The 2014 Major League baseball season

[YmoBeThere]

Really pumped up to see Kershaw start against the Padres tonight.

He has 36 straight scoreless innings and tonight gets to go against the worst offense in baseball -- the Padres have scored 272 runs -- 70 runs less than the Cubs and Red Sox, tied for the next worst offenses. (Time out: I just looked that up because I can't believe it -- the Red Sox have the worst offense in the AL and tied for the second-worst in all of baseball!!!)

Anyway, back to Kershaw ... with another shutout, he gets into range of historic scoreless streak territory -- but he has to get into the 50-inning range to be among the all-time leaders.

Interesting that the two longest scoreless streaks in baseball history both belong to Dodgers -- Orel Hershiser set the record at 59 innings in 1988, breaking the 58 inning streak set by Don Drusdale in 1968.

Streak over at 41 innings.

[toughbuff1]

Brian Roberts returns to Camden Yards tonight for the first time since signing with the Yankees. It will be interesting to see how the crowd resonds to him, since he was basically the one bright spot during a very down time in O's history, but then signed with the O's most hated rivals. I'm guessing he gets a standing ovation in his first at-bat, then booed every other time he steps to the plate.

[Olympic Fan]

Streak over at 41 innings.

Yeah, Kershaw sucked -- nine innings, three hits, 11 strikeouts and one walk ... but he gave up a sixth inning homer to Chase Headley to end his streak.

PS Checking the NY papers, it looked like we dodged a bullet with Jeter's wrist injury. Just a bruise. No DL.

[Jim3k]

It's just been announced that the Yankees have acquired LHP Jeff Francis from the A's for cash and a player to be named later. Francis is fairly decent, but was designated for assignment last week so the Athletics could activate O'Flaherty from the DL.

Francis has been around for some time, (10 years), but hasn't made much of a mark recently. Now a reliever, he only pitched 13 innings for the A's (who got him off waivers from the Reds). His 2014 record totals 18 innings and an ERA of about 3.85. He's been used as a one-inning pitcher.

I'm sure the Yankees think he can help, given their injuries, but he's no replacement for Tanaka. Francis did start for the Rockies (and Royals) for 10 years, so the Yanks may try him there. He's won 70 and lost 80.

[YmoBeThere]

the O's most hated rivals

Isn't this a bit like the Terps saying we were rivals?

[toughbuff1]

Who are these Terps of which you speak?

[YmoBeThere]

Who are these Terps of which you speak?

Here and gone, nothing to worry about.

[mr. synellinden]

The best estimate is now 6 weeks, but more likely that Tanaka needs Tommy John surgery, which is at least a year.

That's not all ... Carlos Beltran was hurt yesterday in batting practice. He fouled a ball off his face and broke two bones ... Brett Gardner is nyrsing a pilled muscle in his abdomen ... and, no telling how serious it is, but tonight Derek Jeter (hitting .333 over the last seven days) injured his wrist -- probably he's facing an MRI.

That's not just a downpour ... it's a hurricane.

Yes, and I would call it a category 5 hurricane with 4/5ths of the rotation out for the season (actually, Pineda may be back). And the current and should be long time ace of the staff with a career threatening injury. -- I did read an interesting stat yesterday that 83% of TJ surgery pitchers come back and meet or exceed their previous effectiveness. So that's something positive. But with this news and the tough loss tonight to the O's (following the meltdown last night), I think the Yankees chances of making the 2014 postseason - which as of four days ago had a decent pulse - are pretty much dead.

[Olympic Fan]

$10 million lawsuit?

http://msn.foxsports.com/buzzer/stor...damages-070714

Makes me embarrassed to be a Yankee fan

[duke74]

$10 million lawsuit?

http://msn.foxsports.com/buzzer/stor...damages-070714

Makes me embarrassed to be a Yankee fan

Only if you identify with that guy. From what I read, he was blasted all over FB, Twitter, etc for that ridiculous lawsuit.

Nothing to be embarrassed about, OF.

Btw, my Mets staff and future staff is starting to look good...even without Harvey back yet. DeGrom looks like a keeper...and Wheels starting to show more consistency...maybe there is hope for me...now we need to decide which to keep and which to trade for a ML bat

[Olympic Fan]

We're headed into the all-star break after today. It's not really the halfway mark -- everybody has played 90-plus games.

Still, a good time to step back and look at where the season is going.

The thing that strikes me -- aside from how many teams have had to endure key injuries -- is the competitiveness of the division races. Going into Sunday's games, five of the six races are wide open and three of them are virtual (or real ties).

The best race is the NL Central, where St. Louis and Minnesota were (as of Sunday morning) dead even. But beyond that, Cincinnati is just 1.5 games back (one in the loss column) and Pittsburgh just 2.5 back (2 in the loss column). That's amazing.

The NL East is almost as good. Atlanta and Washington are listed as tied (Washington has one less loss and Atlanta one more win).

And in the NL West, the Dodgers technically have a half-game lead on the Giants, although the two teams are dead even in the loss column.

The AL is not quite that good, but it's not bad.

In the AL West, the Oakland A's have the best record in baseball. But they also have the honor of playing with the second-best team -- the LA Angels are 1.5 games back (one in the loss column). The only thing that detracts from the race is that they are so far ahead of the rest of the pack that unless one slumps badly, the loser of the race is almost guaranteed a wild card. Seattle is third in the division and are a healthy seven games out (7 in the loss column). But the Mariners are playing so well, it the season ended today, they would get the second wild card in the AL.

That puts a lot of pressure on the other two divisions.

The Orioles have a three game lead over the Blue Jays and four over the Yankees (both are 4 back in the loss column). Boston and Tampa Bay -- the two preseason favorites in the division -- are both 9.5 games back ... the division is a mess. But it's a competitive mess. I'm not sure anybody is out of this one.

The only dud race is in the AL Central, where Detroit is pulling away from KC and Cleveland -- they lead the Royals by 7.5 games (nine in the loss column) and Cleveland by 8.5 (10 in the loss column). It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, KC had taken a small lead on the Tigers.

We're used to the wild card races being tight down the wire, but we have the potential for some of the best division races in ages. The wild card situation may defuse some of that, but there are two many teams competing for too many divisions for all of them to be rescued by the wild card.

PS As of today, California and Seattle get the AL wild cards; The Milwaukee-St. Louis tiebreaker loser and the Washington-Atlanta tiebreaker loser get the NL wild card

[weezie]

OK, well, now my list of free-floating anxieties includes the apparent slide of Verlander. It's not his mechanics, it's not Kate Upton and I really don't think it's the lapro abdominal repair from last fall. He seems ok for 6, usually and then the roof caves in. Is it mental? Is it the yips?
He's just 30 so it can't be age, can it?

[DU82]

OK, well, now my list of free-floating anxieties includes the apparent slide of Verlander. It's not his mechanics, it's not Kate Upton and I really don't think it's the lapro abdominal repair from last fall. He seems ok for 6, usually and then the roof caves in. Is it mental? Is it the yips?
He's just 30 so it can't be age, can it?

Yips? Like Steve Blass?

[YmoBeThere]

The best race is the NL Central, where St. Louis and Minnesota were (as of Sunday morning) dead even. But beyond that, Cincinnati is just 1.5 games back (one in the loss column) and Pittsburgh just 2.5 back (2 in the loss column). That's amazing.

Oh, I wish it were the Twins, they would be easy to catch. It will be interesting in the NL Central, we'll see if the Brewers can win it this year. Their hitting has been very good deep into the lineup and their 4 and 5 starters are a bit better than I expected.

[JasonEvans]

The best race is the NL Central, where St. Louis and Minnesota were (as of Sunday morning) dead even. But beyond that, Cincinnati is just 1.5 games back (one in the loss column) and Pittsburgh just 2.5 back (2 in the loss column). That's amazing.

The NL East is almost as good. Atlanta and Washington are listed as tied (Washington has one less loss and Atlanta one more win).

And in the NL West, the Dodgers technically have a half-game lead on the Giants, although the two teams are dead even in the loss column.

The entire National League is ridiculously close.

If you look at losses (the only logical way to look at it):
42 losses - Nats
43 losses - Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Brewers
44 losses - Cardinals, Reds
46 losses - Pirates

Or, look at it by win percentage:
Dodgers - .557
Brewers - .552
Braves - .547
Giants - .547
Cards - .542
Reds - .537
Pirates - .516

Basically, there is only 1-2 games separating the best team in the NL from the 7th best team in the NL. That's crazy!

-Jason "it is going to be an exciting second half... and I expect some trades from the contenders who know that one deal can be a real difference-maker" Evans

[pfrduke]

The entire National League is ridiculously close.

If you look at losses (the only logical way to look at it):
42 losses - Nats
43 losses - Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Brewers
44 losses - Cardinals, Reds
46 losses - Pirates

Or, look at it by win percentage:
Dodgers - .557
Brewers - .552
Braves - .547
Giants - .547
Cards - .542
Reds - .537
Pirates - .516

Basically, there is only 1-2 games separating the best team in the NL from the 7th best team in the NL. That's crazy!

-Jason "it is going to be an exciting second half... and I expect some trades from the contenders who know that one deal can be a real difference-maker" Evans

And yet, if the playoffs were to start today, the second-best team in all of baseball would be forced into a one-game playoff that, if they won, would match them up against the best team in baseball a full two rounds before the World Series.

Divisions are silly.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

And yet, if the playoffs were to start today, the second-best team in all of baseball would be forced into a one-game playoff that, if they won, would match them up against the best team in baseball a full two rounds before the World Series.

Divisions are silly.

Yeah - but do away with divisions and you also need to go to a balanced schedule and then nobody has intense rivalries with their natural foes - Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giiants Mets-Braves (just joking here) only play 3 series a year

There are arguments both ways - at least there is the wild card, so a 95-100 win 2nd place team isn't shut out entirely (as has happened).

[Duvall]

I blame Metheny. Should've started Kershaw.

[pfrduke]

Yeah - but do away with divisions and you also need to go to a balanced schedule and then nobody has intense rivalries with their natural foes - Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giiants Mets-Braves (just joking here) only play 3 series a year

There are arguments both ways - at least there is the wild card, so a 95-100 win 2nd place team isn't shut out entirely (as has happened).

Right. The last season before the wild card (with the "Western" Braves at 104 wins keeping the Giants at 103 wins out of the post season entirely being the perfect example of this.

Still, as a fan of the team that's likely to finish 2nd (in the AL West and in MLB), the current system frustrates.

[YmoBeThere]

Still, as a fan of the team that's likely to finish 2nd (in the AL West and in MLB), the current system frustrates.

Switch teams?