Major League Baseball: 2024 Season

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Yankees rolling along with best record in baseball. Offence is completely transformed in terms of approach, like the old 90s/00s teams with the long grinding at-bats and walks. Covering up some iffy pitching and defence. Big difference is the road record, 8-2 so far. That's much better than recent years, hope they keep it up.

Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

Black Lives Matter Baseball GIF by INTO ACTION
 
I'm a bit behind with updates on my Redlegs. The Milwaukee series went about as expected. Cincy took game 1, but the Brew Crew continued their dominance against us.

The Reds then took a trip to the south Chicago. The result was Cincinnati's first ever sweep of the woeful Sox. And it wasn't even close. Red pitching dominated:
Game 1: Abbott - 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 K's, 0 BB's, 1 ER. Bullpen - 2 innings, 2 K's, 0's across the board everywhere else.
Game 2: Lodolo (season debut) - 5.2 innings, 1 hit, 10 K's, 1 BB, 0 ER. Bullpen - 3.1 innings, 1 hit, 5 K's, 2 BB's, 0 ER.
Game 3: Ashcraft - 5.2 innings, 5 hits, 8 K's, 2 BB's, 2 runs (1 ER). Bullpen - 3.1 innings, 3 hits, 2 ER.
Reds hitting dominated, scoring 11, 5, and 11 runs throughout the series. Most notable was game 1. Elly hit a bomb off the batter's eye. Next time up he hit an inside-the-parker. What an exciting player to watch. Entering game 3, he had reached base safely at least once in every game this season (14 games), with @JohnBM01's own Jose Altuve being the only other player to match that feat to start the year. That streak ended, but is it every impressive!

Game 1: 11-1 Cincinnati
Game 2: 5-0 Cincinnati
Game 3: 11-4 Cincinnati

The Red Stockings are now up in the northwest visiting Seattle. The game has just started as of this post.
 
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A 2021 World Series rematch makes up this new series for the Houston Astros. Their first Interleague match of 2024 is coming up when the Atlanta Braves come to town. Atlanta won the 2021 World Series in the Astros' house in six games. Now it's payback time at home for Houston against the NL East-leading Braves. Last year, we swept the Atlanta Braves in their house. How will things go with the Braves in OUR house? Let's Play Ball with these two Southern teams.

Before I begin... I forgot to mention Dana Brown was the Braves' manager during the time of Atlanta's World Series run in 2021. So he's going against his former team here.

* ATL Braves at HOU Astros (3 games)

[GAME 1] Today is Jackie Robinson Day. It was 4-1, Atlanta Braves in the Top of the 9th when I first saw this game. Bases were loaded with one out. The Braves bang in one run to make it 5-1. A Sacrifice Fly or groundout led to a 6-1 Braves lead for the Astros to try to climb out of in the Bottom of the 9th. The final score was just that- 6-1, Atlanta Braves.

[GAME 2] The Atlanta Braves struck first with a solo homer to left-center in the Top of the 2nd. Atlanta's homer was a little controversial in where the ball landed. Review noted it as a Home Run. So 1-0, Atlanta. Atlanta scored on a bases loaded Sacrifice Fly in the Top of the 7th. Now 2-0 for the 2021 World Series Champs. A bases loaded RBI brought in two Braves for a 4-0 lead, and that was almost where I stopped watching. And by the time I stopped watching, that's when the Astros finally started scoring. Go figure. Anyhow, it was a 6-2 final in favor of the Braves. Astros will try to prevent getting swept tomorrow afternoon.

[GAME 3] In the Houston Astros' attempt to avoid getting swept by Atlanta, it was 4-2, Astros, top of the 7th when I first followed this Wednesday afternoon game. Atlanta scored on an RBI single in the Top of the 8th thanks to an error by the Astros at first base. The Astros' lead is now 4-3. The game was later tied 4-4 on a sacrifice fly by Atlanta the same inning. Nine wasn't enough- extra innings we go after the Braves tied things up. Atlanta got in a run on an RBI single in the Top of the 10th to go up 5-4. A double play turned by Atlanta sinks the Astros and sweeps them in 10 innings.

[IN REVIEW]
GM1: (6-1; Atlanta)
GM2: (6-2; Atlanta)
GM3: (5-4, 10 innings; Atlanta)
RESULT: ATL sweeps HOU 3-0

NEXT: at WAS Nationals (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 6-14 on the season, still last (5th) in the AL West.

Up next... a tour of awesome- Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Mexico City. Three at the Nationals, three at the Cubs, and two against the Rockies in Mexico City. The Astros have stumbled big time to start 2024 and are in a bigger hole than they should be in. There is also very little drive and motivation for a team that won the World Series two years ago and made the ALCS all these successive seasons. These guys got to figure it out and play like the beasts they know they can be. But for now... we're stuck on six wins.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners!
 
Cincinnati's encore after sweeping the White Sox? How about getting swept themselves in Seattle against a team that was all of 6-10 on the season before they faced off? :grumpy: I don't really care to break down the series, because I didn't catch most of any of the games. Seems like a good thing in this case. I will say, as good as the pitching and hitting looked against Chicago, they were about equally as bad facing the Mariners. Actually, aside from the control issues, the pitching wasn't too horrible in games 2 and 3. It says something, though, when Hunter Greene gets pulled in game 2 after only 4 innings of 1 run ball - he was already at 98 pitches. Not very efficient. And Abbott was decent today, giving up only 2 runs in 6 innings. But bad pitch command led to many, many walks throughout the series. And you know the saying. "Walks will haunt." And that it did. Offensively, there was nothing to speak of. From 27 runs in the Sox series to 4 total runs in this one. The Reds got 1-hit in the finale. Yikes.

Game 1: 9-3 Seattle
Game 2: 3-1 Seattle
Game 3: 5-1 Seattle

Cincinnati is back to even at 9-9. The top three teams in the NL Central are all sitting on 11 wins. Cincy is lounging in 4th, 2.5 games back from Milwaukee and a half game ahead of the basement Cards who have one more loss. Sorry, John. I know seeing one of your AL West foes easily handle the Reds was painful for both of us.
 
Some people are saying this is karma that Astros fans wanted a new manager outside of Dusty Baker, end up getting a new manager, and are doing poorly with this new manager, Joe Espada. A lot of Astros fans are already saying the run of success of late here in Houston is coming to an end. We're almost seeming like the 100+ loss Astros of the mid-2010s. You know... back when we logged three straight 100+ loss seasons and progressively fewer wins each of those seasons. Thankfully, we get some days off after each upcoming series between now and when we return home.
 
The previous series was a 2021 World Series rematch. Now, a 2019 World Series rematch will happen when the Houston Astros meet the Washington Nationals. In the 2019 World Series, every Away team won each game. Could this give the woeful 6-14 Astros a bit of luck as they start their three-city, eight-game road trip? Let's rematch the 2019 World Series with the Astros and Nationals!

* HOU Astros at WAS Nationals (3 games)

[GAME 1] The Houston Astros had Justin Verlander return to the mound for this one. Houston began the scoring with a back-to-back no-out RBI doubles in the Top of the 2nd to take a 2-0 lead. Then an RBI single the same inning with nobody out put Houston up 3-0. The Nationals lit their side of the scoreboard with an RBI single in the Bottom of the . The Astros' lead is now 3-1. It was Chaz McCormick's birthday today, and the birthday boy crossed Home Plate on a Sacrifice Fly in the Top of the 5th with the bases loaded and one out. The Nationals hit a solo jack to left in the Bottom of the 5th to cut the Astros' lead to 4-2. Verlander wasn't vintage, but he didn't seem to miss too many beats. An out was recorded in the Top of the 8th, but not without another Astros crossing home plate. 5-2, Astros. The Nationals got a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit down to 5-3 in the Bottom of the 9th. Washington did no further damage as Houston survives 5-3.

[GAME 2] Alex Bregman hit a deep ball to left that ended up being a Sacrifice Fly to put Houston up 1-0 in the Top of the 1st. The first pitch by Ronel Blanco goes over his head and over the wall to QUICKLY tie the game at 1-1 in the Bottom of the 1st. So if you expected Ronel Blanco to work on a no-hitter or perfect game, forget about it. A sacrifice fly by Washington led to a 2-1 lead for the Nationals in the Bottom of the 4th. The Houston Astros tied the game at 2-2 in the Top of the 7th with nobody out on an RBI double. Houston retook the lead the same inning on an RBI single by Jeremy Peña. It's 3-2 now on JP3's go-ahead RBI. The next inning saw the Astros tack on a run in the Top of the 8th on an RBI single and two outs. Houston takes a 4-2 lead. Washington ties the game at 4-4 in the Bottom of the 9th on a two-run RBI single with nobody out. Regulation solved nothing. Bring on Extra innings. First pitch of the 10th inning, a deep RBI sealed Houston's fate. Nationals win 5-4 thanks to poor closing and three unanswered Nationals runs. Rubber Game tomorrow afternoon.

[GAME 3] Houston scored first in the first two games, but not today. An RBI single put the Nationals ahead 1-0 in the Bottom of the 1st with nobody out. They followed up with two more runs the same inning to give Washington a 3-0 advantage after one inning. With the bases loaded in the Bottom of the 5th with two outs, Washington banged in an RBI single that brought two Nationals home. It's 5-0, Nationals, set to take this series 2 out of 3... unless the Astros can respond proper while doing damage control. Washington blasted a solo shot to left in the Bottom of the 6th, and then I stopped watching as the Nats went up 6-0. That would be the final score- Nationals take the series win as the Astros take their first shutout loss of the season. Nationals WIN- just like the 2019 World Series., only the Away team did not win every game.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (5-3; Houston)
GM2: (5-4, 10 innings; Washington)
GM3: (6-0, Washington)

RESULT: WSH wins series 2-1

NEXT: at CHC Cubs (3 games, starting Tuesday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 7-16 on the season, still last (5th) in the AL West.

Up next is an NL Central reunion for the Astros, when they play at the Chicago Cubs. The Cubbies have some talent and won't make life easier for the struggling Astros. We'll see what this three-game series in the north side of Chicago provides.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners!
 
I always invite people to make assessments of their teams every now and then. With my Astros off today, I'll do my assessment right now.

After dropping their series at the Washington Nationals recently, the 2024 Houston Astros are 7-16. They are dead last in the AL West (5th) and five games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers (12-11). A new manager and a new coach (Joe Espada) are anchoring this team. Injuries and inept offense have made the Houston Astros a punching bag. Most of their losses have been relief blunders. Especially Saturday was supposed to be a 4-2 win, but it ended up a 5-4 loss in 10 innings. Someone predicted the Astros would be part of a systematic downfall, and that person seems to be right how this season has gone so far. We all know you can't make the Playoffs or win the World Series in April. However, the panic among Astros fans has loomed large to where they feel this team's run of success is coming to an end. Strength of schedule early on is pretty strong. Maybe things will quiet down to where the Astros can try to move closer to being above .500 on the season.

Catcher Victor Caratini has been a solid hitter since letting go to Martin Maldonaldo. Yordan Alvarez hasn't bombed the ball a lot, but he has delivered some good hits and solid defense. Justin Verlander and Ronel Blanco have been very good pitchers. Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader (all $90 M+ USD) have been iffy closers. Most of our pitching, though, has been on the MASH unit. The general consensus of someone to get rid of on the Astros, hands down, is José Abreu. This guy just doesn't get it and is slumping hard.

The 2024 Houston Astros still have plenty of time to turn around this season. The weirdest story would be if the 2024 Houston Astros turn things around like the NFL's 2023 Houston Texans. I'm hopeful in my beloved MLB team, but this team has a lot of work to do to dig out of the hole they are currently in. Our next series is at the Chicago Cubs.


Elsewhere...

* While my Houston Astros are struggling like mad, at least they aren't St. Louis (currently 9-13), Miami (currently 6-17), Colorado (5-17)... and especially not the currently 3-18 Chicago White Sox. Their 3-18 record currently is one of the worst starts to a season in White Sox history. The White Sox are 12.5 games back of the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians (16-6). Their next series is at the 7-13 Minnesota Twins. Not many teams won too many games when starting with so few wins after 21 games. It's the sad state of affairs in Chicago. At least... the Southside of Chicago.


That's all from me. Tell us about your team right now, if you wish.



[UPDATE] MARTIN Maldonaldo, not Victor. Changes made.
 
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Yankees review - offence being carried a lot by Soto now Volpe can come down to earth, god help us if Juan goes down. The rest of the lineup has been very hit and miss in terms of results, but at least the approach is good. Defence has been a bit dodgy, especially from the usual suspect - I love you Gleyber but you're a DH.

Starting pitching has held up very well in Cole's absence. Luis Gil has been great filling in, his heater has been borderline unhittable.

Bullpen is all smoke and mirrors, groundball/soft contact merchants who struggle to K anyone, not good with our defence.

Overall they've played pretty well, done enough to win almost every series but I think we're in for a real struggle to beat the Orioles for the division. Need the likes of Judge/Rizzo/Torres to get going asap.
 
The Reds have been streaky. Swept the White Sox, were then swept themselves by the Mariners in Seattle, then pulled off another sweep - this time at the expense of the Halos.

Much of the pitching and hitting have been both hot and cold depending on the series.

There have been some standouts. De la Cruz, Steer, and Fraley have been mashing. And for the most part, Abbott, Lodolo, and Ashcraft have been solid. Diaz had a rough outing in his first closing appearance but has been strong since. Most everyone else has had their moments but have been inconsistent. It will be nice to get McLain, Friedl, Marte, Montas (who took a comebacker off the arm after all of two outs two nights ago), and Gibault among others back.

Cincy is in the thick of the NL Central at 12-10 in third after last night's loss, 2.5 games behind Milwaukee.
 


This kid is disgusting. Am I going nuts or are the A's actually doing something this year?
 
Omnis


This kid is disgusting. Am I going nuts or are the A's actually doing something this year?
Click to expand...

You're going nuts. He and anyone else of value will be traded by the deadline.
Maybe once the As are up and running in Vegas they might get run like a proper team and have a shot - but it's a big maybe.
 
It is an NL Central reunion as the Houston Astros meet the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. The Astros last played at Wrigley Field back in 2013. The only player on that 2013 team that last played at Wrigley Field that is still on the Astros is José Altuve. The stumbling 2024 Astros will try to generate a spark to get back to winning starting in Chicago against a talented Cubs squad. Find out if they take the series or lose another one.

* HOU Astros at CHC Cubs (3 games)

[GAME 1] The Cubs blasted two homers in the Bottom of the 1st to take a 5-0 advantage. The first was a two-run shot to right, and then they hit one to left for three runs. Early hole for the Astros- which has been the story of this team so far this season. The Astros denied the shutout as one Astro came home on an RBI in the Top of the 4th. Cubs lead is now down to 5-1. Jake Myers had liftoff on a solo jack to truncate the Cubs' lead to 5-2. A bobbled ball on a bases loaded in the Bottom of the 6th prevented a double play from happening. It ended up scoring a Cub to extend the Cubbies' lead to 6-2. I stopped watching after the Cubs hit a solo homer to left in the Bottom of the 8th to go up 7-2. Final score: 7-2, Chicago Cubs.

[GAME 2] The Chicago Cubs started the scoring on a sacrifice fly in the Bottom of the 1st. Cubs up 1-0. Danson Swansby added a three-run homer to put Chicago Cubs up 4-0 the same inning. An error by the Cubbies in the Top of the 3rd brought home Jon Singleton of the Astros. The Astros cut the Cubs deficit to 4-1. Houston picked up another run the same inning to cut it down to 4-2; but this time, on an RBI single. Former Astros pitcher, Hector Neris, came in as closer of this game. José Altuve blasts one to deep left to cut the Cubs' lead to 4-3 in the Top of the 9th. No further Astros damage was done, as they lose yet another game. Cubbies win 4-3.

[GAME 3] It was 3-1, Chicago Cubs in the Bottom of the 8th when I first followed this game. It was a beautifully sunny day in Chicago today for this series finale. Before a pitch was thrown in the ninth inning started, Joe Espada got into a discussion with an official and got ejected. It was his first ejection as an Astros manager. Houston tried to rally in the Top of the 9th after back-to-back walks issued, but no such luck. Cubs sweep Houston with a 3-1 victory.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (7-2; Chicago Cubs)
GM2: (4-3, Chicago Cubs)
GM3: (3-1, Chicago Cubs)

RESULT: CHC wins series 3-0

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: vs. COL Rockies (2 games, starting Saturday in Mexico City, Mexico)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 7-19 on the season, still last (5th) in the AL West, and have lost 7 of the last 8 games.

On paper, the Houston Astros should be able to win against the Colorado Rockies. However, when you are Struggle Bus on the season, even game you should win are not always guaranteed. The Colorado Rockies' poor record doesn't mean this is an easy series for the Astros to take. It will be a quick two-game series in Mexico City before the Astros return to Houston to play on Tuesday. The baseball deities must loathe the Astros this season. It is slowly being the year the Astros finally have their run of success come to an end. At this rate, even the White Sox can overtake the Astros and put Houston in the worst record in baseball.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners! Hopefully your team(s) is/are doing better than mine...
 

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