Welcome to a different version of 5 Issues I Favored (Or Didn’t Like) This Week. By now, you certainly know the drill. I credit score basketball genius Zach Lowe for creating the format I’m utilizing, make a number of jokes about how a lot baseball I get to observe to write down this column, after which offer you a preview of what you possibly can examine beneath. This week’s no exception! I get to observe a ton of baseball, and this week I watched lots of birds and lots of bunts. I additionally watched lots of the Pirates, similar to I do each week. Let’s get proper into it.
1. Reversals of Reversals of Fortune
For a lot of the twenty first century, nobody would bat a watch for those who informed them the Cardinals swept the Orioles. The Playing cards have been good just about eternally, and the O’s went by means of a protracted dry interval. However beginning final 12 months, issues have modified. The Orioles final acquired swept in early 2022, they usually’ve been probably the greatest groups in baseball since then. The Cardinals fell on robust instances after 2022’s Molina/Pujols swan tune season. Coming into their sequence this week, the O’s had the second-best report within the AL, whereas the Cardinals languished close to the underside of the NL at 20-26.
The O’s, once more, have been engaged on that traditionally spectacular sweep avoidance streak – 106 straight sequence heading into the week. The Cardinals hadn’t swept anybody all 12 months, they usually’d already performed some woeful groups. They’d been outscored by 49 runs, whereas the Orioles have been outscoring their opponents by 58 runs. These aren’t your older brother’s Cardinals, they usually aren’t your older brother’s Orioles both.
You may in all probability guess what’s coming: The Cardinals swept the Orioles to finish that streak. They did so in ridiculous vogue, as well. There was Sonny Grey taking himself out like Roberto Duran. There was a rain suspension. We had outrageous homers:
Little league homers:
And bizarre double performs:
This was a wierd sequence from begin to end. The strangest half about it may be the end result, although. The Orioles have dodged fluky sequence like this for actually years. The Cardinals have been tripping throughout their ft. However this week, it felt just like the 2010’s once more, at the least for a number of days. One thing tells me that the O’s are going to bounce again completely nicely. That didn’t make it any much less bizarre to observe a sequence that felt prefer it was ripped from the headlines of 2021.
2. Fowl Brains
Oh nice, one other excuse for Ben Clemens to speak concerning the Cardinals and Orioles. Nope! In truth, there’s some great bird-related hijinks happening throughout baseball proper now, and none of it includes the three groups truly named after birds. First, there’s the Giants and the Rally Pelican. This can be a traditional animal-related baseball story, however that doesn’t make it any much less nice. A pelican landed within the outfield through the fifth inning of a Might 11 conflict in opposition to the Mets. Right here’s Giants announcer Dave Flemming describing it:
The ability of the pelican pic.twitter.com/ZDoP1tyiPG
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) Might 12, 2024
Variations of this occur on a regular basis, however it’s not often with a chicken as majestic as a pelican. Simply take a look at that factor! This isn’t a rally squirrel or a rally possum; Wikipedia tells me that the brown pelican has a 7.5-foot wingspan and feeds by plunge diving. That is no turtle who must be helped off the sector; pelicans go the place they need, and this one felt like catching some baseball. (Identical, dude!)
Naturally, the Giants have been buoyed by this magnificent chicken. They’ve gone 8-3 since, probably the greatest data in baseball. They’re on fireplace, they usually know why: Heliot Ramos went on a neighborhood radio present and credited the pelican over himself when requested who was accountable for the crew’s current win streak. That’s simply being a crew participant.
In the meantime in Cleveland, Johnathan Rodriguez is getting in on the chicken motion. The Guardians rookie seen a child chicken on the sector throughout a stoppage in play Wednesday afternoon. He leapt into motion, scooping the chicken up and handing it to a staffer who acquired it out of hurt’s manner:
Naturally, Rodriguez keyed Cleveland’s comeback win with a tie-breaking single within the seventh. It was his first main league hit, and it got here after seven years of toiling within the minors. He was known as up as a result of the Guardians sorely lack right-handed hitters; he’s a direct alternative for Ramón Laureano, who merely didn’t hit sufficient to carry down a short-side platoon function. Rodriguez was off to a strong begin in Triple-A, and fortunately for that child chicken, he performs proper subject. The remainder was historical past.
Whether or not Rodriguez is right here to remain is past the scope of this text – I’m mentioning some issues I appreciated, not doing a deep dive on fringe roster spots on good groups starved for outfield expertise. However I’m rooting for Rodriguez to have a protracted main league profession. “The man who saved the chicken” is simply too good of an origin story.
3. Phenomenal Cosmic Energy, Itty Bitty Base Hit
Individuals come out to the stadium to see Shohei Ohtani hit dingers. Dodgers followers – Ohtani followers, if we’re being sincere – pack visiting ballparks when he’s on the town. He hears resounding cheers just about each evening out. He’s the largest star in baseball, a global icon. He doesn’t play the sector, and he isn’t pitching this 12 months. All that adulation is packed into the four-ish instances an evening he involves the plate and tries to crush a baseball out of the stadium.
So, uh, what the heck was this?
The Statcast metrics on this one are a hilarious learn. Exit velocity? 44.2 miles per hour. Hit distance? Two ft. Ohtani’s homers and laser beam doubles get endlessly posted and reposted on-line; I’m undecided that this hit will, however that’s a disgrace. It’s a lot funnier to contemplate Ohtani’s prodigious may within the context of a two-foot hit.
Was it an excellent bunt? It will depend on the way you need to outline it. One factor is evident: The protection wasn’t prepared for it. Check out the place the third baseman and shortstop have been positioned:
I fully perceive why they have been standing there. Listed below are all of Ohtani’s grounders because the begin of 2023:
He barely hits any grounders to the left facet of the infield. When he does, it’s most frequently proper round second base. And he hits the ball laborious sufficient that enjoying again typically is smart; there aren’t a ton of softly hit rollers in there. Once more, he’s Shohei Ohtani!
So defenses rotate and again up in opposition to Ohtani. He primarily doesn’t counter; because the league outlawed the true overshift final 12 months, he hadn’t tried a single bunt. He didn’t do it usually even when opposing groups left all the left facet open, so naturally he minimize the tactic solely after they used a much less excessive alignment.
And possibly Ohtani shouldn’t bunt, even with the protection giving it to him. This bunt was dangerous! While you’re bunting for successful on this state of affairs, you’re purported to roll the ball down the third final analysis. Get previous the pitcher, and also you’re golden; nobody else is making a play on that ball. However Ohtani didn’t try this even a bit of bit. He bunted the ball straight into the bottom, and by no means got here near the third final analysis.
Bunting is actually laborious, significantly for those who don’t do it usually. Bunts like Ohtani’s often produce outs. However there’s a secondary purpose to bunt: it forces defenders to make robust performs with slim margins. There’s not lots of thriller in a groundball to second, significantly a well-struck one. However bunts are nearly all the time shut performs. It’s only a math drawback; there’s sufficient time to throw a quick runner out on a bunt fielded by the pitcher or catcher, however solely simply barely. A cleanly executed pickup, switch, throw, and catch will get an excellent runner out, however solely by a number of steps. Meaning you possibly can’t botch any a part of it and nonetheless get an out.
Main leaguers largely don’t botch components of that sequence. That’s why they’re main leaguers, in any case. However often they do, and I feel that probability is increased when the protection isn’t anticipating a bunt. Ohtani’s bunt put Joe Mantiply on the spot. His throw sailed on him just a bit bit, and that’s all Ohtani wanted to be protected.
I don’t suppose Ohtani goes to be bunting once more anytime quickly. He didn’t present a lot aptitude for it there, and whereas that is speculative, I watched lots of Ohtani grounders to write down this and he appears to hate working down the primary final analysis with a throw coming from behind him. He geese, covers his head, slows down, and usually looks like he’s making an attempt to keep away from getting unintentionally hit. He doesn’t want the bunts, and he’s not good at it anyway. However this one time, he acquired away with it. Naturally, he acquired erased on a double play one batter later. That’s baseball for you.
4. Bunt Double
Sadly, I don’t truly imply a bunt double, as a result of there haven’t been any this 12 months. However two bunt gadgets in a single article? I don’t usually get an opportunity to do it, and I’m not passing up the chance after I get it. One other individual not passing up a possibility? Stuart Fairchild:
Let’s cease proper there. That’s a greater bunt than Ohtani’s, however it’s nonetheless not adequate to be a clear single with good defensive play. Ryan Yarbrough reached the ball in time to show and throw to first. However there’s an apparent drawback for the Dodgers. Let’s take a look at a freeze body of the second when Yarbrough grabbed the ball:
There are 4 Dodgers in body, which is roughly what number of you’d count on on a screenshot displaying dwelling plate and half of the infield. The issue is, they’re not ready to do something. Freddie Freeman charged when he noticed bunt:
In the meantime, Gavin Lux began the play close to the second base bag. He took off for first when he noticed the play growing, however there was no shot in any way of reaching first base in time. Take a look at the place he began:
Usain Bolt wouldn’t have been capable of get to the bottom in time on that one. The true miscommunication right here was between Freeman and Yarbrough, one in every of whom ought to have been able to cowl first. When that didn’t occur, there was nothing to do however eat the ball for a base hit. Or, nicely, this:
Actually, that was an amazing throw to first. Yarbrough didn’t overcook it, and he didn’t panic and fireplace wildly. The throw beat Fairchild to first, and it was in an amazing spot for whoever was protecting the bottom to step into the sector of play and away from the runner and safe a simple putout. The issue is that that participant didn’t exist.
Not like Ohtani’s bunt, I feel this one was truly wonderful. It relied on the defensive alignment, however many bunts do. With solely the pitcher and first baseman in place to obtain a throw to first, the protection simply can’t commit many our bodies to fielding a bunt. Usually, you’d rotate the second baseman to first and the shortstop to second to have choices all over the place. However with the Dodgers tilted closely to the left facet of the infield, the mathematics didn’t work out for Los Angeles.
We speak about hitters bunting in opposition to the shift on a regular basis, they usually nonetheless largely don’t. Ohtani’s profitable bunt is a good instance of the dangers; certain, it labored out, however he needed to get fortunate for it to take action. Fairchild’s, however, was sensible. The fail case of advancing a runner wasn’t dangerous. The protection was in a singularly poor place to defend a bunt. The Dodgers will suppose twice earlier than utilizing that alignment once more in opposition to a hitter who likes to bunt – that was already Fairchild’s fourth of the 12 months. With outcomes like that, it’s no surprise he retains going for it.
5. The Greatest Present in Baseball
Objectively talking, the Pirates aren’t an amazing crew this 12 months. They’re 23-28, fourth within the NL Central and 6 video games behind the Brewers. Our playoff odds give them an 8.6% probability of reaching the playoffs. They’ve one of many worst offenses in baseball, and a few of the younger hitters who have been supposed to provide them new life have carried out badly sufficient to get despatched again all the way down to the minors. Their nearer, David Bednar, is having the worst season of his profession.
Right here’s the factor: Regardless of all that dangerous information, I’m watching the Pirates greater than some other crew in baseball, and I don’t see that altering anytime quickly. Pirates video games are nearly invariably thrilling. There’s Jared Jones, in fact: I’m already watching each one in every of his begins to listen to announcers encounter him for the primary time. He’s slowed down barely since his blistering begin, however he nonetheless has electrical stuff and a delightfully aggressive mentality. Watch a Jones begin, and also you’ll see a ton of problem pitches, a ton of strikeouts, and possibly a house run.
Paul Skenes made the must-watch listing as quickly as he debuted within the majors. Suppose Jones’s slider is enjoyable to observe? You’re going to like Skenes’s mindbending splinker, which he can dial as much as 97. How briskly can an offspeed pitch be? Skenes and Jhoan Duran are testing the boundaries, and Skenes is doing it for six innings at a time. He’s additionally blowing 100 mph fuel previous everybody, and his slider may truly be his finest pitch. I’ve no clue how he’ll maintain up or whether or not opposing hitters will alter, however for now, there’s nobody I’m extra excited to observe.
You need extra? The Pirates have extra. Oneil Cruz is simply as more likely to do one thing you’ve by no means seen earlier than as he’s to show a routine play into an journey. Nick Gonzales is a enjoyable post-hype sleeper who may need solved his swing and miss points. Andrew McCutchen is a pleasant veteran presence, and nonetheless an affordable sufficient hitter that watching him doesn’t really feel excessively elegiac. Additionally, he bat flips walks!
The bullpen is enjoyable to observe too – however in all probability extra enjoyable for a impartial fan than a Pirates supporter. Aroldis Chapman actually has no concept the place the ball goes proper now. He walked all three batters he confronted on Wednesday, then got here again on zero days’ relaxation and threw three balls to the backstop (they have been scored as a wild pitch, a handed ball, and a clear steal, however he appeared to be at fault on all of them to me). He has a 26% stroll charge – and a 39% strikeout charge.
I’m undecided how lengthy the Pirates will stay this fulfilling to observe. And not using a main change in fortune, they’ll in all probability begin defending their younger arms earlier than too lengthy. The offense is actually a drag; the underside half of the lineup is horrendous, and you’ll go a number of innings with out seeing an thrilling at-bat on that facet of the ball. Ke’Bryan Hayes continues to be on the IL and Michael A. Taylor has hit poorly sufficient that he’s misplaced enjoying time, which suggests there are fewer defensive highlights to go round. However my goodness, the highs are excessive with this crew, and the lows are so eye-catching that I can’t look away. There’s no greater disconnect between report and watchability proper now.
