March/April MLB game thread: “It’s big ball chunky time!”

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Mets have been very good so far this year; they've been (outside of today) scoring without HRs, which is a nice change of pace from the past few years, and the pitching (outside of the 5th starter and the middle bullpen) has been quite good. The funny thing is, if they went out today and signed Kimbrel and Keuchel, I'd say they might be the favorites at this point in the NL east.
They started 11-1 last year. They're probably better than they were last year, but they might just Mets it all up again.
 

staz

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The cradle of the game.
Donnybrook between the 1979 looking Pirates and Reds.

Archer threw behind Dietrich after he perhaps overly-admired his HR the previous AB.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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Mike Clevinger was mowing down Blue Jays before being lifted after 75 pitches with back tightness -- 5 shutout innings, 1 h, 1 bb, 10 k.

Clevinger and Trevor Bauer in their 4 combined starts: 26 ip, 3 h, 11 bb, 39 k, 0.35 ERA

*
 

VORP Speed

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Yandy Diaz with another HR to lead off game against SF.
Another laser beam. 19 degree launch angle, 109mph exit velocity.

This dude straight up smokes the ball.
 

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In the Dodgers/Rockies game,
Kike got a force out at second and started to run off the field. Problem is that was only the second out, and it allowed a run to score.
Next half inning, Blackmon dropped a fly ball for the third out, allowing the Dodgers to get the run back.
Very crisp ball being played so far.
 

VORP Speed

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So in the bottom of 7th inning of SF-Rays, Cash brings in a lefty reliever (Kolarek) to start the inning. He gives up a base hit to the first batter. Next 3 up are Longoria followed by two LHH. Cash comes out, calls Roe (RHP) in from the pen to face Longoria, sends Kolarek to play 1B, sends Diaz from 1B to 3B and takes third baseman Arroyo out of the game. Roe strikes out Longoria. Cash comes back out, takes out Roe, puts Kolarek back on the mound, sends Diaz back from 3B to 1B, moves Robertson from 2B to 3B and inserts Lowe into the game at 2B. Cash is just kind of showing off at this point, but whatever, it worked, they got out of the inning and won 3-0.

The question I have is why did Kolarek get a full set of warm-up pitches when he got sent back to the mound? This seems ridiculous to me. Granted, I’m anti-warm-up pitches generally and think any pitcher who comes in mid-inning should have to just get on the mound and pitch, but to stop the game for several minutes to let a pitcher who was just pitching off that mound 10 minutes ago warm-up again? It’s crazy.
 

jon abbey

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In the Dodgers/Rockies game,
Kike got a force out at second and started to run off the field. Problem is that was only the second out, and it allowed a run to score.
That was hilarious, I remember seeing OFs do that a few times, start running the ball in or even tossing it into the stands, but I never remember a middle infielder running through second like that and off the field when they had a real shot to turn the DP. I didn't think it would have been as easy as Vasgersian seemed to but close at the least.
 

jon abbey

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I will stop with the daily Trout updates, but in the end, he put up the third best OPS for a 4 game series in history, behind one from Ruth in 1921 and one from Mantle in 1962. Trout was 6-11 with 5 HRs and 6 walks. He has mastered baseball, what's next?
 

brandonchristensen

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That was hilarious, I remember seeing OFs do that a few times, start running the ball in or even tossing it into the stands, but I never remember a middle infielder running through second like that and off the field when they had a real shot to turn the DP. I didn't think it would have been as easy as Vasgersian seemed to but close at the least.
The Trot trot.
 

Lowrielicious

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I will stop with the daily Trout updates, but in the end, he put up the third best OPS for a 4 game series in history, behind one from Ruth in 1921 and one from Mantle in 1962. Trout was 6-11 with 5 HRs and 6 walks. He has mastered baseball, what's next?
Maybe he could try his hand at bowling?
 

Average Reds

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I will stop with the daily Trout updates, but in the end, he put up the third best OPS for a 4 game series in history, behind one from Ruth in 1921 and one from Mantle in 1962. Trout was 6-11 with 5 HRs and 6 walks. He has mastered baseball, what's next?
Honestly, you can just shorthand it by saying "Mike Trout doing Mike Trout stuff."

Edit: My disappointment with the contract extension he just signed is that I see so few Angels games that it's like he's going to be a phantom superstar for his whole career.
 

jon abbey

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Very nice #0 was so enamored to play with the MFYs.
He literally didn't give up a hit before tonight, here was the run-scoring bullet he just allowed:

"Carlos Correa RBI single had exit velo of 28.9 mph and went 22 feet."

Cashman does look good for passing on Robertson and Miller at the moment, Britton and Ottavino we'll see but both had been very strong until this game.
 

patoaflac

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Agree with you Jon, its only that as you know, I don’t like yanks winning games . Looks like Robertson is finished and Miller, I don’t know. But yes, Ottavino and Kimbrel were the best FA relievers.
 

gedman211

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Mike Trout is pretty impressive. But can he go 0 for 48? Crushin' to the record books!
 
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Mueller's Twin Grannies

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No further updates on Kulpa, eh? Guess MLB is going to turn a blind eye as many expected they would. I hope some scrub player decks him in the face the next time he acts out.
 

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Rays pound CWS again 9-1, behind 2 HR from Pham and 6IP 2H 11K 0R from Glasnow.

Glasnow is now 3-0 with a 0.53 ERA. Meadows is hitting 341 with a 1.079 OPS and 4HR. Not a bad return on Archer.
 

Rice4HOF

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So in the bottom of 7th inning of SF-Rays, Cash brings in a lefty reliever (Kolarek) to start the inning. He gives up a base hit to the first batter. Next 3 up are Longoria followed by two LHH. Cash comes out, calls Roe (RHP) in from the pen to face Longoria, sends Kolarek to play 1B, sends Diaz from 1B to 3B and takes third baseman Arroyo out of the game. Roe strikes out Longoria. Cash comes back out, takes out Roe, puts Kolarek back on the mound, sends Diaz back from 3B to 1B, moves Robertson from 2B to 3B and inserts Lowe into the game at 2B. Cash is just kind of showing off at this point, but whatever, it worked, they got out of the inning and won 3-0.

The question I have is why did Kolarek get a full set of warm-up pitches when he got sent back to the mound? This seems ridiculous to me. Granted, I’m anti-warm-up pitches generally and think any pitcher who comes in mid-inning should have to just get on the mound and pitch, but to stop the game for several minutes to let a pitcher who was just pitching off that mound 10 minutes ago warm-up again? It’s crazy.
I remember the Pirates doing that with Kent Tekulve in the late 70s. Chuck Tanner put him in left field to bring in a lefty for a batter with 2 outs in the 9th. That batter hit a fly ball to Tekulve. He caught it no problem to end the game.
 

Rice4HOF

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The question I have is why did Kolarek get a full set of warm-up pitches when he got sent back to the mound? This seems ridiculous to me..
Not disputing the ridiculousness of it, but per the rulebook, this is correct.

Couple of rules apply:
Rule 3.03 Comment: A pitcher may change to another position only once during the same inning; e.g. the pitcher will not be allowed to assume a position other than a pitcher more than once in the same inning
>>> This prevents a pitcher from going back and forth between the mound and another position, but he can do it once, which Cash took advantage of

8.03 "When a pitcher ... relieves another pitcher, he shall be permitted to pitch not to exceed eight preparatory pitches..."
>>>Even though he had already pitched, the conditions of this rule were met, he did come in (from 1st base) to relieve another pitcher, so he got the warm up pitches again.

I suppose he could have pitched to the first batter, and then the other pitcher could have struggled through 5 or 6 batters, and his throwing arm would be cold again, so better to err on the side of caution. I've had this situation in some of the games I umpire, and usually the pitcher throws like 2 pitches and says he's ready to go.
 

glennhoffmania

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I just turned on the Cardinals game and heard McCarver. I totally forgot that he's still doing games. I just don't get it.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Meadows hit 2 HR in his first 2 AB. Brandon Lowe went to the top deck down the RF line for a huge blast.