Major League Baseball: 2024 Season

[JohnBM01]

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?

 

[Dolph Drago]

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.

 

[JohnBM01]

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.

 

[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?!

 

[Blitz24]

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?!

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto had all but 1 of the RBI against the Mets in this 2 game series.

 

[JohnBM01]

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...

 

[JohnBM01]

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.

 

[JohnBM01]

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.

 

[Dolph Drago]

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. 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? 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.

 

[JohnBM01]

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.

 

[Dolph Drago]

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.

 

[JohnBM01]

You know how the Toronto Raptors say, "We the North?" Well, my Houston Astros will be in a city further north in latitude than Toronto- Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Astros won on the Independence Days of the USA and Canada as part of taking 3 out of 4 at the Blue Jays. Now, they will meet the 2nd Place AL Central Twins before returning home to Houston. Here's how it ended up.

* HOU Astros at MIN Twins (3 games)

[GAME 1] The first score I saw was a 4-3 lead in the Bottom of the 5th by the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota was wearing their City Connect uniforms- beautiful blue uniforms with gold accents. Later in the Top of the 6th, the score was now 6-4, in favor of Houston Astros. Houston put up a three-spot on the Twins in the Top of the 6th for the go-ahead. An almost home run in the Top of the 7th resulted in an Astro crossing home plate for a 7-4 extension of Houston's lead. Minnesota closed in in the Bottom of the 5th on a 1-out RBI to cut the lead to 7-5. José Altuve got hit-by-pitch on his left wrist in the Top of the 8th and had to leave the game. The rest of the Astros helped get an RBI to make the game 8-5. Minnesota couldn't catch a would-be sacrifice fly to left with the bases loaded, so the Astros' lead got extended to 9-5 the same inning. They made amends next sacrifice fly, but another Astro scored to make it 10-5 later that inning. Houston made an awesome catch that seemed like it would have been a two-run homer by Minnesota in the Bottom of the 8th. It was overturned to a catch, and then the Astros later pulled a double play to end the Bottom of the 8th with no score. Hear that? That was a Breggy Bomb. Alex Bregman had lift off on a three-run bomb to left in the Top of the 9th to put Houston up 13-5. His latest "Breggy Bomb" is the 175th of his career, good for 6th all-time in Houston Astros history. Minnesota tried to rally in the Bottom of the 9th. Minnesota managed to score seven runs, including a Grand Slam by ex-Astro Carlos Correa. What would have been an epic comeback falls short for Minnesota as Houston took Game 1 of this series.

[GAME 2] The Minnesota Twins wore their City Connect uniforms again. Hunter Brown is notorious for getting lit up early in games, and the Twins scored first on an RBI with nobody out in the Bottom of the 1st. Minnesota would score first to make it 2-0. The following inning, they would add three more runs. Maybe Minnesota was angered about not completing their epic rally from last night, so they're taking their aggressions out on this Saturday afternoon as they led 5-0 after two innings. Houston finally scored in the Top of the 3rd on an RBI. Minnesota responded in the Bottom of the 3rd with a two-run jack. Minnesota now leads 7-1. Houston launched a two-run bomb on the Twins in the Top of the 4th. Minnesota's lead cut down to 7-3 on Jon Singleton's thunderbolt. I didn't see the rest of the game because of storms and two brief power outages. Final score: 9-3, Twins. Rubber Game tomorrow.

[GAME 3] The first score I saw for this game was 2-2 in the Top of the 7th. The Twins walked it off on the Bottom of the 9th with a solo home run. Astros will return to Houston having dropped this series at the Twins.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (13-12; Houston)
GM2: (9-3; Minnesota)
GM3: (3-2; Minnesota)

RESULT: MIN wins series 2-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: vs. MIA Marlins (3 games, starting Tuesday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are currently now 46-44 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.

Some fish from the 305 are ready to hit up H-Town next series. Houston will have a chance to regain their solid play when the last-place NL East Miami Marlins visit Houston. This is a home stand that will include hosting the Texas Rangers next weekend. The Astros got to get their heads together and try to get back to playing winning baseball.


I'm hoping Hurricane Beryl won't make too much an impact over Houston Sunday and Monday. I don't know how this will be played out. Regardless... 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's up with your boys lately?

 

[Dolph Drago]

You remember how the Reds swept the Yanks? Yeah, the series against the Tigers saw a sweep happen again as they were invited to GABP.

Cincinnati found themselves down 4-0 by the 5th inning in game 1. They were able to cut the lead in half by the end of the 6th. Detroit added an insurance run in the top of the next inning. It was much needed, as the Reds attempted the comeback with a pair in the bottom of the 9th. A potential game tying run was unsuccessful as Blake Dunn was thrown out at home by thismuch with 1 out. A one run loss. Oof.

Game 2 very much belonged to the home team Red Stockings for most of the game. Greene looked fantastic - 7 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts and 0 runs allowed. A double by Stephenson in the 5th inning had the team up 2-0. The score remained the same going in to the 8th. Then the announcer's curse. They put up some stats about how well the bullpen had been pitching as Fernando Cruz entered the game. He proceeded to get blown up for 3 runs, while Moll gave up 2 of his own. The 5 spot put up by the Tigers meant a 3 run deficit for the Reds going into the final inning. Steer led off with a solo blast to the bullpen - his 3rd straight game with a long ball - but that was all. Cincinnati would have to try to salvage a win in the finale on Sunday.

Ashcraft did not have his best stuff in game 3. Despite that, he did only give up 1 run in his 4.2 innings of work. Meanwhile, Tarik Skubal was absolutely balling for Detroit. 7 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 13 (THIRTEEN!) strikeouts. Offense was scarce for the Reds, as they had all of 4 hits the entire game. Martinez gave up a run in the 7th, and closer Diaz was brought in for some reason in the 8th. 3 more runs allowed there. Not that it mattered. Cincy scored that lone run against Skubal and nothing more. Sweep! Only for the away team instead.

Game 1: 5-4 Detroit
Game 2: 5-3 Detroit
Game 3: 5-1 Detroit

Lucky 5's for the Tigers. And the Cincy offense worsened game after game. It sucks to get swept by a relatively lousy team after walloping such a good one in the Bronx. An unusual bullpen meltdown combined with a rash of recent injuries have left this team a shambles. Among those on the IL: Friedl (for the third time this season), McLain (since the beginning of the season), Encarnacion-Strand (still), Maile, Martini, Lodolo. Fairchild sat out the finale, too, as he wasn't 100%.

I'm too lazy to look at the standings. But I can do the math that since Cincinnati was 3 under coming into the series, that means they are back to 6 under. The good thing is they have two bad teams coming into town before the break. 4 games against Colorado followed by 3 against Miami. Hopefully, they can make some hay before the inevitable 2nd half collapse.

 

[JohnBM01]

On my last check, Dolph Drago, your Cincinnati Reds are now 42-48 on the season, three straight losses. You are also 4th in the NL Central and 8th in NL Wild Card standings. The Reds' next series is a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies in Cincinnati.

 

[Fezzik]

It was fun while it lasted but the Yankees are back to their recent tricks with a midseason collapse - lost 17 of the last 23 games.

Sack Boone! Sack Cashman! Sack Steinbrenner!

 

[JohnBM01]

I am okay after Hurricane Beryl. The Houston Astros did not have a game on Monday, which was obviously a good thing considering this hurricane that impacted southeast Texas. The Astros are coming off of a 6-4 road trip that included winning at the Mets and at the Blue Jays, but failing at the Twins. The Astros will try to build positive momentum with some baseball at home. Opposing the Astros in this next series are the Miami Marlins. This is sort of a GTPlanet inner-forum rivalry between myself and Omnis' Marlins. Let's see who gets the better of this series involving a couple of two-time World Series Champions...

* MIA Marlins at HOU Astros (3 games)

[GAME 1] I did not follow this game because my Internet was still down, and I wasn't listening to the radio broadcast. Final score: 4-3, Astros.

[GAME 2] I followed this game on local radio on my smartphone. When I first saw a score, it was 5-0, Houston Astros in the Bottom of the 3rd. An error by the Miami Marlins in the Bottom of the 4th led to Joey Loperfido taking home to extend Houston's lead to 6-0 lead. This was J. Loperfido's first MLB triple. The Marlins cut into the Astros' lead in the Top of the 5th on an RBI. That Astros lead went from 6-0 to 6-1. Houston added three extra runs on RBIs in the Bottom of the 6th and ended the 6th inning with a 9-1 advantage. The Astros have now won eight straight games at home with a 9-1 victory. This is surely an easy money win for the Astros as they try to keep pace with the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners.

[GAME 3] I got my Internet back after Hurricane Beryl! So this Thursday night game was the only game of this series I saw on TV. Sadly, Miami was up 1-0 in the Top of the 1st when I first tuned in. The Miami Marlins hit a solo jack to up early. Pitcher Jake Bloss returned to the lineup after having experienced injury. A sacrifice fly by Jon Singleton brought home an Astro in the Bottom of the 1st to level the game at 1-1. They'd take the lead on the very next pitch with an RBI by Jeremy Peña. JP3 puts the Astros ahead 2-1. Miami tied the game at 2-2 in the Top of the 2nd on an RBI. Houston re-took the lead on a groundout that brought home an Astro. The Astros led 3-2 after two innings. Houston added two runs in the Bottom of the 4th. Jazz Chisholm Jr. bangs a homer to right in the Top of the 5th to cut the Astros' lead to 5-3. A sacrifice fly in the Bottom of the 5th led to the Astros leading 6-3. That was the final score as the Astros swept the last-place Marlins at home, and they extended their home winning streak to nine games. MUCH better home performance this season than last season for Houston.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (4-3; Houston)
GM2: (9-1; Houston)
GM3: (6-3; Houston)

RESULT: HOU wins series 3-0

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: vs. TEX Rangers (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are currently now 49-44 on the season, still 2nd in the AL West and still 5th in the AL Wild Card race. 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.

Well, my Astros are in a tight situation heading into the All-Star Game stuff. We're hosting the defending Champion Texas Rangers, but we also want to hope the Seattle Mariners stumble a bit to have a chance at taking the AL West lead heading into the All-Star break. Houston will still have more wins than the Rangers regardless of how the TEX at HOU series ends up. Therefore, we won't drop down to 3rd should TEX sweep the Astros. However, if Houston takes at least two out of three and Seattle maybe loses at least two games coming up (or even get swept), we may take the AL West lead into the All-Star break. It is just some interesting things to take note of this weekend if you're an Astros fan.


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.

 

[Dolph Drago]

After the three game fail against Detroit, Cincinnati welcomed the Rockies to the Queen City for four. Hopefully, things would go better.

Rece Hinds made quite a debut splash into the Big Show in game 1. A hustle double and 449 foot mash into the upper deck in left is a good start to a career, no? The score was still actually close after 7 innings, with the Reds holding a marginal 2-0 lead. They put the game away with 4 more in the 8th. Meanwhile, Abbott took care of business on the mound. 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts. Colorado was blanked in this one.

Rain interrupted game 2 with 2 outs in the top of 2. Lodolo initially looked pretty good in his return to the rotation back from the IL, but he was obviously affected by the long break. 4 runs came across the plate in the 4th as he failed to finish the inning. Still, the Reds were up as they had already put up a 5 spot in the 2nd. You know that new Hinds guy? All he did was add another double, a triple, and a moonshot even higher up the 2nd deck than his first - 459 feet this time! He was a single short of the cycle. While he didn't get that single, he did set an MLB record with 5 extra base hits in his first two career games. Benson, Steer, and Stephenson all went deep, as the Reds doubled up Rocks 12-6, who scored two in the 8th.

Game 3 saw a frustrating result for Cincy. There was offense on both sides, as both teams had 12 hits on the day. Montaz looked great the first two innings but did not quite have his best stuff afterwards. 5 runs in 7 innings of work. The Redlegs looked poised to have a big inning in the 7th. Stephenson led off by trying to unsuccessfully stretch a double into a triple. They would have to settle for a single run despite loading the bases with two outs. The game seemed out of reach, as Colorado tacked on an insurance run in the 8th, making the game 6-2 in their favor. But the Reds weren't finished. Stephenson made up for his base running faux paus with a 9th inning leadoff crank into the seats in left center. Three singles and a sac fly cut the lead to 1. Unfortunately, that's all they could get and they came up just short. Hinds picked up another hit, but it was not for extra bases.

I missed the finale while at work today. I fully expected to pull up the score when I got home to see the series was split. Instead I was pleasantly surprised - 8-1 final in favor of the home team. From the looks of it, Greene was dealing again. 6 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts. His only mistake appears to have been allowing a solo shot by Toglia, and the bullpen did their job. The offense went off again with 14 hits. Espinal teed off and had a double. Stephenson went deep twice. That's 4 long balls in 3 games. He was on fire all series, picking up 8 hits including 3 doubles to go along with his homers. Oh, and Hinds collected two more hits, one being a double.

Game 1: 6-0 Cincinnati
Game 2: 12-6 Cincinnati
Game 3: 6-5 Colorado
Game 4: 8-1 Cincinnati

The Reds are back to 45-49. With a sweep of their next opponent, the lowly Marlins, they would find themselves only 1 game under .500 before the All-Star Break. Below is the NL Standings. It is tight at the bottom. The inconsistency of the offense from game to game is shown in their run differential. How would you like to be at +32 and still be 4 games under .500?

Some other musings. Hinds has started his career through 4 games with an average of .500, 8 hits, 3 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's, 2 stolen bases, slugging 1.188, and an OPS of 1.688. To put that OPS in perspective, only two qualified players have a number over 1. Judge at 1.086 and Ohtani at 1.025. He will come back down to earth, but I'm enjoying it for now. And I'm sure he's doing the same.

De La Cruz is making history himself. With 45 swipes and 15 bombs, he is only the 3rd player in Major League history to have 10+ home runs and 45+ steals before the All-Star Break. Rickey Henderson - 15 homers, 51 stolen bases and Kenny Lofton - 10 homers, 45 stolen bases, being the others. He's surpassed Lofton's home run amount and only needs 1 base swipe to pull ahead in that category. And he can pass Henderson's home run number but is unlikely to grab enough bases to surpass him. Crazy stuff.

Almost forgot to mention that Elly was also named to the All-Star team, as well as flame thrower Greene on the mound. Should be a fun watch.

 

[JohnBM01]

One last series before the All-Star break is forthcoming. Rather than against the sorry Miami Marlins, this series is more serious, as the defending Champion Texas Rangers are in Houston to continue the Silver Boot Series.

* TEX Rangers at HOU Astros (3 games)

[GAME 1] The first scoring I've seen was a 6-2 lead for the Astros in the Bottom of the 6th. Some poor pitching by reliever Bryan Abreu led to Texas scoring on a two-out RBI to cut the Astros' lead to 6-3 in the Top of the 7th. That would be the final score- Astros win 6-3 and now have won 10 straight at home. Their longest home winning streak is 18, set back in 2004.

[GAME 2] My Internet went down again, so I had to listen to this game on the radio. The first time I tuned in, it was tied 1-1 in the Bottom of the 6th. Both scores happened in the first inning. Texas scored first, then Houston responded on their side. Since, nobody scored. Regulation solved nothing, so extra innings were in order. Texas got in a run in the Top of the 10 to re-take the lead 2-1. The Texas Rangers won it in Extra Innings, ending the Astros' ten-game home winning streak and Texas ending their two-game losing streak. The Rubber Game of this series is tomorrow afternoon.

[GAME 3] When I first followed the game, it was 2-1, Texas Rangers in the Bottom of the 7th. Next inning, it was a two-run bomb to right by Josh Smith to put the defending Champions up 4-1 in the Top of the 8th. A groundout by the Astros in the Bottom of the 9th cut Texas' lead to 4-2, but they could do no further damage to salvage this game and this series. The Rangers put the game out of reach with that late two-run homer. Texas takes this series and evens up the 2024 Silver Boot Series.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (6-3; Houston)
GM2: (2-1, 10 innings; Texas)
GM3: (4-2; Texas)

RESULT: TEX wins series 2-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: All-Star Break! Then, at SEA Mariners (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros will head into the All-Star break with a 50-46 record. We are still 2nd in the AL West and still 5th in the AL Wild Card race. It is now back-to-back home losses after having previously won ten straight at home.

The Houston Astros will go to AL West-leading Seattle for a chance to possibly take the AL West lead. This is part of a road trip that also includes a trip to the Oakland Athletics. So the next two games involve Houston at the current AL West leaders followed by the current AL West current last-place team. Both will be three-game series.


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 have your team(s) done lately? How will your team(s) head into the All-Star break?

 

[JohnBM01]

I am sorry for not hyping up the Home Run Derby yesterday. I went out with my family yesterday and did not have a chance to update this thread. I do want to congratulate Teoscar Hernandez on winning last night's Home Run Derby. By the way, he's the first-ever Dodger to win the Home Run Derby.

Tonight is time to determine who is the better League in MLB. Are you for the American League, or the National League? Here is a weird stat I read about the MLB All-Star Game: did you know the National League has won the All-Star Game only four times since 1997? The action happens tonight at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, USA. Enjoy the All-Star Game if you'll be watching!

 

[Joey D]

The National Anthem sure was something at the Home Rune Derby last night. Come to find out, Ingrid Andress was indeed drunk.

 

[Blitz24]

The National Anthem sure was something at the Home Rune Derby last night. Come to find out, Ingrid Andress was indeed drunk.

At first I thought she had to be hearing herself in the earpiece and she was having trouble adjusting. Admitting you showed up hammered to a paid event on national tv is definitely a choice.

 

[JohnBM01]

It was 5-3, American League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. The National League banged a three-run jack in this game. It was since 5 unanswered by the American League.

The All-Star Game is over. Time to get back to work. When the season resumes, these are the standings at present. Find your favorite team(s):

(source: ESPN)

--- American League Standings (as of: 2024 All-Star Game) ---
AL EAST: Baltimore (58-36), NYY (58-40), BOS (53-42), TB (48-48), TOR (44-52)
AL CENTRAL: Cleveland (58-37), MIN (54-42), KC (52-45), DET (47-50), CHW (27-71)
AL WEST: Seattle (52-46), HOU (50-46), TEX (46-50), LAA (41-55), OAK (37-61)
CURRENT AL WILD CARD: NYY, MIN, BOS

--- National League Standings (as of: 2024 All-Star Game) ---
NL EAST: Philadelphia (62-34), ATL (53-42), NYM (49-46), WAS (44-53), MIA (33-63)
NL CENTRAL: Milwaukee (55-42), STL (50-46), PIT (48-48), CIN (47-50), CHC (47-51)
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers (56-41), ARI (49-48), SD (50-49), SF (47-50), COL (34-63)
CURRENT NL WILD CARD: ATL, STL, NYM

I have to remember it is now the Top 3 that are Wild Card eligible. I always thought it was the two best records of non-division leading teams.


--- Other Observations ---
WIN PERCENTAGES...
...BEST WIN PERCENTAGE: Philadelphia (.646)
...WORST WIN PERCENTAGE: Chicago White Sox (.276)

HOME/AWAY RECORDS:
...BEST HOME: Philadelphia (37-16)
...BEST AWAY: New York Yankees (33-21) <<< NYY only team with 30+ road wins this season
...WORST HOME: Chicago White Sox (17-34)
...WORST AWAY: Chicago White Sox (10-37)

STREAKS...
...LONGEST WINNING: Pittsburgh (4 straight wins)
...LONGEST LOSING: Chicago White Sox (4 straight losses)

CURRENT 10 GAMES...
...BEST RECORD THE LAST 10 GAMES: Detroit (8-2 the past 10 games)
...WORST RECORD THE LAST 10 GAMES: Chicago White Sox (2-8 the past 10 games)


Nobody's been officially eliminated yet. Yes- even the current last place division teams can still make a playoff run. Keep playing hard to make the Postseason.

Every game from here on out matters. Enjoy the rest of the 2024 MLB season!

 

[JohnBM01]

Did you notice all the "worst" statistics have the 2024 Chicago White Sox? Even I noticed it long before I made my other observations. The White Sox have the worst win percentage, the worst home record, the worst away record, the longest losing streak, and the worst ten-game stretch. As I heard from "Locked on White Sox," this team even has the dubious distinction of being the first team to head into the All-Star Break with 70+ losses. I did a quick search online about MLB records. The worst record all-time in a season of 162 or more games played (according to Statmuse) is 43-119 by the 2003 Detroit Tigers. I remember when my Houston Astros won only 51 games in 2013. Will the 2024 Chicago White Sox finish the season with more, less, or equal wins as the 2003 Detroit Tigers?

Baseball in Chicago is tough this season- Cubs and White Sox. The Cubs don't have an awful record like their Southside counterparts, but the Cubbies are currently 47-51, dead last in the NL Central. Still a lot of season left.

 

[Omnis]

The National Anthem sure was something at the Home Rune Derby last night. Come to find out, Ingrid Andress was indeed drunk.

At first I thought she had to be hearing herself in the earpiece and she was having trouble adjusting. Admitting you showed up hammered to a paid event on national tv is definitely a choice.

She must have been drunk when she admitted that, too, because that's about the worst possible thing you can do. I've never heard of this girl before, ever, but that's basically career suicide and I hope she never has the opportunity to embarrasses herself or disgrace our country again. There are so many people with amazing voices that would have killed for that kind of opportunity.

 

[JohnBM01]

It's back to work for Major League Baseball. Before I see how the Astros at Mariners series ends up, I'll assess my Astros.

The Houston Astros are 50-46 on the 2024 season. They are 2nd in the AL West and 5th in the AL Wild Card ranks. The upcoming at Mariners series is going to be crucial for the Astros to try to win. Seattle leads the AL West. The Astros have to win this series (and maybe sweep) to help their cause of leading the AL West. Houston may have to try to win the AL West to get into the postseason, since the AL Wild Card race is pretty intense. Their toughest series after at Seattle is home against Los Angeles Dodgers. Houston has a brutal August coming up. Notable series next month: at Texas (3), at Boston (3), at Tampa Bay (3), Boston (3), at Baltimore (3), and at Philadelphia (3). If Houston somehow pulls through this rough stretch, they will have surely earned their way to a possible postseason berth. Or could it all be the end of this recent stretch of success for the Houston Astros? Surely this Golden Age of Astros baseball hopefully won't be spoiled by a substandard season. A lot of season left, but the Astros just got to keep playing winning baseball while also not having so many injuries. The relief pitching got to improve absolutely as well. The nightmare of nearly blowing a 13-5 lead in the Top of the 9th at Minnesota thanks to shoddy pitching is a stark reminder for the Astros to properly close out games and keep mistakes to a minimum.


That's all. Want to assess your team(s)? Do so. Otherwise, get ready for the season to resume soon!

 

[JohnBM01]

It's the "Battle With Seattle!" Houston stumbled in the first month of the season. The Panic Button couldn't be smashed any harder for the Astros early on. Positive momentum has helped the Astros to finally go above .500 after a very slow start. They can make a big statement if they can win this upcoming series at the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners. Or, they can fall back in the rankings with a series loss. Time to see what the Houston Astros can do out of the All-Star Break with a trip to Seattle.

* HOU Astros at SEA Mariners(3 games)

[GAME 1] Seattle has played two more games than Houston, so a win tonight could give Houston their first lead of the AL West. The Houston Astros struck first on a José Altuve bunt followed by a Mariners' error that was deep enough to send Trey Cabbage home. It was 1-0, Astros at that point in the Top of the 3rd. With the bases loaded in the same inning, a two-run RBI single was cashed in by Houston to extend Houston's lead to 3-0. That score would hold as the Houston Astros finally are atop the AL West.

[GAME 2] The Houston Astros beat out a throw to 1st base to bring home a run on an RBI single. Astros led 1-0 in the Top of the 4th on this Saturday night game. Mariners took a 2-1 lead on a two-run homer to left in the Bottom of the 6th after a leadoff walk. The Houston Astros hit a two-run jack to re-take the lead at 3-2 in the Top of the 7th. Yanier Diaz bangs a solo bomb to left on a laser line drive to put Houston up 4-2 in the Top of the 8th. On Josh Hader's second straight game closing, he helped preserve the 4-2 victory. Houston is now all alone in 1st Place in the AL West.

[GAME 3] It was Ronel Blanco (HOU) against Bryan Woo (SEA). I'm glad Houston didn't have to face Astros killer Logan Gilbert in this series. Seattle scored two runs on an RBI triple in the Bottom of the 2nd. The Mariners struck first in this game by taking 2-0 lead. Yordan Alvarez blasted an upper deck jack to right in the Top of the 4th to cut Seattle's lead to 2-1. Seattle extended their lead on a solo homer to right-center in the Bottom of the 4th. Seattle now ahead 3-1. Seattle almost caught a deep left-center hit by Yordan Alvarez, but it was enough to bring an Astro home to cut the lead to 3-2 in the Top of the 6th. Seattle's No. 44 suffered an ankle injury trying to catch that hit. Seattle bombs a two-out, three-run homer in the Bottom of the 6th to extend Seattle's lead to 6-2. Possible Astros sweep becoming very unlikely now. First pitch of the Top of the 7th was a thunderbolt by Jeremy Peña. Astros cut the M's lead to 6-3 at that point trying to rally. Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle with a double in the Top of the 8th. It's his first Hit for the Cycle in his career. Astros cut into Seattle's lead a little more on an RBI single that same inning. It's 6-4, Seattle now. Houston's bid to rally from behind and possibly sweep the Mariners in Seattle falls short as Seattle takes Game 3.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (3-0; Houston)
GM2: (4-2; Houston)
GM3: (6-4; Seattle)

RESULT: HOU wins series 2-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: at OAK Athletics (3 games, starting Monday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 52-47 on the season in their first series after the All-Star Break. We had the AL West lead, but now hold a share of the AL West lead in the AL West after Sunday's fail.

The Houston Astros took on the (at the time) AL West-leading Seattle Mariners in Seattle. Next, the Astros will face the [current] last-place AL West Oakland Athletics in Oakland. It's a three-game set before the Astros return home. The Astros will have to hope they can win the series in Oakland while Seattle loses their next series hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.


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.

 

[JohnBM01]

The Houston Astros are still on the Pacific Coast. This time, they go down the Pacific coastline down to the Bay Area. The Oakland Athletics await the Houston Astros for a three-game set. Houston heads into this series tied with the Seattle Mariners for 1st in the AL West. If the Astros can handle their business while Seattle falters, they can keep the AL West lead. Houston goes from the (then) AL West leaders to the AL West doormat. This will be the Houston Astros' final-ever series at Oakland Coliseum. Let's see how this series ends in Oakland...

* HOU Astros at OAK Athletics (3 games)

[GAME 1] The first score I saw was Oakland ahead 4-0 on the Astros. The Astros had the bases loaded in the Top of the 6th bur failed to bring any home. So much for a last-place division team, eh? Back-to-back losses for Houston now.

[GAME 2] The Oakland Athletics took the early lead on a two-run bomb to left in the Bottom of the 1st. A's lead 2-0. Victor Caratini returned from injury and put the Astros on the board with a solo shot to center. Oakland still leads, but it is now 2-1 in the Top of the 3rd. Oakland extended their lead to 3-1 in the Bottom of the 3rd on a solo homer of their own. Oakland hits another solo bomb in the Bottom of the 4th to go up 4-1, then hit another to go up 5-1. Astros have gone from winning a series against the AL West leaders (at the time) to stumbling to the last-place division team. Oakland hit an RBI single to go up 6-1, and then I stopped watching the game. Final score: 8-2, Athletics.

[GAME 3] When I first saw this game, it was a 2-1 lead for the Houston Astros in the Top of the 3rd. So we FINALLY get a lead in this series on this sunny Wednesday afternoon in Oakland. Astros are trying to avoid getting swept by the last-place AL West Oakland Athletics. Chas McCormick blasted a solo jack to center to give the Astros a 3-1 lead in the Top of the 5th. That lead was extended on an RBI single on back-to-back hits in the Top of the 6th. Houston already scored more runs in this game than they have in the previous two games in this series, now leading 4-1. Houston knocks in more RBIs in the Top of the 7th to extend their lead to 5-1, and later 7-1. A sacrifice fly led to another Astros run the same inning to make it 8-1. As I read the box score, Oakland scored in the Bottom of the 1st, followed by seven unanswered by the Astros. In the Astros' final ever game at the Oakland Coliseum, they averted the sweep with authority. The Houston Astros become only American League team besides the Oakland Athletics themselves to leave Oakland Coliseum with a winning record.

--- REVIEW ---
GM1: (4-0; Oakland)
GM2: (8-2; Oakland)
GM3: (8-1; Houston)

RESULT: OAK wins series 2-1

--- UPCOMING ---
NEXT: vs. LAD Dodgers (3 games, starting Friday)

The 2024 Houston Astros are now 53-49 on the season, still [currently] leading the AL West. Seattle got swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, so their slide helps the Astros gain a little headroom in the AL West. Seattle will be at the Chicago White Sox for a three-game weekend series. I doubt Seattle is going to lose this series, so the Astros just have to handle their business as best they can.

A nine-game home stand awaits the Astros next after we take tomorrow off. Our first series back home will be a 2017 World Series rematch- the Los Angeles Dodgers. That will be followed by a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After that, the Tampa Bay Rays come to H-Town. The first game of LAD at HOU will be on AppleTV+, so I'll either have to listen on radio or just give whatever final score is posted online. When we start the Tampa Bay series, it's going to be a difficult August to try to pull through with so many tough opponents coming up (excluding the White Sox). But first things first- handle the Dodgers at home.

The MLB Trade Deadline is on July 31 at 6:00 PM Eastern. Whether your team(s) are buying or selling, hopefully you get the needed talent to either push for the postseason or build for the future.


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. How are your teams doing?


[UPDATE] HOU Astros only team with a winning record at Oakland Coliseum besides OAK Athletics.

 

[Dolph Drago]

Forgot to update after Cincy's last series before the All-Star break. They took the first two against the lowly Marlins before dropping the final game by 1 run. Rece Hinds also suffered the first hitless game of his career. He set several records in his first 6 starts before that. I can't even remember them.

Then, as predicted, the Redlegs came out of the break and fell immediately into a slump. It's become a tradition by this point. Swept by the Nats in DC. Luckily, I didn't see a single pitch of the series thanks to a busy weekend being involved in my buddy's wedding.

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

Next up was a trip to Hotlanta to take on the Braves. After his fail giving up the go-ahead two run bomb in the All-Star game, Hunter Greene brushed himself off and dominated in game 1. 7 innings, 2 hits, 7 K's. In fact, Cincinnati had not allowed a run until Diaz came in and couldn't find the plate in the 9th. Shutout spoiled, but a 4-1 win.

Last night's game was a washout, and a double header was planned for today. The afternoon game was played, but the nightcap was again postponed by weather. The makeup game is scheduled for a day in September. I once again missed the game that was played due to work. Montas got beat around, giving up 10 hits and 4 runs while failing to get out of the 5th inning. The bullpen? 4.2 innings of no hit ball with 8 strikeouts and 0 walks. Impressive. The offense for the Reds came to play, as well, putting up 9 runs in the first 4 innings. Notable was Elly hitting another homer - his 18th of the season - and swiping bags #49 and #50. Yup 50 steals already barely out of the break. Insane how fast the man is.

Game 1: 4-1 Cincinnati
Game 2: 9-4 Cincinnati
Game 3: Postponed to later date

Cincinnati has a the opposite record of @JohnBM01's Astros at 49-53. They lead the Cubs by 1 game, but the Pirates have found their way to a winning record at 52-50, 3 games clear of the Reds and 1 game behind the Cards. Milwaukee continues to lead the NL Central by 6 games. It's a battle royale for the wild card spot. Cincy is 4 games back at the moment.

 

[JohnBM01]

Do you see the Reds as buyers or sellers come the Trade Deadline, @Dolph Drago ? Or what do you think they should do by that deadline?

 

[Blitz24]

Mets continued their strong season against the Yankees. After eking out a win 3-2 yesterday and walking Aaron Judge all but once (when he struck out looking in the 9th inning representing the winning run), the Mets demolished the Yankees 12-3 today to sweep their cross town rivals for the first time since 2013. Francisco Lindor had 2 HR and 5 RBI and 3 other Mets (Taylor, Alonso and Vientos) also connected for HR. Gerrit Cole had his 2nd straight poor start against the Mets this year. In 2 starts, covering a bit over 9 innings, he's allowed 7 HR against the Mets. This is not a aberration, as Cole against the Mets for his career has been statistically awful.

Mets will begin a 4 game series against the Atlanta Braves Thursday evening and sit at 53-48, just 1.5 games back of the Braves for the 1st Wild Card.