The 31-31 A’s host Kansas City for four, hoping to stave off Soaker Day for just a little bit longer.
77 thoughts on “Royals, A’s, and the fight for .500”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
The 31-31 A’s host Kansas City for four, hoping to stave off Soaker Day for just a little bit longer.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blackburn already has his one K for the game.
Well if they lose a second straight Jason Hammel start to fall below .500, they don’t deserve to see it again until Tokyo.
The 3-6 record on this 13-game Rays-Royals-Rangers-Royals stretch has not been impressive, and a lot of it has been reversion to mean by the pitching.
I’m not a fan of either Corona or Firestone 805 but that’s a bit better than expected from the vendor delivery.
I would probably choose an 805 over getting up even though it isn’t my favorite.
I always thought their DBA was an excellent beer, but 805 seems to be the one that found a niche in the market.
Agreed. 805 is probably my least favorite of the entire line (excluding fruited nonsense, if they make any).
Firestone feels like a shop that got too big too fast to retain the original quality anyway.
Alcides Escobar? Come on, Paul.
Move your backpack, dude.
That’s a pretty good performance for a guy on a pitch count. Get him a win, please.
And they may have, on a very not-good defensive play.
Yay
There is a little kid, apparently right underneath the radio booth, who will not shut up. A future politician, I suspect.
I couldn’t tell what Nick Martini’s walkup music was, but it did not sound like Pink Martini, nor a James Bond theme song.
Trivino got a gift strike two there to Gordon.
Vince thinks Hammel would be a useful deadline acquisition for a contender.
forget past/damned to repeat…
Uhg, I need to text aardvarks’s dad
A tidy victory. And things just keep getting better because
Well, maybe not because of that specifically, but if it’s a reason to cut Hatcher loose it’s not all bad.
Sorry man
The Bourdain news is very sad.
Seriously. He had such a zest for new places, new experiences, new perspectives, for life, really. Inconceivable that this could happen. What a loss.
I think it is just because I am in a blue mood, but it is striking me way harder than it should. I never watched his shows and didnt really have any feelings about the guy but it has ran around in my head all morning long.
For some reason I’m especially sad that Eric Ripert was the one who found him.
Yes, that had to be terrible and Ripert has always seemed like the sweetest guy.
That is just awful.
I fell in love with his writing starting with that New Yorker piece that blew everyone’s mind, but I haven’t watched his show in years. Still, I always had this deep affection for the guy’s raw humanity and passion and this has me in a real funk.
Not gonna lie, I don’t like this news
Agree
3rd time I have been sad for a slegnA in my life.
I’m not *that* sad.
There will be a small FKup today starting at 4ish for anybody interested in partaking.
I made ribs.
Thanks, and go As.
Three days to think about it and the best call Braden came up with is “Bartender, I’ll have a Martini.” Come on, man. Shaken not stirred is just sitting there. Or, “A round for the house on Martini!”
“Who ordered the dirty Martini?”
Krushed! May continued warmer home nights yield more home dingers.
Have the A’s worn these alt Friday greens on the road? They say Oakland not Athletics.
The Warriors have eaten the souls of the Cavs and their crowd. Start setting up the parade route.
13 point 3rd quarter for Cavs at their most desperate. Truly, ownage.
Belmont 2018. Early picks because I’ll be on the move tomorrow.
Live odds.
Justified (1) has been the best horse this year, by far. Undefeated in five starts. Multiple speed figures higher than anyone else’s career best. Great tactical versatility. Two-time Belmont winner Mike Smith in the reins. If he gets the early lead out of the rail post, watch out, he might set himself a comfortable pace and not look back for the whole long Big Sandy 1.5 miles. That would be a smart way to bet.
And yet. The Belmont is where favorites crash and burn. 19 times in last 21 years the favorite has lost, and very often finished out of the money completely. The “Exacta Box everyone but the favorite” strategy has a +300% ROI since Exacta wagering started at this race in the 80s. And if you squint just right maybe Justify is trending the wrong way, feeling the heavy schedule after not racing as a two year old. Another furlong and he loses the Preakness three weeks ago; this race goes three furlongs longer.
The Belmont is also a lot of fun to bet, and I’ve had some success here. My ticket will be split on both the unstoppable force and the immovable object, hopefully with returns to cover.
Other horses I like:
Vino Rosso (8) has a superb distance pedigree, has rested since the KYD, at which he was forced wide throughout. He’s trained by Todd Pletcher who has Won or Shown in 8 of last 12 Belmonts, all with horses that ran at Churchill then skipped the Preakness. Also has a two-time Belmont winning jockey in John Velazquez. And he might just really take to the wide sweeping Belmont turns. Also andeux likes him.
Bravazo (3) was driving hard at Pimlico, has tactical speed Belmont rewards and a good pedigree for the added distance.
Restoring Hope (5) is my favorite longshot; a stablemate of Justify, if the pace proves modest as many expect he could just hang around to get a piece of the Trifecta.
Could also sneak in for a piece: Hofburg (4) will probably go off as second choice, now the wise guy horse based on pedigree, a strong finish in Kentucky after a rough ride, and having rested five weeks since then. Tenfold (7) ran third in Pimlico posting a career best speed fig, could improve. Blended Citizen (10) won on this track five weeks ago, also with a career best speed fig, after adding blinkers.
I. Justify Wins. At 4-5 (or worse) I’m not betting dollars to win pennies, so this half of my ticket will seek bigger returns.
II. Justify does not Win or Place. I especially like the Vino Rosso angles, so:
Presumably this guarantees Justify placing.
And for andeux, what is Primera’s pick?
She passed. Wasn’t feeling it.
Fucking Gronkowski. We hates him.
The W’s can now be called a dynasty. Because the minimum qualification for such an honor is winning in back to back years.
Mike Breen concurs.
Hmm. Paul Pierce thinks you need three in a row.
I think back-to-back plus at least a couple adjacent seasons of high level contending. I can’t immediately think of a team that won two straight then crashed, but I’d argue they don’t get the dynasty label.
Blue Jays
Hmm, edge case. Two AL East titles in three preceding years (after one of which they got thoroughly Rickey’d).
And in theory they could have made a run in ’94.
I dont disagree. I just want to ensure the back to back is there because SOME teams dont have that.
Easily the worst thing in sports is interviewing the owners before players during trophy presentations.
Martini optioned, Bassitt recalled and starting today.
It was supposed to be Cahill?
In his postgame interview last night Melvin said they’re skipping one Cahill turn, but no DL (yet).
“Minor achilles issue”
I missed that Graveman is on the DL with a “forearm strain.” RIP.
Either Bassitt and Montas have both turned a corner or the Royals just suck.
We’re really gonna get shut out by the Royals on a day when Chris Bassitt gives us a miracle start.
um…
3 out of 4 was the bare minimum I would have accepted.
An above-.500 team at home should demand nothing less.
I mean… the lack of integrity and courage on that side of the aisle would be surprising if I didn’t completely expect it.
Let it not go unobserved, with FK down most of yesterday, that Marcus Senien’s 8th inning play was spectacular.
It really was.
I was surprised, though, that Yost didn’t make New York look at the play. There were angles where it looked like his hand may have gotten in.
Agreed. Why not challenge when the stakes are that high? Would also have iced Treinen awhile.
I’ve been meaning to point out that Semien is #5 in all of baseball for defensive runs above replacement (per fangraphs). That number is based on UZR and it includes the positional adjustment, so that naturally favors shortstops. (But even with the pro-shortstop bias, Chappie is #1!)
Sign me up for Lou Trivino’s Homer Simpson-Jack LaLanne fitness program.
all set for the parade.
by which i mean, THERE’S NO MORE PARKING IN UPTOWN!
if you’re coming, don’t drive.
oh. just had fond memories of last time i saw this. watching from my office window. looking at the guy waiting (to finish his twelve pack) before driving off.
Huh. I do not recall being at the parade last time.
Thanks, and go As.
Treinen will be our only all star and that’s fine and I hope he doesn’t even pitch.
Chapman not being among the 3B leaders is also crazy though.
He’s certainly better than Moustakas.
World cup kits through the ages
I think 1970 was the peak of kit-cool.
and 1994 was the low point
Hey FK you, the 1994 Denims were amazing
Thanks, and go As.
related, uniwatch and 99pi get together to explain mid-90s basketball jerseys.
TLDL, a printing technology called dye sublimation allowed direct photoshop-to-jersey.
always amazed when textile tech ushers horrible fashion just because it can, rather than a desired look seeking the tech to make it happen. hello, hypercolor.
the 1970 ball too.