“This-That-The Other”

==========
A great sports weekend with lots to watch, cover and have opinions.

PADRES…Maybe a turn the season type weekend, winning two of three against the hottest team in baseball, Tampa Bay

..Blake Snell was dazzling.  Bottle this-cap it-use it once a week in starts.  That 12-strikeout outing, the fact he has given up 1-run in his last 25-innings, is ahead of the count with most every batter.  Impressive, if he can keep this going.

..Fernando Tatis running like a wild horse in right field and doing the same on the bases.  He has given the Friars the leadership and energy we have not seen this season.  The sraw that stirs the San Diego drink?

..Josh Hader has 18-saves now and looks nearly unhittable most outings.

..Some weekend of games with the Rays.  Padres lay down 3-straight bunts in Saturday’s win.  Stealing bases with reckless abandon all weekend long.  2-hit batsmen in a row by Joe Musgrove.  Tatis picked off at third.  Tatis gunning down a runner from right.  Strong pitching.  Sloppy play.  A little bit of everything

..Up next the road trip, in fact a long haul away from home with 10-of-13 on the road starting with Monday nights game in San Francisco.  Somehow the Giants are playing well with 7-wins in a row with a rag-tag roster.  This two week stretch of game either puts the Padres back in the NL-West pennant race or might bury their playoff chances if things fall apart.  The Friars are  6th in the standings of teams fighting for the 3-wildcard playoff spots.  Alot of games to play but alot of teams they have to jump over to get this done.  Stay tuned.

DODGERS…How do they survive this?  The injury wipe out of the pitching staff, only superceded by the terrible performances of a hot and cold bullpen.

..The rotation has an ERA now of (4.36) and a bullpen ERA of (4.92) and there isn’t much help left to call up from Oklahoma City.  The big question is whether Team President Andrew Friedman will do something  to bolster either the rotation or the relief corps.  The big issue is the Dodgers  failures  have come the same days first place Arizona lost, meaning thru all the adversity the Dodgers are still only 4-games out of first place.

..A bad losing stretch for sure having lost 10-of-14..and 14-of-22.  Is the GM going to get the manager some veteran pitching from somewhere else?  Add in, how long with Max Muncy-Chris Taylor be out?  And how ready is Julio Urias after two setbacks with the hamstring injury?

..Bad history on Saturday.  The Dodgers (15-0) loss to the Giants at Chavez Ravine was awful.  How bad in history is it?  It was the worst home field loss for the Dodgers dating back to 1898 when they played on dirt fields in Brooklyn before Ebbets Field.

ANGELS…Are they the real deal?  If they can keep this batting order in the lineup and on the field, they might be a playoff team, despite the strength of teams in the American League East.

..Shohei Ohtanin continues his drive towards free agency, rocketing his 23rd home run of the season, with Mike Trout doing the same thing, and the Angels  went to (41-33) on the year.  Included in the past week, were winning series against first place Texas and then beating the other team in the division they have to stay ahead, Seattle.  They have won 11-of-14.

..All this with really a substandard starting rotation and an iffy bullpen.  They are playing hard  and are aggressive under Phil Nevin’s guidance.  In a year of surprise teams, the Orioles, the Marlins, the Reds, what the Halos have been able to do has  put them into the conversation too.  Only time tells if they can keep this up.

================================

Please follow and like us: