2021 MLB Season Thread

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https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=401228252

Bad news for the Mets? The Braves dropped twenty runs on them yesterday.

The Good News for the Mets? The undisputed best pitcher in baseball, Jacob DeGrom will be starting tonight.

I wish the Braves would have saved a few of those runs for tonight.

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News flash: DeGrom is human.  He's given up three runs and recorded one out so far.

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News flash: DeGrom is human.  He's given up three runs and recorded one out so far.

Oh but the rest of game, the rest of the game

Of course the Mets lost, but deGrom was amazing

That finish was wild!  For those who didn't see it: the Mets tied the game 3-3 in the top of the ninth.  In the bottom half, the Braves loaded the bases and Freddie Freeman, who had struck out in his previous four appearances, was at bat with two out.  He hit a line drive that bounced off the pitcher's foot and ricocheted to the third baseman, who made an off-balance throw to first that was just too late to get Freeman (who is quite fast for a big man), allowing the winning run to score.  At the time it looked like a better play for the third baseman would have been to try for a force out at third, but after watching a replay I'm skeptical as to whether he would have been able to change direction in time to beat the runner from second; he was off balance and his momentum was taking him further from the base.

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And tonight we have a pitcher ejected after one pitch!  The Marlins have a long history of hitting Ronald Acuña Jr., and tonight Pablo Lopez hit him on the first pitch and was tossed after a long discussion by the umpires.  In the subsequent argument (which has now been going on for about 15 minutes) Marlins manager Don Mattingly was also ejected.

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Now that's karma!  After being hit on the first pitch, Acuña came around to score after a single and sac fly.  That was the game's only run, as the Braves won 1-0.  The Marlins had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth, but couldn't score.

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Another weird finish for the Braves.  Trailing the Marlins 7-3, they tied it at 7 in the bottom of the 9th.  Then in the bottom of the 10th they loaded the bases with one out.  Austin Riley appeared to score the winning run on a wild pitch, but was ruled out after review.  The Marlins then intentionally walked the bases full since the Braves were now out of position players to hit.  Pitcher Max Fried pinch hit and lined a solid single to win the game 8-7.

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https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1412096603775668225

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Another weird finish for the Braves.  Trailing the Marlins 7-3, they tied it at 7 in the bottom of the 9th.  Then in the bottom of the 10th they loaded the bases with one out.  Austin Riley appeared to score the winning run on a wild pitch, but was ruled out after review.  The Marlins then intentionally walked the bases full since the Braves were now out of position players to hit.  Pitcher Max Fried pinch hit and lined a solid single to win the game 8-7.

It turns out this was the first time ever that a Braves pitcher used as a pinch hitter had a walk-off RBI, going back to 1920 when RBI became an official stat.  Although he's obviously not in Ohtani's class, Fried is quite a good hitter (.300 this year) and would likely be a major league outfielder if he wasn't a pitcher.

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Marlins hit Acuna again.

I don't know why MLB isn't talking about suspending Don Mattingly for telling his pitchers to repeatedly throw at Acuna. It's rather clear this is deliberate, and it's rather clear this is on Mattingly's orders.

At this point, suspend Mattingly for the rest of the season at a minimum, without pay, and fine the Marlins organization the equivalent of Mattingly's salary for the rest of this season.

TBF, I was watching the game when it happened and it looked like the pitch just got away from the pitcher rather than being a deliberate hit.

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Marlins hit Acuna again.

I don't know why MLB isn't talking about suspending Don Mattingly for telling his pitchers to repeatedly throw at Acuna. It's rather clear this is deliberate, and it's rather clear this is on Mattingly's orders.

At this point, suspend Mattingly for the rest of the season at a minimum, without pay, and fine the Marlins organization the equivalent of Mattingly's salary for the rest of this season.

TBF, I was watching the game when it happened and it looked like the pitch just got away from the pitcher rather than being a deliberate hit.

Once is an accident. Seven times since 2018 is deliberate.

Oh, I have no doubt that several of the hits were deliberate.  I just don't think that one was.

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Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his right ACL in yesterday's game and will be out for the rest of the season.   Just when the Braves finally seemed to be getting things together.

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I don't think there's been a 20-inning (or more) game in the majors since the 2013 game where the Marlins beat the Mets in 20.

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Cleveland Indians changing team name to Guardians.

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The Chiefs and Braves need to change their names but it's hard because Hawks and Eagles are already taken and Pelicans

The Atlanta Traffic.  It's iconic.

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Scherzer reportedly going to the Padres, although it's not official yet.

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The Braves announcers crack me up.

<Braves' leadoff hitter gets a hit>

Chip Caray: Well, there goes the no-hitter.

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Does Madison Bumgarner eventually make the HOF? That will be the only way for him to get a retired number.

I doubt it.  He's 32 years old, and in a 13-year career his record is 125-102 with about 1900 strikeouts.

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Does Madison Bumgarner eventually make the HOF? That will be the only way for him to get a retired number.

Given that he has only one season at a near-HOF level, and just a few good seasons, I should hope not. Post-season performance aside, he is a just a run of the mill all star.

Does that mean that he won’t ever get his number retired?

He may very well due to his 2014 performance

I don’t know SF’s retirement traditions, I do know that the Mets are absurdly slow to retirement numbers. Koosman is only now getting retired, and Hernandez, Gooden, and Wright not at all. Although I assume Wright will. And 48 too.

After Gil Hodges had his retired in NY, the Mets used to have a HOF-only rule that was finally scrapped for Jerry Koosman. The Dodgers have a HOF-only rule that was broken once with Jim Gilliam, although Fernando Valenzuela’s number is not given out despite not being officially retired. The Giants have a HOF-only rule too that was only broken for Barry Bonds, who would be in already if it wasn’t for the steroid scandal. Might Bumgarner at least have his unofficially retired like Valenzuela?

Absolutely not then. If they have a HOF only rule, I highly doubt they'd break it for him. Maybe Posey.

What are the chances of Bumgarner getting his number permanently taken out of circulation but not retired, which was done for Fernando Valenzuela?

Uhhh, unlikely I suppose

Was Valenzuela greater than Bumgarner?

Their career numbers are comparable when you adjust for length of service.  But IMO Valenzuela's best seasons were better than Bumgarner's.

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Does this mean Clayton Kershaw is greater than Madison Bumgarner? Kershaw has the career to get a retired number.

Kershaw's career has been far better than Bumgarner's.  You can compare them directly here: https://stathead.com/baseball/player-comparison.cgi?player_id2=bumgama01&type=p&player_id1=kershcl01&sum=0&request=1.  Kershaw is a lock for the HOF, likely in the first year he's eligible.

EDIT: the link doesn't work directly.  Go to Kershaw's page at baseball-reference.com and you can use the Compare button to compare him to Bumgarner.

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This is great.  Watch it all the way through.

https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1422378779100520448

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I've been watching the Mets and Phillies all week to make sure when I go tomorrow it would be the game when the Phillies finally overtake the Mets.

The only thing better than the Red Sox and Mets losing miserably (like last season) is watching them get so much hope leading the division all year before the inevitable collapse.

Still think Toronto is the best in the AL East as I have all season, but Tampa is holding their ground. Could be Toronto and New York for the Wild Card game.

The NL East is getting interesting for sure.  The Braves are now only 1 game behind the Phillies and 1.5 behind the Mets following their sweep of the Cardinals. 

Weirdly, last night's win brought the Braves above .500 for the first time this season; they'd reached .500 six previous times, only to fall back below it every time.  The Cardinals gave up four consecutive bases-loaded walks in the decisive 8th inning.  I don't think I've ever seen that many in a row before.

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Hot-hitting pitcher Max Fried of the Braves just got his second pinch hit of the season, this one a ground-rule double.  The first one was a walk-off RBI single.

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Now that's a division race:

ATL   60 56   .517
PHI   60 56   .517
NYM  59 56   .513   0.5 GB

Especially since none of them have a real shot at a wild card; it's the division title or bust.

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After sweeping the Nationals in Washington, the red-hot Braves have moved into sole first place in the NL East.

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The Red Sox cause me great pain

I'm on the Reds bandwagon now

Sounds like your ox was gored.