h2oface

But only one error 😵

Unwritten umpire rules? Right. Power. Nowhere in the rule does it say that. In fact, most balks are called on some movement the the pitcher has done only once, like coming home too far with his foot before going to first, only once......

And now he's quit doing it. So some of his pitches.....

Technically, by rule, almost every pitch Rodon is throwing in the stretch is a balk. He has "happy feet" as they say, and lifts his foot up off the rubber after being set, sometimes twice, before he throws the ball. That, lifting foot off the rubber, is by rule, a balk.

Ya think? Buxton may be bad luck? The streak was really without him. Maybe it was him, and not the sausage 🤥

What a sad at bat by Jeffers with Martin on second. Takes the first pitch no movement fastball middle middle, and swings at two consecutive change ups, one way out of zone low, and one the perfect low outside corner. Many would call the first pitch a mistake by the pitcher...... but you have to at least swing at it.

...... except ............ apparently .......

Pretty silly to gloat at this point in the season. Gallo won a couple games with his home runs too. It's a long season. Time will tell. I still don't like it. For his reputation of defense, he already has 3 errors (and that doesn't count the boot that was called an error at the end of the game a couple days ago.) He is a rental for a season, if he makes it through the season. He definitely isn't part of any future of this team.

I would say we got lucky, as the get was Maciel, which was a bust. Duran also was a starter. And possibly could be an even better starter than he is a reliever! We won’t know now. It could have been/be luckier if he was a starter. Right now, he isn't even the "closer" this season. Being a reliever instead of a star ace starter certainly would not be a lucky for his pocketbook. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Alcala was who they were banking on to be our Duran. According to what they pay the man, one could sense that they see Farmer as more than 6 times more important. Just because the horrible rules lets a team cheaply not pay younger more valuable players, it doesn’t stop them from doing so and making it right, either, if they only feel the justice.

Maybe our “team” wasn’t astute enough to make him a closer? Sure missed the call as it turned out. He was doing great at the time, just the same, and only go better.

NOW GET RID OF THAT EMBARRASSING PIECE OF MEAT after the equally embarrassing performance.

OK money man. How about a dinger!!!!

I heard them say over 35K.

None in California, but friends pics from Chattanooga TN, Charlottesville VA, Oregon, Colorado, AND Paris Texas (not a movie). Edit: I just saw one from San Franciso with the Golden Gate bridge. (But with AI these days, who knows. I saw so many embellished eclipse pics on social media, like it needed embellished)

And Thielbar escapes again with an outing with and ERA of 0. Before Staumont Twins bullpen was 5 for 5 inherited runners scored today.

That's what MLB stats say. Maybe they missed a couple. Now 9 with 6 scored.

Thielbar: 7 inherited runners, 4 scored. Still at 6.48 ERA

Umpiring is an impossible job. Always a best guess. This I agree on. So why do it? Love of the game? Somebody has to do it? It certainly has a power element, no matter how one jockeys around it. They don't guess who touches the wall first in a swimming race anymore. Why? Because there is a better way. It really is that simple. Why baseball thinks the umpire is the human element to embrace instead of the best possible way available to make it right for the players, even if that isn't perfect either, blows me away. I hate the close missed calls the most. The horrible ones just make the umpire look stupid and silly, especially when they are so proud. And the higher level it is, the more proud they become, embracing the circle of power that they have signed on to wield. They never apologize. Just double down, all proud and puffy. The close calls are the ones the pitcher and batter deserve the most! The human element of being able to make the perfect pitch or take. That is the excellence that makes the game the most special to me. That is the human element to showcase, not the umpire that is just guessing. To be robbed by a lesser human guesser instead of using what is readily available and better, even if it is a tiny bit better, is not embracing showcasing the player's talents. It is robbing the game at the MLB and professional level. There will always be folks that like to be a part of the game and umpire little league, and amateur levels, and we need them. I umpired at a low level for about a year, many years ago. I have known the power. The control. The mad parents, and coaches, and especially the coaches that had their own kids on the team, and I really couldn't blame them. I also admit that it is impossible and I was always giving it my best guess. A guess. I embrace ways to make the game better, and give the human element to the players, and not an umpire, especially at the MLB level, where there is all the money available to do it.

Fun read. I like your style, @Matt Braun. Ryan did go 104 pitches, 7 past the 97. Santana was lucky he didn't get charged with an error. Seemed pretty clear cut to me. Yes, there was a runner running past.... still. Jax sure is getting scary. Lady Luck was with him. I don't understand why pitchers these days don't even try to be ready to field the ball after a pitch. A few do, but it is a rarity. I don't know that Jax even looked. Seemed he had turned around completely. Ryan finally got a W he has been deserving. Win streaks really spoil a fan. I like being spoiled.

Has Baldelli learned something? Can it be? At least he couldn't pinch hit Margot for Larnach tonight. I give the game ball to Paddack. I will take just 1 run and 10 Ks no matter how many hits he gives up or pitches he has to throw. 1 run does the trick for me. That's 2 great starts, in my book, in a row.

KC and Cleveland won, too. Keeping pace.

I love the Duran skip!

Miranda STILL looks gassed from running first to home earlier.....

Now that is just greedy.......

For some reason, I have a feeling we will need that run!