I have liked the layout for these quick hitters and having longer Odds & Ends when I don’t have a ton to really dive into so I’m going to keep it as such as I brainstorm new stuff.
The NL Central is a division we identified quickly as one that was going to compete for multiple playoff spots, and that could be a 4 team race, if not the full 5.
Injuries are holding back some of the preseason favorites, and breakouts are carrying the dark horses. Which trends are likely to hold up? Let’s talk about it
T-1st — Pittsburgh Pirates (11-7, 4-2 L7 Days)
If you told me that a week into the season Paul Skenes had a 4.00 ERA right around the 20 game mark I’d have a little consternation about how the season was going.
The good news is: Skenes has the worse ERA of any starter on the roster. The other four (Ashcraft, Keller, Chandler, and Mlodzinski) have combined for a 2.38 ERA and their bullpen has four members with ERA’s in the 1’s.
Oneil Cruz is having his breakout season (.328 BA, .997 OPS, 5 HR, 7 SB) Reynolds is starting hot for the first time in his career (.292, .859 OPS, 3 HR), and the acquisitions of O’Hearn (.305 BA, .903 OPS) and Lowe (7 HR, 1.076 OPS) cannot be understated.
They have the 3rd best run differential in the National League (+20) and it’s hard to nitpick anything about this team right now.
While #1 prospect Konner Griffin and top DH signing Marcell Ozuna are off to cold starts they both have multi-hit games in their last starts and the arrow is point up.
The Pirates hope to close out a 3-1 series victory tomorrow against the Nats, and then welcome Tampa to PNC before hitting the road to visit Cutch and the Texas Rangers.
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T-1st Cincinnati Reds (11-7, 3-4 L7 Days)
This team should thank it’s lucky stars the kids came out hot.
Sal Stewart had his first career 2-HR game on Wednesday night in their 8-3 dismantling of the lowly Giants. Stewart is certainly the front runner for NL Rookie of the Year right now (7 HR, 1.160 OPS, .323 BA) and Elly de la Cruz is HOT after a slow start, now up to a .940 OPS with 5 HR and 6 SB.
They’re joined by successful starts by young pitchers Rhett Lowder (3.52 ERA) and Chase Burns (3.31 ERA).
But right now those are about the only things going right for the Reds.
The 11-7, Tied for 1st in the division start will certainly fool people who don’t peak under the hood. They have a -10 run differential, the worst of any division leader, and MLB’s expected record tool has them predicted at 8-10.
The Ke’Bryan Hayes trade continues to be a head scratcher as he has an MLB worst .240 OPS. Steer and McLain at the top of the order are hitting .198. And they can’t seem to figure out any consistent OF play at the plate.
Their bullpen is holding it down with a 3rd in MLB 2.30 ERA.
The Reds need to close out their sweep of the Giants and then have a matchup of fraud-alert division leaders with the Twins afterwards.
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3rd Place — St. Louis Cardinals (10-8, 4-3 L7 Days)
The Cardinals just keep hanging in there. After getting smoked 3 consecutive games against the Guards and Red Sox, they’ve turned it around and won their last 2.
Jordan Walker (MLB leading 8 HR, and a 1.120 OPS) is carrying this offense almost single handedly and frankly the whole squad.
The pitching staff has a division worst 97 runs allowed due in large part to a bullpen ERA over 5.30. And not to be entirely outdone, non Michael McGreevy starts have an ERA over 5.65
JJ Wetherholt’s hot start has fizzled (.167 BA L7 days) and they have 5 starters with worse than .675 OPS.
With a division worst -17 run differential the Cardinals are ripe to fall out of contention if support doesn’t come from outside of Walker and McGreevy.
A roadtrip to the Astros and Marlins are next up on the docket for the Red Birds
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4th Place — Milwaukee Brewers (9-8, 1-5 L7 Days)
The Brew Crew Voodoo ran out a bit (oh no…) and they are 3-7 over their L10 with a streak of 6 consecutive losses (including an inexplicable sweep at the hands of the Nationals)
There’s actually a bit of UNLUCKINESS in my eyes. They have a +15 run differential and it just feels like they’re losing games in atypical Brewers fashion.
Yes they’re dealing with injuries with Chourio and Yelich going down, but that doesn’t really excuse not having a single starter with a FIP under 4.00 nor the fact the left side of the infield hitting a combined .170 (Ortiz/Hamilton/Rengifo).
They have some nice stories going like a Gary Sanchez renaissance (5 HR, 1.227 OPS) and Turang continuing his WBC momentum (.321 BA, 1.050 OPS)
But overall this isn’t a Pat Murphy team right now. I’m not hitting a panic button, but they need a rubber match win against the scuffling Blue Jays to lead them into a winnable series against the fish in Miami.
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5th Place — Chicago Cubs (9-9, 4-3 L7 Days)
The Cubs are better than this record, plain and simple. The 2nd best run differential in the division (+19) they’re getting bitten by the variance bug of late.
But the play of Shota Imanaga has to have the sting of losing Cade Horton subsiding.
Shota’s last 2 starts he has combined for 12 IP, 1 ER, 20 K, and only 3 HA.
He’s SHOVING. So is Edward Cabrera (1.62 ERA). But that’s about where it ends, Taillon is not carrying his weight and Assad has been a brutal fill in for Boyd and Horton to date. The Cubs desperately need starters 3-5 to sure up someway somehow.
They also need Pete Crow-Armstrong to recapture some magic that he hasn’t had since last season’s All-Star Break
There’s plenty of fingers to point across this lineup with all of Busch, Bregman, Shaw and Swanson all carrying OPS in the .400-.680 range
The Cubs may have a get right series coming up against the Mets, the coldest team in baseball, but those boys are HUNGRY for a win and the Cubs can’t afford to keep losing series to mediocre clubs.
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Odds and Ends
We simply must talk about the run of events in the Yankees-Angels game.
They were nothing short of SHENANIGANS
First, with a 4-3 lead in the 7th — the Yanks got away with a possible pushing off the bag, hosing a runner at 3rd to preserve the 1 run game
Fast forward to the Bottom of the 9th, still with their one run lead and 1 out already on the board — they let a pop fly land between SS Zach Neto and 3B Oswald Peraza (former Yankee)
All before delivering the Yankees their 2nd walk off win of the Series.
A damn shame.
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Before we depart the Yankees, clearly they are feeding the boys GOOD down in Tampa
We don’t body shame here, baseball was meant for units.
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Back to the Angels, I will never not celebrate Mike Trout. Enjoy more brilliance on his 4th HR of the series
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Jackson Merrill continues his life of crime, delivering ANOTHER home run robbery, tonight’s victim: Julio Rodriguez
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El Mago is doing El Mago things. Proved to be the difference in a 2-1 win for the Tigers oer the Royals
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A quick FUCK OFF to the Texas Rangers, who waited for Jackie Robinson day to unveil a statue that may or may not commemorate a segregationist
Show a little respect. And don’t then dodge questions and refuse to confirm nor deny the reporting.
Texas loves having problems with the left (handed pitchers)
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An unreal umpire story out of the City of Brotherly Love
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The Giants are not beating the “clusterfuck” allegations
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And to end on a lighter note, possibly the greatest glove in baseball history has emerged in LA. Dodgers pitcher Will Klein got HOOKED UP by 44 gloves
S/o Tyranitar. Top 5 Pokemon for me (since you asked: 1. Metagross, 2. Arcanine, 3. Blastoise, 4. Torterra, 5. Tyranitar)
Have a great day everybody