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That's why Baker should put Murphy behind Harper, at least until Murphy cools down or Zimmerman, Ramos, Rendon someone can heat up. And back to back lefties be damned!
Astros are inching up in the AL West standings, thanks to losing streaks by both the Angels and Athletics, and Houston having won five of their last eight. There is a three-way tie for third (and last, as well) now. George Springer, by the way, hit the Astros' 1,500th home run ever hit at Minute Maid Park.
Bryce Harper for the Nats went to the plate 7 times. He got walked 6 times (3 intentionally), and got hit by a pitch in his other plate appearance. First time since Jeff Bagwell in 1999 to walk 6 times in a game and the first time EVER a player reached base 7 times in a game without recording an official at bat. See, you really do see something new every day.
In regards to the intentionally walks, Harper got intentionally walked in extra innings to load the bases.........TWICE! The last person I saw that happen to Was Barry Bonds. We can officially start the comparisons.
That is quite impressive though I think it's a bit premature to compare him to Bonds. However, their attitudes seem equally crappy. LOL.
I recall Bonds being walked with the bases loaded. If Harper can manage that then maybe it'll be time to consider some comparisons. Bonds won 7 MVP awards and his high for walks in a season was a staggering 232, that's like a video stat there.
So, what do you do next year if you are the Angels?? No impact free agents (and can't trade for anyone because their farm is as barren as death Valley) so it looks like next year is another $#!t year which means another year they would've wasted a Trout prime, or do they pull a Braves and completely blow it up for 2019/2020?? I think they should start over.
Danny Valencia of the A's just blasted his third home run of the game against the Rays, doing so dramtically with his team down by a run in the 9th, a man on base and two outs. The A's held on in the bottom of the 9th for the win.
This was the 4th three home run game of the season already, the feat having previously been accomplished by Aaron Hill of the Brewers, Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates and Lorenzo Cain of the Royals.
There were five 3 home run games last season, three in 2014, six in 2013, and seven in 2012.
The Giants-Diamondbacks game ended today with a double appeal. SF led 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Arizona had runners at the corners with one out when Weeks Jr. grounded the ball to second. It was relayed to Crawford and the umpire called an out at second, Crawford relayed it to Belt at first, but Weeks was called safe with the umpire claiming that Brandon Belt had come off the bag in receiving the throw. The runner from third scored while all this was taking place.
So it is tied 2-2.....but Bruce Bochy challenged the call at first and the replays showed that Belt was definitely on the bag. Arizona challenged the call at second, claiming Crawford didn't make contact with the bag when he had the ball. The replay on this was inconclusive, no angle clearly established that he was or wasn't on the bag when he had the ball.
So, after a lengthy wait while NY sorted it all out, they reversed the safe call at first and sustained the out call at second, making it a game ending double play.
It shows how important it is to get the call on the field. If the runner at second had been called safe, the replays would not have been enough to overturn that.
Let's talk managers for a minute here. I think by this point last year Ron Roeneke was out in Milwaukee and Dan Jennings would get the boot in Miami 2 days later (May 17 of last year) along with Bud Black later in the year. Who's the first manager to go this year, or who's even on the hot seat??
I'm not sure how many years Chip Hale has left on his contract in Arizona, but his seat is probably warm. That team is so disappointing, and the fact the West isn't very good either (though the Dodgers & Giants seemed to have turned it around) doesn't bode well. Greinke was a terrible signing (his career numbers in that ballpark were awful), and the Miller trade was an awful trade which probably doesn't happen if they don't sign Greinke, and those two have been horrendous for them this year. Still think if a manager gets fired it's going to be Ausmus in Detroit as the first to go, but if Hale only has a year left on his contract, I could see LaRussa & Dave Stewart pulling the plug on him around Memorial day if the team is in the same predicament 2 weeks from today. As for others on the hot seat can't think of many others if at all:
All AL East teams should be fine: It's not Girardi's fault Hal & Cashman are penny pinching and signed no guys that can hit. Blue Jays have had a rough year and the bullpen lost another game but they were 2 games away from the World Series last year, plus the Raptors are in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time, and folks are probably still on cloud 9 from the Maple Leafs winning the NHL draft lottery, so that's going on the backburner for another week or so.
AL Central: Royals are another playoff team struggling, but winning a World Series should buy you at minimum 3 years and probably more like 4 to 5. Twins are disappointing but they are still young, and really last year weren;t expected to do anything, so he should get a pass, plus it's only Molitor's second year.
AL West: AJ Hinch's second year in Houston, so he should stay. Isn't Bob Melvin the 3rd or 4th longest tenured manager in baseball now?? I know Girardi (Yankees), Bochy (Giants) and Scoscia (Angels) have been there longer than Melvin, but anyone else?? Scoscia will finish the season, but could be dumped at the end of the season, even with that massive contract.
NL East: Fredi Gonzalez will almost certainly be fired at seasons end, but would be stupid to fire him before then. Sounds like Loria actually lies Mattingly but you can never put anything in stone with that organization.
NL Central: Bryan Price in Cincinnati after the season maybe?? Like Gonzalez I can see them making a change after season, but would be stupid to do it in season.
NL West: Aside from Hale who I mentioned earlier, everyone else seems safe. Weiss maybe in trouble in Denver, but I don't think they pull the plug midseason.
NL East: Fredi Gonzalez will almost certainly be fired at seasons end, but would be stupid to fire him before then.
So, exactly why would it be stupid to fire Fredi Gonzalez before the end of the season? Have you his game management? He is absolutely clueless and needs to go quickly.
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) now. George Springer, by the way, hit the Astros' 1,500th home run ever hit at Minute Maid Park.
