (and Trevor Story hadn’t gotten hurt), they’d be winning the division.  Sigh.  Yeah, that news came in during the game.  The Giants lost and are a ½ game out of first to the Dodgers.  They’re 9-20 since the break; the worst in the MLB.