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Post by chiyankee on Sept 18, 2024 18:39:49 GMT -5
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Post by chiyankee on Sept 18, 2024 18:40:45 GMT -5
No Stanton again, although this may have more to do with resting Judge's legs than not playing Big G.
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Post by donniebaseball23 on Sept 18, 2024 19:21:00 GMT -5
O's trailing the Giants 5-3 after six
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Post by chiyankee on Sept 18, 2024 19:58:57 GMT -5
O's trailing the Giants 5-3 after six Still 5-3 after 8 innings now. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Sept 18, 2024 20:15:03 GMT -5
Orioles lose. The Yankees may already clinch the division before that last series.
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Post by ypaterson on Sept 18, 2024 20:15:30 GMT -5
No Stanton again, although this may have more to do with resting Judge's legs than not playing Big G. Many of us...me included...moan about the trade that brought Stanton to New York. Moaning aside, the guy put together a pretty good year in 2024. The 25 home runs and 474 SLG in limited action land him in the high rent district for MLB batters. |
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:24:40 GMT -5
The Mariners start righty Bryce Miller tonight; he also pitched against the Yanks in the Bronx in May, but not nearly as successfully as Woo, who the Yanks roughed up last night. The Yanks handed Miller a loss then, and he’ll be looking to even the score, both for his team and for himself. As he already started against the Yanks this season, there’s no reason to review his career again. Since facing the Yanks, Miller has pitched outstanding ball, going 8-3 in 19 starts with a 2.90 ERA. On the season, Miller is 11-8 with a 3.12 ERA. With the Mariners loaded with top-notch starters, it’s Miller who leads the staff in ERA, if you don’t count Woo, who doesn’t have enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. In 29 starts, Miller’s thrown 167 1/3 inning, allowing 127 hits, 61 runs, 58 earned, 21 HR and walked 39, while striking out 158. His WHIP for the season is elite: 0.992. He’s among the AL pitching leader boards in multiple categories: 6th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, 4th in fewest hits per 9 innings, 7th in fewest BB per 9 innings, and just outside the top 10 in K/BB ratio in 11th. His sole somewhat weak spots are his average HR allowed rate, and his slightly below average K/9 rate (at least among qualified AL starters.)
This is Miller’s 3rd career start against the Yanks and both of the first two went very badly; they ripped him for 11 hits, 8 earned runs and 2 HR in 4 2/3 innings in a start last year. His most recent start against them was the one in May, and while he did considerably better, it was still a poor one; the Yanks got him for 5 hits, 5 earned runs and 3 HR in 6 innings in a 7-3 Mariners loss, although he didn’t walk anyone and struck out 4. In 10 2/3 innings against the Yanks, he’s 0-2 with 10.97 ERA, allowing 16 hits, 13 runs (earned) 5 HR, and 0 walks, while striking out 7. His WHIP isn’t nearly as bad as the ERA, though still poor: 1.500. As you might expect, the Yanks’ team quadruple slash line against Miller is outstanding, Aaron Judgian, except for the last off walks: .340/.354/.766/1.120. Working against that limited history is the Miller has been white-hot lately, only one poor game in his last 7 starts, 3-1, 1.55 ERA, just 24 hits allowed in 40 2/3 innings with 45 K and just 9 BB. Let’s hope the Yanks can break that run tonight
Repertoire: Miller is a 7-pitch righty, though it would be imprecise to call him a “kitchen sink” righty because he throws pretty hard, the FB and sinker run 94-5-6. Aside from the 2 fastballs, he throws a splitter, both a slider and a sweeper, a curve and a rarely used cutter. The 4-seamer gets elite “rise” (12th best among 415 MLB pitchers who throw one) but below average ‘run”, the sinker gets well below average drop, and better than average tail into righties. The sweeper gets elite drop (3rd most among 129 MLB pitchers who throw one) and better than average break down and in on lefties, the slider gets average drop and considerably less than average break away from righties, the splitter ge4ts elite drop, (8th best among 66 pitchers who throw one) but less than average tail away from lefties. The curve below average drops, and very little horizontal break; it’s almost, but not quite, a 12-to-6 curve. The cutter gets above average drop but again, almost no break in on lefties. In run values, the fastball and sinker are sizeable plusses, the splitter is an even bigger plus, the rarely-used cutter is a tiny plus, the sweeper is a tiny minus, the curve a larger minus, and the slider is a sizeable minus. Those are all “per-pitch” values, as you might expect for a pitcher in the top 10 in ERA, the total run values of all his pitches this year is high at +19 runs. Miller gets a low chase rate, but his FB velocity is above average, his FB spin is elite, but the curve spin is below average, and so is his extension. His average exit velocity is on the high side, and both the barrel and hard-hit rates are above average as well. He has below average line drive, ground ball and popup rates, and an above average flyball rate. His swinging strike, called strike and CSW rates are below average as well, with the CSW rate 38th among 57 qualified MLB starters. The luck factors are all in his favor: well below average BABIP (.244 vs. MLB average .282), strand rate is a bit higher than average, and the HR/FB rate is well below average As such, his ERA estimators think he’s been lucky; they think his ERA should be about 3.80 not 3.12. Again, elite pitchers make their own luck, but given his average K and HR rates, maybe Miller has been slightly more lucky than elite. We’ll see for ourselves tonight. His pitch mix so far this season: 4-seamer averaging 95 about 43%, sinker 94-5 about 18%%, splitter 84 about 16%, sweeper 82-3 about 9%, slider 86-7 about 8%, curve 85 about 4% and the cutter 92 about once every three innings.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:25:16 GMT -5
Playing the Name Game: Bryce Miller started against the Yanks in May, so Bryce and Miller have been through the Name Game before. Playing the name game...Bryce is a modern boys' name. There have are now 10 MLB players named Bryce, none of them played in the majors before Bryce Florie, who began his 8-year career in 1994. Six of the eight are active, and the best Bryce is clearly Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, who may well be headed to the Hall of Fame. Miller has already passed Bryce Elder for the best pitcher named Bryce honors.
There are dozens and dozens of Millers in big league history. The two best were probably, Bing Miller, who was a starting outfielder on the 2nd great Philadelphia A's dynasty teams that won 3 straight pennants and back-to-back World Series from 1929 through 1931, and Eddie Miller a shortstop good enough to make 7 NL All-Star teams between 1940 and 1947, and get down-ballot MVP votes in eight seasons between 1939 and 1948, despite never playing on a pennant-winning team. Some other Millers include two great names: Joseph “Cyclone” Miller, who made 19 starts over 2 seasons in the NL, the UA and the AA in 1884 and 1886, and John “Dots” Miller, who played 12 seasons in the majors for the Pirates, Cards and Philles, long enough to compile over 1500 hits, 100 triples and 700 runs and 700 RBI, and steal 177 bases. He was the starting 2nd baseball of the 1909 Pirates, playing middle infield next to Honus Wagner and helping the Pirates to their first World Series title. Pirate ace Babe Adams won 3 games and sent the Ty Cobb Tigers to their third straight Series loss.
In more recent times, there have also been some reliever Millers with lengthy careers over varying degrees of success: Stu Miller, who pitched 16 seasons, starting in the 1950’s in split starter/relief swingman, and becoming one of the pioneers of the modern closer, first for the Giants, and then for the O’s in the mid-1960’s. He pitched over 100 innings exclusively in relief in 1961-3 and again in 1965. He won over 100 game and saved over 150 more. In 1966, he won a ring with the Orioles, but became maybe the only dedicated closer be on the active roster and still win one without appearing in the series. The O’s used just their 3 starters and reliever Moe Drabowsky, who came on in relief of starter Dave McNally in the 3rd inning of game 1 and threw 6 2/3 shutout innings for the win, as the O’s rallied for a 5-2 win. In the second game, Jim Palmer shot out the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax, 6-0. In the third game, Wally Bunker shut them out 1-0. In the fourth game, McNally came back on 3 days’ rest and shut them out, again, 1-0. The records of just 4 pitchers used and 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings by a pitching staff in a World Series are not likely to ever be topped.
There is also Andrew Miller a failed starter beloved of Yankees fans for him dominance in the bullpen in 2015 and 2016. His postseason relief record is astounding, nearly as great as Mariano’s, even though it was in far fewer games and innings, and even though he wasn’t the closer. Just 4 runs allowed in 38 2/3 innings for an ERA of 0.93, in 29 games, just 20 hits, 3 HR, 13 BB and 54 K’s. He was the MVP of the 2016 ALCS, but his brilliant post-season record is only remembered for his two famous failures: giving up 2 runs in relief in game 7 of the World Series in 2016, allowing the Cubs to close a 3-run deficit to 1-run, putting extra pressure on Aroldis, who failed eve worse, but in truth the Cubs caught up to Miller, having already seen him 3 times in that series. More shocking was the solo HR he gave up to Greg Bird in the 7th inning of game 3 of the 2017 ALDS. The Yanks were down 2-0 in the series, and the season was slipping away, when Bird, who had all sorts of trouble with lefties, came to bat against Miller, who murdered lefty hitters, and promptly belted it out. The home run was the only run of the game and turned the series, with the Yanks rallying to win 3-2. Nowadays, Miller’s legacy with the Yankees is batting leadoff and playing second base; Gleyber Torres is the last of the four players the Yanks got from Cleveland in exchange for Miller
Finally, there’s Shelby Miller, still in the majors after 12 seasons, first as a starter with the Cards and Braves, then wandering in the wilderness for 5 seasons as a reliever before emerging with the Dodgers last year in a very effective role. He’s in the bullpen of the resurgent Tigers, and while he’s no longer in their high-leverage crew, he’s soaking up innings, and is 6-8 with 2 saves and 5 holds.
Of all the Millers in MLB history, the only one whose first name was Miller was the great Yankee manager, Miller Huggins, who, vastly aided by the presence of Babe Ruth, help found the original Yankees dynasty, leading the Yanks to their first six AL pennants and 3 Championships in the years 1921 to 1928. While managing the Yankees in late 1929, he fell ill in late August. I had read when I was young that he had cancer and was a heavy smoker, but in fact, he died of complications from a rare skin infection: erysipelas. He was hospitalized on September 20th, but the infection could not be controlled and he died just nine days of pyemia. Coach Art Fletcher managed the Yanks the rest of that season. Bob Shawkey managed them in 1930, but in 1931, general manager hired Joe McCarthy, and the two of them swiftly put together the second great Yankees dynasty, which one 8 pennants and 7 World Series in 12 years, and in my opinion, the team that won four straight Series from 1936 through 1939 is the most dominant team of all time, and has a good argument for the greatest team of all time.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:25:56 GMT -5
Nestor Cortes faced and beat Bryce Miller at the Stadium in May; he gets a chance to repeat that success in Seattle tonight. Nestor ended that game with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 3.29, but slowly slid downhill for 13 starts, going 2-6 with a 5.50 ERA. He’s since regained significant ground in his last 5 starts and the “piggyback” relief game against the Cubs, going 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA, so he’s nearly as hot as Miller is coming into tonight’s start, 34 innings, 22 hits, 7 BB and 32 K’s with just 3 HR. On the season, Nestor is 9-10 with an ERA of 3.90. In 29 starts and the one relief appearance, he’s pitched 168 1/3 innings, allowing 158 hits, 74 runs, 73 earned, 24 HR, 36 Bb and 156 K’s. His WHIP for the season is very good: 1.152. As with Rodon, he’s on multiple AL top 10 lists, both good and bad: 9th in BB per 9 innings, 7th in K/BB ratio, but also 7th in HR allowed, and 8th most HR per 9 innings. He’s your basic #4 starter on a good team, with all the inconsistency that comes with that role. He does the best he can with what he has, although he’ll have nothing or next to it one start in three. Tonight is Nestor’s sixth game and fifth start against Seattle in his career. He’s pitched well against them: 2-0 with 3.18 ERA. In 22 2/3 innings, he’s allowed 17 hits, 8 runs (earned), 3 HR, a rather high 10 BB, with 26 K. His WHIP against the Mariners is a solid 1.191, and their team quadruple slash line against him is .213/.297/.375/.672. His last start against them was in the series in May, and he struggled with command, throwing 97 pitches in 5 innings, giving up 3 hits and 3 BB, but struck out 6, and keeping Seattle off the scoreboard in a 7-3 Yankees win.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:26:19 GMT -5
Yankees' lineup vs. Miller:
1. Torres (2B) is 2-5 with 2 K
2. Soto (RF) is 2-3 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, both HR in the game in the Bronx in May
3. Judge (DH) is 3-6 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and 1 K
4. Wells (C) is 0-2
5. Chisholm (3B) is 2-2 with 1 double and 1 RBI
6. Dominguez (CF) has never faced him
7. Rizzo (1B) is 0-2
8. Volpe (SS) is 2-3
9. Verdugo (LF) 1-5 with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 BB
On the bench: Cabrera is 0-4; Berti is 0-2; Stanton is 0-3 with 1 K
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Mariners' lineup vs. Rodon:
1. Rodriguez (CF) is 0-5 with 3 K
2. Raleigh (C) is 0-2 with 1 K
3. Arozarena (LF) is 7-26 with 4 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K and 1 HBP
4. Turner (1B) is 1-2 with 1 double
5. Polanco (2B) is 2-12 with 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 3 K and 1 GIDP
6. Garver (DH) is 2-5 with 1 RBI (1 sac fly) and 1 BB
7. Crawford (SS) is 2-7 with 2 BB and 2 K
8. Haniger (RF) is 1-6 with 2 RBI (1 sac fly), 1 BB, 1 K and 1 GIDP
9. Moore (3B) is 1-6 with 1 double, 1 BB and 3 K
On the bench: Urias is 0-2 with 1 K
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:26:53 GMT -5
Yesterday: the Yanks faced aced starter Bryan and Woooooo, was it a bad one for the Seattle pitcher. They surprisingly demolished him, handing him his worst game of the season, scoring early and often, knocking him out in the fifth having allowed 9 hits and 7 runs (both season highs) and 2 HR. Woo got a ton of swings and misses, but when they didn’t miss the ball, the Yanks barreled it often. Judge set the tone with 2-run singles in the first and second, Soto scored 3 and knocked in two with his 40th HR of the season and the 200th of his career, and Gleyber Torres had three three’s: three hits, three runs and three excellent defensive plays. Luis Gil battled through 5, giving up just a solo HR to Polanco and got the win, improving to 14-6 on the year. Marcus Stroman handled his demotion to the pen like a pro, throwing 3 innings of 1-run ball for his first save in 10 years, and just the second save of his career. Woo took the loss and dropped to 8-3 on the year. The win was the Yanks second straight, increased their lead in the East, and raised them to 25 games over .500 for the first time since June 20th. They’re now 88-63 with 11 games left in the season.
At Camden Yards, the Giants and Blake Snell routed the O’s 10-0. Snell, in the midst of another second-half heater, gave up just 1 hit and 2 BB in 6 shutout innings, striking out 12. Mike Yastrzemski got the Giants rolling with a 2-run HR on the 1st off of Albert Suarez. LaMonte Wade, Jr, Mike Conforto and Brett Wisely also knocked in two, while rookie outfielder Grant McCray scored three times. Snell got the win, improving to 4-3 on the year, and Suarez took the loss, dropping to 8-6.
At the DreadedDome™ in Tampa, the Red Sox got 2 in the 2nd on a Casas HR, but the Rays struck back for 1 in the 4th on a solo shot by Caminero, and took the lead for good on three more homers off Pivetta; solo shots by Josh Lowe and Siri, and a 2-run blast by Brandon Lowe. The Sox got back within two on a solo HR by Gonzalez leading off the 8th, but put it away in the bottom when Siri doubled with the bases loaded, scoring all three runners. The Rays won, 8-3, with Shane Baz getting the win to get to even his record at 3-3; Pivetta took the loss to drop to 5-11; he hasn’t won a game since the end of July. The loss left the Rays 1 game behind Boston, and eliminated the Red Sox from the East divisional race.
In Texas, neither Yankee-killer fared well: the Rangers knocked the Jays Chris Bassitt out in the 4th having allowed 7 runs (6 unearned), and the Jays returned the favor on Nathan Eovaldi in the next inning, but all 7 of the runs he allowed were earned. The game was 7-7 when Eovaldi left, and the Rangers decisively won the battle of the bullpens and the game 13-8. Guerrero had 3 hits, raising his BAVG to .322, and Schneider hit his 12th HR for the Jays. Langford hit two doubles and his 12th HR, scoring 3 and knocking in 2. Garcia knocked in 3 and Tavares also had 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI and his 11th HR. Matt Festa got the win in relief to get to 5-1, Tommy Nance took the loss for the Jays to drop to 0-2.
In games relevant to the Mariners, and thus tangentially important to the Yanks, the Tigers topped the Royals in 10 innings, 3-1, with Meadows and Greene getting the two runs home via RBI singles. Holton got the win in relief, he’s now 7-1. Erceg took the loss to drop to 2-6 and Foley got his 25th save for Detroit. The Twins beat the Guardians 4-1 as four Twins relievers shut down Cleveland on two hits in the last 4 1/3 innings. Matt Wallner knock in runs with two RBI singles early in the game, Willi Castro hit a 2 run HR in the 8th to give the pen some elbow room. Cole Sands got the win in relief of Zebby Matthews, who barely missed getting through 5 innings. Sands is having one of those lucky middle relief years where he seems to be in the game every time the Twins take a lead, he’s now 9-1 on the year. Gavin Williams took the loss but at least pitched decently this time, dropping to 3-10. Fireballer Jhoan Duran cruised through a 1-2-3 8th, but gave up and double and a walk with one out in the 9th, and the Twins brought in Griffin Jax to nail it dow for his 9th save.
Going into today’s action, the Yanks led the O’s by 4, the Red Sox by 13, the Rays by 14 and the Jays by 65. The Yanks magic number for clinching the division is down to 8. The Yankees are now 8-3 in their last 11 games; if they do that again in the final 11 games, the division title is theirs even if the O’s sweep them in the Bronx next week. The three Wild Cards are still the O’s, the Royals and the Twins. The Tigers are 1 ½ back of the O’s, the M’s are a game behind Detroit, the Red Sox are two behind Seattle, and the Rays are 1 behind Boston, with both the Rangers and Jays close to being finished, 2 behind Tampa. The tragic numbers are: 4 for Toronto and Texas, 6 for Tampa, 7 for Boston, 9 for Seattle and 10 for Detroit. The Yanks’ magic number for a playoff spot is down to 1. One more win and they clinch against both the Tigers and M’s.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:30:53 GMT -5
In other East games today: the Giants and O’s play the middle game at Camden Yards. The starters were Birdsong for the Giants and Kremer for the O’s, and the Giants rallied from 2-1 down to win 5-3, lowering the Yanks magic number to 7 for the East title
At 6:50 pm in the GhastlyDome™, the Red Sox play the middle game of their Rays. The starters were Houck vs. Pepiot, and the Red Sox beat the Rays 2-1.
And if anyone cares, the Jays play the middle game of their series in Texas. Bowden Francis, still as hot as any starter in MLB, and almost no-hit the Mets last time, starts for Toronto. He’s now 8-4 with a 3.50 ERA. Cody Bradford (5-3, 3.97) starts for the Rangers. I only mention this game because neither team has been officially eliminated. That game is 0-0 in the bottom of the 5th
At 6:40 pm at Progressive Field, the Twins and Guardians are playing the third game of their series. The starters were Ober for the Twins, and Bibee for the Guardians, and right now, that game is tied at 4 in the 10th inning.
At 7:40 pm at Kaufman Stadium in KC, the Tigers look to sweep the Royals. In the 3rd game, Detroit starts their ace and probable Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (16-4, 2.50 ERA) against Royals’ fifth starter Alec Marsh (8-8, 4.52) ERA. KC will have to work hard to avoid getting swept. The game is in the 5th, and the Tigers lead 4-1.
As a result of the O’s loss, the Yanks now lead the East by 4 ½ games; the Sox gain a game on the Rays and push them closer to elimination
And at in 10 minutes in Safeco Field T-Mobile Park, it’s Cortes vs. Miller. See you then.
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Post by chiyankee on Sept 18, 2024 20:38:49 GMT -5
In the race for homefield advantage in the AL, old friend Michael Tonkin gave up a walk single in the 10th as Cleveland beat Minnesota, so the need a win tonight to keep pace with the Guardians.
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:42:41 GMT -5
Torres stepping into the box.
Game underway.
Takes a Fb down the middle, thigh-high, 0-1
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Post by qwik3457bb on Sept 18, 2024 20:44:12 GMT -5
Takes a splitter outside, 1-1 on Torres.
FB above middle and inside it, fouled, 1-2
FB misses inside, taken, 2-2
Takes his timeout. Torres fouled off the 1st pitch, he didn't take it.
Splitter outside, Torres lays off, 3-2
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