This Week in Baseball 7/28 - 8/3

[jimmy no nose]

Anyone who ever looks at wins and losses as a meaningful statistic need look no further than today's Pirates-Cubs game for a reason not to. Winning pitcher Chad Gaudin entered the game with a 5-3 lead and a runner on first, gave up a 2-run homer to Andy LaRoche to tie the game, then recorded one out. Losing pitcher Craig Hansen entered the game down 5-3, recorded 5 straight outs, walked a batter and left. Sean Burnett gave up a 2 run homer followed by another solo shot. Because Gaudin had just been pinch hit for he technically takes the win and because Hansen walked the batter who scored the winning run he takes the loss.

[Bruiser Chong]

The Tigers just aren't going anywhere with the pen the way it is. Jones isn't a great closer, but he generally nails down the save opportunities. Rodney draws them out as long as Jones does but blows them. How many walk-off walks have the Tigers' pitching staff been responsible for this year?

 

The O's lost, too, which no doubt hurts their very real shot at the AL Wild Card.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

The Tigers just aren't going anywhere with the pen the way it is. Jones isn't a great closer, but he generally nails down the save opportunities. Rodney draws them out as long as Jones does but blows them. How many walk-off walks have the Tigers' pitching staff been responsible for this year?

 

Two. This one today and Bobby Seay on May 26st against the Angels.

[bob_barron]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...d?urn=mlb,98079

[Guest]

I went to the fair today, but there were TV's showing the game, so I checked it out for a bit. Manny Ramirez is a godsend. He'll be re-signed if he plays less than half this well.

[Cartman]

He's just raising his free agency stock don't get too excited about a long term stay.

[Bruiser Chong]

Oh, Cardinals bullpen. I'll bet Al did the worm in his living room after that one.

[Mik]

Phillies are opening up the NL East right now if they hold on for the win.

[strummer]

Yeah Phillies are starting to pull away.

 

2.5 over the Marlins and 3 on the Mets

 

8 days ago they were 2 games behind

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Oh, Cardinals bullpen. I'll bet Al did the worm in his living room after that one.

Nah, just a fist pump. I'll feel better when the Phils escape the eighth inning.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Lidge walked a tightrope but the Phils pick up the win. All the sudden, the lead is 2.5 games over the Marlins, three on the Mets.

[Bruiser Chong]

I thought the ninth inning showed just how much fight this Cardinals team has, but also, just how incredibly shitty their secondary players are.

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

Anyone who ever looks at wins and losses as a meaningful statistic need look no further than today's Pirates-Cubs game for a reason not to. Winning pitcher Chad Gaudin entered the game with a 5-3 lead and a runner on first, gave up a 2-run homer to Andy LaRoche to tie the game, then recorded one out. Losing pitcher Craig Hansen entered the game down 5-3, recorded 5 straight outs, walked a batter and left. Sean Burnett gave up a 2 run homer followed by another solo shot. Because Gaudin had just been pinch hit for he technically takes the win and because Hansen walked the batter who scored the winning run he takes the loss.

We have a vocal Pirates fan among our ranks all of a sudden. Welcome, and I'm pulling for your team's eventual resurgence.

 

Unrelated: hey, grammar nerds, do z's work like s's? Is it "Eddie Kunz' debut" or is "Eddie Kunz's debut" right?

Z works like any other letter, even S: singular possessive is always apostrophe-S, except, curiously, if you're talking about "names of antiquity" like Moses, and I mean the important one, not Malone. It'd be "Kunz's," and also "James's," for that matter.