There was an announcement this week: scientists have apparently discovered a new state of matter: topological superconductivity. I don’t have a great Braves tie-in to this discovery, but some have come to expect non-Braves-related intros from me. So if you’re into stable qubits, I’m sure you’re pretty excited right now and you can pretty much stop reading.
Last week, JamesD asked me how many times teams hit six or more home runs in a 9 inning game without winning, as the Braves managed against the Mets, losing 10-8. The answer is 23 times, including 3 teams that hit 7 home runs and lost, which is the record.
Date | Batting Team | Homers | Winner |
19300512 | CHN | 6 | NY1 |
19320813 | NY1 | 6 | BRO |
19500623 | NYA | 6 | DET |
19570605 | NY1 | 6 | MLN |
19610608 | MLN | 6 | CIN |
19620529 | CHN | 6 | MLN |
19650427 | PHI | 6 | SFN |
19710809 | DET | 6 | BOS |
19800531 | BOS | 6 | MIL |
19850423 | CAL | 6 | OAK |
19910803 | OAK | 6 | MIN |
19950528 | DET | 7 | CHA |
19960630 | LAN | 6 | COL |
19990710 | NYA | 6 | NYN |
20020702 | DET | 6 | CHA |
20040808 | DET | 7 | BOS |
20070828 | BAL | 6 | TBA |
20100521 | TOR | 6 | ARI |
20100924 | NYA | 6 | BOS |
20160625 | CHA | 7 | TOR |
20170817 | CHN | 6 | CIN |
20180726 | CHA | 6 | ANA |
20190815 | ATL | 6 | NYN |
So I won’t say it’s common, but it’s happened every year the last four years. And this was the second time for the Braves, but the last time it was the Milwaukee Braves: 2 home runs from Mathews, and homers from Aaron, Adcock, Spahn (despite the homer, he was pinch-hit for later in the game by Charlie Lau), and Frank Thomas (the Much Smaller Hurt) in another 10-8 loss. See? Baseball isn’t that different, except that Braves pitchers used to hit homers every once in a while.
In the only other game to involve the Braves, in 1962, Ernie Banks hit 3, joined by Billy Williams, Bob Will and George Altman, but the Cubs fell to the Braves, 11-9. Lew Burdette got the win in relief.
Speaking of relief, many people like playing bad teams: I hate it, because every loss feels so much worse than a win feels good. Economists have a name for this: (big surprise) loss aversion, and some think it makes people behave irrationally, though I’m partial to the recent research of the improbably named Gerd Gigerenzer, who disagrees. If loss aversion really made you irrational, you would, if given the power, substitute a game with the Dodgers for a game with the Marlins. I don’t care how much you dislike losing to bad teams – nobody would do that. Now, having finally dispensed with physics, history and behavioral economics, we can proceed to the recap.
Roger, yesterday: “Not that it’s a bad thing, but couldn’t we have a game sometime where the Braves just go out and score a bunch and the pitchers shut the other team down and the Braves win in a walk?â€Â Well, I’m not sure that 5-0 is really that much better than 5-1, but the Braves scored early, using their usual powerhouses, Flow and Hech (which sounds like a bad 70’s cop show) to put up 3, and then didn’t give up any. Some obscure player named Acuña added a homer for another couple of runs, and the bullpen (in this case Newk and Tomlin) were Braves-perfect. The downside? Those three hits (two homers and a triple) were the only 3 hits the Braves managed. (40 previous teams have scored 5 runs in 3-hit efforts and won their games, if you care.) Look. The Marlins are just not a good team. But everyone else gets to play them, so we get to play them too. So it’s a one paragraph recap. Even the loquacious stumble from time to time.
We play these guys again tomorrow. We have our ace on the mound. That guarantees nothing, but it does have a lot of promise.
Per DOB – “Braves scored 5 runs without a single or double, just the eighth time in the last 112 seasons that a team scored as many runs as that without benefit of a single or double. The most runs ever scored without a single or double was seven.”
Since there wasn’t much to talk about from the game, can you explain topological superconductivity?
I thought 5 runs on 3 hits would be rare. 40 teams winning games with that combo is lower than I thought it would be. But that’s about as exciting as this game gets, a statistical boxscore oddity. Yes, I would like to hear more about topological superconductivity too.
Thank you for the recap, JonathanF!
Pretty sure Max and I made eye contact, so I can die happy. Was also sitting around Ryan Klesko and Phil Niekro, which was neat. Seeing an Acuña homer in person was the cherry on top.
Sending out another batch of shirts tomorrow. Send me an email (or a direct message if you’re on Twitter) if you’re interested!
cothrjr at hotmail dot com
Love your recaps JonathanF. Sorry for the delayed reply. Was flying from PDX to JFK yesterday. I’ll be in the Hyundai Club level. Section 115.
They put this up at 8pm last night and haven’t taken it down. LOLMets
@2,3: The link didn’t help? Then I suspect the full report at https://arxiv.org/pdf/1906.01179.pdf won’t be much better. But the problem with making quantum computing practical is getting a way to store quantum data. Cool things down close to absolute zero and things behave differently in lots of ways that you can measure stably. Topological superconductivity is one of them.
@6: Still not sure whether I can make it tomorrow. But write me at webmaster at wongpool dot com and I’ll let you know.
I finally figured out the 2019 Braves bullpen. They’re Majorana bound states — they’re their own antiparticles, zero-energy nodes.
Saw this today https://www.nj.com/sports/2019/08/mlb-trade-rumors-red-sox-dealing-mookie-betts-to-cardinals-or-braves.html
I can’t see the Braves trading any of the top 3 for an OF, even if it’s someone like Mookie. ESPECIALLY off a relatively down year.
By the way, the Marlins starter Caleb Smith got two doubles last night, so I checked out Julio Teheran’s splits against pitchers. It’s striking:
All NL pitchers, 2019:
vs. pitcher: .126/.159/.159
vs. non-p: .259/.331/.446
(Non-pitchers have an OPS .459 points higher than pitchers.)
Braves pitchers, 2019:
vs. pitcher: .163/.197/.189
vs. non-p: .266/.344/.440
(Non-pitchers have an OPS .397 points higher than pitchers.)
Julio Teheran, career:
vs. pitcher: .154/.173/.211
vs. non-p: .242/.314/.406
(Non-pitchers have an OPS .335 points higher than pitchers.)
Julio Teheran, 2019:
vs. pitcher: .324/.375/.378
vs. pitcher: .225/.326/.378
(Non-pitchers have an OPS .49 points lower than pitchers.)
It ain’t just your lying eyes.
In a “relatively down year,” Betts has roughly the same WAR as Acuna. I’d trade anything that ain’t Acuna or Albies for him.
I’m sure we could work out a package for Betts. We can’t, nor should we, keep all of the prospects, and the outfield could look pretty thin outside of Acuna next season if they were to roll with Riley in LF and Moreneckis in RF.
Something like Waters, Inciarte, and a second line pitching prospect like Muller for one year of Betts? That sound about right, or is that too much of an overpay?
I think it sorta depends on whether we think we have a prayer of signing him to a longterm deal.
I would have little interest in Betts at any price the Sox would offer. POSSIBLY if an extension is negotiated into the deal, but then I don’t think Betts would accept an extension like I would propose (maybe 4 years beyond next).
Having Betts for 2020 would be a blast, BUT he’s in his last year of Arb and made $20 this year. He could realistically ask for $30-$35 in arb this year.
Seat Painter’s proposal is probably right and would leave ATL with Riley at 3B, Kakes/Pache, Acuna and Betts in OF and virtually no money to spend.
Acuna
Albies
Freeman
Betts
Riley
Kakes/Pache
Swanson
Unknown Catcher
Soroka
That’s a nice looking lineup though.
IMO, trading for Betts would be a terrible use of resources as he’ll likely make 25ish million in his last year of arb AND cost a fortune in prospects. Can’t pay out on both sides for one year.
Thank you, JonathanF. You know stuff. Glad it’s not testable.
Cyroka on the bump tonight. Get him some early runs, boys.
Go Braves.
Haven’t seen Cyroka before, good nickname.
Cyroka is good and I like it too but I also still like Maple Maddux.
coop comes up with a winner – Cyroka.
(Picard) Make it so Number 1. (/Picard)
Wish I could claim it, but stole it from another site, either Tomahawk Take or Talking Chop I think.
I only steal from the best.
Soroka and teammates and pray for pitches Ronald cremates.
I would be surprised if the Braves really pursued a trade for Betts, but I won’t be surprised if they state that they’re in the market for an OF. My hope is for Donaldson to return and for them to find someone who could be an upgrade over Markakis or a gap filler in LF if Riley doesn’t make the needed adjustments at the plate.
I bet AJax gets the start tonight with Flowers having caught in the last 2 games.
@25 I’m with you. I’m sure the Braves will do their due diligence on Betts, if he does indeed become available. I don’t think he’ll be all that available though, unless someone ponies up an elite prospect such as Pache. The Sox could realistically just keep him and hope to contend.
I’d rather keep the prospects and spend the money it takes to bring Josh back at the hot corner. I haven’t given up on Riley, but I’m not sold on him either. At any rate, I’d rather see them let him try to make the adjustments he needs in LF. If he doesn’t get it, they can call Pache up. If they don’t feel Pache is ready, COF bats are always available.
@27 It’ll be great to see Dansby back on the line up card soon!
If it came down to choosing between trading for Betts or resigning Donaldson to something in the neighborhood of 3/65M-ish, I would hope the Braves go for the Bringer of Rain. A line-up next year of:
Acuna
Albies
Freeman
Donaldson
Riley/Markakis/Waters
Swanson
Inciarte/Pache
Catcher/(McCann?)
Pitcher
looks pretty darned good to me.
@30 Strong agree.
@30 I’m really hoping for the best regarding Donaldson. I suspect a lineup could look like:
CF Acuna
2B Albies
1B Freeman
3B Donaldson
RF Markakis
SS Swanson
LF Riley
C Flowers
P Pitcher
I don’t know that Inciarte will still be with the team, and I think Acuna has shown himself capable out there. Riley offers potential as a masher in LF, and Donaldson would be the natural best case in the off-season to keep a very potent lineup together.
They need to find a new catcher, and it’s easier to focus on catcher if you’re not simultaneously looking for another clear cut starter somewhere else like LF. If Waters or Pache are gonna push for playing time, I’d rather they push Riley because I doubt Kakes will give us anything less than his standard, which seems to always be good enough for playing time.
Cervelli? Really?
Don’t know if Cervelli has much left in the tank, but in 2018 he was worth 2.6 bWAR. It’s worth a shot.
Cervelli has had one whale of a career. He’s had a bunch of concussions and I just don’t know what he has left. But boy I’d love him as a bench coach.
Hopefully he can manage the staff, call a good game, keep Flowers rested, and put the bat on the ball every now and again. AA is definitely attempting to not leave defense lacking where it counts with the additions of Cervelli, Hamilton, and Adeiny.
I like the Cervelli signing.
There’s a line of thinking that relievers are basically fungible, which I somewhat disagree with. When you really examine things though, aren’t catchers then by the same logic? If you’re not paying a premium at the position, what does one give you that another doesn’t, sans the top 2 or 3 catchers in the game? And why pay a premium at a position where you can get the same production potential from a COF bat for 1/4 the cost?
Cervelli will call a good game and play solid D behind the plate. He’s also well respected in Pittsburgh. Sure he might not hit a lot anymore, but how many catchers do? He’s at most just a fill in for McCann, anyway. If he takes good care of the young Braves pitching, where Flowers has failed this season, how is that not a win?
@39 Totally agree. And this, especially after the string of emergency signings to shore up the bench and defense, show that AA and LM are taking our chances this year very seriously, which is heartening to see.
Gerd Gigerenzer
profundity to the third extravegenzer
if knowledge is the antidote to fear
then best we learn the Braves, towards them we should veer.
Cervelli would be a great get.
Meet our newest Braves fan, Gracie Jane.
Born 8/21 at 4:22pm. 8 lb, 11 oz
Congrats, sdp!
Mazel tov!
Congratulations, sdp!
Congrats, sdp!
She’s a doll, sdp. Congratulations.
Congrats sdp!
Soroka is so good.
Thanks Fish!
I like Hech, let’s keep him.
Yes, ma’am.
DAMN Ortega smokes another and nothing to show for it.
Congratulations, SDP!! Hopefully the Braves will get a win tonight for Gracie Jane!
When given a gift, take it and say thank you. That might be a big chance missed we will regret later.
I hate autocorrect.
GIVE MIKE SOME RUNS
Sigh.
I hate Tyler’s pitch-calling. Every pitch, to the first three batters, this inning, was a fastball.
Agree with Tom. Walk him and get their starter out of the game.
Tyler is a terrible pitch caller. There is no other way to say it.
Thank you all!
🙂
Ozzie’s in a bit of a slump.
FREDDIE!!!! THANK YOU JUICED BALL
Freddie to the rescue!
Freddie!
Another gift. Okay Braves, win this thing.
Hech!
Acuna matata!
That will do, Ronald. That will do.
Ronald throwing some Inglés in there in his post-game interview.
I love this team. I love Ronald.
Recap up.
Gracie Jane
quite clearly not plain
a sleepy dazzle
nocturnal parental frazzle.
What a cutie. Congrats, sdp.