HotCuts & Bridges

I traveled to Cuba (Missouri) but the 'Cut still found me.  At 10:01 central daylight you pinged me:  KC HotCut. Preview It is Felix Hernandez and the 56-55 Mariners visiting Danny Duffy and the 56-52 Royals later on at 18:15 central.  Looking at the slate, the Nationals and Cubs again lead the way with a 13:20 start.  Then it's Dodgers at Mets at 15:05, probably the FOX TV game.  The Brewers and Rays have the oddball start time of 17:10 central in Tampa.  There are no true late games—by this I mean a game starting at 21:05 central or later.  In Pacific time, there are two 18:00-ish starts:  D'backs at Giants, A's at Angels.  Then the slate goes dark. Bridging Later.  Wade Davis deals to Bryce Harper.  Bottom nine, two out, 7-4 Cubs.  On a cutter, the count goes to 1-and-1, Harper getting just a piece of it.  Two have walked.  Harper rips one foul.  That was a very hittable, risky pitch.  I have eeri...

I fear it might be too hot for the HotCut.  Its owner and operator lives in the Pacific Northwest and is experiencing the highest temperatures of his time there, or anywhere else for that matter.  Here in St Louis we are enjoying rather pleasant early August weather— how do ya like that ?  It's 13:00 central daylight, there will be baseball in twenty minutes from Wrigley Field. "It's Just Called a PortlandCut Now" Two or three minutes after I wondered in these pages about whether there would be a HotCut today, my phone rang—and it was you , Ray.  We talked for 25 minutes about weather, Hugo, and baseball.  Then as I was hanging up, at 13:27 central daylight, the 'Cut landed: PondScum HotCut.  That's the Mets, and Jacob deGrom, hosting Yu Darvish and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  An enticing matchup, for sure. Phone Call Bridge Hey, that phone call bridged the last twenty minutes pre-baseball today because Nats at Cubs is now in full swing.  ...

Using a series of dots and dashes I could hardly understand, you told me something important:  KluberCut. Thursday Afternoon That was earlier, this is Thursday afternoon, Cards versus Brewers in Milwaukee, rubber game, Brewers leading 2-1 in the top of the sixth.  Yadi, 8.  Inning over. Diamondbacks and Cubs, Delayed by Rain Delayed at the outset, Diamondbacks at Cubs had begun.  Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run and his Snakes were up 4-0 on José Quintana and the Chicago Cubs.  Yet, that game is now delayed again in only the second inning.  It was raining in Milwaukee, too, but Miller Park has a roof so the downpour did not did not stop the action.  Indians at Red Sox was postponed altogether yesterday.  Rain, rain everywhere but not much in St Louis these days. Diamondback at Cubs Gets CraZy A couple of hours later.  The AriZona-Chicago game bridged afternoon to evening action, easily.  It's 18:32 central and the D'Back...

I texted you about Charlie Blackmon's craZy-high runs total.  You had this retort:  GrubCut. Preview It will be Zack Godley and the Arizona Diamondbacks visiting Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs tonight at 19:05 central daylight. There is a trio of early games today, a Wednesday.  The slate begins in 55 minutes as the Tigers play the Yankees in the Bronx at 12:05 central daylight. Robbed of Early Baseball As it happens, Mother Nature has intervened, delaying the start of the day's first game.  We have been robbed of forty minutes of baseball, and counting.  The next scheduled start would be 13:10 cdt in Chicago, Happ for Toronto and Holland for the White Sox.  Beggars can't be choosers. The rain looks spotty in New York but as of 13:00 the game is still delayed. The White Sox game is underway.  Kendrys bats with two out, Justin Smoak on first....  A few minutes later, bottom one, no one out, Tim Anderson on first after singling off ...

I saw smoke rising on the far bluff this morning at 10:08 central daylight.  I decoded the message's meaning:  SaleCut. Baseball Waiting Room There are no day games today.  It's 13:13 central daylight, or 292 minutes until baseball begins. Later.  Still 179 minutes until baseball! Taillon Trouble Pittsburgh is back home, Taillon deals to Hamilton, baseball resumes in America.  Taillon gave up nine earned in his last start, the worst showing of his nascent career.  It's 18:10 central daylight.  Hamilton hits a low liner that eats Mr. Dred Jaso alive in right center.  Hamilton's helmet flew off before he had even rounded second base.  He might've thought for a second about four bases but he's happy with his leadoff triple.  What is Jaso doing on this Pirates team, in right field on a ball like that?  Taillon runs the count full on Jesse Winker, recently recalled.  Winker, BB.  Now it's Votto.  Fastball, away. ...

You didn't have any word of a trade but at 9:40 central daylight you did break some news:  Texas HotCut. There was one early game, Braves at Phillies.  The Phillies led comfortably until late.  I remember Phillies radio man Larry Andersen talking about precisely how he eats McDonald's Surf and Turf: you take a bite of the Big Mac, chew that up a little bit, you get a fry, chew that up a little, then you take a bite of the Filet-0-Fish.  Neris was over twenty pitches in the ninth with the tying run (his) on third.  He threw two innings Saturday, one Sunday, and he dragged his arm along with him to and from the mound to complete one more today.  The Phillies will head out on a road trip, starting in Colorado on Tuesday.  The Braves will be glad to get back home after being swept by the Phillies to conclude a 12-game road sojourn. * Royals at Orioles.  Cain took third, unopposed.  Hosmer, hitting .321 all of a sudden, cracks his 21st doubl...

For the second time in a week, Steve Pearce has hit a walk-off grand slam.  This one on Canada Day. Then: Matt Davidson homers to walk off his White Sox against Bryan Shaw and the Indians. Toothpick sighting! Dusty is doing the vertical, as a replay is underway.  There appeared to be a game-ending double play 4-6-3, Kendrick out at first.  But Story has already swept his foot over and off the bag before he had caught the ball.  "Oh my goodness, they're going to call him out," says a surprised Bob Carpenter.  I agree: that was a miserable replay effort.  The game should not be over but it is.  "So long for just a while," he says. That was the first half of a soft day-night doubleheader. But let's back up.  I write in here more often if I can make a routine of it.  I like for the first words I write to concern the 'Cut—and how I find out about it every day.  A couple games had started before Word came down.  Then I took a snooZ...