http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/132785/by-the-numbers-houston-astros-are-ultimate-road-warriors
:!: :!: :!: Dbacks took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th and never got an out. Corey Seager tied the game with a base hit and Chris Taylor won it with his 4th hit of the game. The sweep of Arizona puts the Dodgers 5 1/2 games in front, with Kansas City coming in for three before the All-Star break... Justin Turner was voted to the All-Star team with a record 20.8 million votes. Pentone 294 stuffed ballots around the clock inside the stadium and Turner's fiance, Kourtney, directed traffic from her website. This begins the tradition of the Dodger Dogs stuffing the ballot boxes like everybody else... FYI: The Dbacks are MUCH better than Colorado. Every game was close and they showed how good they were tonight. Goldshmidt is a legit super star and their All-Stars proved their selections were correct. Jake Lamb, who supposedly can't hit lefties, hit TWO HRs off lefties in this game. Starter Robbie Ray fought control problems and pitched heroically all night until his bull pen blew it for him... re: more whining Alex Wood is only the second left-handed pitcher in 100 years to win his first ten games with an ERA under 2.00...
:arrow: I confess. I probably voted around 500 times and everyone else here voted multiple times too...
Kansas City was the hottest team until they arrived here and ran into an even hotter team. The Dodgers are the first to 60 wins after another comeback victory. The Royals can avoid the sweep tomorrow, if they can beat Kershaw...
:!: :idea: :arrow: The sweep is complete. Clayton Kershaw became the first Dodger pitcher to win 14 games before the All-Star break since Sandy Koufax in 1966. Justin Turner hit two HRs and Kershaw was allowed to toss a complete game, because he now has the next week off. Corey Seager did not play today. The team gives a day off to starters in every game to stay fresh for the playoffs. The Dodgers are setting so many records now, that it's difficult to keep track of them all: - The Dodgers have outscored their opponents by 167 runs. This is the all-time record. - The team has now won 50 games when leading by the 5th inning. This is the all-time record, and confirms that they may have the greatest bullpen of all-time. - Kershaw struck out ten or more batters for the 58th time. Today he got his 10th K in only 67 pitches.
Astros bashed the BlueJays yesterday for a team record 60th win at the All-Star break. Most impressively is they are doing it with a banged up and pateched together pitching staff. It helps that they have outscored their opposition by 180 runs. Jose Altuve leads MLB with a .347 BA and the rest of the lineup is dangerous up and down the order. Leadoff hitter George Springer already has 27 Hr's and Shortstop Corlos Correa is hitting .325 and with power. Hopefully our Ace will be back for August and that our other starter on DL Colin McHugh will be back in as well. We are pretty much a lock to win 100 games, only needing to go .500 the rest of the to reach that mark. All well and good but that only gets you to the playoffs.
:idea: On all of those All-Star ballots that I filled out, I voted for three Astros on every ballot: Altuve, Correa, and Springer.
Watching Georges boy Aaron Judge in the HR Derby...WOW, a couple of moon shots. The guy is legit. He's Frank Howard, Dave Kingman, but even more with the bat in his hands.
:idea: I refuse to watch HR Derby, but I read about it in today's newspaper. I was pleased with the outcome. I voted for Judge on every ballot too. I like his attitude...
:idea: Good All-Star game, although all the young stud-pony hitters were a tad over-matched by the wily old pitchers...
My guys did well... Ramirez went 2 for 2 and stole a base. Brantley got a hit. Lindor struck out 2 or 3 times but made a couple good plays at SS. Miller got the save. Kluber didn't pitch because he pitched Sunday night. And Tito has never looked better! https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1332427
Astros 0-7 at the plate! Devenski got 1 inning and it was clean. I'm just glad that we finally don't count the game as anything other than an exhibition. I hated it when the winner got the home field in the WS. I still think they should go back to alternating the home team for the WS between NL and AL.
I was pleased with my American League All-Star votes. I don't really follow that league, so it's difficult to know if I'm voting for the right guys. The only one that I know for sure is Trout. The rest I know only from clips on the Baseball Chanel or comments that you guys make. As an example, I voted for Cleveland's Jose Ramirez based mostly on clips I had seen and he did very well. It was the same thing with the three Astros players. Overall, I'm happy with my picks after the game... I also agree with Terry about not counting this game for home field advantage, and I too would like to return to alternating home fields for the WS.
Cody Bellinger became the first Dodger rookie to hit for the cycle, three days after his 22nd birthday. He is only the 3rd LA Dodger to accomplish this, and only the 10th all-time, along with names like Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson. Alex Wood became the first Dodger pitcher to begin the season 11-0. The team dates it's beginning to 1883... Marlins threw at Puig again to start a fight, but it didn't work... Pantone 294 and other blue rooters took over the Marlins stadium and drowned out the locals and unfurled their flag. The Dodgers have so many Cubans that they regard the Marlins park as a second "home field." The Dodgers are now 9 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place AZ...
The Dodgers win again and are now off to their best start since 1899, when they were the Brooklyn Superbas. It must be Sunday, because they rested most of the starting lineup. Players on the bench today were Pederson, Puig and Grandal. Kershaw hasn't pitched in a week and is scheduled for Wednesday...
I see the Cubs new pitcher had a great first outing on the North side. Astros are close to getting back our ace, he has been battling some sort of pinched nerve in his neck I hope they have it figured out and he's the same pitcher that he was before he went on the DL. It would be nice for the 2nd half to have a healthy staff.
:idea: The Cubs still look like the best team in the Central. Unless Milwaukee or St. Louis can pull a wabbit out of their hat, the addition of another starter might seal the deal for Chicago... Dodgers and Astros are amazing. I don't remember two teams just running away from the pack like this...
Was Pedro Martinez 2000 season the greatest season for a starting pitcher in the last 20 years? His WHIP was .737 and his BAA was .167
Carlos Correa jammed his thumb swinging at a pitch last night. I don't think I've ever seen that before, he didn't get hit it was a swing and a miss.