I was typing up an older entry when a bird landed on my shoulder. It tweeted at me: KluberCut.
Kluber will look to continue his torrid summer of sneaky breaking balls. He posted a 2.66 ERA in July and his August ERA is a spiffy 1.78. The Red Sox are 72-53, 4 1/2 games clear of NYY in the American League East. Cleveland, at 69-55, have a similar margin clear of Minnesota in the Central.
At 14:45 the Slate goes double-barreled as the Brewers and Giants get underway in San Francisco. The night slate starts at 18:05 so the SF game would need to run an even 200 minutes to bridge baseball day to baseball night. That's a pace of 3.7 minutes per out. It's possible but it's not probable—we would need lots of runs or lots of pitching changes or extra innings or some combination thereof.
On the other side of the mound, Bundy has his curve working. Angel called one Bundy curve so good "it could hurt your feelings." Now another big ole hook that the Cajun, Ben McDonald says you could hang a worm on.
I had lamented on a recent post that I had not heard much Joe Angel this year, and virtually none lo these summer months. I am getting my fix today. Bundy fans Matt Chapman, closing out the top of the fifth. That's seven punch-outs for Bundy against zero walks—he's retired 14 of 15.
But let me not forget Drew Pomeranz. He is in the midst of his fourth inning, with a little bit of trouble brewing: 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Then he fans Austin Jackson. Then Yan Gomes.
Top 5. With two already down, Mitch Moreland pulls a bendy 89 mph offering and puts it in the seats. Boston takes a 1-0 lead. Vázquez is in the hole.
There is no score in Pittsburgh, top 8. Trevor Williams and His Rag Tag Band are giving an all-time great performance with the Dodgers in town.
Rich Hill is perfect through seven. Williams is at 110 pitches, Hill at 78. With Logan Forsythe at bat, the Dodgers have two on, the count is 2-and-2.
Forsythe rips a liner into the hole at short. Forsythe, LO 6. B says, "Poor Hill." She said something about him not getting the win. She doesn't realiZe he has a perfecto going. She asks me about "the score in that Boston game."
On comes Felipe Rivero. His ERA is 1.31. I don't think I have seen him pitch all year. Austin Barnes, 6-3. Here's Hill to bat. Hill is in the hole. Hill, K. "That was fast," says B. Chris Taylor here. A single to right on the first pitch he sees. Corey Seager is in the hole. Seager, 4-3.
Bottom nine. A Jordy Mercer grounder eats Forsythe alive at third, caroming off his lower leg and toward the shortstop. The perfect game is lost. Chris Stewart puts down a bunt that gets Mercer to second. "The Pirates are trying to make Hill a losing pitcher in a game that he's yet to give up a hit." José Osuna sends a grounder foul. Ross Stripling warms.
Through nine Hill is at 95 pitches with a game score of 104.
Continuing the theme of opting for the game in the latest inning, I land in Atlanta where the Mariners lead the Braves 9-6 in the bottom of the 8th, but the Braves have two on with two out. Edwin Díaz gets Matt Adams, 8.
HotCut Preview
It's Drew Pomeranz and the Boston Red Sox in Cleveland tonight at 18:10 central daylight to face Corey Kluber and the Indians. I raised my eyebrows slightly at the listing of PomeranZ because last I saw him he was walking off the mound with some sort of injury, scrambling Brandon Workman in the Boston bullpen. In that outing on August 18th, Pomeranz went 3 1/3 scoreless against the Yankees before leaving with what turned out to be back spasms, reportedly.Kluber will look to continue his torrid summer of sneaky breaking balls. He posted a 2.66 ERA in July and his August ERA is a spiffy 1.78. The Red Sox are 72-53, 4 1/2 games clear of NYY in the American League East. Cleveland, at 69-55, have a similar margin clear of Minnesota in the Central.
Wednesday Afternoon Baseball
The slate kicks off at 14:05 central daylight in Baltimore, Maryland where Dylan Bundy and the Orioles host the Oakland A's, who will start South Carolina native Daniel Gossett. That game begins in 284 minutes.At 14:45 the Slate goes double-barreled as the Brewers and Giants get underway in San Francisco. The night slate starts at 18:05 so the SF game would need to run an even 200 minutes to bridge baseball day to baseball night. That's a pace of 3.7 minutes per out. It's possible but it's not probable—we would need lots of runs or lots of pitching changes or extra innings or some combination thereof.
Mancini Honors Weaver
Gossett had retired ten in a row but a funny thing happened on the second time through the order. The Orioles posted a four-spot in the fourth, the bulk of the scoring the result of a Trey Mancini three-run home run. Joe Angel aka Bookman called it a Weaver. It took me a moment to get the reference.On the other side of the mound, Bundy has his curve working. Angel called one Bundy curve so good "it could hurt your feelings." Now another big ole hook that the Cajun, Ben McDonald says you could hang a worm on.
I had lamented on a recent post that I had not heard much Joe Angel this year, and virtually none lo these summer months. I am getting my fix today. Bundy fans Matt Chapman, closing out the top of the fifth. That's seven punch-outs for Bundy against zero walks—he's retired 14 of 15.
The (C/K)hris Davii
I started streaming this game right as it began. I took Hugo to the park, phone in pocket, streaming Bookman. I cut zinnias, collected the trash and recycle bins from the curb, watered all of the indoor plants, and folded a couple of small tenting tarps—all while streaming Bookman. There was one classic moment where Bookman and McDonald were talking about both of the (C/K)hris Davis's at the same time. In print, it's easy but over audio it is very difficult to talk about these two players at the same time. Bookman touted "The Orioles' Chris Davis's" gold glove play at first while noting the superior offense this year from the Khris Davis with a K. K-hris Davis has an .832 OPS with 34 home runs and 87 RBI this season. C-hris Davis has a .742 OPS with 19 HR and 45 RBI.A Quick Bridge Check
I said the SF game needed to move at a pace of 3.7 minutes per out (or slower). That game is mid-third, or 15 outs completed. It's in its 51st minute. 51/15 = 3.4 minutes per out, too speedy. But that's what bullpens are made for, right? Yet, bullpen changes mean car insurance commercials—the sword has two edges.Manny's Surge
Manny Machado has recorded 27 RBI in the last 14 games. He is now tied with Nomar MaZara for sixth in the AL with 83 RBI, a pretty incredible second-half so far for the mercurial Orioles third baseman.This Game Gets Tight
"All of a sudden, we got a ballgame," says McDonald. Matt Joyce has swatted a two-run dinger off of Mychal Givens, bringing the score to 6-5 Orioles. Givens places a fastball perfectly and K-hris Davis goes backward-looking K. Givens works to Healy, one down, top 8.This Game Gets Tight, Part II
The Original Chris Davis lose one in the eighth to put the Orioles back on top, 7-5. Zach Britton is on, top nine, and he has allowed a couple of hits to open the inning. First and third, no one out. Marcus Semien singles to left, Jed Lowrie scores, Not that Boog Powell goes to third. Zach Britton still has that consecutive saves streak but it is now seriously in jeopardy. Matt Joyce hits a fly deep enough, it'll get the run home. Zach Britton logs a blown save for the first time in over two years. His consecutive saves streak ends at 60 (still well trailing Éric Gagné's record of 84) and this game is tied at 7-7. Bridge, anyone? Britton just about throws one to the backstop. Like Chapman, Britton isn't right. Wild pitch. He walks K-hris Davis and Buck in on with the hook. "I think I'm going into shock," says Bookman."Nightmare in the Early Evening"
On in relief of Britton, Miguel Castro quickly walks Ryon Healy to load the bases. I am headed to dinner and will need to feed Hugo first. Later, then.The Game Did Bridge
It went 12 innings. Incredibly Miguel Castro threw the final 3 2/3 for Baltimore. It was a four hour and twenty minute game, meaning it ended at 18:27 central daylight—plenty long enough to span the day unto the evening. I regret not hearing Bookman call yet another Manny Machado walk-off.KluberCut: Dealing Zeroes
When we got home for dinner we turned on the HotCut. Corey Kluber is through four. The one "hit" he allowed was a swinging bunt. He's flawless otherwise, eight strikeouts and a walk. He has eclipsed the 200 strikeout mark this year in 22 games—putting him in the company of Bob Feller and Sudden Sam McDowell, the only other Indians hurlers to get to the same mark within 22 games.But let me not forget Drew Pomeranz. He is in the midst of his fourth inning, with a little bit of trouble brewing: 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Then he fans Austin Jackson. Then Yan Gomes.
Top 5. With two already down, Mitch Moreland pulls a bendy 89 mph offering and puts it in the seats. Boston takes a 1-0 lead. Vázquez is in the hole.
Sumpthin' Sumpthin' in Pittsburgh
I had noted, to myself, the zeroes in Rich Hill's line early on—in the third inning, then the fourth inning. At that time zeroes abounded across various nooks and crannies of tonight's slate. Mark Leiter Jr was tossing one. Kluber and Pomeranz were nearly flawless.There is no score in Pittsburgh, top 8. Trevor Williams and His Rag Tag Band are giving an all-time great performance with the Dodgers in town.
Rich Hill is perfect through seven. Williams is at 110 pitches, Hill at 78. With Logan Forsythe at bat, the Dodgers have two on, the count is 2-and-2.
Forsythe rips a liner into the hole at short. Forsythe, LO 6. B says, "Poor Hill." She said something about him not getting the win. She doesn't realiZe he has a perfecto going. She asks me about "the score in that Boston game."
Rich Hill, mound dipper.
Freese, PO 3. There are now two down, bottom eight. B says he looks uncomfortable. There are bags under his eyes. But he's got Sean Rodríguez in the hole. 82 pitches for Hill. Outside, ball one. "Is this a no-hitter?" Ball down and in. A hook, just outside. "A rare three-ball count from Hill." Foul back. Fastball inside—borderline. Probably a ball but Hill gets the call.On comes Felipe Rivero. His ERA is 1.31. I don't think I have seen him pitch all year. Austin Barnes, 6-3. Here's Hill to bat. Hill is in the hole. Hill, K. "That was fast," says B. Chris Taylor here. A single to right on the first pitch he sees. Corey Seager is in the hole. Seager, 4-3.
Bottom nine. A Jordy Mercer grounder eats Forsythe alive at third, caroming off his lower leg and toward the shortstop. The perfect game is lost. Chris Stewart puts down a bunt that gets Mercer to second. "The Pirates are trying to make Hill a losing pitcher in a game that he's yet to give up a hit." José Osuna sends a grounder foul. Ross Stripling warms.
"What's going on in the HotCut?"
I don't know. A 1-0 HotCut takes the backseat rarely but tonight is that anomaly. Osuna, 5-3, retired on a nice charging play by Forsythe. This is Starling Marte. 6-3. Those are nine no-hit innings from Rich Hill but it is not a no-hitter because there is no score!Through nine Hill is at 95 pitches with a game score of 104.
Of All the Games for the Dodgers to Lose
On pitch 99, in the bottom of the tenth inning, Josh Harrison hits one just far enough to left. Home run. The Pirates win 1-0. Hill takes the loss. He goes nine innings, gives up one hit, one run, zero walks, strikes out ten, finishes with a game score of 93. That hurts. Of all the games for the Dodgers to lose!The Prodigal Fan
I took a fifteen-minute break after that incredible evaporation of Hill's no-hitter nee perfect game. Like the prodigal fan I am returning home to the HotCut after running out of baseball elsewhere. As I flip to it, in media res, a Brock Holt double is knocking around in the left field corner. Bogaerts scores, it's 4-1 Boston. Joe Smith is no longer for this game. Bryan Shaw is on. Passed ball. Dave O'Brien says Gomes is having a tough inning behind the plate. Eduardo Nuñez bats. He swings on 3-and-0, gone. He has been a force with Boston, with surprising power. It's 6-1 Red Sox. That's the first 3-and-0 swing I've seen result in a home run all year.Here's Kimbrel
Guyer is in the hole. Guyer, K. A fastball a little out to Austin Jackson, but it's a strike, 0-and-1. The next pitch has the same longitude but it's up, a ball. Another pitch in the same spot, ball. Heat over the plate, swing and a miss, 2-and-2. The fifth pitch is similar to the second and the third but it catches some of the plate, nah, a ball. The count runneth full. A foul back. Jackson is right on 97 and over, he fouls it straight back, a missile. Another foul. Now a pitch up and in, a walk. That was a formidable plate appearance from Jackson. Yan Gomes, in the hole. A ball way high. Gomes, K. Bradley Zimmer is in the hole. Way up and out, a ball. A pitch inside and the count is even. Zimmer strikes out, that's the side, Red Sox win.Night of the Eldest Game
A.J. Ramos gets a fly-out to right, that's the game. It was Diamondbacks at Mets, Lamb making the last out, the Mets win 4-2. Flexen went six and got the win.Continuing the theme of opting for the game in the latest inning, I land in Atlanta where the Mariners lead the Braves 9-6 in the bottom of the 8th, but the Braves have two on with two out. Edwin Díaz gets Matt Adams, 8.
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