Ben Clemens analyzes the leverage aspects of Baby Shark.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:16 am | Humor | Permalink | No Comments

The Kansas City Royals hired Mike Matheny as their new manager. He worked with the team in 2019:

“Our entire organization is delighted to announce and celebrate the hiring of Mike Matheny,” Moore said in a release announcing the move. “Every department has had the pleasure to work and interact with him this past season.

“Through this interaction, it became very clear to our leadership team that Mike is the obvious person to lead our baseball team. Mike Matheny is a passionate leader with strong virtues, intelligence, and a relentless commitment to help players reach their full potential.”

KansasCity .com

With Matheny at the helm, the Cardinals won the NL Central three times and the NL title once. That’s not a bad run for six full seasons in the dugout. His teams never finished below .500, and even when he was fired, the team was a game above .500.

I suspect there will be less pressure on him with the Royals. He still suffers from the concussions that ended his career, and that comes out when he is stressed. For his part, Matheny said the right thing:

“I truly see something very, very special about to happen here,” Matheny said after he put on a Royals jersey and cap during his introductory news conference at Kauffman Stadium, “and I want to be a part of it.”

The Royals are a team on the way up.

Posted by David Pinto at 8:41 pm | Management | Permalink | No Comments

The Nationals win the 2019 World Series, out scoring the Astros 33 runs to 30 runs. The Astros, however, posted a clearly better offense based on averages. Houston batters produced a .272/.342/.452 slash line, versus .241/.320/.419 for the Nationals. That’s a phenomenal line for Houston, given the quality of pitching they faced.

Timing was of course the issue. The Astros hit .263/.328/.404 with runners in scoring position, driving in 17 runs, while the Nationals hit .211/.274/.263 in that situation, but also managed to drive in 17 runs. Situational hitting didn’t matter that much.

The real difference may be that the Nationals concentrated offense in consecutive players. The 2-3-4 sequence for the Nationals, Adam Eaton, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto all did everything well at the plate, getting on base and hitting for power. The best hitters for the Astros had gaps between them. George Springer, Michael Brantley, and Yuli Gurriel all did a great job of getting on base. In between them, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregmen were out machines. That made it tough for Houston to put together long offensive sequences. As we saw in game seven, Max Scherzer struggled, but he didn’t allow a big inning.

It was a strange series all around, only two of the games produced a close final score, but all of the games stayed close early. Of course, the visiting team won all seven games. It was a great example that anything can happen in a short series.

Posted by David Pinto at 6:50 am | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

The Day by Day Database is up to date.

Posted by David Pinto at 6:25 am | Day by Day | Permalink | No Comments

Stephen Strasburg wins the World Series Willie Mays MVP award. He held Houston to a .222/.259/.407 slash line in two starts. Six of the twelve hits he allowed went for extra bases, but with few runners on base, they did little damage.

Posted by David Pinto at 12:15 am | Awards, World Series | Permalink | No Comments

The Nationals beat the Astros 6-2 in game seven of the 2019 World Series. Washington wins the first championship in the Expos/Nationals franchise history. This continues to be the century of drought ending series wins. The Angels, Red Sox, White Sox, Giants, Cubs, Astros, and now the Nationals all won their first or ended decades long droughts.

Max Scherzer bent but didn’t break, putting men on base but only allowing two runs. Patrick Corbin pitched three strong inning of relief, and the offense game alive in the last three inning to score six runs and seal the win.

It is the first seven game series in the three major sports in which the road team won all seven games. That’s pretty amazing.

Congratulations to the Nationals on a great comeback regular season, LDS, and World Series. People thought that their window for winning closed with the loss of Bryce Harper, by they were a year off.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:57 pm | World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments

The Astros send the top of the order to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the Nationals leading the game 6-2. George Springer, Jose Altuve, and Michael Brantley will try to set the table for a big inning. Daniel Hudson comes in to pitch.

Update: Springer pops out to second base, swinging at the second pitch. One down.

Update: Altuve falls behind 0-2. He swings at the next pitch and strikes out. Two down.

Update: Brantley gets ahead 2-1. He fouls a ball just inside the foul poll for strike two. The count goes full. He swings at a low pitch, misses, and the Nationals win the World Series!

Posted by David Pinto at 11:45 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

The Nationals load the bases with one out in the top of the ninth inning on two singles and a walk. That brings up Adam Eaton to face a Jose Urquidy. Washington is up 4-2 on Houston.

Update: Eaton singles up the middle on a 1-0 pitch, driving and two runs score as the ball is booted in centerfield. It’s 6-2 Nationals, and their chances of a World Championship just skyrocketed.

Update: That’s all the Nationals get, but they take a four-run lead to the bottom of the ninth, as the Nationals/Expos franchise goes for their first World Championship.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:35 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Patrick Corbin pitches a third inning and retires the bottom of the Astros order in order. He allowed two hits and struck out three as he doesn’t allow a run. I’m assuming that a closer will come in for the ninth, but with Corbin at 44 pitches, Dave Martinez might just let him finish the game.

The Nationals lead the Astros 4-2 at the end of eight innings.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:24 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Adam Eaton walks and steals second in the top of the eighth inning. With two out, Juan Soto singles Eaton home, and the Nationals lead the Astros 4-2. That’s a big insurance run given the shaky history of the Nationals bullpen. Soto drove in 14 runs in 17 post-season games.

Update: Howie Kendrick singles off the first baseman’s glove to put runners on first and third with two out. That chases Roberto Osuna.

Update: Ryan Pressly comes on to get Asdrubal Cabrera to fly out. The game goes to the bottom of the eighth inning with the Nationals leading the Astros 4-2.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:08 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Patrick Corbin gives up a single in the bottom of the seventh, but that’s it. Corbin pitches two scoreless innings, and the Nationals continue to lead the Astros 3-2.

Posted by David Pinto at 10:54 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Anthony Rendon puts the Nationals on the board with a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning. He continues to rake in Houston, his home town. That’s the sixth home run Zack Greinke allowed in this post-season.

The Astros lead the Nationals 2-1.

Update: Juan Soto follows with a walk. That will be it for Greinke. He gives up two hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings, now it’s up to the bullpen to hold the lead.

Update: Will Harris comes on to face Howie Kendrick.

Update: Kendrick drives the ball the opposite way down the rightfield line and hits the foul pole! It’s a home run and now they dance! The Nationals lead the Astros 3-2.

Update: Asdrubal Cabrera singles as the Nationals find their stroke. Will Harris is out of the game.

Update: Closer Roberto Osuna comes in to pitch to Ryan Zimmerman.

Update: Zimmerman gets ahead 3-0. He walks.

Update: Yan Gomes pops out for the second out.

Update: Victor Robles flies out to end the inning. The Nationals take a 3-2 lead into the stretch.

Posted by David Pinto at 10:25 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Patrick Corbin comes in to pitch the bottom of the sixth inning for the Nationals. Max Scherzer went five innings, allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks. He was constantly in trouble, and constantly getting out of it with minimum damage.

Jake Marisnick pinch hits to start the inning and singles.

Update: A strikeout and a double play end the inning. The game goes to the seventh inning with the Astros leading the Nationals 2-0.

Posted by David Pinto at 10:14 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Zack Greinke continues to mow down the Nationals. They go 1-2-3 in the sixth inning, and Greinke faced one batter over the minimum. He allowed one single and one walk, and threw just 67 pitches, 43 for strikes through six innings. The Astros lead the Nationals 2-0, and that may be more than enough.

Posted by David Pinto at 10:10 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

With runners on first and second and two out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Carlos Correa falls behind Max Scherzer 1-2. He then lines a bullet down the third base line, and it just ticks off the glove of a diving Anthony Rendon. One run scores, and the Astros have runners on first and third pending a review.

The Astros lead the Nationals 2-0. I think the Nationals have stuck with Scherzer too long.

Update: The play stands.

Update: Robinson Chirinos falls behind 1-2. He strikes out to end the inning.

Posted by David Pinto at 9:59 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Zack Greinke strikes out Anthony Rendon to end the top of the fourth inning after making two great plays on comebackers to the mound. That the first strikeout of the game. Considering the starters are Greinke and Max Scherzer, that’s amazing that it would take 27 batters to get to the first K.

Update: Scherzer gets his first K for the second out in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Posted by David Pinto at 9:17 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Jose Altuve singles and Alex Bregman walks to give the Astros men on first and second with one out in the bottom of the third inning. That brings up Yuli Gurriel, who homered earlier against Max Scherzer. The Astros lead the Nationals 1-0.

Update: Gurriel flies out the rightfield. Two down.

Update: Yordan Alvarez falls behind 0-2. He hits a 2-2 pitch deep to centerfield, but Victor Robles runs it down.

At the end of three innings, Zack Greinke faced the minimum against the Nationals, throwing 28 pitches. Scherzer faced 15 batters and threw 55 pitches. Scherzer is not exactly struggling, but he working for every out. So far, they are coming easy for Greinke.

Posted by David Pinto at 9:02 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Yuli Gurreil gets Houston’s first hit leading off the bottom of the second inning as he launches a 2-1 pitch into the Crawford boxes. The Astros lead the Nationals 1-0. Yordan Alvarez follows with a single to rightfield. Max Scherzer has been falling behind batters early.

Update: Scherzer gets ahead of Carlos Correa, but Correa grounds a single against the shift to put runners on first and second with none out.

Update: Robinson Chirinos pops up a bunt attempt for the first out.

Update: Josh Reddick grounds out to first, advancing the runners. The ball hit the bag, but bounced right to Ryan Zimmerman.

Update: George Springer gets ahead 2-0. He swings at a 3-0 pitch and hits a sinking line drive to leftfield. It handcuffs Juan Soto, but he hangs on for the catch. The Astros lead the Nationals 1-0 at the end of two innings, but Washington dodged a bullet.

The Nationals should get someone up in the bullpen.

Posted by David Pinto at 8:36 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Juan Soto singles leading off the second inning, the first hit of the game. He’s now hitting .333 in the series. Zack Greinke gets Howie Kendrick to hit back to the box, and Greinke starts a double play to clear the bases.

Posted by David Pinto at 8:28 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Zack Greinke starts strong, retiring the Nationals in order in the top of the first. Trea Turner hit a line shot right at Alex Bregman for an out, and Robinson Chirinos made a nice play on an Adam Eaton dribbler in front of the plate. No score as the Astros come to bat.

Update: Scherzer pitches around Michael Brantley with a walk but otherwise looked strong as he retires the Astros without allowing a hit. For the first inning at least, there was no sign that his neck is bothering him.

Posted by David Pinto at 8:23 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Josh Hamilton faces charges of child abuse:

The former All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton was charged with injury to a child after his 14-year-old daughter told his ex-wife that he had struck her.

Hamilton turned himself in to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday and was released on $35,000 bond.

NYTimes.com

Sadly, this doesn’t surprise me. His working his way to the majors after beating drug addiction was a feel good story at the time, but it’s possible that Hamilton wasn’t that good a person from the beginning.

Posted by David Pinto at 7:13 pm | Crime | Permalink | No Comments

First baseman/outfieler/broadcaster Ron Fairly died. The Mariners made the announcement:

Fairly played 21 years in the majors, winning three World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he played from 1958 to 1969. He also played with the Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and California Angels, compiling a .266 average with 215 home runs and 1,044 RBIs.

He was an All-Star with the Expos in 1973 and the Blue Jays in 1977 and is the only player to represent both Canadian major league teams in the All-Star Game.

ESPN.com

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Fairly peaked twice in his career. In his seasonal age 24 to 26 seasons he totaled 9.4 WAR, then from age 31 to 34 he totaled 14.2 WAR. His power went up with the lowering of the mound in 1969, which appeared to give him new life.

Posted by David Pinto at 6:09 pm | Deaths | Permalink | No Comments

Prices for game seven tickets dropped after the Astros lost game six.

In downtown Houston, a couple of blocks from Minute Maid Park, Astros fan Mike Hensley was trying to find companions to attend the game with him while pricing tickets in the secondary market.

“Game 2 tickets were $1,200 plus fees. Today’s are $600 plus fees,” Hensley said. “Houston’s depressed, and ticket prices reflect that.”

Hensley surmised that Houston fans are not thrilled with the trajectory of the series, which has seen the road team win all six games. And Washington has ace Max Scherzer taking the mound in Game 7.

Hensley finally ended up procuring three tickets for $600 less than two tickets cost to attend Game 2.

“The whole city is depressed as hell,” Hensley said.

ESPN.com

The line at www.betonline.ag has the Astros the favorites at -130 while the Nationals are +120. It seems to me that Astros fans seem to think the Nationals should be the favorite if they are not willing to pay to see the game. Maybe the odds makers should take that into account.

It’s a big change from when the odds makers had the Astros as prohibitive favorites.

Posted by David Pinto at 5:45 pm | Fans, Gambling, World Series | Permalink | No Comments

The last day of the 2019 baseball season sees Washington sending Max Scherzer against Houston and Zack Greinke in game seven of the World Series. The game begins at 8 PM EDT on Fox. Scherzer was scratched from his start in game five due to neck spasms, but a cortisone shot had him feeling well enough that he warmed up in the bullpen Tuesday night. In his time with the Nationals, he pitched much better on the road than at home in the playoffs. If the Nationals win, it will be the first World Series in which the team on the road wins all seven games. This series, then could be the mirror image of the 1987 World Series, the first in which the home team won every game.

If Scherzer falters, Anibal Sanchez and Patrick Corbin are both available for long relief.

Zack Greinke pitched to mixed results in the 2019 post-season. His first start was poor, his second start was okay. He allowed just one run in each of his last two starts, but could not get through the fifth inning. He struck out twenty two in 18 2/3 innings which is great, but the high K rate has not led to few hits allowed, and a high walk rate led to plenty of opportunities for opponents to score. To Greinke’s credit, opponents are only two for 18 against him with runners in scoring position, and the Nationals have yet to tag him with a home run.

It’s all hand on deck! Enjoy!

Posted by David Pinto at 7:00 am | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | 2 Comments

Stephen Strasburg turned in a masterful performance Tuesday night, bring his record this post-season to 5-0. That’s half the Nationals ten wins:

Strasburg had helped carry them to Game 6 in the first place. His three scoreless innings in his first career relief appearance during the wild-card game staved off elimination. So did his gutty, six-inning start in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The win Tuesday made him the second pitcher ever to go 5-0 in one postseason.

WashingtonPost.com

For all the praise rightly heaped on Gerrit Cole, Strasburg is right with him in the post-season. Cole made one fewer start, and has gone deeper in games. Strasburg walked batters at a much lower rate, giving him the better three-true outcomes.

Strasburg pitching into the ninth also covered the weakness of the Washington bullpen. That may come into play in game seven, as an injured Max Scherzer takes the mound and might not last long in the game.

Posted by David Pinto at 6:41 am | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments

The Day by Day Database is up to date.

Posted by David Pinto at 6:21 am | Day by Day | Permalink | No Comments

Stephen Strasburg just told Tom Verducci that he was tipping his pitches in the first inning. The pitching coach caught it. Strasburg started shaking his glove after that, and pitched brilliantly after that.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:52 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Stephen Strasburg comes out for the ninth inning to face Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez, and Carlos Correa. Gurriel grounds out to second to start the inning. He leaves the game after the one out.

Update: Sean Doolittle comes in to pitch to Alvarez, lefty on lefty.

Update: Alvarez flies out on a 1-1 pitch. Two down.

Update: Correa hits a ball off the top of the wall in leftfield, missing a home run by inches. His double keeps the inning alive for the Astros.

Update: Robinson Chirinos gets ahead 2-1. On a full count he pops up to second base, and the Nationals win game six! Game seven tomorrow night for all the marbles. It’s the first time road teams won the first six games of a World Series.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:37 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

With two out in the top of the ninth inning, the Nationals bring the heat. Trea Turner doubled, Adam Eaton reached on a hit by pitch, then Rendon launched a double to drive them both in. Rendon drove in five tonight, as the Nationals lead the Astros 7-2 going to the bottom of the ninth inning.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:33 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments

Stephen Strasburg retires the Astros in the eighth, having thrown 101 pitches. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Nationals lead the Astros 5-2, and at 101 pitches, I wonder if he’ll try to finish the game. This is the last time he’ll pitch in 2019.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:21 pm | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments