May MLB game thread

jon abbey

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Noah Syndergaard just joined this very short and impressive list:

Homered and Pitched 1-0 Shutout Since 1920

Red Ruffing NYY 8/13/1932 at WAS
Spud Chandler NYY 5/21/1938 at CHW
Early Wynn CHW 5/1/1959 vs BOS
Jim Bunning PHI 5/5/1965 at NYM
Juan Pizarro CHC 9/16/1971 at NYM
Bob Welch LAD 6/17/1983 vs CIN
Noah Syndergaard NYM 5/2/2019 vs CIN
 

E5 Yaz

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Noah Syndergaard just joined this very short and impressive list:

Homered and Pitched 1-0 Shutout Since 1920

Red Ruffing NYY 8/13/1932 at WAS
Spud Chandler NYY 5/21/1938 at CHW
Early Wynn CHW 5/1/1959 vs BOS
Jim Bunning PHI 5/5/1965 at NYM
Juan Pizarro CHC 9/16/1971 at NYM
Bob Welch LAD 6/17/1983 vs CIN
Noah Syndergaard NYM 5/2/2019 vs CIN
Rick Wise says hold my beer

June 23, 1971 for Philadelphia ... Wise threw a no-hitter and hit 2 home runs, 3 RBI in 4-0 win
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Minnesota has the best record in the AL after taking 3 of 4 from Houston.

The Twins are playing well, so naturally it’s time for their yearly ass kicking in Yankee Stadium.
 

charlieoscar

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The home run was to the opposite field too.
??? Both were hit to LF by right-handed batting Wise (according to bb-ref).

However, a slightly off-topic home run anecdote with a Red Sox tie concerns Gene Rye, who hit three home runs in the same inning for the Waco Cub in the Texas League in 1930. Rye played 17 games for the Red Sox in 1931.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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Minnesota has the best record in the AL after taking 3 of 4 from Houston.

The Twins are playing well, so naturally it’s time for their yearly ass kicking in Yankee Stadium.
They've been impressive the past couple of days, but they're 10-0 against the Orioles, White Sox and Royals… which means they've been great at taking care of business, but they've had a really lame schedule up until this week and don't get to play the Orioles anymore this year. I'd still look at 85 wins as a successful season for them.

*
 

jon abbey

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NY is still missing a huge chunk of their lineup, but they will miss Berrios and the rejuvenated Martin Perez this weekend at least.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The Reds release Matt Kemp while he's on the IL nursing a broken rib. He now gets the opportunity to be paid by a fourth team this year (the Dodgers are still paying $3.5M of his salary while the Padres are chipping in $2.5M). If my calculations are right, the Reds are still on the hook for about $12.6M.

*
 

ledsox

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On two consecutive pitches the Cards' Jose Martinez gunned down Kris Bryant at 3rd base from right field and crushed a HR into the Wrigley bleachers.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The Mariners defense is finding new ways to give away runs. The Indians took a 3-2 lead with a 2-out single to right by Roberto Perez because Omar Narvaez decided not to tag Jake Bauers coming home. Jay Bruce made a great one-hop throw to the plate that Narvaez grabbed while Bauers was just entering the dirt area around home plate (probably about 8 feet from the plate). Instead of turning around to make the tag, Narvaez elected to throw down to second to nab Perez trying to take the extra base, which he did, but well after Bauers crossed the plate for the run. Mike Leake was backing up the throw to the plate and threw his hands up in disgust.

...and now a pick-off throw to first base results in two bad throws before Francisco Lindor is thrown out at home. I'm not sure if that's a negative or positive for their defense.

*
 

jon abbey

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Wow, that is awesome.

Mets/Brewers are in the 15th, they have to be running out of pitchers.
 

jon abbey

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Into the 17th now, still 2-2. Cano, Shaw, and Grandal are all 0-7.
 

jon abbey

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Hechevarria (in his Mets debut) gets a two out single in the top of the 18, steals second, and McNeil singles him in. 3-2, going to bottom 18.

Chris Flexen is trying to close it for NY, he has a career 8.59 ERA in 58.2 innings. MIL hasn't scored since the third inning.
 

jon abbey

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Walk, flyout, walk, so it's Shaw (0-7) and Braun (5-7, half of MIL's 10 hits). Shaw can't hit into a DP here.
 

jon abbey

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Shaw walks on 4 pitches, bases loaded, one out, for Braun. This is going to be a tough loss for one of these teams.
 

jon abbey

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This is Braun's 3rd career 5 hit game, he's never had 6.
 

jon abbey

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Two run single off Alonso's glove on a 2-1 pitch, Braun has his six hit game and a walkoff, 4-3 MIL final.

Time of game 5:22, which is actually pretty good for two full games (18 innings).
 

Sad Sam Jones

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In Cody Anderson's first MLB start since September 2016 he allows just two hits... unfortunately he also only retired two batters, walked three and gave up a grand slam. The Indians bullpen is simply going to get hung out to dry every 5 games for the next couple of weeks. Until Adam Plutko (who's pretty much the epitome of a #6 starter himself) builds up some arm strength or they sign a veteran who's ready to pitch, they just don't have a #5 starter capable of retiring a major league hitter.

*
 
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Sad Sam Jones

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It's never a good day when your starting catcher records more outs than your starting pitcher. Kevin Plawecki moved to the mound in the 9th inning and retired the side in order on 6 pitches, all strikes. He even splintered Tim Beckham's bat on a foul-tipped curveball. Plawecki has retired all six batters he's faced this year.

*
 

jon abbey

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23 year old wunderkind Chris Paddack has been maybe the best pitcher in baseball so far this year, tonight he went into the 8th for the first time and hit double figures in Ks for the first time (11, just 91 pitches), and he outduelled DeGrom and the currently offensively inept Mets, who have scored 7 runs in their last 61 innings with the ninth still left tonight (SD 2-0 bottom 8).

Paddack's ERA is 1.55 now, looks like a very nice piece in place for SD.
 

jon abbey

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Joey Gallo with his 100th career HR, the first MLB player ever to have 100 HRs before 100 singles (he has 93).

Edit: Heh, no one else was close:

Fewest career 1B at time of 100th HR:

1) Joey Gallo: 93
2) Russell Branyan: 172
3) Ken Phelps: 174
4) Ryan Howard: 176
5) Chris Carter: 179
6) Dave Kingman: 180
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

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Joey Gallo with his 100th career HR, the first MLB player ever to have 100 HRs before 100 singles (he has 93).

Edit: Heh, no one else was close:

Fewest career 1B at time of 100th HR:

1) Joey Gallo: 93
2) Russell Branyan: 172
3) Ken Phelps: 174
4) Ryan Howard: 176
5) Chris Carter: 179
6) Dave Kingman: 180
This may be the craziest stat I’ve ever seen.
 

CaptainLaddie

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Weird mlb stat: the player with the 11th most IBB from 2014-18 was.... Jordy Mercer. combined 49 with an 88 OPS+. I know the NL is funky with the 8th guy in the lineup, but that's more than Ryan Braun and Charlie Blackmon combined. More than Arenado, Cano, Machado, or JD.
 

Kliq

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Pujols homered today for his 2,000th career RBI. I know people don't really care about RBIs anymore, but the 2,000 club is exclusive, he joins Aaron, Ruth, A-Rod and Cap Anson. He's been a below average player for a few seasons now, but it's kind of odd one of the all-time greats is playing out his final days is baseball obscurity.
 

DanoooME

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Slightly off topic, but Pedro is on MLBN talking about how to throw a change-up. I could listen to him talk about pitching for hours. He's so clear and concise and it makes me feel like I could strike a few guys out with that pitch.
 

jon abbey

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Pujols has homers in his first two ABs today, up to 8 for the season now.
 

jon abbey

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NatsTown is tied for the 4th worst record in MLB at 16-24, ahead of only BAL, KC, and MIA.
 

Gdiguy

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NatsTown is tied for the 4th worst record in MLB at 16-24, ahead of only BAL, KC, and MIA.
On the plus side for them, they've only had 3 games against Miami so far, unlike ATL (5-1), NY (5-0), and PHI (5-2). So there's plenty of games left against the bottom of the NL East

On the minus, they're 1-2 in those 3 games, so they need to take advantage in the future

(related tangent - Miami is awful.)
 

Boggs26

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Any way he sniffs the Hall?
He'd probably have to replicate his 2018 (18-6 3.32 ERA) in 19, 20, and possibly 21 to have a shot I would think. That would put him in the 225 - 235 win range with over 2500 Ks.

In other words, I think he needs to pitch until he's around 40 and not fall off until the very end.
 

DrBlinky

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Any way he sniffs the Hall?
This discussion came up during last night's game on ESPN. The thought was that his post-season numbers should make him HoF worthy.

Additionally, the booth crew felt that being a part of 2 curse-breaking teams should also factor into the discussion of his HoF credentials.

Apparently no one checked to see that he was not part of the 2004 team.
 

amRadio

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In terms of the regular season body of work Lester reminds me of Mussina because of the consistency. Then he's got quite a playoff resume to boot. If Schilling gets in it would probably be hard to keep Lester out.
 

BoSox Rule

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Lester’s career isn’t over yet but he’s 35 years old, and Schilling and Mussina both have around 35 more WAR than him. He would need some huge years to finish his career off.
 

amRadio

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Lester’s career isn’t over yet but he’s 35 years old, and Schilling and Mussina both have around 35 more WAR than him. He would need some huge years to finish his career off.
Yeah, after I made that post I looked up some of their numbers and was really surprised. Cracking 60 WAR seems do-able, but hard for him and he'll never get to Schilling or Mussinas career totals. Assuming Schill makes the HOF, for fun I looked up what Mussina, Schilling and Smoltz did from age 35 on. Not that it's predictive or that they're even great comps. Mussina (3.4), Schilling (5.4) and Smoltz (2.8) as a group averaged 3.86 WAR per season from age 35 on. Out of that group Smoltz has the lowest career WAR with 66.4. If Lester could pull off being a ~4 WAR player until he's 40, he would get to Smoltz's 66.4 career mark and has a really similar post-season resume. For the past three seasons Lester's been a 3.2 WAR player. I guess I have to change my mind and say I don't really love his chances but crazier things have happened.
 

jon abbey

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OAK/SEA on MLBN has been pretty fun, OAK hit 4 solo home runs and were up 4-1 in the 8th, then Chris Farley-shaped Vogelbach tied it with a 3 run blast to center. OAK hit a 5th HR in the top of the 10th (Laureano), Soria got the first two batters in the bottom of the inning, then pitched around the aforementioned Vogelbach and walked him. Dee Gordon pinch-ran, stolen base, double, single, Mariners win.