Some numbers in support of plays:
Shoemakers opposition TTs this season (19 starts) finishing at 3 or less: 13 of 19 overall starts, 8 of 10 on road, 6 of 6 last 6, 12 of 15 vs teams other than the A's
Cueto as home fave with total between 6 and 7: 19-4-1 ML
Royals L28 as fave: 21-7 ML
Royals L51 as home fave: 35-16 ML
Royals L64 at home: 44-20 ML
Mets: 19 of 59 wins overall by one run, and 15 of 38 home wins by one run
Niese: this season, 6 of 21 starts have been multi-run wins, 3 of 10 at home; career vs Rockies, 1 of 7 starts have been multi-run wins; hasn't pitched well at home (4.30 home ERA vs 3.51 overall ERA)
Beyond that, on a less objective level, I think (and my model agrees):
- Shoemaker continues to dominate
- White Sox are on verge of packing it in (was checking out some info this weekend about how disappointed players were that front office did nothing at trade deadline despite fact team was playing well)
- Good as the Mets have been of late, their offense remains pretty mediocre and winning a game at home by multiple runs will remain a challenge for them
- Cueto has to be champing at the bit to get his first W as a Royal, and i think he'll pitch well in his first home start with the great energy from the home crowd in that ballpark
- Tigers are a shitshow, and fortunate that the White Sox and Tribe are in their division to distract a bit from it. After the dugout incident this weekend, have to wonder if Ausmus is commanding much respect at all (could well lose his job if clubhouse is indeed fractured)
- Dodgers terrible spot, kind of game in which bats usually struggle (off SNB and long trip)
Shoemakers opposition TTs this season (19 starts) finishing at 3 or less: 13 of 19 overall starts, 8 of 10 on road, 6 of 6 last 6, 12 of 15 vs teams other than the A's
Cueto as home fave with total between 6 and 7: 19-4-1 ML
Royals L28 as fave: 21-7 ML
Royals L51 as home fave: 35-16 ML
Royals L64 at home: 44-20 ML
Mets: 19 of 59 wins overall by one run, and 15 of 38 home wins by one run
Niese: this season, 6 of 21 starts have been multi-run wins, 3 of 10 at home; career vs Rockies, 1 of 7 starts have been multi-run wins; hasn't pitched well at home (4.30 home ERA vs 3.51 overall ERA)
Beyond that, on a less objective level, I think (and my model agrees):
- Shoemaker continues to dominate
- White Sox are on verge of packing it in (was checking out some info this weekend about how disappointed players were that front office did nothing at trade deadline despite fact team was playing well)
- Good as the Mets have been of late, their offense remains pretty mediocre and winning a game at home by multiple runs will remain a challenge for them
- Cueto has to be champing at the bit to get his first W as a Royal, and i think he'll pitch well in his first home start with the great energy from the home crowd in that ballpark
- Tigers are a shitshow, and fortunate that the White Sox and Tribe are in their division to distract a bit from it. After the dugout incident this weekend, have to wonder if Ausmus is commanding much respect at all (could well lose his job if clubhouse is indeed fractured)
- Dodgers terrible spot, kind of game in which bats usually struggle (off SNB and long trip)