Atlanta is now 1-1 in their last two games. That’s a .500 winning percentage, miles ahead from the .424 winning percentage our 28-38 club is sporting for the season.
Last night, Grant Holmes pitched reasonably well, aside from a two-run homer by Jackson Chourio and a solo shot by Jake Bauers. He went 5 1/3 and got nine strikeouts, but he gave up three walks and three of the five hits he yielded went for extra bases. An insurance run was given up when Aaron Bummer skillfully loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a single, and a walk before giving way to a new guy who sandwiched two strikeouts and a flyout around a bases-loaded walk.
But it scarcely mattered on the other side of the ball, as Ronald Acuña Jr. went 3-4 and got stranded each time.
1st inning: Acuña hits a leadoff single. Riley strikes out. Olson lines out. Ozuna grounds out.
3rd inning: Acuña hits a leadoff single. Riley strikes out. Olson strikes out. Ozuna flies out.
5th inning: Allen hits a leadoff double. Acuña singles him home. Riley grounds into a double play. Olson flies out.
That was the ballgame, pretty much.
The Hammers were 2-2 on Tuesdays in May and 2-3 in April, so our overall Tuesday record was close to .500 coming into the month of June. But we’re 0-2 on my recap days so far this month.
Getaway game this afternoon, Shabbos Schwellenbach against Chad Patrick. Let’s get a new one-game winning streak going.
Watching Ronald’s home run Monday and his line drive up the middle last night, the ball just comes off different. What a treat to watch this talent again.
I think some of our hitting issues are approach (Harris), decline (Ozzie/Verdugo), or just a complete lack of ability (Allen), but it must be really frustrating to build a roster of home run hitters, only to see the ball start behaving in such a way that reduces home runs.
https://x.com/BallparkPal/status/1932796232184803436
I’m not saying it’s intentional, but something is going on. League wide, actual SLG is .395 vs. xSLG of .423.
What about 2023? Actual SLG was .414 vs. xSLG of .412.
Some results from an anonymous player survey in The Athletic:
“Which manager, apart from your own, would you like to play for?”
The runaway winners were Bruce Bochy, Terry Francona, and Stephen Vogt. Snit was tied with Dave Roberts at fifth, with 7 votes. Ron Washington was 11th, with 4 votes.
“Which manager would you not like to play for?”
Wash was tied for second, although with only 4 votes. Snit got one vote.
“Which organizations have good reputations among players? Bad reputations?”
The Dodgers won “good” by a mile, but the Braves were third, with no one saying the Braves have a bad rep.
Comments: “They have a relaxed, old-school feel” and “The Braves do everything just as good as the Yankees. The way they take care of the players, players’ families, the way they treat you like you’re the best in the league.”
Make of that what you will. It’s good to be a team players like, though.
RAJ is killin’ it.
RAJ can play baseball.
In 78 plate appearances over 18 games, Ronald has 44 total bases. That’s one behind Nick Allen, who has 45 in 191 plate appearances, and it’s four behind Alex Verdugo, who has 48 TB in 166 PA.
Heckuva ballgame, meat. Man, what a pitcher he is.
A pennant race seems like a longshot right now, but if we could get one or two games like this a week, you’d have to hate baseball to give up on the team. Just my opinion.
Recapped