solo shot

Only scoring on home runs? It’s this season’s theme.

SDP --- v SFG
SFG 1.0 @ SDP
CHC 2.0 @ MIL
PHI 4.0 @ FLA (2.5 back in NL East)
FLA 5.0 v PHI (3.5 back in NL West)
HOU 5.0 @ ARZ

I’ll be so glad when the Padres/Giants series is over. It’s kinda annoying to know that if you lose, you’ll almost always lose ground; we’ve already got that in the Central.

Instead of Pittsburgh winning and moving all the way to third, they lost and dropped all the away to last. Those last four teams (at least) probably will bounce around a few more times. The Reds are sinking to the bottom like a penny into fountain.

Way to suck, White Sox!

Way to suck, Phillies! Phillies have another chance to suck today some more. 1-10 vs one team, that’s horrendous.

Winning % for teams with 9 or more loses against one other team

PHI (vs FLA) 1-10 .090
CIN (vs STL) 2-11 .154
ARZ (vs LAD) 2-11 .154
SFG (vs SDP) 3-9  .250
NYM (vs FLA) 3-9  .250
MON (vs PHI) 4-9  .308
FLA (vs ATL) 4-9  .308
MON (vs ATL) 3-10 .300
COL (vs SFG) 5-9  .357
CHC (vs STL) 8-11 .421

Quite strange how NL East teams with similar records got there by skewed performances against one team or another.

This could be the last day of the season the Rangers are in first place…but I don’t think it will. They’ll lose today and A’s will temporary pass them, but I believe they’ll stick close enough around at least for a few more weeks. Feels real strange that Beane hasn’t made his trademark move yet.

Feels strange that no one’s made a move yet, even if I thought that might happen.

ESPN’s MLB Standings Graphs are totally unrelated and fun to stare at. (Click on RACE)

Chip got on my nerves last night by talking up Cubs pitching prospects by mentioning their Win/Loss record. If you even slightly believe a Major League’s pitchers W/Ls are affected by hitting, fielding, and other things they do not control, than you’ve got to realize those factors are going to be as strong or stronger in minor leagues. I wasn’t expected Chip to start dropping VORP – ERA’s right there and understandable by the barely educated fan they aim television towards; if you’ve only got five seconds and the choice is between ERA and W/L, I would have thought he knew which one to pick.

Today’s game is Carlos (36.2) vs Hendrickson (-6.4). It’s too soon to even think about critical games, but probably not too much to project this as a turning point. It’s a game the Cubs are supposed to win, and need to win to make this series worthwile. A win puts them either one game out or in second place, with a possible tough series vs the Phillies next.

I’m not sure if I’ll do this tommorow; I’ll be busy dodging falling cement, I hear.