Well, it’s been a few
days, but I’m back.
Hey, can’t I take a break?
I needed one after
watching a decent 13-6 lead over the Dude evaporate and disappear on Sunday.
Man, that’s frustrating.
So here we are, two weeks
in the books, and we’re exactly where we thought we would be — Cheese
Steaks and Gamblers in first and Crox Sox in dead last.
Wait? What?
Crox Sox? Last?
That’s insane.
I don’t believe it.
The next thing you’ll tell
me is that the Red Sox are also in last place in the AL East.
Oh, wait? They are, too?
What is going wrong with
the Sox of all kinds?
Offensively, it’s been a
real struggle. Only 49 hits last week to post a .195 average. Six homers and 20
RBIs didn’t help as the division-leading Gamblers won nine of the 11 batting
categories.
So, what is going wrong in
Croxland?
Outside of Michael
Conforto, a lot.
The Mets outfielder is the
only .300 hitter, batting .323 with 3 homers and 9 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
The majority of his everyday
starters are struggling mightily. Charlie Blackmon is batting .231 with no
homers and 4 RBIs; Corey Seager is batting .237 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs; Jose
Abreu is batting .211 with 3 homers and 10 RBIs; JT Realmuto is batting .240
with a homer and 8 RBIs; and lastly, the most disappointing is Jose Ramirez,
who is batting .138 with no homers and 2 RBIs.
That last one stings a
bit. (Note that I wrote this before the
start of the Indians game which starts in a few minutes.)
By now, Crox has cracked
open a few beers — and likely thrown away the few he picked up for me while he
was in Boston a week ago.
And while it may seem like
I’m pouring on him, I’m about to make him feel better.
It’s so early that these
averages can turn around.
Just look at Jesse Winker
who is batting .190!
Yes, I’m excited for .190
because six days ago, he was batting .042 to start the season. In the following
five days, he collected 7 hits, 4 homers and 8 RBIs.
Now that’s the guy I
traded Blake Snell for.
It won’t be long before
Jose Ramirez has a tear like that, and Crox will sit up and say, “Now that’s
the guy I traded Matt Chapman, George Springer and Amed Rosario for.”
WALKIN’ IN THE RUNS
This just happened again
in the Phillies game Monday against the Mets. Bases loaded up with a walk, and
then the Mets go to the bullpen and four straight pitches bring in the tying
run.
In the Mets-Twins game
last week, the Mets had seven straight batters reach without putting the ball
in play. There were six walks and a HBP that plated four runs.
There are numerous other
instances where this has happened this season, including at least one
walk-off-walk pitched by David Robertson who walked three straight to lose a
key game to the Nats.
It’s just baffling.
Throw a strike.
There comes a point where
you just have to stop trying to paint the corners and serve up a meatball.
Take your chances. See if
the hitter gets under it or hits over top of it too much leading to flyout or a
groundout.
If the ball finds its way
in play or over the fence, so be it.
It’s far better than
walking in the game-winning run.
BACK TO CROX!
Hey, remember when I wrote
about that Indians game starting soon?
Well, Jose Ramirez just
hit a bomb.
It’s happening. Crox is
coming.
WEEK-TO-WEEK
This game is amazing how
the change of a weekly matchup from one to another can bring about the major
change in performance.
Last week, the Cheese
Steaks picked up a convincing 15-6-1 win over Steroid to take his usual
position in first place of the National League.
He picked up that big win
on the strength of an amazing pitching week that saw his hurlers combine to go
9-0 with 8 quality starts, 85 strikeouts to 22 walks, 3.13 ERA and a 1.031
WHIP.
Zack Greinke led the way
with a pair of quality starts, posting a 3.29 ERA with 15 strikeouts to 2
walks.
That’s all a far cry from
the 8.84 ERA he has through 18.1 innings on Monday. That includes a WHIP of
2.073 — double what he had all of last week — and 13 walks — more than half of
what he had all of last week.
Kershaw is pitching still, so there's a chance to make it better, but not in this blog.
Unlike Crox's situation, I'm finished for the night here.
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