FR weekly baseball discussion thread: W/E 8/21..it's really getting intersting

one man's opinion.......

[ken5050]

OK..fellow baseball fans..a very exciting week..much to discuss...especially for those who love/hate the NY teams....so let's begin...

[Petronski]

I don't believe one can have a fractional magic number. What am I missing?

Isn't it 163-(leader's wins)-(your team's losses)?

[Petronski]

That would make the Cards' magic number 163-79-58=26

[SCALEMAN]

I don't believe one can have a fractional magic number. What am I missing?
Isn't it 163-(leader's wins)-(your team's losses)?

I didn't want to wait up for the Houston score, but they were behind.
Minor literary license.

[SCALEMAN]

That would make the Cards' magic number 163-79-58=26

That would ensure a tie, not the division win. With that computation both teams could have a record of 105 w 58 l. The Magic Number is 163(Cards wins) - 58 (Houston losses) + 1 = 27 (guarantees the division win)

[Petronski]

I didn't want to wait up for the Houston score, but they were behind. Minor literary license.

LOL!

Understood.

[misterrob]

Mike Timlin's Line: 1.0 innings

34 pitches--23 strikes (3 were hits)

3 hits

1 walk

2 runs

OBA: .571

ERA: 18.00

Care to fluff for him tonight?

[JohnnyZ]

You mean getting an infield pop-up with 2 outs in the ninth inning and ending up with the bases loaded?

If you call that "fluffing", go right ahead! I call it snakebit.

Great job by the bullpen on the whole, 4 innings to preserve the win.

No words of praise for Jeremi Gonzalez? Or for Timlin's performance the other night, for that matter?

I thought not, lol .... like I say, some people are determined to be miserable :)

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

Millar hit a home run!!.

amazing what a little time on the pine can do

[GraniteStateConservative]

Top 5th: Toronto

- S. Hillenbrand struck out swinging
- C. Koskie walked
- G. Zaun singled to left, C. Koskie to second
- R. Johnson singled to right, C. Koskie to third, G. Zaun to second
- E. Hinske hit by pitch, C. Koskie scored, G. Zaun to third, R. Johnson to second
- O. Hudson walked, G. Zaun scored, R. Johnson to third, E. Hinske to second
- R. Adams doubled to right, E. Hinske and R. Johnson scored, O. Hudson to third
- F. Catalanotto singled to right, O. Hudson scored, R. Adams to third
- V. Wells homered to deep left, F. Catalanotto and R. Adams scored
- F. Rodriguez relieved M. Mussina
- C. Koskie singled to right, S. Hillenbrand scored
- G. Zaun flied out to center
- R. Johnson fouled out to catcher

9 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors

Toronto 9, NY Yankees 0

Wow. Just wow.

[SCALEMAN]

Cards 8 PiRats 3

Magic Number 24

could be 23 dependent on the Stros on the left coast

9 runs, 7 hits, 0 errors
Toronto 9, NY Yankees 0
Wow. Just wow

I heard that on the radio driving home. As you said... just wow.

[JohnnyZ]

I'm not sure I would have brought Myers into this particular situation. Lefty specialists are wonderful and all, but when righthanders are hitting .367 against the guy it's probably best to minimize that exposure as much as possible.

Oh well it gives mrsrob something to complain about.

[JohnnyZ]

Myers finally faces a lefty and gets the first out, Bradford strikes out two to maintain the tie!

Good work knuckledraggers!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ....

Mike Mussina was going for his third straight win, and his chances looked good until the fifth inning, when he gave up eight runs.

Gotta love the MLB.com writers!

[JohnnyZ]

Wow, that's some clutch pitching from Timlin after getting in a little trouble!

Now let's score some runs.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The issue is that we have a very weak bullpen. Not a lot of options. We need pitchers to pitch and pitch for more than one AB and to get outs.

It's all up to Arroyo. He'll be the pitcher of record one way or the other.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Bradford's been a good pick up for us. It would have been nice to have Payton in RF for Trot when he was out, but he didn't want to wait for that opportunity. But we got some value in return.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Mike Mussina was going for his third straight win, and his chances looked good until the fifth inning, when he gave up eight runs.

Yeah, if there's one thing giving up 8 runs in an inning does, it's make chances at a third straight win look not so good.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The Royals are running out of quality arms, you'd think.

Burgos, Affeldt, MacDougal, Sisco all gone (I guess Sisco could go out again).

You'd think our sending a double digit win starter out to finish the game would trump whatever the Royals could send out at this point.

[JohnnyZ]

The issue is that we have a very weak bullpen...... We need pitchers to pitch and pitch for more than one AB and to get outs.

Oh I don't dispute that we need another reliever. If we had an actual living breathing setup guy instead of Remlinger, we'd be in good shape. Myers and Bradford and Timlin and Gonzalez are fine at what they do. Four guys just don't constitute a bullpen. With Papelbon and [Foulke?]we'll be set pretty nicely, and likely have Arroyo out of the 'pen in the postseason.

[JohnnyZ]

(I guess Sisco could go out again).

I guess. Only problem is it just takes one run and the game's over, and the Sox offense has put up 8 consecutive zeros.

[JohnnyZ]

And that's that. Leave 13 men on base, squander the game. Not gonna find a scapegoat either, unless ya wanna turn on Papi & Tek for going 0-10, which I don't think anyone does.

Schilling starts tomorrow!