Major League Baseball: 2024 Season

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When the Houston Astros returned home after taking two out of three at the lowly Chicago White Sox, the Astros returned home to find a flock of birds take Minute Maid Park. These are no ordinary birds- these are the Baltimore Orioles, 2nd in the AL East at 49-25 on the season. The Astros have a tough task ahead of them with this upcoming series. It's time for the Astros to step up... or did they? Here's my summary...

* BAL Orioles at HOU Astros (3 games)

[GAME 1] When I glanced on X/Twitter, Houston led 1-0 heading into the Top of the 2nd. Fast-forwad to the Bottom of the 5th, and Baltimore led 3-2... until Jake Meyers smashed a three-run jack to put Houston up 5-3. Then things got infinitely worse for Baltimore in the Bottom of the 6th. Wild baserunning after a leadoff walk in the Bottom of the 6th led to a comedy of errors by Baltimore, then brought home Mauricio Dubon to make it a 6-3 Astros lead. José banged in an RBI double the same inning to bring the Astros up to 7-3. Another run the next at-bat helped the Astros get another lead on a deep RBI to center. Then with the bases loaded, another Astro came home on some more weird base running. Houston up 9-3 now. So from trailing 3-2 to seven unanswered runs by Houston- and all with no outs until finally Baltimore recording an out! Jon Singleton knocked in two runs on an RBI the same inning to put Houston up 11-3. Baltimore living an absolute nightmare. An RBI double extended the Astros' lead to 12-3. Another RBI double happened to make it a 14-3 lead. The Bottom of the 6th ended with the Astros scoring nine runs (and 12 unanswered) to a football score of 14-3. Once Baltimore finally got to bat again, the O's bombed one to right to cut the Astros' lead to 14-4 thanks to Gunnar Henderson in the Top of the 7th. The Top of the 8th saw a couple of two-run blast to left by Baltimore to cut the Astros' lead to 14-6, then 14-8. An RBI single cut the Astros lead to 14-9. Things went from a feel-great cushion to almost being a game again. This would be the most depressing loss by the Astros if they end up oofing a 14-3 lead. Now it's 14-11, Astros after another two-run shot by Baltimore in the same Top of the 8th.

[GAME 2] A hot Saturday afternoon saw a shaky Ronel Blanco give up a solo homer to left in the Top of the 2nd for Baltimore to go up 1-0 early. A sacrifice fly in the Bottom of the 2nd scored Yanier Diaz to tie the game at 1-1. Yordan Alvarez hit a deep shot to center that ended up being a two-run jack. "Air Yordan" puts Houston up 3-1. Chas McCormick bombed a solo jack in the Bottom of the 5th to make it a 4-1 Astros advantage. In the Bottom of the 8th, he did it again- Chas McCormick jacked another bomb to extend the Astros' advantage to 5-1. That score would hold thanks to solid relief pitching by Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader.

[GAME 3] I did not see this game at all. On "Princess Day" at Minute Maid Park today, the Houston Astros ruled like kings over the Orioles. The Astros won this game 8-1 and swept the Orioles. NOT easy to do to sweep one of the best teams in the league. Houston did it, though.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (14-11; Houston)
GM2: (5-1; Houston)
GM3: (8-1; Houston)

RESULT: HOU wins series 3-0

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: vs. COL Rockies (2 games, starting Tuesday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 38-40 on the season, now 2nd in the AL West currently over the idle 34-40 Texas Rangers on Thursday. There is still a ways to go to catch up to the 44-33 Seattle Mariners. A lot season still left, though.

The Houston Astros have never been at or above .500 all season long. They can pull to .500 if they sweep this upcoming two-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Then after that, the Astros will be on the road to entertain the Kings of Queens- Blitz24's New York Mets.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners! If your team split or lost a series recently, hope the next series goes better for you. What did your team(s) do recently?
 
Fail. That's what Cincinnati did against the Red Sox.

Game 1 was interesting. The ball was flying out of GABP thanks to the heat and humidity. Of the first 5 runs scored between the teams in the game, all came via a solo shot. Candelario hit 2 of them. The guy just keeps rolling. Up by 1, the Reds increased their lead to 3 after Friedl put down a perfect bunt in the 7th. The pitcher attempted a shovel pass to the catcher to throw out a runner at home, but it went over his shoulder, allowing an additional score to run. Abbott pitched well, going 5.2 innings with 2 runs (both aforementioned 1-run homers), 1 walk, and 10 strikeouts.

The Redlegs took an early 3-0 lead in game 2 thanks to a two run dinger in the first and Elly solo blast in the 3rd. Things were looking good. Montas had a very pitch efficient outing having thrown only 72 pitches before going to the dugout after 6 innings. I'm not sure why he was pulled so early. He only gave up 2 runs in that time. Sam Moll pitched a scoreless 7th before giving way to Justin Wilson who eventually gave up 2 runs to put Cincy behind. Frustratingly, the Reds never did put another run on the board. This despite having two guys on base in 3 straight innings and one on in the inning following. They ran themselves out of any opportunity to tie it up, as two runners got thrown out trying to score at home and Elly got picked off 2nd in that time period. Tomorrow would be the rubber game.

When I turned on game 3 in the 5th, Boston was already up 4-1. Lodolo had an uncharacteristically rough outing, only going 4.2 innings and giving up those 4 runs. The lead ballooned to 7-1 in the 6th inning as Farmer and Suter got beat around. All hope looked lost. Cincinnati would match the frame with 3 of their own, but of course it meant they were still 3 down - just as when the inning began. They couldn't muster up any more runs and took the L for the game and the series.

Game 1: 5-2 Cincinnati
Game 2: 4-3 Boston
Game 3: 7-4 Boston

I'm took lazy and don't care to look it up now, but I think the Reds are 5? games under .500. I know they continue to sit last in the Central.
 
After a two-game set in Mexico City, the Houston Astros welcomed the Colorado Rockies to Minute Maid Park. It will be time to see if the Astros can continue their winning ways when this brief series concludes. It's an NL reunion for the Astros coming up when they host the Colorado Rockies for a couple of games.

* COL Rockies at HOU Astros (2 games)

[GAME 1] When I first saw this game, there was a replay of the Astros bringing in two runs. Turns out... Astros ended the 1st inning with five runs scored. Astros went up 5-0. After a long time without scoring by either team, Colorado finally registered a run in the Top of the 8th on a one-out RBI single. Now the Astros' lead is 5-1. Josh Hader gives up a solo jack in the Top of the 9th to truncate the Astros' lead to 5-2. No further damage done by the Colorado Rockies as the Astros won 5-2. It is the longest winning streak for the Astros at six games. In addition, Seattle lost at Tampa Bay earlier today, so the Astros get a little closer in the AL West race.

[GAME 2] I followed this Wednesday afternoon game in the Bottom of the 7th, and it was a 5-0 lead for the Houston Astros then. Houston apparently was leading 2-0 and then put on three runs in the Bottom of the 7th. Make that 6-0 and four runs later thanks to an RBI by Yanier Diaz the same inning. It could have been 7-0 had Yordan Alvarez not know how many outs there were; but, things remain at 6-0 for Houston after seven innings. Houston did not allow a single walk until Shaun Dubin took over in the Top of the 8th. They didn't have any 3-ball counts until Spencer Arrighetti left the game after seven innings of work. Houston's relief pitching has once again somewhat spoiling a solid pitching performance, but not too much. Colorado scored on a sacrifice fly in the Top of the 8th to bring the lead from six to five, as it's now a 6-1 Astros lead. The Astros put on another run in the Bottom of the 8th thanks to a Jeremy Peña RBI single to make it 7-1. That score stands as the Astros FINALLY get to .500 on the season.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (5-2; Houston)
GM2: (7-1; Houston)

RESULT: HOU wins series 2-0

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: at NYM Mets (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 40-40 on the season, still 2nd in the AL West. They are also 5th in the AL Wild Card ranks while riding a 7-game winning streak. Seattle won on Wednesday, but the Texas Rangers ended up losing in extra innings at Milwaukee (MIL actually swept TEX). So we have a little edge pulling away from the Rangers in the AL West standings.

Okay- all due respect, the Colorado Rockies stink. Good for Houston to take advantage in this series. The Houston Astros will be on the road for a wild 10 games in 10 days trip. The Astros will first entertain the Kings of Queens- Blitz24's New York Mets. Next after that, a four-game set at the Toronto Blue Jays to start July. It will then end with a three game set at the Minnesota Twins.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners! If your team split or lost a series recently, hope the next series goes better for you.
 
Yankees suck! The last couple of weeks anyway. Luckily the Orioles have chosen the same time to slump, so the division lead is still in tact. Turns out you can't just rely on 2 superstars if the rest of the team is rubbish. Who knew?!
 
Fezzik
Yankees suck! The last couple of weeks anyway. Luckily the Orioles have chosen the same time to slump, so the division lead is still in tact. Turns out you can't just rely on 2 superstars if the rest of the team is rubbish. Who knew?!
Click to expand...
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto had all but 1 of the RBI against the Mets in this 2 game series.
 
It took the Houston Astros 80 games to finally reach or surpass .500. Can we surpass .500? That all depends on what the New York Metropolitans does with my Astros. The Kings of Queens welcomed my Astros to Flushing, NY for a three-game weekend series. It's an inner-forum rivalry between myself and Blitz24's Mets. Let's get it!

* HOU Astros at NYM Mets (3 games)

[GAME 1] I just remembered this game was on AppleTV+. So I can only give the final score and no highlights. Final score to this one was 7-2, New York Mets. Back below .500 we go after this one...

[GAME 2] Jake Meyers bombed one to deep right to put Houston up 1-0 in the Top of the 2nd. Defensive meltdowns led to the Mets tying the game at 1-1 on an error in the Bottom of the 2nd. They'd later go ahead 2-1 on an RBI single the same inning. Mets would go up 5-1 after two innings. It's a five-spot for the Astros to try to dig out of. "Bad Framber Valdez" took form again as the Mets hit a solo jack to center to go up 6-1 in the Bottom of the 3rd. Astros responded in the Top of the 4th with a two-run RBI and then another RBI. They'd end the Top of the 4 now down 6-4. A wild pitch with the bases loaded led to an Astro crossing home plate with two outs. The Mets' lead is cut down to 6-5 in the Top of the 8th. Houston went ahead again after four walks in the Top of the 8th thanks to an Alex Bregman 2-run RBI. Houston now up 7-6. The "Honduran Hammer," Mauricio Dubon, hammered home a two-run RBI double in the Top of the 9th with two outs to extend Houston's lead to 9-6. Houston won Game 2 with eight unanswered runs. It wasn't pretty, but Houston found a way to win.

[GAME 3] When I checked into the game, it was tied at 4-4 in the Bottom of the 7th and delayed by rain. And apparently, José Altuve got thrown out of the game for some reason. The delay was getting a bit sad, so I basically did not see any of the game. Final score: 10-5, Houston in 11 innings.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (7-2; New York Mets)
GM2: (9-6; Houston)
GM3: (10-5, 11 innings; Houston)

RESULT: HOU wins series 2-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: at TOR Blue Jays (4 games, starting Monday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 42-41 on the season, still 2nd in the AL West, and FINALLY- ABOVE .500 for once! They are still 5th in the AL Wild Card ranks.

We're going international for our next series. Four games at the Toronto Blue Jays in lovely Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto is currently dead last in the AL East. Even with that rank, the Astros should try to leave Toronto with a win. This stretch of 10 games in 10 days continues for the Houston Astros Baseball Club.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners! If your team split or lost a series recently, hope the next series goes better for you. Hopefully your team(s) finished the first half of 2024 strong...
 
Let's update the standings again. These are standings as of 5:03 PM Eastern Time on July 2, 2024:

--- American League Standings (as of: July 2, 2024) ---
AL EAST: Baltimore (53-31), NYY (54-32), BOS (44-39), TB (42-42), TOR (38-46)
AL CENTRAL: Cleveland (52-30), MIN (47-37), KC (47-39), DET (38-46), CHW (24-62)
AL WEST: Seattle (47-39), HOU (43-41), TEX (38-46), LAA (36-47), OAK (30-56)
CURRENT AL WILD CARD: New York Yankees, Minnesota

--- National League Standings (as of: July 2, 2024) ---
NL EAST: Philadelphia (55-29), ATL (46-36), NYM (41-41), WAS (39-45), MIA (30-54)
NL CENTRAL: Milwaukee (50-39), STL (43-40), PIT (40-43), CIN (39-45), CHC (39-46)
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers (52-33), SD (46-42), ARI (41-43), SF (41-44), COL (29-55)
CURRENT NL WILD CARD: Atlanta, San Diego

I couldn't do this yesterday because games were played in the afternoon. So there are your updated standings. All-Star Game stuff will happen around July 16. Keep playing hard! Still a lot of season left, and nobody has yet been officially eliminated from playoff contention.

I will also let you know how my Houston Astros did in their four-game set at Toronto once I conclude my series summary.
 
The second half of 2024 is underway! For the Astros, they'll be outside of the United States as they get hosted by the Toronto Blue Jays. A four-game set for the Astros and Blue Jays will get underway. So they'll be playing on Canada's Independence Day on Monday, then America's Independence Day on Thursday- all in beautiful Toronto. Let me tell you how we did in this four-game set.

* HOU Astros at TOR Blue Jays (4 games)

[GAME 1] This Monday afternoon game on Canada Day was pretty much a pitching duel early on. The first run of the game was a solo bomb to left by Jeremy Peña in the Top of the 5th. Astros pick up a 1-0 lead after JP3's homer. Yordan Alvarez wasn't content with the Astros leading 1-0, so "Air Yordan" decides to bomb one to left-center for a two-run jack. That jack extended the Astros' lead to 3-0 in the Top of the 9th. The Blue Jays denied the Astros shutout in the Bottom of the 9th on a solo homer in the Bottom of the 9th off of Josh Hader. The Astros lead was trimmed down to 3-1. The Houston Astros spoils Canada Day in Toronto with a 3-1 victory.

[GAME 2] After not leading all of yesterday, Toronto struck first on an RBI single in the Bottom of the 1st. The Blue Jays went up 1-0. Fast-forward to the Top of the 4th, and it was a 5-0 lead for Toronto thanks to two homers. A solo jack followed by a three-run jack were scored by Toronto in the Bottom of the 3rd. A deep RBI to left-center led to another Blue Jays run. It's now 6-0 for Canada's only remaining MLB team. A passed ball led to a Blue Jay stealing home, and now Toronto leads 7-0. Spencer Arrighetti is getting his stuff rocked tonight. The Astros finally lit their side of the scoreboard in the Top of the 5th. What was a touchdown (and extra point) lead for Toronto ended up being a 7 at the Middle of the 5th. That included a couple of RBIs followed by a three-run bomb by Yordan Alvarez. A groundout in the Top of the 8th led to Yordan Alvarez running home. Astros tried to extend their rally, now down 7-6. They could only get six as Toronto wins 7-6.

[GAME 3] It was Toronto that struck first on a deep sacrifice fly in the Bottom of the 1st to center that brought home a Blue Jay. The Blue Jays wore their City Connect uniforms on this Wednesday night. Toronto took a 1-0 lead. Yordan Alvarez knocked in a run in the Top of the 3rd to tie the game at 1-1. The first pitch of the Top of the 6th was a solo jack launched by Yordan Alvarez. Houston with the go-ahead 2-1 lead. Toronto tied the game on an RBI in the Bottom of the 6th. It's 2-2 now. It didn't take the Astros long to retake the lead, as they banged in a run in the Top of the 7th to go up 3-2, then they followed up by adding 3 more runs that same inning, including back-to-back hit-by-pitches, one resulting in a run. Houston did more damage in the Top of the 8th with 3 more runs to go up 9-2. What seemed like a slugfest ended up being a beat down. Houston with an easy money 9-2 win.

[GAME 4] I did not see this game, and my only memory of seeing a score was that it was 5-3 in the Top of the 7th, with the Houston Astros leading. That would be the final: 5-3.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (3-1; Houston)
GM2: (7-6; Toronto)
GM3: (9-2; Houston)
GM4: (5-3; Houston)

RESULT: HOU wins series 3-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: at MIN Twins (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are currently now 45-42 on the season, still 2nd in the AL West. They are still 5th in the AL Wild Card ranks. We've distanced ourselves a bit from the defending Champion Texas Rangers, and we're closing in a bit on the Seattle Mariners for the AL West lead.

And TWIIIIINS! The 10 games in 10 days trip concludes in Minneapolis-St. Paul against the Twins. That's why they're the Twins- twin cities. Anyhow, we'll have to see how the Houston Astros handle the Twins in their house this weekend.


Congratulations to all recent series winners and today's/tonight's winners! If your team split or lost a series recently, hope the next series goes better for you. Feel free to discuss what your team(s) done lately.
 
I kind of fell behind posting here. I think the Reds have played 3 series since my last comment. They've made quite the habit of sticking it to the opposing team in the openers lately, only to hop aboard the struggle bus the remainder of the series.

It started out no different against Pittsburgh in their June 24th series.
-11 runs ain't too bad a start in game 1. India hit 2 doubles. Spiers pitched well, collecting 5 K's, 1 BB, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings of work. The Buccos couldn't muster half of Cincy's total.
-I missed the beginning of game 2. All I knew was that Greene had a rough game. What I DIDN'T know until happening across a Jomboy video on Youtube was that he had a bit of a...moment against the first batter. As in, blowing chunks on the mound. :ill: Cincinnati put up 5 runs, but it wasn't nearly enough. India did put up another pair of doubles.
-This was about the time the offense decided to go Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. How about 1 run off of only 4 hits in the finale? The Bullpen did well, but Ashcraft was shaky coming back from the IL, giving up all 6 runs in 5.1 innings. Series lost. The positive? India had the only extra base hit of the game - another double - to go along with a single.

Game 1: 11-5 Cincinnati
Game 2: 9-5 Pittsburgh
Game 3: 6-1 Pittsburgh


Next up was a trip to St. Louis.
-Game 1 saw the Reds score 11 runs again. Abbott didn't have his good stuff, but he did manage to get through 5 innings while giving up 2 runs on 2 hits. The 6 walk to 2 strikeout ratio wasn't pretty. Still an easy W. Did I mention India doubled in this game? :lol: He also got on base with an additional hit.
-A sac fly by the Cards was the difference in the second ballgame. Yep, that was all the scoring. The Reds went from scoring double digit runs to getting shut out 1-0. A wasted performance for Montas, who gave up 2 total hits and that lone run, and took the loss. I should mention that India collected half of Cincinnati's 4 hits. One was a double, naturally.
-Back to scoring in game 3. 9 runs scored by the Redlegs in this affair. St. Louis couldn't keep pace, adding only 4 of their own. Spiers had another great outing on the mound. 6 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs (only 1 earned). What of India? Let's add two more doubles! Cincinnati wins a series for the first time in about a month! Oh wait, it's a 4 game set. I'm celebrating prematurely.
-Cincy's Mr. Hyde offense returns for game 4. A 2-0 shutout loss. India failed to reach two hits, but the one he did achieve went for 2 bags. Fairchild grabbed the other hit. Greene had a good comeback game after throw up-gate - 4.2 innings, 1 ER - but it wasn't enough. That meant a series split.

Game 1: 11-4 Cincinnati
Game 2: 1-0 St. Louis
Game 3: 9-4 Cincinnati
Game 4: 2-0 St. Louis


Cincinnati just finished up their three game set in the Bronx. After hitting only 2 home runs throughout the previous two series, the Reds took advantage of the short porches at Yankee Stadium to hit 7 dingers in their 3 game faceoff.
-While not overly great, Ashcraft fared better than his last start in game 1. 3 runs allowed in 5 innings. Cincinnati jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a 4-run 5th inning. They barely held on to win by a single run. A 1-run victory, you say? Now that's a rarity for the Reds. India's hot streak was halted. He did not double. In fact, he did not get a hit at all. He did score a run off after a walk, though.
-Cincy held a 3 run lead after 5 innings in game 2. Though Abbott's 4 K to 2 BB ratio was still worrying, he did go 6.1 innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 run. Luckily, those 3 runs held...again barely. NY did cut it to 1, even getting their leadoff man on base in the 9th, but a double play ball erased the runner, and the Reds somehow came away with another 1-run win. India remained cool, though he did get on base via a walk.
-The finale saw the Red Stockings bust out to a familiar 5-0 run lead after the top of 5. The Yanks pulled back 2 runs in the bottom half. The lead was extended another 3 runs in the 7th, and New York once again responded with 2 again right after. That was it for the scoring. Sam Moll wasn't messing around on the mound in the final frame. The first Yankee lined out and the final two went down looking to finish off the SWEEP! 🧹 (Almost forgot, India got back on the horse with 3 hits, one via the long ball)

Game 1: 5-4 Cincinnati
Game 2: 3-2 Cincinnati
Game 3: 8-4 Cincinnati


About that hitter I kept mentioning: Jonathan India has been on a tear since the series against Pittsburgh prior to the first one summarized here. 12 straight games with a hit, 8 straight games with multiple hits, and 8 straight games with a double. That was more than good enough for NL Player of the Week. His average on June 17th was .235. After today, he's sitting at .278. Props also to De La Cruz for a multitude of triples and homers lately. Oh, and steal after steal - he's up to 42 on the season. I would also like to mention that in Noelvi Marte's first game back from suspension, he collected 3 hits. Unfortunately, he has dropped off cold since, aside from a bomb he hit last night.

Overall, Cincinnati has clawed back to 3 games under .500 at 42-25 and up to 3rd in the NL Central. No gain on the Brew Crew who has been on fire lately, having gone 8-2 in their last 10. The Cardinals are looking to distance themselves from the remaining teams, at 45-41 and 3.5 games ahead of the Reds. I'm hopeful this team can get back above .500 before the All-Star Break (and don't crash back down immediately afterwards) and contend down the stretch.
 
Wow... it must feel like rock bottom for New York Yankees fans to see the Yanks get swept by the Reds. Then too, the Reds did sweep my Astros and the eventual champion Rangers last year. Take the Redlegs seriously. The Milwaukee Brewers doesn't stumble much, but I'm sure if they start cooling off while the Reds get/stay hot, Cincinnati may have a chance at overtaking the Brew Crew.

For me though, I look to Elly de la Cruz as the top dog for the Reds. Fun-to-watch dude. Maybe one of the most fun-to-watch Reds to me since Johnny Cueto. If Cincy wants to be a serious NL contender, they got to deal with the big dogs of the NL East as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers over in the NL West. Cincinnati could win the NL Central, but I think they could also have one of the NL Wild Card slots by season's end.
 
No doubt Elly is very exciting to watch. He stretches singles into doubles, doubles into triples, and triples into in-the-park homers like it's nothing. And stealing bases is like stealing candy from a baby. Cueto's overly exaggerated twist before throwing his pitch was quite amusing, too.

I don't know if Cincinnati has anything for the big dogs. Their pitching is almost always there. It really depends if their offense decides to go bananas or completely disappears.
 

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