Thanks to the recent tailspin by the NYY's, and the O's getting back to .500, the O's are now only 4.5 games back, whereas it was a 7 game deficit just a few games ago. Once again, the AL East is the most competitive division in MLB, as all 5 teams are with 5.5 games of each other. As we all knew, it will be a race down to the finish and any one of the teams look like they are capable of coming out on top. O's still need to learn how to win on the road. -- Al
2017 Baseball Season: Let's Play Two! (1 Viewer)
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George, after seeing Porcello get pounded again on Saturday, I took a closer look at his career record. This guy is simply performing as he has his whole career. From Year One he has been a roller-coaster of inconsistency. His record goes up-down-up-down, etc. He has a good year followed by a down year, almost without exception throughout his 9 year career. 2015. his first with Boston, was a definite down year after coming from an up year in Detroit. As everyone knows, 2016 was a career year as he went 22-4, winning the Cy Young. This year is the predictable let down. He should be in line for another winning season, next year. Pitchers like this drive everyone crazy, great potential, but unable to find the key. Perhaps he will come around, some day, as the potential is there. Just inexplicable. -- Al
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He's a sinker ball pitcher and right now, everything is up in the zone, it's like batting practice.
Cherington traded for this guy, then without throwing one pitch, gave him a huge contract extension, I don't get it, he's also the idiot who signed Panda to a huge deal, what a bust he's been. He traded Cespedes for him; don't get me wrong, the kid they have in left is very good, as is Bradley in center and Betts in right, but they could use a DH and Cespedes would have been perfect for that as he's a butcher in the outfield and Ramirez is just way too injury prone.
They took 2 out of 3 from the first place/best record in baseball Astros, now it's on to KC to face the cellar dwelling Royals, which means they'll sweep the Sox, who are currently tied for first after the MFY's got swept in Oakland and have now lost 7 in a row, maybe once they get back to Williamsport East they'll be ok.............
sammy719
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If you had told me a month ago the O's would only be 4.5 out of first as bad as they have played in the last month and a half I'd laughed you out of the room!!!!{eek3}{eek3} after a quick series with the Tribe the O's go back heavy in the AL East series, guess you're right Al, they ain't dead yet!! as long as they other guys keep losing as well.
^&grin
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I'll join the misery. The Giants gave up 9 runs to the Rockies in the first 6 innings tonight only to storm back and tie it up with 5 in the 8th and 1 in the top of the 9th. And of course the Rockies loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th and won it 10-9.
Well, that didn't go so well. The Giants got swept and are now 19.5 games back.
Now it is over.
sammy719
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Don't worry Jason, next year is a even year (2018) and I'm sure the Giants will win another World Series like they do every other year!!
Regret it, but I agree. The numbers are really against them now. Even if they get scorching hot and win 2 out of every 3 games for the rest of the season, they don't get to 90 wins. Too bad as the Giants are my second favorite NL team. Can at least hope Bums comes back when ready and maybe can pick up the pitching staff a bit. -- Al
Nats starting pitcher Tanner Roark is starting to get on my nerves. Couldn't get out of the 3rd inning tonight. Nats had given him a 6-0 lead after 2, but he imploded, again, and gave it all back in the 3rd. His June ERA is close to 9 and this is the 3rd straight game he has yielded 5 or more runs. For whatever reason, he is having an off-year. Now the Nats wonderful bullpen has to pitch 6+ innings against hard hitting Miami. -- Al
-- Al
sammy719
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One of the few (very few) bright spots this year has been Bundy, now in the last few starts he's been shelled, the Indians already have 5 on him in the top of 5th ...if the wear and tear of a season have already gotten to him it may be a lonngggg season for him.
...if the wear and tear of a season have already gotten to him it may be a lonngggg season for him.The O's talk show guys were talking about Bundy possibly being run down a bit because his June ERA was over 5 (now north of 6, close to 7). He has only gotten past 5 innings once this month. Looks like there might be some worry about Bundy. Not good. -- AlOne of the few (very few) bright spots this year has been Bundy, now in the last few starts he's been shelled, the Indians already have 5 on him in the top of 5th
Ugly loss, 12-0 to the Indians. Kluber stopped the O's dead on 3 hits and fanned 11. Not much to take from this pounding. -- Al
Can't really blame the bullpen for tonight's loss to Miami. They only gave up 2 runs in 6 innings of work but the second run was the walk-off game winner, 8-7 final. Roark was a disaster and has been for a while now. -- AlNats starting pitcher Tanner Roark is starting to get on my nerves. Couldn't get out of the 3rd inning tonight. Nats had given him a 6-0 lead after 2, but he imploded, again, and gave it all back in the 3rd. His June ERA is close to 9 and this is the 3rd straight game he has yielded 5 or more runs. For whatever reason, he is having an off-year. Now the Nats wonderful bullpen has to pitch 6+ innings against hard hitting Miami.
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Give the LET'S GO O'S!! defense credit, they blocked not one, but two extra points as otherwise it would have been 14-0.
The Red Sox lost 4-2 to the Royals in the usual fashion in KC; the Royals scored 2 runs in the 7th on a single that turned into a triple, a seeing eye single, a stolen base and then a blooper into right, not a single hard hit ball, but two runs, just another day in KC for the Red Sox, which has been their personal house of horrors ever since the 1970's when Willie Wilson would lead off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, steal second, go to third on a ground out and score on a sac fly, 1-0 KC in the blink of an eye...........................................watch; after taking 2 of 3 from the team with the best record in baseball, they'll get swept by the Royals with cheese................
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I just saw a replay from yesterday of the incident/collision involving Rizzo and San Diego's catcher. I still can't tell if it was legal or illegal especially after reading the MLB rule on blocking the plate etc.?
Jason, it was an illegal slide. Watch the replay closely and you will see Rizzo deviate inside the basepath before the collision and is noticeably off the plate in the collision and you will see his knees make first contact. According to the rules
the slide has to be with the butt/hip on the ground and legs out, neither of which Rizzo did. Rizzo was deadmeat at the plate and obviously decided his only chance was the collision with the hope that the ball would dislodge. My big question is why isn't he being disciplined? What is the difference, safety wise, between Rizzo and his high slide (deliberate) and, say Strickland, and his deliberate hitting of Harper? IMO, there is no difference in terms of intent, message maybe, but not intent. Both were deliberate acts that could have resulted in injury and both violated the rules, so why do Strickland (and Harper) get disciplined for their dust-up and Rizzo get off free, even though injury potential was higher in such a collision? Torre really needs to get his act together on this whole discipline and rule enforcement stuff. MLB looks like idiots when this kind of favoritism occurs. -- Al
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From an MLB beat writer:
The situation with Rizzo highlights one of the major problems with the rule.
The collision rule is designed to punish players who make “egregious” contact with the catcher by ruling them out. When the player is already out, like Rizzo was here, there’s no other punishment for that player. He doesn’t lose much by bowling into Hedges and hoping he drops the ball. In a worst-case scenario, Rizzo still gets called out. He doesn’t get fined or suspended. In a best-case scenario, maybe the ump rules Hedges blocked the plate and Rizzo scores a run for the Cubs. It’s worth the risk in Rizzo’s mind because the ruling is based on the umpire’s judgment.
Yep, sure needs to be clarified and tightened up a bit. -- Al