2019 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #1

Final Score: Chicago 11 – Yonge Street 8

Win: Andrew Miller 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Joe Kelly 0-1 (4.50)
Save: Aroldis Chapman #1

Final Score: Yonge Street 4 – Chicago 2

Win: Ivan Nova 1-0 (3.00)
Loss: C.C. Sabathia 01 (3.86)
Save: Jose Alvarado #1

Final Score: Yonge Street 5 – Chicago 1

Win: Gerritt Cole 1-0 (1.13)
Loss: Carlos Matias Martinez 0-1 (7.11)

Final Score: Yonge Street 7 – Chicago 1

Win: Robbie Erlin 1-0 (1.29)
Loss: Felix Hernandez 0-1 (6.00)

Final Score: Chicago 11 – Yonge Street 8

Win: Marcus Stroman 1-0 (2.61)
Loss: Domingo German 0-1 (9.45)

Final Score: Yonge Street 7 – Chicago

Win: Dylan Covey 1-0 (0.00)
Loss: Noah Syndergaard 0-1 (6.75)

Final Score: Chicago 4 – Yonge Street 3

Win: Ray Black 1-0 (2.25)
Loss: Hunter Strickland 0-1 (0.00)

Weirdness from the get-go or maybe it was opening-day jitters for Mike Clevinger that made him bounce a couple in the dirt with runners on 3rd base in the 1st inning that brought home Nick Martini and Anthony Rendon to score.

The Bandicoots added another couple of runs in the 4th (one on a solo homer by off-season pickup Matt Adams) and one in the 5th on a homer by Alen Hanson. Meanwhile all Arrieta did through five innings was pitch a perfect game.

The 6th inning was slightly less than perfect with Arrieta managing to get only two outs before allowing five runs on three hits and three walks in the inning. Arrieta handed the ball off to Yoshihisa Hirano with the bases loaded and Hirano promptly offered up a “thanks for sticking me the three runners on base, ya dick” grand slam to Starling Marte that gave the Lumber Fellas a 6-5 lead.

Fortunately the crazy ball throwing was not done yet … must have been the quick sand we mixed into the mound between innings … and in the 6th inning Anthony Rendon again scored on a wild pitch by Sergio Romo and the Bandicoots added another couple of runs on Trevor Story’s 1st homer of the season.

The Bandicoots added one more to close off the scoring in the 7th which was followed by a relatively calm and quiet 8th and 9th inning ending with Steve Cishek’s first save of the season as Bethesda topped Pittsburgh 9-6.

The two teams were uber efficient with scoring in the game with a grand total of six runners left on base – four by Pittsburgh and two by Bethesda.

Weird game.

Not a good sign for Bethesda as they headed into the 2019 season with their worst starting pitching in probably six years and it was their offense that was supposed to make them competitive.

Pitt shortstop Jorge Polanco had a nice day as well with four hits in five at bats and one run scored. Taillon fanned six and didn’t walk a batter in the game not to mention that the four hits he allowed were all singles.

Not much worth mentioning on the Bethesda side save that after a crappy 1st and 2nd innings by Alex Cobb (he allowed 3 runs) he settled down nicely to complete five innings and was not terrible. Terrible is something that will follow Bethesda starters all season as they feature a rotation that includes three sub-Grade 5 starters in Cobb, Sonny Gray and Luis Cessa.

Aaron Judge took home star honors for Pittsburgh in this game going a cool 3/3 with a run, two RBIs and his team’s only extra base hit of the game – a double in the 1st inning that scored Mallex Smith and Jorge Polanco. The speedy but otherwise useless Smith scored twice in the game and had two singles and a stolen base.

Mike Moustakas drove in the other two runs for Pittsburgh with a single with the bases loaded in the 3rd inning. Michael Wacha did a great job on the mound for the Lumber Strokers tossing 8 shutout innings in which he allowed five hits, three walks and struck out six. Raisel Iglesias got Jonathan Schoop out to get his first save of the season.

Chirinos, David Peralta and Trevor Story each had two hits for Betehsda. Sonny Gray was ineffective starting the game for Bethesda allowing all four runs on seven hits and a walk in five 

Kind of a bummer for Bethesda players and fans as outside of the 6th inning Pittsburgh managed all of two hits. Oh well. Sean Manaea (1-0) tossed six shaky innings to get the win and allowed four runs on sevens hits and a walk.

Cervelli’s homer was his 2nd of the series and the grand slam was his team’s 2nd of the series. He also had a single and a triple in the game and accounted for all of his team’s extra base hits.

Some terrible mouse-clicking by Bethesda’s bonehead manager in the bottom of the 9th killed a potential game tying rally. Jeff McNeil opened the 9th off closer Raisel Iglesias with a triple and then Iglesias further crapped himself by walked another pinch hitter (AJ Ellis) but managed to strike out Lorenzo Cain. Anthony Rendon followed with a pretty deep flyball that easily scored McNeil, but the Bethesda field boss crapped the bed and clicked on the advance to 2nd base on a fly ball option and Ellis was easily gunned down as he stumbled into 2nd base.

Another weird game in that there was a whole lotta nothing going on for Pittsburgh in the game other than in the 6th while a bunch was happening for Bethesda with Brad Miller (1) and Rendon (1) homering and the team scoring three runs on sacrifice flies – including two by Rendon who was 3/3 on the day. David Peralta got the other SAC Fly.

That gives Cervelli four homers in five days and called up some memories of Tuffy Rhodes eons ago who I believe hit three homers in his first game of the year for the Cubs, but I digress…

Anyway only five games in and I’d say that this clown already deserves player of the week consideration since he was hitting .429 with 8 RBIs.

Luis Cessa was the victim of all four tater bops with Aaron Judge (1) and Brian Dozier (1) also going deep. Judge also ground into two double plays. Other than the monstrous hits he gave up Cessa did not pitch half bad and allowed five runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Hamels was not at all bad … he walked one and fanned 10. Nice way to start the year.

David Peralta (1) homered for Betehda in the 1st inning to make it look like it was going to be close, but with Hamels otherwise pretty much unhittable he just wound up being the dickhead that screwed up the shutout.

Clevinger got help from Bethesda fielders Trevor Story and Almedys Diaz and they both botched routine plays in the 8th inning that led to two unearned runs being scored that broke the 1-1 tie and led to the win.

Clevinger fanned eight and walked two and allowed just three hits in 7 innings to earn the win. Jake Arrieta started for Bethesda and earned a no-decision despite pitching well and allowing just one run in 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts and two heads on his mantle (Cervelli and Dozier).

Juan Soto (1) smacked the only earned run of the game for Pittsburgh with a long fly ball to dead centre in the 5th while Matt Adams answered in kind for Bethesda with his 2nd of the season in the 2nd inning.

Mallex Smith continued to do his best impression of an Irish setter and mindlessly run and run and run … stealing his 3rd base of the season. Chris Owings provided some unexpected offense with half of the Bandicoots’ four hits – two doubles!

Raisel Iglesias tossed a 3-up, 3-down 9th to earn his 3rd save of the series.

Up 3-0 heading into the 9th Cobb was maxxed out in Grade and looked like a strong candidate to add to the wackiness of this opening series by tossing a complete game, no-hit shutout through 8 innings as a Grade 3 starter. Cobb so mesmerized the Bethesda field boss that after he fanned Josh Bell, the manager watched him give up a walk to Cervelli, a hit to Polanco, and another to Juan Soto to load the bases before even having someone up in the bullpen. Aaron Judge up with the bases loaded spelled the end of Cobb finally and Brandon Morrow was inserted in his place in a hopes that he would repeat his appearance from a few games back where he was able to get two outs with the bases loaded without a runner crossing the plate. Unfortunately it was not to be as Judge ripped a ball to 3rd baseman Alen Hanson who threw home to try and nail Cervelli but the catcher scored easily as Hanson’s throw sailed wide of the plate and nearly over the head of AJ Ellis to make it 3-1 for Bethesda. Starling Marte then came in and singled home Polanco and then Mike Moustakas brought home Mallex Smith who was pinch running for Judge. That tied it at 3-3 and sent it into extra innings.

Fortunately for Bethesda, shoddy fielding was not a monopoly and Alen Hanson was able to advance to 3rd base on a single to centre field when Philip Ervin let the ball skip past him. Hanson scored on a two-out “what the heck, he’s hot” gamble to let Chris Owings hit that paid off as he lined the ball over shortstop and into left field to end it with Betheda on top 4-3.

WP: DeGrom
LP: Romano (CG)
SV: W. Davis

HR: FRE–Kepler; MCM Freese (2)

A pair of HRs by David Freese supplied all the MCM runs, and they needed all of them as FRE was rallying on the 9th, but Wade Davis closed it out.

WP: Verlander
LP: D. Norris (CG)

HR: none

Justin Verlander was outstanding, but Daniel Norris wasn’t bad, either. Norris struck out 15in eight innings, while Verlander only gave up two hits. Avisail Garcia had a two-RBI triple for MCM.

WP: Nuno
LP: J. Vargas

HR: FRE–Kepler, Moncada; MCM–Trout (2)

Trout’s two HRs and four RBI saved the day for MCM. He tied the game in the 7th with a three-run shot after the Cannons had put up their own three spot in the top of the inning. The game ended on a strike ’em out-throw ’em out double play

WP: Venters
LP: Liberatore
SV: Doolittle

HR: FRE–K. Davis, Kepler; MCM–Trout

Pitcher’s nightmare game as there were six multi-run half-innings. MCM came back to tie the game with a four-run 3rd inning after FRE had a six-run 2nd inning. FRE finished it off with a three-run 8th inning. The difference was a bases-loaded double by Javy Baez

WP: Bundy (CG)
LP: Davies (CG)

HR: FRE–K. Davis; MCM–Alonso

Pitcher’s duel is quite a contrast from the previous game.

WP: Allard (CG)
LP: Leake

HR: Ohtani

Another six-run for FRE put this one away early as Kolby Allard dominated, striking out 13.

WP: Romano (CG)
LP: DeGrom (CG)

HR: FRE–Kepler, K. Davis, T. Shaw

Realism takes another day off as another low-graded pitcher dominates with another complete-game performance for FRE. Max Kepler hit his 4th HR of the series.

There were 7 complete games in the series; 4 of them were by the losing pitcher

For FRE, Max Kepler had 4 HRs in the series, Khris Davis had 3; For MCM, Mike Trout had 3 HRs and David Freese had 2

In addition to Kepler’s 4 HRs, he went 9-26 (.346), with 5 RBI, 7 runs scored, and 2 doubles; Khris Davis and Travis Shaw also had excellent series for FRE

Sam Romano went 1-1 with two CGs, and 9 Ks in 17 innings for FRE

Columbus was pretty quiet in the offseason but did manage to pick up a few pieces via trades notably Julio Teheran and Asdrubel Cabrera – and management is looking at them for key contributions. Some interesting draft pickups will combine with some hot prospects and Columbus fans are once again excited. Sights = stay close enough for wild card as the Evil Empire – Tempe looks to be a hard lock for the division IF NOT THE WHOLE LEAGUE…..