Sale's dealing some mean stuff. Just pitched his third career immaculate inning on Thursday vs. Twins; ties him with Koufax.
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Sale looks great.Comment -
Looking more and more like a NYY/BOS Wild Card game.
*Note the seven day change in Boston's chances since Sale returned.
Current Remaining Average 90% Confidence Change Tm Lg D SRS rSOS W L W L W L Best Worst Post WC Div LDS LCS Pennant Win WS 1 Day 7 Days 30 Days AL East 1 Tampa Bay Rays AL E 1.6 0.2 80 48 19.8 14.2 99.8 62.2 104-58 95-67 >99.9% 10.60% 89.40% 94.50% 59.00% 34.20% 18.50% 0.10% 1.70% 11.40% 2 New York Yankees AL E 0.6 0 76 52 18.5 15.5 94.5 67.5 99-63 90-72 94.50% 85.30% 9.20% 51.30% 18.60% 8.20% 3.20% 5.80% 28.30% 75.70% 3 Boston Red Sox AL E 0.7 0 74 56 17.1 14.9 91.1 70.9 96-66 87-75 73.00% 71.60% 1.40% 37.90% 14.90% 6.00% 2.60% 9.50% 12.80% -22.90% 4 Toronto Blue Jays AL E 1.1 -0.3 66 61 20.3 14.7 86.3 75.7 92-70 81-81 11.50% 11.50% <0.1% 5.70% 3.30% 1.60% 1.10% -5.30% -6.90% -20.70% 5 Baltimore Orioles AL E -1.7 0.4 40 87 13.2 21.8 53.2 108.8 58-104 49-113 <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% AL Central 1 Chicago White Sox AL C 0.7 -0.3 75 55 18.2 13.8 93.2 68.8 98-64 89-73 99.80% <0.1% 99.80% 99.80% 45.40% 20.90% 9.90% 0.50% 0.00% 0.80% 2 Cleveland Indians AL C -0.3 -0.2 63 63 17.9 18.1 80.9 81.1 86-76 76-86 0.30% 0.10% 0.20% 0.20% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% -0.60% -0.20% -2.60% 3 Detroit Tigers AL C -0.3 0.3 62 67 15.2 17.8 77.2 84.8 82-80 73-89 <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% 0.00% -0.10% 4 Kansas City Royals AL C -0.8 -0.5 58 70 16 18 74 88 79-83 69-93 <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 5 Minnesota Twins AL C -1 0.1 56 72 14.9 19.1 70.9 91.1 75-87 66-96 <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% AL West 1 Houston Astros AL W 1.4 -0.2 76 52 20.5 13.5 96.5 65.5 101-61 92-70 98.30% 1.20% 97.10% 98.10% 54.00% 27.60% 14.30% -0.80% 0.10% -0.90% 2 Oakland Athletics AL W 0.6 0.1 70 59 17.7 15.3 87.7 74.3 92-70 83-79 20.40% 17.90% 2.50% 11.20% 4.40% 1.30% 0.80% -6.20% -35.70% -35.30% 3 Seattle Mariners AL W -0.5 0 69 60 15.3 17.7 84.3 77.7 89-73 80-82 2.20% 1.80% 0.40% 1.30% 0.30% 0.10% <0.1% -3.00% 0.00% -3.40% 4 Los Angeles Angels AL W -0.4 0.2 63 67 14.8 17.2 77.8 84.2 82-80 73-89 <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% -0.10% -2.00% 5 Texas Rangers AL W -1.2 0 44 84 14.3 19.7 58.3 103.7 63-99 54-108 <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Comment -
Can’t wait for some more of those 5 hour games between Red Sox/Yankees. Hopefully only a short series.Comment -
Padres, Giants, and Dodgers all lost last night. Let's see who doesn't win tonightComment -
Well if they both are in the Wild Card game at least it's winner take all. I don't mind Yankees/Red Sox games and think a one game winner take all game between the two teams would be a good thing for baseball. I know you wouldn't have to twist my arm to watch it because I think it would be a good game between two teams that hate each other.Comment -
Mike Moustakas left tonight’s game due to right hip tightness, replaced by Asdrubal Cabrera at third base to begin the bottom of the second inning. Moustakas struck out in his lone plate appearance (in the top of the second) and Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that Moustakas “hopped on his left leg a couple of times” following a game-opening single from Miguel Rojas. This was one of four balls hit in Moustakas’ direction during what ended up as a five-run inning for the Marlins en route to their 6-1 win over the Reds.
The severity of the hip problem isn’t known, though the 2021 season has already been an injury-marred campaign for the veteran infielder. Moustakas has played in only 45 games due to missing more than 11 weeks due to a right heel injury, which eventually necessitated a trip to the 60-day injured list. The result is a .216/.309/.417 slash line and six home runs through 162 plate appearances, and a 92 wRC+ that would count as the Moose’s lowest since the 2014 season. Cabrera was claimed off waivers just yesterday to help the Reds’ infield depth, though he could be in line for quite a bit more playing time if Moustakas’ hip issue results in another IL visit.
More injury updates from around the National League…
- Pablo Lopez was scratched from a scheduled rehab start on Thursday and is now returning to Miami, Marlins manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola). A right rotator cuff strain sent Lopez to the injured list (retroactively) on July 14, yet even with just over a month remaining in the season, Mattingly didn’t commit to the idea of potentially shutting Lopez down. “Nothing more than…just slowing him down, making sure we’re careful with him. Sounded like a minor setback for sure,” Mattingly said. “Probably not minor to Pablo, who’s wanting to get going. But I know the medical staff’s going to be careful with him.” Lopez has posted a 3.03 ERA/3.50 SIERA over 101 innings for Miami this season, with above-average strikeout (27.1%) and walk (6.1%) rates and strong hard-hit ball numbers.
- Willson Contreras is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment within a few days’ time, Cubs manager David Ross told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters. Contreras has been on the 10-day IL since August 12 due to a sprained right knee. One of the few veterans still on the roster following the Cubs’ trade deadline fire sale, Contreras is enjoying another solid season, hitting .226/.333/.417 with 17 homers over 403 plate appearances.
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A classic brewing up with the possibility of a Yankees/Red Sox wc game.
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White Sox get blanked after scoring 17 runsComment -
Sunday Sept 26th NYY @ BOSComment -
The Giants always had problems when facing the BravesComment -
One gamer between Red Sox Yankees would be palatable I suppose.Comment -
The Indians were known to be looking at outfield help in the lead-up to the trade deadline, and The Athletic’s Zack Meisel reports that Cleveland checked in on a pair of major NL Central names — the Tribe spoke to the Pirates about Bryan Reynolds, and with the Reds about Jesse Winker. It isn’t known if any serious talks took place about potential deals, or if the Indians were just doing their due diligence and were quickly rebuffed.
The Pirates are reportedly viewing Reynolds as a building block and aren’t looking to move him (at least for anything less than a gigantic offer). As for the Reds, it wasn’t even certain if they were going to be deadline sellers at all, even though Cincinnati had only a 39-40 record at the end of June. However, the Reds have gone 32-21 since July 1 and now hold a 1.5-game lead over the Padres for the second NL wild card slot. Given how Winker has developed into one of the game’s best bats, it’s safe to assume the Reds won’t be very open to offseason trade inquiries about his services, short of any “too good to be true” proposals.
More from the NL Central…
- Speaking of Winker, the slugger has recently started some baseball activities as he continues to work his way back from an intercostal strain. Reds manager David Bell told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters that Winker has begun throwing and strengthening exercises, and he’ll start swinging a bat sometime this week. Nightengale writes that Winker is “is still a couple of weeks away” from being activated from the 10-day injured list, after Winker was first placed on the IL on August 16.
- Also from Bell’s update to reporters, Brad Brach should begin a minor league rehab assignment this week. A right shoulder impingement sent Brach to the IL on August 8. Brach signed a minors contract with the Reds in May, and he has posted a 5.59 ERA over 29 relief innings since joining the big league roster.
- X-rays were negative on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ right hand after the Pirates third baseman left today’s game with a hand contusion, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey). Hayes was replaced at third base for the top of the eighth inning during the Bucs’ 4-3 win over the Cardinals. Fortunately, the injury appears to just a day-to-day situation for the rookie, who has already missed two months of the season due to a wrist injury. Over 312 plate appearances, Hayes has a modest .246/.317/.370 slash line and five home runs this year.
- Eduardo Escobar was playing catch on the field prior to today’s Brewers game, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports (via Twitter). Escobar was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain on August 23, and was given an initial recovery timeline of 10-14 days. After being acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks, Escobar appeared in only 21 games with his new team before being sidelined. Escobar was Arizona’s All-Star representative this season, and he has hit .252/.307/.473 with 24 homers over 489 combined PA with the D’Backs and Brewers.
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Kemp with a big homer for the As late last nightComment -
Seems like Rays bullpen is going to be nasty again this postseason. They might be the team to beat.Comment -
Everybody, get on the Diamondbacks todayComment -
Oakland does not have the pitching to beat anyone in the playoffs. There offense is also very inconsistant.Comment -
Javy Baez just owned New York. They don’t deserve him.Comment -
Indians catcher Wilson Ramos has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and a sprained MCL in his knee, tweets Mandy Bell of MLB.com. He’ll require season-ending surgery.
Ramos sustained the injury yesterday when fielding a weak grounder in front of the plate. He threw out Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who was running from first to second on the play, but dropped in a heap upon releasing the ball. Cleveland trainers came out onto the field as Ramos, who remained down and gestured to his left knee. He was helped off the field by a pair of members of the Indians’ training staff. It’s the third ACL tear of Ramos’ career, although the first two tears came in his right knee back in 2012 and in 2016.
The 34-year-old Ramos opened the season in Detroit after signing a one-year, $2MM contract over the winter and promptly homered six times in his first nine games of the season, posting a ridiculous .281/.343/.875 batting line in that tiny sample. His production cratered not long after, however, and Ramos managed just a .178/.198/.216 batting line over his final 91 plate appearances before being designated for assignment, missing time with a back injury along the way. Detroit released him on June 20, and Cleveland signed him to a minor league deal about three weeks later.
Ramos hit well through 16 games with the Indians’ top affiliate in Columbus before having his contract selected to the MLB roster. He’s since appeared in nine games and posted a .226/.286/.419 batting line with a pair of homers.
Another major knee injury is a brutal blow for Ramos at this stage of his career. His glovework behind the plate has been graded with increasing levels of skepticism since that 2016 ACL tear, and he’s also dealt with hamstring and back injuries along the way. The hope will be for as swift a recovery as possible, but it goes without saying that it’d be a tall order for a 34-year-old with a multiple ACL repairs under his belt to handle a sizable workload behind the dish.
The Indians haven’t yet put a timetable on Ramos’ recovery, but he’s a free agent at season’s end, so it’s quite possible this injury will effectively end a very brief tenure with the organization. Presumably, the team will provide more details on his expected rehabilitation process once the surgery has been performed and more information has been gathered.Comment -
The Brew Crew is nasty man. Their top 3 starters Woodruff, Burnes and Peralta is complimented by a nasty bullpen. I wouldn't want to see them in October because they're built on pitching and that's how you win a short series.Comment -
The metrics say, and I agree, the two best pitching staffs, top to bottom, 1 through 10 are the White Sox and the Brewers.
*take a look at the top seven staffs here, what do they all have in common?*
Team W L SV ERA WAR K/9 BB/9 HR/9 GB% HR/FB FIP xFIP CHW 76 56 34 3.76 20.2 10.32 3.14 1.26 40.30% 13.60% 3.84 3.84 MIL 80 52 37 3.36 20.1 10.13 3.42 0.96 45.60% 12.60% 3.6 3.72 LAD 83 49 42 3.04 19.4 10.01 3.12 1.04 44.60% 12.50% 3.62 3.75 NYY 76 55 41 3.64 19.2 9.61 3.02 1.16 42.50% 12.20% 3.82 4.01 TBR 83 48 35 3.68 16.1 9.33 2.74 1.12 41.90% 12.30% 3.75 3.92 SFG 84 47 48 3.28 16 8.77 2.62 0.97 45.90% 11.30% 3.62 3.91 BOS 75 58 40 4.33 15.6 9.64 3.51 1.12 43.90% 12.70% 3.98 4.1 NYM 63 67 34 3.76 14.4 9.52 3.03 1.22 42.50% 13.90% 3.97 3.93 OAK 72 59 33 3.72 14.1 8.38 2.73 1.1 40.00% 11.00% 3.92 4.3 HOU 78 53 29 3.7 13.4 9.22 3.27 1.19 43.90% 13.70% 4.08 4.07 SDP 70 62 39 3.79 13.3 9.66 3.17 1.19 44.20% 14.00% 3.98 3.93 PHI 67 64 31 4.38 13.3 9.29 3.19 1.31 45.30% 15.10% 4.21 4.02 ATL 70 60 31 4.02 12.8 9.18 3.33 1.18 43.30% 13.50% 4.08 4.09 CIN 71 62 36 4.36 12.5 9.54 4.01 1.25 43.70% 14.30% 4.34 4.25 SEA 70 62 38 4.35 12 8.25 3.01 1.22 41.80% 12.50% 4.25 4.41 COL 60 71 24 4.71 11.8 8.38 3.45 1.24 44.70% 14.30% 4.39 4.31 MIA 55 76 25 3.91 11.6 8.73 3.35 1.02 44.50% 11.90% 4 4.21 LAA 65 67 33 4.78 11.2 9.49 3.78 1.25 44.00% 14.30% 4.27 4.18 TOR 69 61 25 3.85 10 9.34 3.05 1.29 43.30% 14.00% 4.1 4.05 STL 67 63 36 4.04 10 7.9 4.04 0.92 43.00% 10.40% 4.29 4.71 KCR 59 71 30 4.69 9.6 8.83 3.91 1.23 42.30% 13.00% 4.41 4.49 CLE 64 64 33 4.39 9.2 9.21 3.48 1.35 43.10% 14.80% 4.37 4.21 DET 62 70 32 4.36 8.7 8.1 3.54 1.33 45.40% 14.20% 4.66 4.58 WSN 55 75 29 4.64 6.9 8.67 3.31 1.55 41.00% 15.70% 4.72 4.43 BAL 40 90 18 5.88 6 8.32 3.69 1.61 39.90% 15.20% 5.02 4.78 MIN 58 73 32 4.98 5.6 8.35 3.1 1.55 41.40% 15.60% 4.7 4.42 PIT 48 83 18 5.05 4.6 8.49 3.85 1.34 40.90% 13.60% 4.66 4.67 CHC 57 75 31 4.76 3.9 8.82 3.76 1.49 44.90% 17.30% 4.83 4.37 ARI 44 89 19 5.21 3.8 7.93 3.55 1.45 40.70% 13.90% 4.84 4.81 TEX 46 85 22 4.71 2.9 7.88 3.22 1.48 42.20% 15.10% 4.75 4.54 Comment -
Im not sold on the BrewersComment -
I think they'll be a tough out for whoever plays them because of their pitching. Pitching wins games in the playoffs and they have it in spades. Now maybe they do play in what I consider the weakest division in the NL but I still think they'll be a problem in the playoffs because they have the pitching to match up with anybody.Comment -
You think the the bottom 7 teams will score 10 runs in any given game for the rest of the year?
If so how many times?
I'm hoping to try to win $100 on the premise the no body else will pick them hence no tie breaker if it hitsComment -
Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies suffered an injury to his left leg/knee area in the fifth inning of tonight’s game against the Dodgers. Hitting left-handed, Albies fouled a ball off his leg and was unable to put weight on it as he attempted to walk off the field. He was carried back to the dugout by two members of the training staff.
The team hasn’t yet provided an update on Albies’ status. It’s still possible the 24-year-old will avoid serious injury, but it’s a scary situation for the NL East-leading Braves. Albies is having another quality season, hitting .259/.317/.482 with 23 home runs over 564 plate appearances while rating as a high-end defender and baserunner.
Ehire Adrianza came off the bench to hit for Albies. The utilityman could be in line for additional playing time if Albies requires an injured list stint. Orlando Arcia and Johan Camargo also remain on hand as infield depth options at Triple-A Gwinnett.Comment