MLB 2014 season thread

Cubs had a chance in the 9th of the nitecap, but other than that, they had very few scoring chances. They really look awful.

The fact that the didn't get to face CC didn't help them either.

The Rays this weekend should be a better gauge of the Yankees potential.

 

The Rays and Mariners are competing to see who can put the most starting pitchers on the DL.

 

Braves currently have four (Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Gavin Floyd), though Minor is due back next week and Floyd shortly after that. Medlen and Beachy are out for the year.

No. 5 starter David Hale will go to Triple-A when Minor returns, but it will be interesting to see what happens when Floyd is ready. The ideal situation is to put Alex Wood in the bullpen, but he's pitching so damn well I don't know if they'd do that. Aaron Harang has been outstanding too, so I don't know what they do with him (Julio Teheran and Ervin Santana obviously are locks to stay in the rotation).

Then again, these things have a way of working themselves out. There was similar consternation last year when Beachy was getting ready to come off the DL, then Tim Hudson snapped his ankle and Beachy got hurt again.

 

We complain a lot about homer announcers, but the Phillies' crew has got to be the most boring in the game.

I'd rather have ... wait for it ... Hawk.

 

I particularly enjoyed them questioning a ball call that went against Papelbon when the catcher raised his glove above his mask.

"Where was that one?"
"Nieves raised his glove in front of his mask, so I guess they're saying it was high, but it didn't look high to me."

:

Burnett looked good today, though.

 

During the Sox-Sox game last night on the South Side, Bob Orsillo announced that it was time for the question of the game, which encourages fans to text answers from a list of options.

The question was, What is the best John Hughes movie.

1, Breakfast Club
2, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
3, Home Alone
4, Sixteen Candles

Orsillo, who has a wry sense of humor, spends the next inning asking Remy what his favorite Hughes movie is. Hilarity ensues. Remy's never heard of John Hughes let alone those movies and said he was always too busy playing ball to do anything else.

When asked about Ferris Bueller, Remy said something to the effect, Is that the one where they walk around with a head?

 

The Giants' Yusmeiro Petit (he of the 8 2/3 perfect innings last season) has thrown seven pitches and gotten five outs. He came on with a runner on first and one out, got a first-pitch double play, then followed with a six-pitch inning.

 

I think they said it was the first time since 1988 that a team had been shutout in both games of a doubleheader. First time for the Cubs since 1962.

 

Getting shut out through six today, too. 24 innings. MLB record is 53, and I believe they can challenge it.

 

Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado hits a grounder to third. As soon as he hits it the cover starts coming off the ball. Pittsburgh's Pedro Alvarez fields the ball and throws to first and the ball basically dies halfway there and Maldonado beats it out. Never seen anything like it.

 

Harang, huh?

 

Ike Davis to the Pirates for minor league pitcher Zack Thornton and a player to be named later. Give Pittsburgh credit for finally doing something to address its problem at first base, but Davis is far from a sure thing to help.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2014/04/18/Pirates-acquire-Ike-Davis/stories/201404180172