Welcome to a different version of 5 Issues I Favored (Or Didn’t Like) This Week. August is all the time a down interval for me in terms of baseball watching. July has every little thing now. There’s the All-Star Sport, the draft, and the commerce deadline. Our commerce worth sequence comes out sandwiched in between. From late June by means of July 31, it’s full tilt baseball, and the primary few weeks of August are a letdown by comparability. This 12 months, the Olympics match into that hole completely, and I’ve been watching no matter random occasion catches my eye the identical means I normally flip between baseball video games. However concern not: There’s loads of baseball nonetheless occurring, and I can’t keep away for lengthy. I’m again within the saddle, and this week has a ton of nice performs to select from. And thanks, as all the time, to ESPN’s Zach Lowe for the format I’m borrowing right here.
1. Twists and Turns in Pittsburgh
What sort of lunatic would say that August is the baseball doldrums? Oh, me? Nicely, ignore me, as a result of among the video games this week have had juice. The Pirates are clinging to the periphery of the Wild Card race, whereas the Padres are roaring towards October with a completely scalding month of baseball. When the 2 groups confronted off for his or her sequence opener in Pittsburgh this week, the Pirates have been a recreation above .500, and after dropping that first recreation, they got here again robust on Wednesday.
Some early offense staked the Pirates to a 6-5 lead even after starter Marco Gonzales obtained roughed up. Their greatest relievers have been out there. It appeared like they could wriggle by means of. However Aroldis Chapman was a bit wild, and the Padres put two runners in scoring place with Manny Machado on the plate. No downside – Chapman simply pulled out perhaps the very best pitch I’ve ever seen:
Uh, yeah, that’ll do it. That’s 105 mph on the black. Machado wasn’t even mad, he was simply impressed:
The subsequent inning was clean crusing with nearer David Bednar in, proper? Not fairly:
Identical to that, it was a brand new ballgame. However then the Pirates loaded the bases with one out within the backside of the ninth. All Ji Hwan Bae needed to do (after a prolonged pitch timer violation overview, it was a bizarre recreation) was get the ball to the outfield. However he hit it right into a drawn-in infield, and Xander Bogaerts made a pleasant play:
That was Pittsburgh’s final gasp. The Padres poured it on within the tenth, cashing in three runs towards Colin Holderman. Ballgame, proper? Mistaken:
That’s Tanner Scott strolling three straight Pirates to chop it to 9-7. (The strike zone was inconsistent on this recreation, to place it mildly.) Supervisor Mike Shildt pulled him from the sport, and Adrian Morejon promptly threw a wild pitch to carry one other runner in. Tying run on third, successful run on second, nobody out: It was shaping as much as be a wild comeback. Solely… Isiah Kiner-Falefa tapped right into a fielder’s alternative, practically a disastrous one due to some shoddy baserunning:
Then Connor Joe struck out, Yasmani Grandal grounded out, and the Padres pulled out a stunner. I didn’t even get into all of the hijinks this recreation had – dropped tags, heroic reduction appearances, runners thrown out at house, and a multi-homer recreation by Jackson Merrill, together with that game-tying blast off Bednar. That is playoff chase baseball at its most interesting. It’s only a disgrace that somebody needed to lose. That the Pirates adopted it up by blowing one other ninth-inning lead yesterday to get swept is simply merciless.
2. Preemptive Insurance coverage
Framber Valdez was flirting with historical past Tuesday evening. Whereas the Astros offense scraped collectively a pair of runs to offer him a lead, he was busy mowing the Rangers down. He was excellent by means of 5 innings earlier than Jonah Heim reached on an error within the sixth. Valdez sprinkled in a stroll within the seventh however in any other case had an unblemished report heading into the ninth. With a no-hitter in his sights, he labored towards the end line. Stroll, double play, stroll… he was clearly tiring, however his groundball tendencies appeared like they could simply carry him to the top of the highway. There was simply Corey Seager to get. Or to get obtained by, because it seems:
Ugh. A two-run homer in any case that work. That’s why managers all the time look so careworn when their starters are closing out massive video games. One little slip-up, towards among the finest hitters in baseball, and the work of the primary eight innings will be undone.
Fortunately, although, we nonetheless have a dramatic reveal: The Astros did slightly work of their very own earlier within the ninth. They got here into prime of the body up 2-0, however left with a 4-0 lead thanks to a different among the finest hitters in baseball. Yordan Alvarez might have reached both Dallas or Fort Price from Arlington with this ridiculous blast:
In case you’re maintaining rating at house, that was 436 ft, a house run in each conceivable ballpark, and it pushed the result in 4 runs. It won’t have felt necessary – the Rangers had managed solely two baserunners interval, as much as that time – however you by no means know what is going to occur when a starter hits his profession excessive in pitches as he chases a no-hitter.
Ought to the Rangers have put extra effort into stopping Houston from scoring once more? It’s not fairly that easy. Dane Dunning did an general strong job saving the bullpen, which had been closely labored the day earlier than and was more likely to work arduous once more the subsequent day with José Ureña beginning. Tyler Mahle solely went 5 innings in his first begin off the IL, and the Rangers merely needed to be sensible. You’ll be able to’t use high-leverage relievers for each out, and down two runs towards a pitcher who appeared to have your quantity appears like a spot the place discretion is the higher a part of valor. It simply occurred to work out Houston’s means this time. Alvarez isn’t simply nice at erasing deficits; he pushes leads and breaks ties too.
3. The Var-Present
Again in my day, we used to say that two-thirds of the earth was coated in water, and the remainder by Kevin Kiermaier. With the current rise in sea stage, that proportion is likely to be extra like 70/30 now, however in any other case Kiermaier’s defensive substitute in Toronto is doing a spectacular job of choosing up the place the outdated outfield wizard left off. Daulton Varsho may by no means be a fearsome hitter, however he can do that:
Generally the attention take a look at and the numbers don’t line up. Some outfielders make up for middling preliminary reactions with nice performs on the level of the catch, and the digital camera angle can add or subtract problem. That’s not what’s taking place right here, although. Varsho might be the very best outfielder by the attention take a look at. He’s additionally the very best outfielder by each single statistical measure, and he’s been doing it for 3 straight years now.
He’s nice at each particular person aspect of outfield protection. He’s quick, with eightieth percentile dash velocity. He has an correct throwing arm and makes good choices. His first steps are the very best in baseball. That was Kiermaier’s factor – he’s been at or close to the highest of Statcast’s outfield soar leaderboard because it began monitoring routes. This 12 months, Varsho’s on prime (Kiermaier is a good third) due to unimaginable reactions and phenomenal acceleration. He’s attending to work early and making issues look simple.
When he makes a play that appears arduous, bear in mind this: Most different outfielders wouldn’t even be trying it. They’d be taking part in the bounce, as a result of they wouldn’t have gotten on their horse quick sufficient. You’ll be able to inform how unbelievable the performs are from watching his teammates. Take a look at George Springer’s celebratory arms within the clip above. Now watch Kiermaier’s response in these subsequent two from earlier this 12 months:
Good, however this one may even be higher:
This one from early July blows my thoughts. Varsho’s preliminary route left him sufficient time to get there and in addition sufficient time to regulate to the heavy topspin that made the ball dive like a Carlos Alcaraz forehand. He made a safe catch and saved his eye on the play all the best way all through, which let him get a bonus out:
I like Josh Rojas’s response on the very finish there. C’mon, man! Who catches this nonsense? Daulton Varsho, that’s who.
4. Fond Farewells
This one’s from the vault. I wished to jot down about this slick Yandy Díaz fielding play from simply earlier than the commerce deadline:
I’m nonetheless struggling to grasp how he made that throw. Attempt throwing a ball 80 ft whereas mendacity down. Neglect about accuracy; it’s simply spectacular he was in a position to create that a lot drive in that place. He additionally put it proper on the cash, and even fielding the ball within the first place was no stroll within the park. The reverse angle is beautiful:
You already know who else was watching the sport? Former Ray Randy Arozarena:
Arozarena had already been traded to the Mariners. The Rays are retooling, and he’s a playoff performer. However he’s additionally been a key a part of this Rays workforce, and he wasn’t fairly prepared for the enjoyable to finish. He had a flight to catch, however not simply but. He ended up sticking round for an additional inning or two earlier than departing, high-fiving followers all the best way to the exit.
Fairly clearly, Arozarena craves a playoff environment. He’s off to a stellar begin in Seattle, doing his greatest to show the woeful Mariners offense round. However he additionally felt such a bond together with his outdated teammates that he went to a recreation as a spectator when he might have been on the brink of transfer throughout the nation. I simply thought this was neat.
5. All of the Bloops
San Francisco’s offense has been in a wierd place all 12 months. A number of the gamers who have been anticipated to be its greatest performers – Jorge Soler, Jung Hoo Lee, Thairo Estrada, and platoon powerhouse Wilmer Flores – have been injured and/or a lot worse than anticipated. Soler’s off the workforce and Lee and Flores are each out for the season. Estrada has been on and off the IL all 12 months. Patrick Bailey is mired in a hellacious droop, with a 44 wRC+ for the reason that begin of July. The dominant Webb/Snell pitching duo has been working extra time to maintain the Giants on the fringes of the playoff image, however they want offense someplace.
A few of that offense has come from younger contributors. Heliot Ramos has been a revelation. Tyler Fitzgerald is abruptly Barry Bonds (.311/.370/.635 this 12 months, and .333/.395/.833 since moving into the lineup full-time in July). A few of it has come from regular palms: LaMonte Wade Jr. is hitting in addition to ever, and Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski are above common contributors within the outfield. Matt Chapman is having a resurgent season on the plate. Mark Canha has been good since arriving on the deadline. However a few of this offense is simply coming from luck.
Wednesday evening, Jake Irvin appeared sharp within the early going. He rolled by means of two scoreless innings and obtained the primary two outs of the third. Then he induced a pop up by Wade:
“Ability recreation,” I can nearly hear Wade yelling to the dugout as that one landed. All it’s important to do is hit them the place the protection isn’t. Ramos instantly obtained in on it too:
As if Irvin weren’t already annoyed sufficient, Conforto adopted with a superbly positioned line drive that juuuuust escaped Jacob Younger in middle:
Younger is a spectacular defender, however that was an excessive amount of even for him. At 90 miles an hour off the bat, that may have been a straightforward out. At 74, it was an RBI single.
Chapman wasn’t content material with simply three foolish hits in a row. He chopped one instantly into the bottom and hit the jets:
Hey, higher fortunate than good. (Ignore the ump; the out name was overturned after a overview.) That two-run go off of 4 weak hits is the type of offensive fortunate allure that may make a workforce really feel prefer it’s destined to succeed. When your weak contact is persistently discovering holes within the protection, every little thing appears simple. That hasn’t actually described the Giants this 12 months – they’ve made quite a lot of issues appear arduous, in reality. They’re on the skin of the playoff race, they usually’ve been treading water round .500 all 12 months. If it’s going to occur for them, it’ll contain an offensive cost, and it positive looks as if the offensive cost will want its fair proportion of couldn’t-roll-it-out-there-any-better manufacturing.