MLB 2014 season thread

That it was Puig who flipped the bat is a factor for Bumgarner and the Giants- and I'm not saying it's right.
The institutional resentment for Puig is part of baseball's lovely old codex of racism.

 

On the whole I don't think Bumgarner pitches very well when he is so emotional, and last night that was certainly the case. He was more interested in proving a point to Puig than he was in pitching to him. And he remained too amped up for Kemp.

It's never a good sign when he is yelling at the umpires or wearing his anger like that.

 

In theory. The reality is, after carrying the team all season, the starting pitchers have failed to complete five innings in the past four games, and their starters are running out of gas. After Walker throws tonight, Thursday's starter is "committee of bullpen hacks" as Chris Young is done for the season.

Seattle has improved from 2013, but other than Cano, Kyle Seager and at times Dustin Ackley, they still have a lineup of AAA-caliber hitters.

 

The Angels now have two "bullpen games" in their rotation. The immortal Wade LeBlanc, after two good starts in a row (against the offensively challenged Mariners and A's) might get to start a playoff game. LeBlanc has been DFA three times this season (twice by the Angels and once by the Yankees) and all 29 teams passed each time. Cory Rasmus has started 4 or 5 "bullpen games" and done pretty well, but hasn't thrown more than 50 pitches. Just about every regular-roster reliever on the team has more than 70 appearances this season.
Hector Santiago goes this afternoon at Oakland after two horrible starts. He might not make the playoff roster if he has another bad one.
Those are issues facing the Angels for the playoffs.

 

They've had a number of good ones; that was one of the best. Thanks, Steak.

I wonder if Knoblauch got the kind of help Sasser eventually got.

 

So far, so good today for Santiago: Scorless through four innings with a 3-0 lead.

You may have some inside info Chris, but I don't see any way Santiago would be left off the playoff roster. They just don't have any other options for the rotation, as well as LeBlanc has done lately. I guess the one thing I'm hanging on, pitching-wise, for the postseason is that the 2002 team relied heavily on a strong bullpen on its way to the World Series title, and I think the 2014 bullpen as it is now is capable of doing the same.

 

Nice story for them. Outstanding front office overcoming cheap ownership. They played the scrap heap well this year.

Of course, they are still taking the cheap approach and starving Pirates fans are lapping it up rather than asking why the team isn't trying to maximize this window of opportunity, but some people just don't know any better.

 

Why don't you ask his ex-wives?

 

Did he throw any of them wildly past the first baseman?

 

I don't have any inside info. All things dealing with the rotation are up in the air pending the health of Shoemaker. If they only need 3 for the division series, then it's Weaver, Wilson and Shoemaker. If they need 4, or if Shoemaker is still hurt, then it's Santiago, Rasmus or LeBlanc.
Wilson and Santiago are both huge question marks because of their inconsistency.

 

Phil Hughes had a $500,000 bonus for 210 innings pitched.

After going eight innings (and only 96 pitches) Wednesday, he stands at 209 2/3. There was a 66-minute rain delay after he finished the top of the eighth. The Twins took him out, and Gardenhire says he is not coming out of the bullpen this weekend.

 

That's fuct.