2016 MLB Regular-Season Thread

Attention @BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo :
The Angels started the game with a leadoff double. Scioscia had him sac bunted to third base.

Sacrifice bunts in the first inning and playing for one run... of a game when Jared Weaver is pitching!

 

Well, they do still have a winning record.

 

They do... but as one who watches every game, they're a game over .500 with starting pitching that, 19 or 20 out of the 25 games, has outperformed expectations.

The little things that marked the end of 2014 and all of 2015 just aren't there.

 

25 games is a pretty good gauge. Hard to see things changing over the next 137.

 

"Could have been"?

 

White Sox designate John Danks for assignment.

 

I'm not incredibly worried. Their luck from the past two years has evened out a bit over the last week or so. They threw a one-hitter and lost. A game-tying RBI was called foul. Morales crushed one that could have tied it yesterday, but it got held up in a cold wind. Moose is hurting.

It should swing back the other way at some point.

 

Can't disagree with you. Have seen about 20 seconds of their games. I see they are one of the lowest scoring teams. Their pitching appears better than expected, at least their starters.

I think they enjoyed a lot of luck the last couple years. That comes around. Just looking at the stats, it appears Cain, Gordon and Morales have been lousy and could improve. If they keep sticking Escobar at the top of the order they'll get what they deserve.

 

Another world championship?

 

When the 30 for 30 comes out on the royals, I'll hang on every word from the hour of silence in the locker room after losing the 2014 World Series.

If not for that pain, 2015 doesn't happen.

Now that 2015 happened and they climbed the mountain, outside of the three position players I mentioned, the other six appear to either be satisfied off getting paid or trying really hard to get paid before time runs out.

It's cliche but I think it's true. Staying motivated to stay on top is incredibly difficult. The Royals aren't doing the little things - not moving runners over, getting thrown out on steals that kill rallies.

I'll disagree on the luck part. KC made its own luck going back to the 2014 WC. That team had to eek out runs but rode out pitching and defense. 2015 had far better offense, worse starting pitching and stellar defense. Now the offense and defense are worse but the starting pitching, the one element I think all of us assumed would be shaky, is substantially better.

That being said; the royals could go 78-84 this year, start off 29 straight years of no playoffs and they've given me, as a lifelong fan, everything I could ever ask for from 2014 and 2015. That bill is paid for life.

 

Winners win until they win?

 

Epic 15-pitch at-bat between Jake Diekman and Darwin Barney in Toronto ended with a called strike three.