This Week in Baseball 9/1 - 9/7

[Bored]

ESPN/FOX/TBS Games to Poison Our Youth

 

WEDNESDAY

Yankees (Carl Pavano) at Rays (Edwin Jackson), 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN

 

SATURDAY

Phillies at Mets, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Tigers at Twins, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

 

SUNDAY

Angels at White Sox, 2:00 PM/11:00 AM, TBS

Phillies at Mets, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

[KingPK]

This is the start of a REALLY big stretch for the Rays as they play nothing but divisional opponents the next three weeks, including two series with the Yankees and two with the Red Sox. Then they play Minnesota at home in a big series with Wild Card ramifications. They need to at least split the six with Boston to all but lock up the division.

[devo]

Important week for the Mets, as they not only have three games against the Phils but must first deal with the Brewers in Milwaukee. That series becomes a little more difficult considering the Brew Crew's efficiency against left-handed pitching and the fact that the Mets are sending three lefties up against them, including Jon Niese in what will be his first major league start.

[Smartly Pretty]

I feel good about the Mets in a series with the Brewers. The Mets score early more than anyone else in the league. Scoring early = more bullpen. The Brewers might have the only bullpen that can compete with the Mets' in terms of incompetency.

[Guest דניא&#15]

The Brewers stopped losing, though, and to be honest, their bullpen probably isn't as bad as yours. Torres has been a reliable closer, Shouse can be depended on for his one out, and Villanueva provides a decent inning. Riske isn't very good, and Eric Gagne is shitty. Gagne alone drags the Milwaukee bullpen's reputation so low that the starters all have to go eight now. With the Mets, it seems like everyone from Wagner all the way to long relief can claim some instance of hysterically awful relief.

[devo]

Ah, there's that old Gagne magic. Woke up a sleeping Mets offense to the tune of three runs on one out so far.

[strummer]

Hey a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th for a Met Reliever!

 

And ben Sheets left the game after the 5th due to an apparent groin injury

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

A couple friends snagged tickets to the 9/27 Phillies/Nats game. One more trip to an MLB game this season.

[snuffbox]

What a day!

[garfieldsnose]

Shitty day for the NL East.

[snuffbox]

I know, the Mets almost didn't win!

[Bruiser Chong]

It speaks volumes about a team's success that a three-game losing streak can seem like a possible cause for concern. Thank god the Cubs don't have to face Valverde in the playoffs. Is there a relief pitcher they've fared worse against over the last five years?

[jimmy no nose]

Stephen Drew hit for the cycle in the D-Backs game today. That's twice that a player has hit for the cycle in less than a week. For some strange reason even though hitting for the cycle is pretty rare and most often months will go by without one it's actually not that strange for one to be followed up by another in fairly short order. Kind of a strange phenomenon.

 

EDIT--And an hour and a half later Adrian Beltre also completes a cycle. This is much more rare. I believe it's only the second time with the other coming in 1920.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski]

Stephen Drew hit for the cycle in the D-Backs game today. That's twice that a player has hit for the cycle in less than a week. For some strange reason even though hitting for the cycle is pretty rare and most often months will go by without one it's actually not that strange for one to be followed up by another in fairly short order. Kind of a strange phenomenon.

 

EDIT--And an hour and a half later Adrian Beltre also completes a cycle. This is much more rare. I believe it's only the second time with the other coming in 1920.

 

Yes, according to ESPN it's the first time since the 1920's that this has happened. Amazing.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

The Cleveland Indians officially terminated their affiliation with the AAA Buffalo Bisons. It is likely they will pick up the Columbus Clippers. This is big for Met fans as well since the club is likely looking to move their AAA club to the International League.

[devo]

Double good news! Mets back in the International League and the Clippers back with a decent affiliation. What with Columbus getting a new stadium next season, going to Clippers games might actually not be a chore anymore.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Double good news! Mets back in the International League and the Clippers back with a decent affiliation. What with Columbus getting a new stadium next season, going to Clippers games might actually not be a chore anymore.

The International League North is going to be a ton of fun next year. AAA Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Red Sox all as inter divisional rivals. Syracuse and Rochester are open as well, so who knows who will occupy those spots. (Syracuse will likely retain the Blue Jays.)

[treble]

I'm reading that the Chiefs are going to make a pitch to get the Mets affiliation. And I think the Jays want to move their team to Buffalo.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

So now Utley may have injured Jesus Flores. This shit where everyone thinks it's good baseball to attempt to steal a run by taking out the catcher has got to stop.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Gary Matthews: "Like to play hard, don't like to see people get hurt."

 

Well, that's what happens when you play like a shithead.

[garfieldsnose]

What's wrong with running into the catcher? I've always liked it.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

What's wrong with running into the catcher? I've always liked it.

1. Because there's a promising young catcher on his way to the hospital because Chase Utley attempted to use the flying shoulderblock as a slide.

 

2. This is the second time I've seen a Phillie take a catcher out of the game this year, both on plays where the runner was out.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Great throw by Lastings Milledge!

[garfieldsnose]

1. And that has nothing to do with this pennant chase. I'm sure Chase got mixed up in sliding because he didn't look sure with what he wanted to do. If you're a catcher, you want them to run into you. Just an unfortunate circumstance.

 

2. I can remember two others actually. Someone ran into the Cardinals catcher if I remember correctly, and I believe Victorino took out McCann, but that was because McCann turned around right into the runner. What, are you afraid the media is gonna call the Phillies a dirty team now? To me, no play that's crashing into the catcher can be labeled dirty (or stupid).

[jimmy no nose]

If the catcher's blocking the plate and you're on the way home already what's the option that isn't running into the catcher?

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Forgot about Brian McCann. So that's three times in a year where the Phillies have taken a catcher out of the game. And last year Utley took down Russell Martin last year with a shoulder tackle as well that was pretty bad. Players are getting hurt because of this bullshit mentality. You mention that the catcher wants the play. If you want to take him down, face him head up like a man. Utley dove towards the man's leg.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

If the catcher's blocking the plate and you're on the way home already what's the option that isn't running into the catcher?

A clean slide.

 

I can't emphasize enough how bad this looked. Chase Utley was fully in the air, head first.

[Spaceman Spiff]

It was definitely an awkward "slide", almost as if he expected the catcher to be up the line a tad bit more. I would have preferred he kept his legs moving and put a shoulder down.

[NYU]

And Niese is done already with no outs in the bottom of the fourth.

 

What an unsatisfying start.

[garfieldsnose]

As bad as Utley's slide may have looked, when the catcher blocks the plate, it's fair game. If his leg wasn't blocking the plate, and Utley dove at them, then I would have thought that was pretty shitty. Players go for the legs sometimes so the catcher gets screwed up in trying to catch the ball. I was a catcher up through high school, and although I don't speak for all catchers, it was easier to catch a ball and get run into the chest. We thought everything was fair game, though. Maybe we just played dumb.