HotCuts & Bridges

I have been typing off and on for seven hours.  The only words now of this season's long baseball journaling endeavor that I have yet to type up are these fresh-ink lines in my very recent wake.  I am going to the Cardinals game tonight.  I won't see or hear any of the Rays and Archer at Pomeranz and the Red Sox. Tomorrow we leave for Wisconsin and Michigan.  I hope to listen to plenty of baseball and to write at least a little as I look out at all the water. Luxury Suite 61 Third base side.  Shrimp, sandies and Woodford Reserve—yowZa.  Beautiful night for a ballgame.  I picked up this pen when someone dropped it on the ground.  I have donned the giveaway green jersey. Man on First Josh Bell batting from the left side.  He gets out, somehow.  That happened fast.  End of one inning. On to stage come Trevor Williams and His Rag Tag Band I've been talking about this guy for almost three months—it's neat that he's on the m...

There is one early game today—it starts momentarily.  I thank the rain clouds for this early game because the original schedule was blank until th'evening.  Yankees at Orioles, washed out yesterday, was rescheduled for right now .  I plan to listen to Bookman . The HotCut is a KerCut, starting later.  Jon Gray and the Rockies open a series in Los Angeles against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.  The Rockies have noticed a change in their rearview mirror : that's the St Louis Cardinals, two games back.  On Kershaw, on Morrow, on Buehler, on Jansen! Not So Fast, My Friend Arenado bangs 98 into right field.  Mark Reynolds singles back up the box.  It's top six at Chavez Ravine but Clayton Kershaw is long gone by now.  This is Brandon Morrow, tasked with keeping Colorado from padding their 6-1 lead.  He gets a liner to left—Alex Verdugo laid out for it—and then a 6-3 GIDP, Stirrups Taylor fielding, hitting the second-base bag, throwing...

I have seen the last of the early action.  Brandon Phillips went 4-3, Chris Hatcher on the mound to close it out for Oakland, the A's over the Angels 3-1.  It is 17:49 central daylight; sixteen minutes until first pitch in Pittsburgh, a game against the Cubs, something we like to call the HotCut.  Quintana and Cole in that one.  The Cubs hold a four-game lead in the NL Central, Milwaukee and St Louis in a virtual tie for second place following Milwaukee's loss today in Cincinnati. Four games are in the books.  I listened to half of Angels at A's.  Nothing really stands out—Jed Lowrie has 42 doubles, though.  I could hardly believe that. Q José Quintana delivers to David Freese.  The count runneth full.  Continuing on a theme from yesterday, there aren't many fans in the stands in Pittsburgh.  Freese fouls off another pitch to the right.  It's quiet there.  I have the game on ballpark sound.  Freese looks at an inside...

Despite ash falling on your city like snow, you supplied a HotCut at 9:19 central daylight: GutCut. First Play From Scrimmage Among the options for the earliest games, I opted for Phillies at Mets.  It has an 18:10 listed first pitch.  I will watch César Hernández bat and then likely switch to Nats at Marlins.  Stephen Strasburg pitches tonight. Manhattan is glowing in the sun's setting light.  I am taken by the view, all the buildings, the water.  It makes me want to be there, among them. It's Jacob deGrom for the Mets.  Hernández looks at a couple of pitches.  There's a fastball at 97 mph for a strike.  The fifth pitch was up a little, I suppose.  Full count.  deGrom isn't going to get the high strike but he gets the inside pitch, way inside, and César is rung up.  Galvis goes down looking, too.  "If deGrom is going to get that pitch, he's going to have a big night."  Here's Odubel Herrera.  Odubel is in the...

Trey Mancini is in the hole.  Chad Green is throwing smoke.  Chad Green always looks good.  Mancini, 8.  That went 405 feet.  A strike to Trumbo.  Green's slider misses away at 88.  1-and-2 to Trumbo.  Trumbo, 9. Judge must've hit a single on the first pitch.  Bird GIDP.  Here's Todd Frazier, seventh inning, Yankees at Orioles, a long fly to right-center, it touches down on the warning track, as does Joey Rickard who makes a diving effort but misses, goes sliding across the dirt and gravel, missed it only by inches, it's a double for Frazier.  Ellsbury ends the inning with a ground ball that goes FC 6-4. Trout Fishing I switch to Angels at A's, Trout is batting.  He cranks a foul down the left-field line.  That Chris Smith is on the mound, or is it Not That Chris Smith.  He's K-hris Smith, because he plays with K-hris Davis.  Trout won't bite on the low slider.  The count runneth full.  Trout walk...

As if you had to think about it not for a second you quickly issued the 'Cut at 7:49 central daylight in this terse fashion:  Sale.  Severino.  HotCut. I am happy to say I will be able to watch this Sunday Night Baseball game because I am at my parent's place and they have cable.  Maybe my dad, a Red Sox fan, will watch too. The Tigers Sans Miggy I have the Indians at the Tigers on my phone, opting for the Tigers radio feed.  My head hurts a little and I'm afraid of Tom Hamilton doing me further damage as he calls this lopsided matchup.  I tuned in right after Jose Ramírez had homered.  Edwin took a big hack and Dan Dickerson described him as trying to go back-to-back.  There is a pall over the Tigers process this September.  Even Miguel Cabrera, who still is on the team, is not in the lineup today because he has begun serving a six-game suspension for fighting.  Mahtook, 6-3. Bumgarner Bounced My brother, my dad and I have bee...