TWiB Notes -- April 15 - 21

[Frayed Knot]

Braves just completed a sweep of the Astros in Houston, mostly by scoring late as they are wont to do.
Monday: 4 in the 9th, Tuesday: 4 in the 9th, Wednesday: 2 in the 7th then the only run in the 10th to win 5-4
They're now 12-6 although our recent stretch plus 2-of-3 wins over them have pulled us to 2.5 GB which is
better than it looked when we were already 3 GB on the 4th day of the season.

But the bigger story here may be the Astros as the seven-time-in-a-row-ALCS participants (and 4-time winner)
have stumbled to a 6-14 record [89 RS / 110 RA]. Alex Bregman is sitting with a .300 OBA while 1B Jose Abreu
sits at .082/.148/.250
On the pitching side the starters are in a mess (even w/Verlander coming back) and closer Josh Hader has a 10.00 ERA


Other rough starts:
Rockies 4 - 14
Marlins 4 - 15 (lost earlier today)
ChiSox 2 - 14!
Hell, even the PHI/KC/OAK/SAC?/LV? A's are 7 - 11 which is about six wins ahead of where many predicted

[MFS62]

Every year, some pundits predict this will be the year for the ChiSox.
And then they do an el-foldo.
This year, they've started their descent a little earlier.
My old co-worker Shoeless Don must be suffering.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

After a couple years of signing high-priced FAs as a quick fix before they really had a team to go around them, the ChiSox then reversed course and started
making trades to stockpile legit top prospects from other teams in an attempt to build from the ground up.
And now this approach is failing miserably for them.



Yanx come from behind -- one in the 8th, three in the 9th -- to beat the Jays 6-4 today.
Too bad because it would have meant a three game series sweep and four straight losses for them had Toronto held on.

[Frayed Knot]

BoSox hurler Tanner Houck threw 'a Maddux' yesterday.
A Maddux is a complete game in under 100 pitches.
Houck's line for Wednesday's game vs Cleveland: 9 innings, 0 runs, 3 H, 0 BB, 94 pitches, Game Time 1:49 (shortest in 14 years).

Houck didn't have a lot to recommend him for such a great game despite being a former 1st round draft pick
[27th overall 2017, U of Missouri] with 71 G, 41 GS, 3.86 ERA prior to this season. But he's now 3-1, 1.35 ERA
and a 0.97 WHiP rate thru four starts this year.

[Frayed Knot]

Though his team eventually scored nine runs to keep him from getting the big 'L', Jack Leiter's debut didn't go so well:
22 batters faced/11 retired, 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K, no HRs but three 2Bs and two 3Bs

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I wasn't following this but some pointed out Jack doesn't have a particularly strong record in the minors, beyond a decent start this year in AAA.

[metirish]

This is cool though

[Frayed Knot]

Joe Niekro had a son, Lance, who played (though not as a pitcher) but no progeny from Phil.

[metirish]

Jack has been optioned back to AAA

[Edgy MD]

Joe Niekro had a son, Lance, who played (though not as a pitcher) but no progeny from Phil.

Phil had three sons, so there's still hope.

I mean, I imagine they're all in their fifties, but hope is hope.

[Frayed Knot]

Joe Niekro had a son, Lance, who played (though not as a pitcher) but no progeny from Phil.

Phil had three sons, so there's still hope.

I mean, I imagine they're all in their fifties, but hope is hope.

Sure, wasn't Phil just getting into his groove by that age?

[Frayed Knot]

Rays out-hit the Yanx 14 - 5 but go 1/10 w/RiSP, leave 9 on base and then cough up 5 unearned runs in the 7th to lose 5 - 3


Effin' Twerps!!