Category: Sports News

Tuesday marked the fourth straight victory for the Dodgers on what has been a tremendous road trip, and it was an even more impactful game for manager Dave Roberts.

Now into his 11th season as Dodgers manager, Tuesday’s 9-3 victory over the Athletics marked the 1,000th win of Roberts’ managerial career, becoming the fastest manager to achieve that milestone in the live ball era and becoming the fourth manager in team history to accomplish that feat.

When asked about what it means to achieve 1,000 managerial wins, Robert described it as “mind-blowing,” per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I mean, 1,000 didn’t even seem on my radar,” Roberts said. “That’s a long time of consistent winning, let alone keeping a job for 11 years. That’s just kind of the life I chose. But yeah, to kind of put your head down and look back and go, ‘Oh my god, I’m here,’ it’s mind-blowing.”

Roberts later shared a speech in the clubhouse following Tuesday’s victory, where he expressed his gratitude for his players, both past and present, on helping him reach 1,000 wins.

“What makes a great coach or manager? Great players, and I’ve been blessed with great players.”

Justin Wrobleski started the game that would eventually become Roberts’ 1,000th win as Dodgers manager, as the left-hander struck out a career-high 11 hitters while becoming the first Dodger pitcher since Clayton Kershaw in 2023 to have 10 wins before the All-Star break.

Wrobleski felt honored to be the winning pitcher in Roberts’ milestone game, as he spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about the impact Roberts has had on his career.

“I want to do that for Doc. He’s done a lot for me in my career. Getting the chance to be the winning pitcher in his 1,000th win is super cool… Can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me in my career and my development. I really wanted to get this done for him.”

Tommy Edman has been a contact machine since being activated off the injured list, as the switch hitter is slashing a robust .395/.452/.579 over his first 11 games of the season. Edman was a driving force in Tuesday’s win over the A’s, going 4-5 while connecting for his first home run of the season and driving in four runs.

Before Edman spoke with Watson about his brilliant day at the plate, he also showed his gratitude towards Dave Roberts acknowledged the privilege it is to play for the Dodgers with him at the helm.

“It really is an honor to just be a part of this team. It’s such a crazy accomplishment– 1,000 wins is just unbelievable if you really think about it. Couldn’t happen to a better guy. I’ve just loved every minute playing for him since I’ve gotten here. He’s so personable and makes it really easy to play for. He keeps things loose, and there’s a reason for why he’s won 1,000 games.”

The first half of the season has flown by, as has the first half of 2026. As ever, a new page of the calendar brings the latest installation in our GM approval poll monthly. I’m certain that opinions will be particularly fierce as we ask you to consider what has reliably and consistently been the most controversial month in this era of Yankees baseball: June.

However, before we get to June, it might be instructive to see how GM Brian Cashman’s approval rating has tracked in the first two months of the campaign. He started the season off relatively strong for his standards, polling at a 41-percent approval rating as his team sat atop the AL East standings having won their first three series and ripped off an eight-game winning streak toward the end of the month. Despite finishing the following month in second place behind the Rays, Cashman’s approval rating remained at 41-percent in May as the team continued to boast to AL’s top offense and starting rotation. They enter the final day of June in exactly the same position as they entered it, a game-and-a-half behind the Rays, though with considerably greater concern over the roster.

The month started with a series loss to the Guardians and a split of two games with the Red Sox. However, the Yankees then ripped off three straight series wins against the Guardians, Blue Jays, and White Sox to provide a mirage of hope that maybe just maybe they could avoid their annual June Swoon.*

*Narrator: They did not.

Starting with the middle game of their series against the Reds, the Yankees have lost 9 of their last 11 games (including their last six in a row). They were swept in four games at Fenway by the last-place Red Sox, getting no-hit through five innings in each of the final three games. They’ve been one-hit through seven in their last two games and have 16 hits across their last five games, which is the lowest hit total in any five-game stretch in franchise history.

The most alarming part of June has been the sharp regression from the three units that powered their hot start: offense, the starting rotation, and defense. Through the first two months of the season, the Yankees boasted the second-best offense in MLB by wRC+ (115) and fWAR (12.1). In June, their offense ranked 26th in wRC+ (89) and 24th in fWAR (2.8). Similarly, their starting rotation was the best in baseball by ERA (2.97) and fWAR (7.7) and second in FIP (3.37) through the end of May. In June, they’ve sunken to 19th in ERA (4.69), 21st in fWAR (1.1) and 20th in FIP (4.57). Surprisingly, the one unit that stepped up in June was the bullpen, who led the AL in ERA (2.39), FIP (2.96), and fWAR (2.0)

And that brings us to the defense. Entering play yesterday, the Yankees had committed 16 errors in their last 11 games and 34 total in June — third-worst in MLB. All those errors meant they had allowed 17 unearned runs in their last 9 games as well as the fourth-most unearned runs in MLB at 42. Playing several guys out of position hasn’t helped (neither has the absence of Ryan McMahon since June 21st due to an infection), but the majority of errors came from a lack of a lack of concentration rather than a physical limitation.

Obviously, the mounting injuries are the primary culprit for this putrid stretch. The Yankees didn’t have Aaron Judge (broken rib), Max Fried (left elbow bone bruise), and Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain) for the entire month of June. A hamstring injury also robbed them of Trent Grisham for more than half the month right in the middle of a searing hot streak. It also hasn’t helped that two of their offensive pillars in Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger have gone ice cold. Rice batted .196 with an 81 wRC+ and Bellinger .228 with an 87 wRC+ in June after both placed among the league’s top-25 hitters through the end of May. However, it is the job of the general manager to assemble depth should injuries occur, and the simple fact is that the replacements have fallen well short of the mark in June.

That brings us to today’s task. Do you approve of the job Brian Cashman has done through the end of June? On one hand, the Yankees have stayed within touching distance of the Rays despite their struggles. On the other hand, their June Swoon sheds serious doubt on the true identity and ability level of this team in the second half of the season. The polarizing GM certainly elicits stronger feelings than can be captured in a one-word response — you may feel a question such as the one being posed requires more nuance, greater elaboration, or a wider selection of options than just a “yes” or a “no,” however for the sake of this exercise, a binary question works best.

Note: This is the same poll that is currently appearing on the Feed, so if you’ve voted there, that should already be counted.

There was a time in Colorado Rockies’ history when it was normal to expect a miraculous late-game rally, particularly at Coors Field, because of the offense’s power. They could strike fear in the heart of an opposing pitcher because of the certainty that no lead was ever truly safe.

However, over the years of losing since 2021, there were instances of incredible comebacks, but they seemed few and far between as the offense’s inconsistencies and ineffectiveness ruled above all.

The ineffable phenomena of “LoDo Magic” appeared to have waned into nothingness, a mere casualty of the frailties of the offense. However, the 2026 Rockies appear to have tapped into something from the past and may have found a way to conjure the vibes of that late-game magic.

Don’t count me out

The Rockies have proven to be one of the best late-game hitting teams in baseball this season.

In the eighth inning or later entering Tuesday, the Rockies are first in team batting average (.295), third in on-base percentage (.358) and first in slugging percentage (.481). They have also scored the most runs (114) and have the most hits (189). Those two stats aren’t particularly close either, as the Milwaukee Brewers rank second with 106 runs scored, and the Toronto Blue Jays are second with 164 hits. While their efforts haven’t necessarily always resulted in wins, it’s clear that the Rockies’ offense never knows when to quit.

The split between the eighth and ninth innings is rather similar, but the team is much more successful in the former. The Rockies are slashing .298/.366/.485 with 63 runs scored in the eighth inning while slashing .288/.375/.500 with 44 runs scored in the ninth. They also have 15 home runs in the eighth and 11 in the ninth, both of which rank near the top in baseball.

What is even more impressive is that this Rockies team could end up being one of the best late-game hitting teams in franchise history. Since the installation of the humidor at Coors Field in 2002, the 2026 team’s AVG ranks first in franchise history, ahead of the .268 AVG of the 2004 Rockies. Halfway through the season, the Rockies are at 107 runs in the late-game regulation innings, which may only rank ahead of the shortened 2020 season at the moment, but the top mark since 2002 is 163 by the 2004 team. The current trajectory as the 2026 club has a chance to take the top spot in runs scored, among several other categories, when all is said and done.

We’ve focused most only the eighth and ninth innings, but it’s worth mentioning their performance in extra innings. The Rockies have played five games that went into extras, so it’s a rather small sample size. Still, they are batting .296/.424/.370. They are 8-for-27 with two doubles and seven runs scored. That places them in the bottom half of the league in most things, but they can at least hang their hat on a good stat line, even if the runs aren’t coming.

Home and away

“LoDo Magic” is often reserved for games at home. Coors Field lends itself to offensive rallies because of the elevation and the expanse of the outfield. The 2026 Rockies have taken full advantage of their home confines in the late innings to keep up pressure and even pull off a few miracles.

A slashline of .308/.361/.492 places them roughly in the top-five Rockies teams at home in the eighth and ninth innings. Their average is notable as the second-best at home, behind the 2010 team, which batted .314 at Coors. Surprisingly enough, the 2024 and 2025 teams rank fairly high in runs scored, home runs, and hits. As mentioned, there were hints of that “LoDo Magic” over the years, but nothing that seemed to matter much or was too little, too late.

As for their place among teams across the league, the Rockies are first in AVG and SLG at home, while they rank second in runs scored at home in the later innings (64) as well as hits (80). Teams will typically play better at home, but the Rockies have excelled more than most with the clock running out, and that’s a major testament to fighting until the very last out.

The truly incredible outcome is that the Rockies aren’t just doing it at home. They also lead the league with a .286 AVG and .482 SLG on the road, alongside leading the league in hits (101) and runs scored (61). Add in their 14 home runs, which rank 14th in baseball. Somehow, the 2026 Rockies have done something unimaginable: carrying that “LoDo Magic” on the road.

A .286/.350/.482 slash on the road leads every Rockies team since 2002. To put that in context, the previous highs were a .247 AVG by the 2008 Rockies, a .321 OBP by the 2004 Rockies, and a .400 SLG by the 2020 Rockies. They already have the 10th most runs scored (61) and are on their way to overtaking the hits, runs, and home runs in the later innings.

Being able to consistently hit at home and on the road is a massive step forward for a team that has historically done well in one area and poorly in the other. There is a balance that has never been there before and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Late game heroes

The definitive figure of late-game heroics in franchise history has to be Mr. Late Night himself, Seth Smith. He had a penchant for delivering a clutch hit, often a home run, late in games, and you knew good things would happen late in the game at Coors Field. So, who are the heroes of the current Rockies?

As you’d expect, the Rockies’ late-game statistics are as good as they are because a greater number of players have found success late in the game. The Rockies have 10 players batting at least .280 in the eighth inning or later, eight of whom are batting over .300. Eight players are also slugging over .500, and six players have an OPS of 1.000 or better.

The main breadwinners late in games are names that have been exceptional all season. Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield have excellent slash lines, with Rumfield’s .365 AVG leading all qualified hitters. Both had six home runs late in the game and have combined to drive in 32 runs. Jake McCarthy has 12 RBI and 11 runs scored, both of which rank third on the team. Kyle Karros may be a surprise as he is slashing .308/.368/.558 with three home runs, four doubles, eight RBI, and 12 runs scored.

What’s great to see is that rookie newcomer Cole Carrigg has proven capable in the final innings of a game. Through 15 games, he is 5-for-12 with two doubles and a home run as well as four walks against one strikeout.

I believe in magic

A talking point for manager Warren Schaeffer, dating back to his tenure in 2025, has been about fighting to the very end. There was also something mentioned on a Rockies broadcast recently that the team isn’t just hoping to come back and win games, but actively believes they can and will win games. That mentality shift is emblematic of the progression from one of the least productive offenses in baseball to one of the better offenses in baseball. There is growth, and I find myself excited and confident that the Rockies will manage to tap into that “LoDo Magic” on any given night.

On the farm

Triple-A:Round Rock Express 9, Albuquerque Isotopes 8

An eighth-inning collapse proved the difference maker as the Albuquerque Isotopes dropped their opener for the week. Leading 6-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth, reliever Blake Adams ended up being responsible for three runs and the loss after he loaded the bases and was replaced by veteran reliever Jordan Romano, who gave up a grand slam. The Isotopes scored two runs in the top of the ninth on a Sterlin Thompson home run, but the rally ended there. Charlie Condon also hit another home run in the game as part of a three-hit day, while Zac Veen hit his 14th home run of the season. Jordan Beck also contributed a three-run homer for his first of the year in Triple-A.

Double-A:Somerset Patriots 5, Hartford Yard Goats 2

It was a slower night for the Hartford Yard Goats as they dropped the opener to the Somerset Patriots. Hartford collected just five hits, utilizing a pair of solo home runs to score all of their runs. Jack O’Dowd slugged a home run in his very first Double-A at-bat to lead off the third inning. Roc Riggio had a great night against his former club, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning. Jackson Cox made the start for the Yard Goats and fired six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, including two home runs. He also struck out eight and walked two. Michael Prosecky followed with two innings of relief, allowing a run on three hits, with two strikeouts.

High-A:Spokane Indians 2, Hillsboro Hops 0

It was a rather uneventful night for the Spokane Indians, but they managed to squeak out the win nonetheless. The Indians scored two runs on three hits with Tommy Hopfe going 2-for-3. Roynier Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to drive in the first run of the game and Ethan Hedges had a sacrifice fly to bring in the second run. Yujanyer Herrera started on the mound and fired six shutout innings with six shutouts and allowing just three hits. Francis Rivera followed with two scoreless innings to get the win while Hunter Mann shut the door for the save.

Low-A: Ontario Tower Buzzers 7, Fresno Grizzlies 4

The Fresno Grizzlies scored all their runs early, but couldn’t muster much else after the third inning as they had just five hits in the loss. Jesus Freitez led the way with three hits and two RBI, but the team went 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position as they drew 12 walks against nine strikeouts. Riley Kelly made the start for Fresno, giving up five runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings with five strikeouts. Bryson Van Sickle followed with three solid innings, giving up one run on five hits with six strikeouts. Manuel Olivares closed things out with 1.1 innings, allowing one run. In total, Fresno gave up 15 hits while Ontario went 5-for-10 with RISP.

Affected by Altitude Episode 216: He’s pretty good, man | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

In this episode, Evan Lang and I talk about Hunter Goodman’s incredible play of late, talk trade deadline ideas, and talk late game hijinks for the offense.

Jack O’Dowd turns independent league breakthrough into Colorado Rockies organization success | The Spokesman Review

Jack O’Dowd has been a fun story in the minors this season for the Rockies. Signed after a great season in independent ball last year, O’Dowd has ascended quickly through the system to Double-A. However, he participated in a Q&A session in Spokane recently to talk about his season so far.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Good morning, baseball fans!

Phase two of voting for the 2026 All-Star Game has begun, and unfortunately the San Francisco Giants have zero players among the top vote getters this year. I’d say it’s a shame, but given the way the team has…well, done everything this season, it’s not that big of a surprise. But it is a bummer, because I really wanted to Luis Arraez to at least be in the mix.

However, that doesn’t mean there is no reason to still vote. Because the Los Angeles Dodgers currently have players in almost every category. So maybe go support their competition instead. You can vote here for the next couple of days. Phase two ends on July 2nd, but you can cast up to five votes per day.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants conclude this three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.

Happy Wednesday, everyone, and a very happy Canada Day to any of my fellow Canucks out there! In today’s news breakdown, we’re still looking at the fallout from the big shakeup with the Angels ousting Perry Minasian and the Mets booting Carlos Mendoza.

We also take a look at what’s going on with Aaron Judge, and which AL players might now stand a chance to be the AL MVP because Judge has missed a good chunk of playing time.

Along with all that, we take a look at the unexpected boost baseball is getting with the influx of soccer fans all over Canada and the US, and how it’s creating a whole new fanbase for the sport.

All that and more, so let’s get right into it.

• Jay Jaffe looks at how Carlos Mendoza is paying the price for the Mets’ lacklustre season.
• Dan Szymborski explains what the new CBA offer would mean for free agency.
• What are the biggest needs at the trade deadline for all the playoff contenders? Story by Mark Feinsand.
• Nicholas Selbe looks at the six bad decisions that sunk Perry Minasian with the Angels.
• While we’re at it, Tom Verducci explains how Minasian made the Angels even worse.
• Ken Rosenthal talks to the Angels’ new interim manager on what comes next. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• A Tale of Two Max Muncys…

• Michael Baumann looks at the joyous experience that is international soccer fans discovering baseball.
• Cody Stavenhagen looks at whether MLB is actually getting an attendance bump thanks to soccer fans. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Sonja Chen reports that Shohei Ohtani’s next start has been bumped back to Friday.
• With Aaron Judge missing a good chunk of time due to injury, the AL MVP race is suddenly much more open to a new contender. Story by Tom Verducci.
• Zach Meisel looks at the long and dramatic saga of Josh Naylor that led to some heated interactions recently with the Guardians. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• You don’t often see an inside-the-park home run that is quite this messy.

• Jay Jaffe breaks down which teams have the best defense so far this season.
• Davy Andrews wonders how the Nationals manage to have such good hitting and such bad pitching.
• Having a superb season, Junior Caminero has announced his participation in the Home Run Derby. Story by Adam Berry.
• Ken Rosenthal explains that the Boston Red Sox being on track to potentially make the postseason is more of a statement about how bad the AL currently is. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Michael Rothstein shares that MLB has lost out in its efforts to trademark “Play Ball.”
• Bryan Hoch looks at the latest potential timeline for Aaron Judge to return.
• And it’s not even the most money one of his cards has sold for.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

The first day of July marks Bobby Bonilla Day, an annual celebration of one of the strangest deals in the history of Major League Baseball.

Bonilla, a six-time All-Star who played his last game in 2001, has been receiving a $1.19 million check from the New York Mets every year since 2011, the result of a decision 25 years ago to delay paying the $5.9 million they owed him.

Looking to dump Bonilla after the 1999 season, the Mets opted to defer his payment — with 8% interest — giving him $1,193,248.20 annually on July 1 from 2011-2035 — adding up to nearly $30 million.

“It’s bigger than my birthday," Bonilla told USA TODAY Sports. “When that day comes, I get texts all day long, and couple of days after and maybe a day or two before. Everybody just seems to love that day and have fun with it. It’s become a pretty big thing."

BONILLA DAY: How infamous contract helped Mets draft a franchise icon

Contract deferrals weren't new in baseball at the time and have been deployed heavily in the 25 years since Bonilla left the Mets, but the fact that he will be getting seven-figure checks until he's 72 years old is what most captivates the baseball world.

“There’ll be plenty of other deferred contracts," Bonilla's former agent Dennis Gilbert told USA TODAY Sports in 2023, “but for a guy to be paid that long into his life, into his 70s, I don’t think we’ll ever see that again. 

“That’s why Bobby Bonilla Day should be celebrated."

Bobby Bonilla Day contract

Bonilla signed a four-year, $23.3 million contract with the Marlins prior to the 1997 season and helped the team win its first World Series that year, but was traded to the Dodgers in 1998 as part of the club's infamous fire sale.

Before the 1999 season, the Dodgers traded Bonilla to the Mets, who were looking for a new right fielder at the time — with New York assuming the remaining two years and $11.65 million on Bonilla's contract.

Then 36 years old, Bonilla played just 60 regular season games for the Mets in 1999, batting .160. He was constantly booed by fans and clashed with manager Bobby Valentine over his playing time and was relegated to the bench for the team's postseason run.

The Mets released Bonilla after the 1999 season but still owed him $5.9 million for 2000. The team worked with Bonilla's agent (Gilbert) to defer the $5.9 million – with 8% interest – to annual payments of $1,193,248.20 on July 1 from 2011 to 2035.

“It’s funny how the Bobby Bonilla thing has blown up," agent Nez Balelo told USA TODAY Sports in 2023, months before negotiating Shohei Ohtani's historic $700 million deal with $680 million deferred. “I just think it’s because someone has been out of the game for so long, making that much money every year, it fascinates people."

When does Bobby Bonilla Day end?

The Mets' final "Bobby Bonilla Day" payment is set for 2035, when the six-time All-Star will be 72 years old.

Though Bobby Bonilla Day remains something of a punchline and opportunity to laugh at the Mets, the team has embraced the situation since Steve Cohen bought the team. New York's new owner immediately joked about holding a Bobby Bonilla Day celebration at Citi Field, complete with an oversized check.

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver returned to the lineup card and made a rehab appearance for the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday evening. He underwent Tommy John surgery a little over a year ago and is ramping up just in time to contribute to the struggling Braves’ rotation. 

During Tuesday’s outing, Smith-Shawver threw three innings of one-run ball. He gave up three hits, one of them a homer, and recorded four strikeouts. 

Overall, it was an encouraging first step back for Smith-Shawver, who could factor into Atlanta’s rotation later this season if his rehab continues to go smoothly.

More Braves News:

The Braves ended the month with a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. 

MLB News:

The Miami Marlins placed reliever Anthony Bender on the 15-day injured list with a stress fracture in his right shin. Zach Brzykey has been called up to take his place in the bullpen.

Washington Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 UCL sprain and will likely require Tommy John surgery. 

From the Feed:

Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to work his way back and had a full workout ahead of Tuesday’s contest.

Do you think July will shape up to be better than June? 

A more definite set of attributes, traits, and countenance has emerged after half a season of Cardinals baseball in 2026. It is surely not definitive, as this mercurial team arises from the ashes of the past. It is halfway set and halfway emerging out of the fires of change and progress like an Apollonian fever dream. Is Chaim Bloom our agent of change? It sure appears so… but, this team also has a lot of players from the wiles of John Mozeliakian machinations. What is it that they do well?

It is Monday at 7:30PM, no game on, half the season gone, A/C cranked. I worked yesterday, and it was plenty hot enough. Not tonight after a full shift of work. But I will probably have to venture out into the wall of steam tomorrow night, possibly. We will see how I feel. I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. But I’m pretty good at a lot, I’d like to think. Rennaissance man? I think not. Polymath? I hope not. Just some middle aged dude writing about baseball and other miscellany.

The Cardinals don’t have the fortune to be able to work from home. They have to go to Atlanta next. Is that even hotter than playing in StL? I would think so! But I really don’t know. Atlanta and Houston are my last two big cities to go to, and Phoenix but I’ve been to Mesa. I’d love to go to Seattle again. I know the other big cities well enough, for now. June ends with a new beginning.

The Cardinals go on their toughest stretch of the season leading up to the All-Star Break. There is no doubt about that, with a road trip to Atlanta and Chicago’s northside, and then turning around and hosting the Brewers for 4 games. And then… the Braves again. This first series at Atlanta will definitely set the tone for this stretch more than anything. As a whole, the 4 series amount to around a .590 winning percentage foe vs our 5 over guys.

How could the Cardinals possibly beat the Braves? This might come as a surprise (it was for me) the Cardinals have a little better position players. Cardinals have a better defense, no question. On offense, StL position players are batting 102 wRC+ as a group, while Atlanta is a hair below league average. Why are the Braves so good? Actually, I’m not sure. Their pitching is definitely quite a lot better than the Cardinals, but they’re not one of the best teams at pitching, either.

The Cardinals top 5 hitters by xwOBA are, you guessed it, Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker, and JJ Wetherholt. After that it drops off a cliff. But with a solid 4 above .350 xwOBA, that’s going to win some games. Winn, Church, and crew are not yet pushing this team over the top. Except newcomer Nootbaar (everything new is old again) has brought the offense a new aspect with his top notch but newly minted 2026 baseball savant page. That’s mostly bars of red there. So how does that change this offense?

For one, it appears to be insurance if Jordan Walker isn’t as good in the second half. But what if Walker truly has become one of the National League’s best hitters? That is then over half the lineup of damage-doing hitters, with the rest of them either likely to do a little better or at least have a chance of being an improvement over Scott and Pages. With a strength of schedule that seems to be relatively soft after the all-star break, I find it quite an interesting topic. If Nootbaar is not traded away, all that has to happen is Walker and Wetherholt keeping up the good work, and for the pitching to be able to not crumble under the pressure of innings and summer heat.

While looking through the lens of xwOBA, I can see a better lineup than what fangraphs wRC+ described. So, I suppose it’s a toss-up on the offenses. We will find out after these next two series are in the books. Luckily for the Cardinals, the Braves best hitter, Acuna, is currently injured. So that could be the real difference maker.

But I should add, as a team, once again, the Cardinals are better at xwOBA and are #3 in MLB as a team stat. I guess what I’m saying is, both teams offenses could heat up at any moment. This should be interesting.

Of course, when it comes to pitching, the Braves are top 5 by xwOBA and the Cardinals are bottom 5. Therein lies the big difference. St Louis pitching has been the worry all along.

Since the Cardinals are actually doing a lot better than what most people would’ve predicted at the halfway point, how are they bucking the odds? What are they doing to win games while keeping a negative run differential?

What are the Cardinals good at?

The St Louis Cardinals have a pitching staff that lead MLB in inducing groundouts, and also a middle infield defense that leads MLB in turning the double play. So, naturally, the pitching staff is leading the Big Leagues in ground into double plays. So that is our best stat. If they get on, there’s a good chance they’ll get erased through our defensive machine up the middle. Burleson has been good enough to scoop a lot of plays that no one would ever think either JJ Wetherholt or Masyn Winn would execute. Burly has been on his toes at first base.

You know what the Cardinals are also good at? Getting on base through hit-by-pitch! They are boosting their offense the toughest way possible. The Cardinals are ahead of the Angels, Mariners, and White Sox in total HBP. That’s one way to make an abundance of baserunners! Along with a good walk rate of course.

So the Cardinals are best at inducing ground balls into double plays on defense and getting hit by the pitch. Is the latter sustainable? Who knows! Kind of hope not, but if that’s a built-in trait for this team, maybe it helps just enough.

Beyond those two top tier traits, the Cardinals’ offense doesn’t strike out a lot… and xwOBA think they’ll do better. They’re rather average or mediocre at everything else.

June is over

It sure has felt like people have been a little down on the Cardinals during their recent play, so let’s take a look at the last month. The Cardinals position players have been top 10 in MLB by fWAR, tied with Detroit and just ahead of the White Sox. So the promotions and changes to the bottom of the order certainly have not hurt.

In June the Cardinals got on base at a rather beneficial .339 clip, top 5 in MLB… but ended up bottom five in HR. There was definitely a power outage, not that they were ever a huge home run threat, but they were much better than expected prior to June. So they hit less home runs in the humidity, I guess? And regressed, I digress.

Not to worry though, the Cardinals were a top 10 offense by wOBA. They should be ok, and go through different phases. As long as they gel after the All-Star Break, I think they’ll always be a strength. How much of one, we will find out. Defensively they seem to be a little worse off in June.

It is difficult to say what the better setup is: optimizing defense as we did earlier in the year, or optimizing offense as we seem to be doing now. Things will sort themselves out.

The Cardinals pitching was not a disaster in June. But they were below average, about the same as NY Mets pitching and SF Giants pitching, two other ballclubs who are struggling but not sinking to the bottom. They are above replacement level, but only by a game and a half in June.

If the Cardinals want to continue their strengths, they need Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt to stay healthy, and to continue run preventing center field defense. Pedro Pages may see more playing time if Jimmy Crooks III doesn’t steal his spot. That would play back into that defense that actually takes runs away from the other team.

Maybe part of that plan was Ramon Urias but he’s doubly hurt and not a big part of this team, and wasn’t really the elite defender that was advertised anyway. Blaze Jordan or Nolan Gorman types will be fine at third base, but they aren’t going to steal runs away, or be a huge difference maker with the bat either. Hahahaha just trying to rile up Blaze, Blaze Jordan fans.

These two Braves series will be more interesting than most think, and I think we can take the Cubs if they are slumping again. Wrigley can be a bad place to play sometimes, but it can also provide the long ball. It is the Brewers series that is most worrisome, we need to avoid the sweep and if we are to have any hope of beginning to catch up to them (I don’t), you just gotta win that series. But most of all, just don’t get swept while hosting the Brewcrew! Get into the All Star Break with a decent record and the rest of the season doesn’t seem so formidable.

Ok, I’m sorry, I could talk about Cardinals baseball all day. Here is the music portion of the broadcast.

1992 Music Extravaganza (Part 1)

Ok I have been reminiscing about my high school years and 1992 is where things really hit a turbo charged cultural take off. Already huge genres like hiphop and metal are absolutely on fire, fledging genres like shoegaze and industrial really begin to take off, and the overall quality of albums and how they are produced really pushed the envelope taking sounds to new heights.

1992 was a year that meant a lot to me, both when I was in high school and later in life, when I figured out I missed out on bands like Kyuss, Polvo, and many more on the list. I did have a good collection of tapes and CDs in high school though! And many of them I still love.

• Faith No More – ‘Angel Dust’ their absolute best, words cannot describe experiencing hearing this album the first few times, and living with it your whole life. Its own dimension of sound to visit when you need a good mental shakedown, it will take you to another place and that place is 1992. But it is also rather timeless, sounding still fresh today due to a crisp production and excellent songwriting with a full band and one of the best singers of all time at the top of his game.
• Polvo – ‘Cor-Crane Secret’ Chapel Hill genius guitar duo debuts with Polvo’s first official full length and it’s all of what you want in an album: creative, fun, innovative, emotive, and absolutely one of a kind. Reinventing the wheel and rewriting the script. Both catchy and devastating, but not extremely heavy in a conventional sense, they’re just more emotionally impactful and absolutely absurd. There’s no way to explain, you just have to hear it multiple times before it even starts to make sense. Then it grows…
• Kyuss – ‘Blues For The Red Sun’ an absolutely stunning wall of sound with the only rocker to be in the same territory as Chris Cornell on vocals, but sounding more like what I would call a male Janis Joplin. More raw and over the top. And that goes for the whole band. That California desert sound was put on the map by this band, and it is the precursor to the more popular and well known Queens of the Stone Age. I love both bands, but I’d rather hear Kyuss, to be honest. Regardless, 1992 is the beginning… they started to become famous because of “generator parties” out in the desert. They never quite got behind cult status, but one of the best American bands. And this sounded like nothing else before or since!
• Sonic Youth – ‘Dirty’ NYC was always on the map in the 90s, since they had Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys in the prior decade. And a gazillion more, but …this album changed my thinking about music. I found this one before Helmet, another NYC band, before Polvo, they were some article in a magazine and sounded so cool I bought this CD. And I still love it a whole bunch. Extremely influential to bands who will never make it big. The 1990s were a whole different dimension.
• Helmet – ‘Meantime’ so far on the list we have seen heavy being reinvented in new rock n roll ways that aren’t really heavy metal per se, but I could see why you might say this is a heavy metal album. If anything it sounds like it influenced nu-metal years later, but I find it ultimately an alt rock thing melding hiphop and jazz college knowledge with punk and a new approach to presenting heavy riffs and vocals, as well as solos. I wouldn’t blame you if you filed this under heavy metal, but most true metalheads would be mad at you. Maybe it was their short hair and hipster clothing.
• Medeski Martin And Wood – ‘Notes From The Underground’ these guys were real good from the beginning, and this might be their most unnecessarily overlooked album by me and many fans. They made both avant garde and classic jazz more accessible to the 90s and the 00s. And after this small stage jazz phase they got super funky and then blossomed out into the jam band big stage scene. I much prefer their first two stages, but they have always been a damned good band and always will be. I absolutely love them. And in case you didn’t know, it’s a keyboards (Medeski), drums (Martin), and bass (Wood) trio, for the most part!
• Thinking Plague – ‘In This Life’ this won’t be on the playlist, sadly enough, but it is America’s answer to the Rock In Opposition movement that started around a decade before. If you like prog rock or just straight up weird music with amazing musicianship, , or even classical, you must check this out! From Denver.
• Alice In Chains – ‘Dirt’ the crowning achievement of grunge? You decide! I was more into this album than even ‘Badmotorfinger’. Unbelievably catchy for how heavy it is, it’s alt rock having a meeting with heavy metal, with a dual vocal attack and very creative solos and song structures. Layne Staley was on the same level as Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, one of the all time great rock vocalists.
• Beastie Boys – ‘Check Your Head’ the Beastie Boys show their full scope on this one; it’s an all-time hip-hop and alt-punk classic with top-notch production. This has got to be a part of your 1992 soundtrack unless you have a bias against the Beasties. This is them at their peak, with a lot of variety filtered through experience and focus. They took their past success to the next level here!
• Rage Against The Machine – self titled this album had a big effect on me as a teenager, but the riffs and music stand up over time and embarrass the naysayers with good, inspirational music. Catchy as fuck and sounds more like 1992 than most of the albums on this list! I truly love the whole band as musicians and I don’t see what all the talk is about with them as people. They spoke their mind and made a good band about it… it just so happened to blow up to international levels. And yeah, they were college-educated people.
• Ministry – ‘Psalm 69’ this album is one of the best party albums of all time, throw it on and everyone is gonna get energized somehow, for better or worse. It also crystallized Ministry’s sound into a perfect form that won over a ton of new fans (for better or worse). They went full industrial metal hybrid on this one, but it’s also catchy as hell, until it (d)evolves into some disturbing, nightmarish soundtrack sounds to round out the experience. When grunge was hitting in Seattle, Chicago had Ministry, the Jesus Lizard, and Smashing Pumpkins (and plenty more). Al Jourgensen is a Chicago legend for all the wrong reasons, but his musical genius remains.
• The Jesus Lizard – ‘Liar’ A wild ride start to finish, Steve Albini production, a noise rock classic, it will even grow on you the more times you hear it, even though it’s good upon first listen. And their best album cover! Deranged insanity, presented artfully. But also a real ripper, with monster bass sounds and amazing riffs, with many a trick up its sleeve, and tight shifts contrasted with musical abstractions… equals a perfect album.
• Stereolab – ‘Peng!’ I love me some Stereolab and yes even this early stuff is quite good! an all time classic.
• Medicine – ‘Shot Forth Self Living’ Cali shoegaze champs Medicine before their big spot on the Crow soundtrack. They’re one of my favorite bands ever so I’ll just leave it here, check out how the guitarist processed his guitar sound on this. https://tapeop.com/interviews/116/brad-laner I would describe Medicine as America’s answer to the UK’s My Bloody Valentine (although sometimes I gotta say the Swirlies are ultimately the only band to compete with MBV for world crown).
• Lush – ‘Spooky’ and to round out my top 15 albums of 1992 (at this time) I must include the super awesome Spooky album by noise-popsters Lush. There are certain songs on here that are my favorite songs ever. “Tiny Smiles”, “Superblast!”, “Laura”, and “Starlust” would all make my best songs of all time soundtrack, but the rest of the album ain’t bad either.

I’ll have another whole 15 (non-metal) albums from 1992 next week, I have severely run out of time! But it’s been fun, VEB. Hopefully the Cardinals will get this pre-ASB stretch started off right and they can just go on a good run. Starting off on the right foot despite a bad performance by JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez. I think the reinforcements can only help the team, and platooning for Burleson will yield even more results.

1905
White Sox pitcher Frank Owen won both games of a doubleheader at St. Louis, 3-2 and 2-0. In both games he went the distance, and only allowed the Browns seven total hits for the afternoon.

It was the first time in American League history that this milestone was accomplished, and Owen remains one of only 10 pitchers in baseball history to accomplish the feat of two complete-game wins in a single day.

1910
The White Sox opened the original Comiskey Park and lost, 2-0, to the St. Louis Browns. Within three days of the first game, three Sox players were sidelined with injuries, thus beginning in the minds of some a “Curse of the Comiskeys” or “White Sox Curse.”

Owner Charles Comiskey himself believed he had cursed the franchise because the stadium was opened on a Friday — in Irish lore, always a bad omen, “Never of Friday” being the watchword.

Infielder Lena Blackburne stroked the first two Sox hits in their new park, both singles coming off of Barney Pelty.

1920
Future Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk was honored with his own Day. The ceremony took place before a doubleheader with the St. Louis Browns. The White Sox split the two games, winning the opener, 3-2, in 11 innings, and losing the nightcap, 4-1. Schalkwent 1-for-4 in the twin bill, with an RBI.

1962
The White Sox set the AL record for sacrifice flies in an inning, as they got three straight in the fifth as part of a 7-6 win over Cleveland at Comiskey Park. It was the second game of a doubleheader, with the Sox winning both contests. Juan Pizarro, Nellie Fox and Al Smith did the honors. The Sox were able to accomplish this feat because Cleveland outfielder Gene Green committed errors on two of the fly balls. Chicago took that first game, 5-4.

1972
The Twins scored just once in a 5-1 loss at Comiskey Park, but what a run it was: Harmon Killebrew hit a ball over the roof in left field. The blast came off of Dave Lemonds, who pitched eight innings for his first win of the season. Ed Herrmann went 3-for-3 with an RBI and runner caught stealing to help fuel the win for the 40-27, second-place Sox.

1977
Although they had been flirting with first and second place all season long, a 5-2 win over Minnesota marked the start of a five-week run atop the AL West Division for the White Sox.

Richie Zisk clubbed two homers, including a three-run shot in the bottom of the first that put the White Sox in front for good. Chris Knapp went the distance to earn his seventh win of the year.

For the Twins, Rod Carew singled and tripled in five at-bats to keep his incredible pursuit of .400 at his season-high mark of .411.

1990
On the 80th anniversary of the opening of Comiskey Park, New York’s Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter.

There was for one small problem … he lost the game, 4-0! The White Sox got all their runs thanks to back-to-back fly ball errors courtesy of Jim Leyritz and Jesse Barfield in the eighth inning. Leyritz’s error was the back-breaker, as it came on a fly ball off the bat of Robin Ventura with the bases loaded and two outs, enabling three runs to come home.

Greg Hibbard matched Hawkins pitch-for-pitch in the early going, as he also had a no-hitter through the first 5 1⁄3 innings. 

1991
Thanks to a Carlton Fisk home run in the 10th inning, the White Sox beat Minnesota at the Metrodome, 5-4, for the franchise’s 7,000th victory. Bobby Thigpen, the fifth Sox pitcher of the game, picked up the win. 

2006
Just six weeks after “The Punch” win over the Cubs at Sox Park in which A.J. Pierzynski played a central role, the rapscallion struck again. With the White Sox trailing, 6-5, with two runners on and down to their last out, Pierzynski clubbed a home run onto Sheffield Avenue to put the White Sox up, 8-6. Bobby Jenks closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 25th save.

An unheralded role in the stunning comeback was authored by Ross Gload, who was down to the final strike of the game before singling. A Jermaine Dye walk followed, and A.J. took it from there.

Also notable, Cubs fans delaying the game after A.J.’s homer by tossing garbage onto the field, like three-year-olds having a tantrum.

2007
Honoring the legacy of the Negro Leagues, the White Sox wore full Chicago American Giants jerseys in a game for the first time (on May 2, 1992 the White Sox honored the American Giants as well, but only by wearing the club’s caps during the game). Led by seven strong innings from Jon Garland and a powerful, 2-for-3 game (double, homer) from Paul Konerko, the White Sox won in Kansas City, 3-1.