August MLB Game Thread

bosox188

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 11, 2008
2,916
Marlborough, MA
I looked up Livan's lines from that World Series... it's kind of insane that he won the MVP. He got the win in both games he pitched, but he wasn't particularly effective in either of them. In 13.2 IP he gave up 8ER, 3HR, walked 10 and struck out 7. Good for a 5.27 ERA and 1.83 WHIP.
 

Catcher Block

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 7, 2006
5,825
St. Louis
Pujols mssed his 3rd HR by about 10 feet--a 110 mph rope that hit the base of the wall in left for a (very) long single.

...then we was thrown out stealing on a 3-0 pitch. Whoops.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
I wonder if Pujols considers coming back next year?
Al Kaline retired with 399 home runs and more than 3,000 hits. He would have been the first AL player to reach 400/3,000 had he kept playing. (Yaz became the first to hit that mark.)
If Pujols finishes within 5 of 700 home runs, it'll be tough to walk away
 

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,494
Yasmani Grandal's season isn't getting any better. He was dead to rights on a play at the plate, so he attempted to run out around the catcher at the last second, rolled his ankle and grabbed his knee. Not sure which he really hurt, but he needed a lot of help getting off the field... my first impression is that he's not going to walk that off and will go on the IL tomorrow.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
I wonder if Pujols considers coming back next year?
This is from today:

“I’m still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever,’’ Pujols told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t get caught up in numbers. If you were going to tell me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you that you’re freakin’ crazy. My career has been amazing.’’

So nothing will change your mind?

“If I can’t hit 70 homers, I’m not coming back,’’ Pujols said, laughing. “No, I’ve had enough. I’m glad I made the announcement this was it when I signed. Really I wouldn’t change a thing.’’

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2022/08/20/albert-pujols-700-home-runs-chase-retirement-cardinals/7858795001/
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,673
Maine
42 y/o Pujols has a 138 wRC+, his highest since 2011. Cardinals Devil Magic is still alive.
Cardinals Devil Magic is as simple as making sure Pujols gets to the plate against every LHP they face.

His splits this year...

vs RHP = 129 PA, 4 HR, .186 / .287 / .319 / .605
vs LHP = 97 PA, 9 HR, .381 / .423 / .774 / 1.197
 

DeadlySplitter

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 20, 2015
33,247
Cleveland had to postpone today’s Peacock game, but it did not rain this morning - it rained all of last night. Groundskeeping failure.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Kopech with a nightmare start in KC ... BB, HBP, Single (run scored), BB ... removed from game. Don't know if injury involved
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Kopech with a nightmare start in KC ... BB, HBP, Single (run scored), BB ... removed from game. Don't know if injury involved
Twitter comments saying Kopech did something to his knee during warmup, to the point where it was noticeable on the field. TLR decided to have him start the game anyway, waited four batters to pull him
 

SemperFidelisSox

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2008
31,083
Boston, MA
Chicago got some good relief pitching after Kopech left and eventually tied the game, but then old friend Joe Kelly puked all over himself in the 8th and KC won.
 

Catcher Block

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 7, 2006
5,825
St. Louis
Pujols celebrating being named Co-Player of the Week by hitting a pitch up above the letters into the bleachers for #693 at Wrigley.

Has also tied Bonds for most pitchers taken deep in a career at 449.
 

DanoooME

above replacement level
SoSH Member
Mar 16, 2008
19,831
Henderson, NV
According to the ESPN GameCast and the graphics in the game, Edward Cabrera of the Marlins just threw either a 94 or 95 MPH CHANGEUP. And it wasn't the first one either.

Fake Edit: I guess the tracking system is having trouble figuring out what he's throwing. Or he just has crazy stuff, since he's throwing 94 MPH sinkers and 4-seamers too.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,304
Pujols left right splits are simply insane. He's prime Barry Bonds vs lefties and 2022 Jackie Bradley vs righties
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
According to the ESPN GameCast and the graphics in the game, Edward Cabrera of the Marlins just threw either a 94 or 95 MPH CHANGEUP. And it wasn't the first one either.

Fake Edit: I guess the tracking system is having trouble figuring out what he's throwing. Or he just has crazy stuff, since he's throwing 94 MPH sinkers and 4-seamers too.
No runs in 4 starts since coming off the IL.
 

Hendu for Kutch

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 7, 2006
6,920
Nashua, NH
Verlander with 6 IP, 10 K, 0 H, 0 BB. Only baserunner was on a wild pitch K. But pulled after only 91 pitches.

Seems a bit premature, and I definitely wouldn't have guessed Dusty Baker of all people to do it.
 

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,494
Mark Davis was the last one I could think of off the top of my head. Bauer's a terrible person and wasn't particularly consistent, but Snell and Porcello are nowhere near his talent level. I forgot about Dickey, but knuckleballers are kind of flukish by design.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Rays get a big break on a 3-2 pitch that looked like it nailed the corner perfectly but was called a ball, next pitch rifled into the corner and they are about to win, tied with second and third and no one out.
 

LogansDad

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
29,049
Alamogordo
Framber Valdez broke the Astros record for most consecutive quality starts, with his 21st. He's not the flashiest SP out there, but he's been spectacular this season.
 

streeter88

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 2, 2006
1,807
Melbourne, Australia
The Cubs figured out how to keep Pujols in the yard. Have Franmil Reyes hit him with a 70mph curve ball.
That plus hiding your other lefty starter behind the "starts every five days" deal. Five game series the Cards should face all five starters, but Cubs called a RHP up for the day night doubleheader. Don't they know Pujols ABs sell tickets at this point of another lost season? What're they playing for anyway?
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,713
Framber Valdez broke the Astros record for most consecutive quality starts, with his 21st. He's not the flashiest SP out there, but he's been spectacular this season.
This sounds a little less impressive than it is, it's very rare on any team, I think Bob Gibson is tied with deGrom for the alltime record of 26:

"Valdez is the fifth pitcher since 2000 to record 20 consecutive quality starts. Jacob deGrom recorded 26 from 2018-19 for the Mets, Jake Arrieta had 24 from 2015-16 for the Cubs, Chris Carpenter had 22 in 2005 for the Cardinals and Johan Santana had 21 in 2004 for the Twins."
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Biggest Cy Young fluke in recent memory: Rick Porcello or Blake Snell?
I was researching this a bit recently, but historically, Zoilo Versalles is regarded as the best player to win the MVP. 7.2 of Versalles 12.6 career WAR came in his 1965 MVP season, or 57% of his total career worth. That seems tough to beat, but Cody Bellinger currently has 47% of his career WAR as his 2019 MVP season. Bellinger is still playing and could change that, but he's been pretty bad the last two seasons and it will be interesting to see what his career total ends up being. Like Versalles, Bellinger had a great season during his MVP year and deserved to win the award, but he hasn't been able to follow it up in any way at all.
 

SemperFidelisSox

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2008
31,083
Boston, MA
Sandy Alcantara is just a stud. He got himself into some major trouble in the 9th inning by loading the bases but got Gallo to groundout for the 1 run, complete game win.