HOW WILL THE ANGELS LOSE TODAY?!

Which Dodger will get injured today?!

Juan Soto, post All-Star Game: 588/.650/1.588 for a 2.238 OPS, with 5 HRs & 11 RBI.

Juan Soto, post All-Star Game: 588/.650/1.588 for a 2.238 OPS, with 5 HRs & 11 RBI.

If he can maintain that pace for the rest of the year he will win the Triple Crown and set new single-season records for homers, RBI, batting average, on-base-percentage and slugging percentage.

Maybe this will start a meme that competing in the Home Run Derby is the way to get your swing fixed, rather than the way to ruin your second half.

I was always pro-human umpiring, but this Angels-A's game has me turned around. Ohtani's spent all game staring at umpires in disbelief while they call pitches 10 inches outside a strike. It's no bueno. Bring on the robo umps.

Question: the Pirates signed their fifth and sixth round picks, both college seniors, for a total of $20,000. Would they have had the option to catch on with an independent league, or do these cooperation agreements MLB has with the indys prohibit the indys from competing for drafted players?

Maybe this will start a meme that competing in the Home Run Derby is the way to get your swing fixed, rather than the way to ruin your second half.

Indeed, the MASN broadcasters have made that point several times, crediting the Derby with getting Soto to hit to the opposite field more often.

What happened to Eugenio Suarez?

Mets have used 15 starting pitchers this year, an MLB-high and their most since 1979.

ah, the Summer of '79. Mets were 57-99, but fought like lions and won their last 6 games after losing 43 of 56 in Aug/Sept. to that point, thus avoiding the dreaded 100-loss season.

only of THOSE in the past 50 years was the'93 model that lost 103 games - "The Worst Team That Money Could Buy."

Eddie Murray, Tony Phillips, Bobby Bonilla, Frank Tanana, Charlie O'Brien, Bret Saberhagen, Anthony Young (1-16 with a 107 ERA+), Mike Maddux....

Well that was anticlimactic. Down 4-1, the Cubs load the bases with 2 outs in t6, long meeting on the mound ... first-pitch pop-up.

Apparently Bryant and Kieboom have been pulled from their respective games

Cherry-picking but in his last 8.2 IP, Cubs' LHR Rex Brothers has given up 9 runs on 6 H, 6 BB and 3 HR.

07.20... Kris Bryant is being evaluated for "right hamstring fatigue," according to the Cubs.
Spin: That's the reason for his early exit from Tuesday night's game against the Cardinals -- not any sort of trade. Bryant was 0-for-1 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored before getting replaced in left field by Ian Happ to begin the bottom of the fifth. More should be known as to the severity of the issue on Wednesday.

07.20... According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, "six to eight teams" have engaged the Rockies about a potential Trevor Story trade.
Spin: Story will be among the most popular names on the rumor mill in the leadup to next week's trade deadline and seems almost certain to get dealt away as an impending free agent who is highly unlikely to be re-signed by Colorado. The star shortstop is having a down year in some areas, though he does have 11 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 80 games and could provide an immediate offensive boost to a range of contending clubs.

07.20... Carlos Carrasco (hamstring) allowed five earned runs over 1 2/3 innings in a rehab start Tuesday night with Triple-A Syracuse.
Spin: Carrasco gave up three hits -- all homers -- while also issuing three walks and recording only one strikeout in the 41-pitch outing. He was scheduled to go three innings but got lifted after throwing 33 pitches in the second.

Carter Kieboom getting pulled from his Triple-A game the same time as Kris Bryant is obviously gonna rile folks up, but Kieboom just got off the IL and the game was going long, so I suspect it was just a "rest" situation and a timing coincidence.

Since contributing to the no-hitter against the Dodgers on June 24, the Cubs' pen has given up 63 runs in 70.2 innings. (hopefully I added right.) Oddly they have generally pitched pretty well in close games but the fodder has bee horrible and a couple of guys (like Brothers) who'd been surprisingly good have been not so good. Not all of those runs were earned of course and there are 2-3 Sogard appearances included. They've gone 4-15 in that stretch, will be 4-16 soon enough (with a few more IP and at least 2 more runs).

Cubs score 6 in the 9th---on two hits!---and hand Alex Reyes his first career blown save as they beat the Cardinals, 7-6.

Oh me of little faith ... Cubs with apparently their biggest 9th inning comeback in 42 years, win 7-6. Kimbrel save.

Reyes entered the game with a 1.42 ERA and a 4.72 xERA.

I have never seen anything like that.

no closer ever can walk 35 batters in 43 IP as he had done entering tonight, and keep his job. strand percentage 91 pct is just comical. if the crowd stays quiet when he enters games, it's easy to hear the "TICK TICK TICK...." of the bomb inside his uniform.

yet, like Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed on the moving dance floor in "It's a Wonderful Life," somehow Reyes just kept dancing - until tonight.

unless he suddenly learns a new pitch or something, the beatings will continue.

Kimbrel 2021 is the real deal, and Reyes is a joke.

do both teams know this? because all I ever hear about is Cubs dumping - but not the Cardinals.

with a stud closer, the Cubs have a chance.

the Cardinals? are they still in the league?

Kimbrel 2021 is the real deal, and Reyes is a joke.

To be fair to Reyes, he's missed so much time due to injuries that 2021 is really his first full season in the big leagues. He has great stuff, and if he was 22, I think folks would be a little more forgiving of his lack of command as he would be just learning to pitch at the big-league level.

Reyes' tight-rope act has worked because he doesn't allow homers (ok, 2, in 43ip) and he allows only 5 hits per 9, so the walks haven't killed him (until last night).

That said, Gallegos maybe ought to be the closer, or at least should be the guy brought into the 9th with runners on.

When Jordan Hicks returns next year, I'd like to see him as the closer again, and let Reyes develop as a starter. He has four pitches, great stuff, but not much command, but like I said, he's still learning to pitch.

I was always pro-human umpiring, but this Angels-A's game has me turned around. Ohtani's spent all game staring at umpires in disbelief while they call pitches 10 inches outside a strike. It's no bueno. Bring on the robo umps.

The Yankees-Phillies game last night was just as bad. By the third inning the announcers were just laughing at the extent of expanded strike zone on all four sides of the zone, whose only semi-saving grace was that it was spitting out Gift Strikes to all pitchers, not just one team's. Cone was saying he wished he could've had that umpire around to call all of the games he'd pitched in. One Gift Strike that Chad Green got in a bases loaded / 1 out / 2-1 count situation in the top of the 7th, with the Phillies looking to get within a run, pretty much turned the momentum of the game completely around. Hoskins was majorly steamed, and it was hard to blame him, even though I liked the outcome.

Kimbrel 2021 is the real deal, and Reyes is a joke.

per post 20, basically agreed.

I meant "in terms of who is a true stud closer in 2021......"

but Reyes is still young and has electric stuff when everything is in sync. he'll have a key role as long as he stays healthy.