Welcome to a different version of 5 Issues I Preferred (Or Didn’t Like) This Week. August is at all times a down interval for me relating to baseball watching. July has all the things 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 means of 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 method I often flip between baseball video games. However worry not: There’s loads of baseball nonetheless happening, 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 at all times, 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? Effectively, ignore me, as a result of a number 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 had 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 had been obtainable. It seemed like they may 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 drawback – Chapman simply pulled out possibly the perfect 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:
Similar 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 evaluation, 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? Fallacious:
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 convey 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 alternative, almost 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 best. 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 offer him a lead, he was busy mowing the Rangers down. He was good 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 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 tip of the street. There was simply Corey Seager to get. Or to get obtained by, because it seems:
Ugh. A two-run homer in spite of everything that work. That’s why managers at all times look so burdened when their starters are closing out massive video games. One little slip-up, towards among the best 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 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 among the best hitters in baseball. Yordan Alvarez may have reached both Dallas or Fort Value from Arlington with this ridiculous blast:
In the event you’re holding 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 vital – 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 total stable job saving the bullpen, which had been closely labored the day earlier than and was prone 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 towards 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 method 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 current rise in sea degree, that proportion is perhaps extra like 70/30 now, however in any other case Kiermaier’s defensive substitute in Toronto is doing a spectacular job of selecting up the place the previous outfield wizard left off. Daulton Varsho may 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 digital camera angle can add or subtract issue. That’s not what’s occurring right here, although. Varsho might be the perfect outfielder by the attention check. He’s additionally the perfect 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 pace. He has an correct throwing arm and makes good selections. His first steps are the perfect 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) due to 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 making an attempt it. They’d be taking part in 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. 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 yr:
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 stored his eye on the play all the way in which all through, which let him get a bonus out:
I really 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 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. Overlook about accuracy; it’s simply spectacular he was capable of 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 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 staff, 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 ambiance. 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 may 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 an odd place all yr. A number of the gamers who had 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 staff 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 droop, 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 abruptly Barry Bonds (.311/.370/.635 this yr, and .333/.395/.833 since moving into the lineup full-time in July). A few of it has come from regular fingers: 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 night time, Jake Irvin seemed 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:
“Talent recreation,” I can nearly hear Wade yelling to the dugout as that one landed. All you need 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 wonderfully positioned line drive that juuuuust escaped Jacob Younger in heart:
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 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 immediately into the bottom and hit the jets:
Hey, higher fortunate than good. (Ignore the ump; the out name was overturned after a evaluation.) That two-run go off of 4 weak hits is the sort of offensive fortunate allure that may make a staff really feel prefer it’s destined to succeed. When your weak contact is persistently discovering holes within the protection, all the things appears simple. That hasn’t actually described the Giants this yr – they’ve made a whole lot of issues appear exhausting, in truth. They’re on the skin of the playoff race, and so they’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 like the offensive cost will want its fair proportion of couldn’t-roll-it-out-there-any-better manufacturing.