All Balked Up

Old Detroit: W, 5 – 1. (.235, .316, .382; 7 ip, 0 er).  Corey Kluber (7 ip, 0 er) saved the day for a persistently moribund Wolverine offense.

Haviland: “L”, 5 – 3. (.222, .323, .333; 6.7 ip, 2 er).  The Dragons almost paralleled the Wolverines, but the difference was just enough to give the Wolverines a 0.3-game boost against the Dragons. This wasn’t Trevor Story’s fault (2 for 3 with a homer and a double).

Portland: DNP, (-1) – (-2). (.231, .300, .346;  14.3 ip, 4 er).  On the same pattern as the Wolverines and the Dragons — apparently this is how EFL -leading teams roll: lax on offense, putting all the pressure on the pitchers.  The difference here is this:  the Rosebuds had the day off. They were, in effect, storing up good things for release during later games  – not good news for the D’s or the W’s.

Pittsburgh:  “L”, 7 – 6. (.273, .333, .515;  2 ip, 0 er.) This is NOT how it’s done.  OPS over .800? Pshaw. Only two innings of pitching?  Crazy.  Would an experienced winning team be content with such stuff?  An interesting note:  The A’s sent 9 men to the plate Monday.  Four OPSed 1.000 or over.  4 OPSed 0.000.  And one guy drew a walk in three plate appearances.

Canberra: DNP, 1 – 1. (.333, .333, .407;  6 ip, 4 er)  Michael Conforto is back from the minor leagues, complete with a pinch-hit single.

Peshastin: DNP, 1 – 0. (.280, .400, .520;  19 ip, 9 er). A very busy day on the mound considering the Pears did not have a game on their schedule.  The hitters also put in a nice day’s work — 28 plate appearances – so when a counting game rolls around, they’ll have some nice offense in the bank.

Flint Hill: W, 4 – 3. (.250, .333, .438;  1 ip, 0 er). Only 18 plate appearances, and just one inning, so it’s not like the Tornados were overworked. Still, they put a little more distance between them and .500.

Cottage:  L, 1 – 9. (.184, .244, .342;  10 ip, 10 er.) Look at that pitching line. What fearful symmetry!  And even more so when you see that the components of that 10-10 line are two 5-5 lines — 5 ip, 5 er each from Drew Smyly and Matt Wisler. It’s the kind of thing that makes you cringe when you start to open your box scores. Oh, please, not a 10 – 10 pitching day!  Please?!?

Kaline: L, 1 – 5.  (.150, .250, .150; 1 ip, 0 er).  The Drive got 3 hits in 20 AB, plus a walk and 2 HBP.  Add a SF and that’s how you get this unusual batting line.

D.C.: W 1, (; (-1); 7 – (-1). (.529, .636, .941;  1 ip, 0 er).  Wow! Which Balks accounted for all that offense?  Ex-Drive/Wolverine/Drive Mitch Moreland (2 for 3 with a homer and a HBP); Adonis Garcia (3 for 4 with a homer); Bobby Wilson (2 for 3 with a double), and Franklin Gutierrez (2 for 3 with a HBP).  There were only two other Balk batters, both of whom reached base on walks — so it was a team effort, on a Welington Castillo day off. The Balk are now back in a near-tie with the Braves for 39th in MLB/EFL.  They also gained 0.6 games on first place in the EFL, a pace that will bring them into  first place in mid-September.  Why not?