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 on the subject of baseball watching. July has every part now. There’s the All-Star Recreation, the draft, and the commerce deadline. Our commerce worth collection comes out sandwiched in between. From late June by July 31, it’s full tilt baseball, and the primary few weeks of August are a letdown by comparability. This yr, the Olympics match into that hole completely, and I’ve been watching no matter random occasion catches my eye the identical approach I often flip between baseball video games. However worry 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? Properly, ignore me, as a result of a few of 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 fully scalding month of baseball. When the 2 groups confronted off for his or her collection opener in Pittsburgh this week, the Pirates have been a recreation above .500, and after dropping that first recreation, they got here again sturdy on Wednesday.
Some early offense staked the Pirates to a 6-5 lead even after starter Marco Gonzales bought roughed up. Their greatest relievers have been obtainable. It seemed like they may wriggle by. 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 one of the 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 easy 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 in opposition to Colin Holderman. Ballgame, proper? Unsuitable:
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, profitable 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 selection, practically a disastrous one because of 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 aid 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 night time. Whereas the Astros offense scraped collectively a pair of runs to provide him a lead, he was busy mowing the Rangers down. He was good by 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 document 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 seemed like they may simply carry him to the top of the street. There was simply Corey Seager to get. Or to get bought by, because it seems:
Ugh. A two-run homer in spite of everything that work. That’s why managers all the time look so pressured when their starters are closing out huge video games. One little slip-up, in opposition to top-of-the-line hitters in baseball, and the work of the primary eight innings might be undone.
Fortunately, although, we nonetheless have a dramatic reveal: The Astros did a little bit 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 top-of-the-line hitters in baseball. Yordan Alvarez might have reached both Dallas or Fort Value from Arlington with this ridiculous blast:
In the event you’re protecting rating at house, that was 436 ft, a house run in each conceivable ballpark, and it pushed the result in 4 runs. It may not 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 straightforward. Dane Dunning did an general stable job saving the bullpen, which had been closely labored the day earlier than and was more likely to work exhausting 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 good. You may’t use high-leverage relievers for each out, and down two runs in opposition to a pitcher who appeared to have your quantity seems like a spot the place discretion is the higher a part of valor. It simply occurred to work out Houston’s approach 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 lined in water, and the remainder by Kevin Kiermaier. With the latest rise in sea degree, that proportion may 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 previous outfield wizard left off. Daulton Varsho would possibly by no means be a fearsome hitter, however he can do that:
Generally the attention check 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 digicam angle can add or subtract issue. That’s not what’s taking place right here, although. Varsho might be one of the best outfielder by the attention check. He’s additionally one of the 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 selections. His first steps are one of the best in baseball. That was once Kiermaier’s factor – he’s been at or close to the highest of Statcast’s outfield soar leaderboard because it began monitoring routes. This yr, Varsho’s on prime (Kiermaier is a decent third) because of unbelievable reactions and phenomenal acceleration. He’s attending to work early and making issues look simple.
When he makes a play that appears exhausting, keep in mind this: Most different outfielders wouldn’t even be trying it. They’d be enjoying the bounce, as a result of they wouldn’t have gotten on their horse quick sufficient. You may inform how unbelievable the performs are from watching his teammates. Try George Springer’s celebratory arms within the clip above. Now watch Kiermaier’s response in these subsequent two from earlier this yr:
Good, however this one would possibly 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 stored his eye on the play all the way in which 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 needed to write 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 power 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 attractive:
You understand 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 way in which 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 along with his previous teammates that he went to a recreation as a spectator when he might have been on the point 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 yr. A few 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 yr. Patrick Bailey is mired in a hellacious hunch, with a 44 wRC+ because the 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 instantly Barry Bonds (.311/.370/.635 this yr, and .333/.395/.833 since getting into the lineup full-time in July). A few of it has come from regular arms: 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 success.
Wednesday night time, Jake Irvin seemed sharp within the early going. He rolled by two scoreless innings and bought the primary two outs of the third. Then he induced a pop up by Wade:
“Talent 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 bought 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 will have been a simple out. At 74, it was an RBI single.
Chapman wasn’t content material with simply three foolish hits in a row. He chopped one straight 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 form of offensive fortunate appeal 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 part appears simple. That hasn’t actually described the Giants this yr – they’ve made a variety of issues appear exhausting, in reality. They’re on the skin of the playoff race, they usually’ve been treading water round .500 all yr. 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.
