Game 296 - Boston Redsox at New York Yankees

September 30 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

Game 295 - Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay Rays

September 30 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
Fox Sports Florida

A couple items to go over with the Marlins' broadcast team, mainly:

Color commentator Tommy Hutton:

"Most clubs are interested in pitching."

Thanks for the insight, Tommy!

2. Reporter Jessica Blaylock on injured Miami shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and the chances he plays in the final four games of the season for the (after Wednesday) 69-89 Marlins:

"He could play in an emergency situation."

Jessica!

* 40-man roster
* It's October
* The Marlins are horrible

When is it EVER going to be an emergency situation for the Marlins over the final four games of this season?

Game 294 - St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates

September 30 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA
ROOT Sports

Look, there are far too many instant replays shown of each particular play during television broadcasts.

A big hit, home run, important strike out, great defensive play? If you want to show that replay more than once, I suppose that's fine. But a lot of the time you get multiple replays of everything.

In this afternoon's 8-2 Pittsburgh win we saw the following:

* Bottom 4, Kolten Wong missed a tag at second base.

Total replays shown: 5

Yes, it was close and the base runner, Aramis Ramriez did a good job of avoiding the tag. But five replays?

* Bottom 5, come backer to the mound, throw is late to first.

Total replays shown: 4

Yes, the pitcher, Miguel Socolovich, looked to injure himself on the play. But four replays?

* Top 2, ground ball to first base that was initially bobbled by Pedro Alvarez, but then Alvarez jogged to first for the easy 3-U put out.

TOTAL REPLAYS SHOWN: THREE


I think we should set the maximum amount of replays to two, unless it's being challenged and/OR a middle-aged man tumbles onto the field trying to retrieve a rolling foul ball.

Game 293 - Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

September 29 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA
Comcast Sportsnet

With a division title in sight, the Dodgers turned to Clayton Kershaw and the left-hander was brilliant.

Kershaw, who came into the game with a 1.61 career era against SF, threw a one-hit shut out, striking out 13 and LA clinched the NL West with an 8-0 victory.

Kershaw was a little shaky in the early innings, but a soft line drive single and a walk in the third inning were the only San Francisco base runners, and the southpaw struck out the side in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. From the fifth through the first out of the ninth, thanks to a lot of nasty sliders and curve balls, he fanned 11 of 13 batters.

Some other things to discuss:

* Enrique Hernandez led off the third inning with solo home run off Madison Bumgarner. Color commentator Mike Krukow then called Hernandez "the Bumgarner whisperer", so he wasn't going to get away with that.

* We can call this Stats We Don't Need (Highlighted). Here's Bumgarner as a hitter:
















He's 9-for-15 when the ball is thrown directly down the middle of the plate. Fine. He's a good hitting pitcher and he's also a pitcher, so that makes some sense.

But: 1-for-2 (.500) on balls on the inside part of the plate? You don't need to highlight that and also point out that it's ABOVE MLB AVG (and we also don't need to be told .000 is BELOW MLB AVG). What you're saying is, .500 is better and .000 is worse than league average?

Thanks, broadcast team!

* I think we have a winner for 300 Game Season Sweater of the Year


















To be honest, it was a one-sweater race.

Game 289 - San Francisco Giants at Oakland A's

September 27 at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, CA
CSN

With Tim Hudson and the Giants in town, Oakland spent the weekend honoring its former trio of starting pitchers (Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder). During Sunday's finale, a 5-4 Giants' win, a fan near home plate decided to honor the pitchers by displaying their jerseys.

I know Hudson & Zito are still active and Mulder hasn't pitched since 2008, but this is just ridiculous:











What is going on with that Mulder jersey?!

Two possibilities

1. It was made Sunday morning with iron-on letters/numbers, then used to clean up several spills.
2. It was balled up and used as a football in the parking lot before the game.

Pick off attempts

The situation was first and third with two outs in the fifth and the Giants leading 5-0. San Francisco pitcher Chris Heston tried to pick off Billy Butler at third.

That's Billy Ray Butler: five career steals, none of which were a straight steal of home.

Also, Butler had a 9 1/2-inch lead.

Game 288 - Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers

September 27 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI
Fox Sports North

The Twins are fighting for one of the two wild card spots in the American League, and there might not be anything better for a contending team in September, 2015 to look out on the mound and see Randy Wolf.

The left-hander allowed six runs (four earned) in the top of the second, which was more than enough in Minnesota's 7-1 victory.

As Wolf was lifted following Torii Hunter's RBI-single, which made it 6-0, color commentator Bert Blyleven wondered whether this was the 39-year old Wolf's final start. But that's not what was hilarious about Blyleven's Randy Wolf Thoughts from Sunday afternoon.

1. First, Blyleven said "Randy Wolf has had a great career."

Great?

I'd go with 'long'.

2. Just before Wolf threw his final pitch of the day, Blyleven said "Randy Wolf about ready to call 'Wolf'".

Now, Bert was probably thinking about the boy who cried wolf, but that wouldn't make any sense. Incredibly, what Blyleven said actually makes less sense.

Number of times the word 'wolf' was used in this post, including in this sentence: 10

Game 287 - Chicago Whitesox at New York Yankees

September 27 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

STATS WE DON'T NEED

Courtesy of YES:

Brian McCann
Career vs. Zach Putnam

1-for-2 (.500 BA), 1 hr

Game 285 - Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

September 25 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL
ABC 7

I made a promise to myself to avoid Len Kasper for the remainder of the season, and I make sure I keep my promises about Len Kasper. So Friday afternoon (3-2 Pirates' win) we're doing a Mute Mix.

The Who - Quadrophenia
Duke Ellington - Uptown
Supremes - I Hear a Symphony
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
Phil Collins  - No Jacket Required
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Chuck Berry - Maybelline
Berlin Philharmonic - Gustav Holst: The Planets
Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy on the French Riviera
Shangri-Las - Best of the Shangri-Las

Game 284 - Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins

September 24 at Marlins Park in Miami, FL
Fox Sports Florida

Estimated attendance: 249.

Game 283 - Chicago Whitesox at New York Yankees

September 24 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

Let's start with another ridiculous YES scouting report:















* Chicago's been having trouble scoring runs? OK. That's fine.
* They are 5-15 all-time at the new Yankee Stadium? Alright, that's more a fact, but still, it just means the scouting report on the Whitesox is they aren't very good in NY.
* The franchise just won its 9,000th game? NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A SCOUTING REPORT.

Hope

Here's something Michael Kay said in the second inning:

"I hope that a lot of kids still play Strat-O-Matic."

The last time Michael Kay met a kid must've been in 1988 because there's no other reason for him to say something that absurd.

And maybe a few kids play Strat-O-Matic, meaning 17.

A LOT?!

Starting Friday, September 25 I'm going to ask as many kids as I can if they've ever heard of Strat-O-Matic. My findings will appear here.

* Couple other things from this one, a 3-2 Yankees' win.

- In the first inning I called Chase Headley 'Chase Headwey', so on this site he will now always be referred to as Chase Headwey.

- Let's welcome to the Webb Bobo All Stars umpire Fieldin Culbreth.

Game 280 - New York Yankees at Toronto Bluejays

September 22 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada
Sportsnet

I don't ever ride on roller coasters because it's silly to do so and don't ever use the term "real roller coaster ride". BUT, if I'm ever going to use the term, tonight's game might as well be my first.

Sorry, just give me a second here. I'm a little nervous.

OK.

Tonight's game was a real roller coaster ride!

The Yankees pulled out a 6-4 win in 10 innings to keep their AL East Division hopes alive (the win got them within 2 1/2 with 12 to play, including one more with first-place Toronto on Wednesday) despite the fact that:

* The Yankees had two runners thrown out on the bases by Jose Bautista. First, Dustin Ackley at third in the seventh (following a safe call which was overturned by a challenge), then Chris Young at home in the ninth.

Ackley tried to go first-to-third and was thrown out by a step on a nice throw & catch/tag by Josh Donaldson. What was New York's strategy in the ninth? Not entirely sure, but this was written on a piece of paper that fell out of third base coach Joe Espada's ear:

To: Joe
In reference to: Late inning strategy

That guy in right field with the cannon for an arm? He threw on the fly to get one of our runners two innings ago. We get a guy at third this time, if the same right fielder catches a medium-depth fly ball? SEND HIM HOME!

The second-worst thing you can see during a baseball game is Jose Bautista satisfied with himself. (Worst: David Ortiz taking 3 1/2 days to round the bases on a home run).

* Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th (Carlos Beltran had hit his second go-ahead home run in the eighth or later in Toronto this season a half-inning before), Toronto loaded the bases and had one of its best hitters (Edwin Encarnacion) at the plate.

* Toronto tied the game at 3-3 on a Dioner Navarro solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, THEN loaded the bases again with the best hitter in the American League (Donaldson) at the plate.

* Honestly, the Bluejays are a better team.

Yet: Dellin Betances struck out Encarnacion, Andrew Miller shook off the ridiculous Navarro home run to strike out Donaldson when he had nowhere to put him, and Greg Bird delivered a gigantic, three-run home run in the top of the tenth for the winning runs.

The rookie Bird has been incredible - six of his 10 home runs have given New York the lead - and also, the 10th-inning rally started with a Brian McCann bunt single against the shift and Slade Heathcott reaching on a catcher's interference. Again: ridiculous evening of baseball.

Sometimes the better team loses, and though it looked on several occasions like they wouldn't on Tuesday, the wild card-leading Yankees found a way.

I'll be spending the rest of the night/early morning changing out an old cool rag for my forehead for a new one every 20 minutes while listening to the whale sounds CD.

Game 279 - Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals

September 21 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
Fox Sports Midwest

Game 278 - Chicago Whitesox at Detroit Tigers

September 21 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI
Fox Sports Detroit

Jeff Samardzija opened this day-night doubleheader with one of the season's dominant performances, limiting Detroit to one single in a complete game, 2-0 victory.

Samardzija, who lowered his ERA to 5.04, retired the first 12 batters he faced, gave up a lead off single to Victor Martinez in the fifth, then set down the final 15 in order. He threw 88 pitches and just 28 were balls. Outstanding performance.

Of course, it's September & the Tigers stink. So here were a few of the people the Chicago right-hander got to face more than once:

Steven Moya
Bryan Holaday
Tyler Collins
Dixon Machado
Jefry Marte

Game 277 - New York Yankees at New York Mets

September 20 at Citi Field in Queens, NY
ESPN

I know the Mets have Matt Harvey on a plan to limit his innings, but I'd just like to thank them for involving the Yankees in that plan.

Harvey pitched the first five innings and here's what the Yankees were able to do against him: one walk & one infield single.

And what they were able to do in innings 6-8 against the Mets' bullpen: eight hits, including a pair of 3-run hrs (Dustin Ackley, Greg Bird), six walks and 11 runs.

Dear Mets,

Thanks!

Sincerely,
The Yankees AL East division title chances


[Note: I originally wrote the following versions of Greg Bird's name: Breg Bird, Breg Girb, Greb Bird]

Game 275 - St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

September 18 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL
ABC 7

Starlin Castro tied a career-high with 7 RBIs, homering twice (two-run shot in the fifth, three-run shot an inning later) in an 8-3 Cubs' victory, but a more important moment occurred in the top of the ninth. 

Now, Len Kasper & Jim Deshaies aren't the most popular announcing team in baseball (my father, a lifelong Cubs fan, has often hoped lightning would strike the broadcast booth, perhaps a bit "extreme", but you get the point). Deshaies uses phrases like "beak high" and "squirrely hop", and Kasper just isn't a very good play-by-play man. In the ninth, Cubs were an out away, crowd was on its feet & it was loud at Wrigley. The cameras got a quick shot of this young man


















Kasper: "Sums it up right there, that shot."

Pardon me, Len? WHAT sums up WHAT?

We have a kid with a sticker on his forehead eating frozen lemonade. I personally think this particular photo sums up a summer day for a 10-year old kid who may have watched a couple innings of a Cubs game, but otherwise ate frozen lemonade and put stickers on his forehead.

I think what Len Kasper really meant was Len Kasper commenting the way he did about this photo sums up listening to Len Kasper for 3 1/2 hours.

Game 274 - Houston Astros at Texas Rangers

September 17 at The Stadium The Texas Rangers Play In in Arlington, TX
Fox Sports Southwest

It's remarkable what has happened in the AL West over the last three weeks.

After the games of August 26, the Astros led the division by 5 1/2 games, but since, Houston has gone 6-13 while the Rangers have won 15 of 21 to move into first place.

That run includes a four-game sweep of Houston, which concluded with Thursday's 8-3 victory (Mitch Moreland's opposite field, three-run home run in the third that just snuck out got the scoring started).

Texas has a 2 1/2 game lead with 16 to play.

Game 273 - Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

September 17 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA
ROOT Sports

Game 272 - Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers

September 16 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA
ROOT Sports

Instead of a Mute Mix, we're doing just the singles for this late game on the west coast, won by the Dodgers 2-0. Welcome to 300 Game Season's first Singles Night.

Might have to change that name. I don't think calling it Singles Night is going to work.


Blue Mountain Hop/Buffalo Nickel - Bela Fleck
Prisoner/www - Har Mar Superstar
Whistling Past the Graveyard/Too Long - Sailing to Denver
Slipping/Plastic Cups - Skybox
Zak and Sara/Fred Jones Part 2 - Ben Folds
Spanish Harlem/Don't Play That Song - Aretha
Jeru/Venus de Milo - Miles Davis
However Much I Booze/Blue, Red & Gray - The Who
Bongo Man/Stand up & Fight Back - Jimmy Cliff
Shaking Through/Laughing - REM
Dogs Got A Bone/Needles In My Eyes - Beta Band
Mother Goose/Wond'ring Aloud - Jethro Tull
Janie Jones/Police & Thieves - The Clash
Can I Get To Know You Better/Elenore - Turtles
Big Country/Lover's Leap - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones live
One Fine Day - Chiffons/Party Lights - Claudine Clark

Game 270 - Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians

September 15 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH
Fox Sports Kansas City

My favorite part of this game (Royals 2, Indians 0) was watching where this Mike Moustakas second-inning foul pop up landed:















Game 269 - New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

September 15 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
Sun Sports

If .130-hitting Nick Franklin, who is only in the game because another player got hurt, hits his second home run of the season for the game-winning runs, sometimes you just have to eat as many Combos as is humanly possible, watch 1998 World Series highlights and pass out on your living room floor.

Tip your cap.

I meant tip your cap.

Game 268 - Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

September 15 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA
ROOT Sports

Game 267 - Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants

September 14 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA
Comcast Sportsnet

Game 266 - New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

September 14 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
Sun Sports

There's a saying and it has to do with baseball being a cruel game or September is the cruelest month, or cruel, cruel summer. Something like that. This was a cruel game if you're a fan of either the Yankees or the Rays.

Tampa starter Erasmo Ramirez was really good. He was so good that he didn't give up a hit, or really any sort of hard contact, until Carlos Beltran ripped a single off of first baseman Richie Shaffer to lead off the top of the eighth inning. 

CC Sabathia was good as well (6 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, none of which were hit hard), but after he departed, Tampa snapped a scoreless tie with a two-out run in the bottom of the eighth. 

In the top of the ninth, the Yankees were down to their last out and the bases were empty. Rays' closer Brad Boxberger walked Brett Gardner on four pitches and Gardner eventually got a ridiculous jump and stole second without a throw.

Now, when Alex Rodriguez is going to right-center field with line drives, things are good for the New York DH and he did just that for the tying double. Alex was pumped up, but nothing could've prepared anyone for what happened two batters later. Tampa intentionally walked Brian McCann and rookie Slade Heathcott, coming to the plate for the first time since May 27, lined an opposite field, three-run home to left field that gave the Yankees a 4-1 victory.

It's been about a month and a half struggle for the Yankees, who went from seven games up in the AL East to three games (after Monday) back & a slim lead in the wild card race. They've had some great come back wins on the road in 2015, but based on the time of year, Monday was the best victory of the season.


Heathcott home run total views, including replays: 7
[Last update: 9/14 11:52 pm]

Game 265 - Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles

September 13 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD
ESPN

Game 264 - Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels

September 13 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA
ROOT Sports

This looked like an Angels' win up until the top of the 9th when Houston rallied for five runs against Huston Street and won 5-3.

The Los Angeles closer got the first two outs without much of a problem (infield pop out, strike out), then was 1-2 and 0-2 on the next two hitters. They both reached - Preston Tucker solo home run & George Springer triple - then Jose Altuve singled in a run to make it 3-2.

Carlos Correa hit a shot to second base and Taylor Featherston made a nice stop, but the ball got stuck in his glove (probably doesn't get the speedy Correa anyway). Jed Lowrie followed with a 3-run home run down the right field line that just got out (Kole Calhoun nearly made the catch) and incredibly the Astros had a 5-3 lead.

I'm not going to say I like watching the Angels blow a three-run lead in the ninth at home because I REALLY, REALLY like watching the Angels blow a three-run lead in the ninth at home.

All that was missing were dozens of shots of Mike Scioscia on the Los Angeles bench making his expired milk face.

Mute Mix

I saw Alan Ashby was handling the play-by-play, and I've already had plenty of Ashby for one baseball season, so it turned into a Mute Mix Sunday afternoon/evening.

Morning After Cuts - Skybox
Sanctuary - Tim Reynolds
Random classical tracks
Purple - Stone Temple Pilots
70s/80s mix
Weezer - Weezer
Forever Gold Live - Carlos Santana
Random tracks - The Temptations

Game 263 - Toronto Bluejays at New York Yankees

September 13 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
WPIX

Games 261 & 262 - Toronto Bluejays at New York Yankees

September 12 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
Fox/YES Network

In case any children or elderly ever stumble upon this site, I'd like to keep most of my comments on this doubleheader sweep by the Bluejays to myself.

I would like to say one thing: the top of the 11th inning of game one was the worst half-inning of the season for the Yankees, and perhaps the last 2 or 3 seasons. I didn't ask any New York players or coaches if they felt the same way, but I'm quite sure they felt the same way.

Here's how it went:

Bryan Mitchell pitching

Four-pitch walk
HBP
Walk
[accidental strike out] 

Chasen Shreve pitching

Bases loaded walk, 6-5 Toronto
[accidental strike out. Kevin Pillar swung at everything, and everything was a ball]
Single, 7-5
Bases loaded walk, 8-5
Bases loaded walk, 9-5

Nick goody pitching

[accidental ground out to first base]

Game 260 - Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks

September 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ
Fox Sports Arizona

September call-ups are great because they provide more opportunities to add players to the Webb Bobo All Stars.

Our newest member is Arizona's Socrates Brito.

Mr. Brito, welcome to the squad.

Game 259 - Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins

September 11 at Marlins Park in Miami, FL
Fox Sports Florida

Official attendance: 149


[Source: looking at the stands and counting real quick before the 4th inning started]

Game 258 - St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds

September 10 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH
Fox Sports Ohio

Let's break down Thursday evening's Baseball Phrases into a top 7:

7. "You begin to believe your clippings"
6. "Fits the Cardinals mode"
5. "Beset with injuries"
4. "Push the envelope"
3. "Twin killing"
2. "Prototypical lead off hitter"
1. "Plays the game the right way"

* Color commentator Chris Welsh also said "choke up four inches on the plate." He immediately corrected himself and changed "plate" to "bat", but it doesn't make it any less hilarious.

Game 257 - Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres

September 10 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA
Fox Sports San Diego

Two Mark Davis things to get to:

1. Baseball Phrases

We haven't spent an afternoon with the Padres color commentator since early April, but it's like he never left us.

"Baseball activity"
"Live arm"
"Walt Weiss has got his head on a swivel"
"Small sample size"
"Bloop and a blast"
"That's petrol right there"
"Turn up the dial"
"In the cellar"
"Hitters paradise"
"Light up the radar gun"

2. Davis, Part 2

The Rockies hit four solo home runs (including Daniel Delscalso's game-winner in the eighth) to account for all of their runs in a 4-3 victory. Davis:

"It's so ironic. Four runs, all on home runs."


* And let's not forget play-by-play man Dick Enberg:

"The quarterback of the infield"
"Banner year"
"Swing the stick"
"Slicing into souvenir corner" 
"Set the table"
"A Padre over every pillow" (the bases are loaded)

Game 256 - Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners

September 9 at Safeco Field in Seattle, WA
ROOT Sports

Vidal Nuno put together his finest start of the year in the Mariners' 6-0 win as he allowed just a first-inning single and a walk in seven shut out innings, striking out a career-high 10.

Pretty incredible that Nuno got through seven as he was at 64 pitches through three. He finished with 106 pitches.

A pair of hot-hitting Mariners helped at the plate as Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a 4-for-4, hr, 2 RBI night, and Mark Trumbo extended his to 11 with a 4-for-4, hr, 3 RBI effort.

Game 255 - Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees

September 9 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

Game 254 - Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals

September 9 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
Fox Sports Midwest

Pete Kozma: run scored

Game 253 - Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres

September 8 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA
Fox Sports San Diego

I don't have much to say about this game - a 2-1 Padres win on fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth - except that the Rockies have two players, one is named Justin Morneau, the other is Dustin Garneau.

Justin MOR-NOH
Dustin GAR-NOH

Dustin Garneau is probably the closest anyone has ever come to actually being named Justin Morneau.

Game 252 - Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals

September 7 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO
Fox Sports North

After spending Monday watching two other baseball games and a college football game, I've had enough noise for one evening. Let's go with a Mute Mix for this one, a 6-2 Twins' victory.


Radiohead - Creep EP
Various artists - mix
Widespread Panic - Light fuse get away (live)
Tori Vazquez - Louie
Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks
Freddy Jones Band - Waiting for the Night
John Lennon - Legend
Rusted Root - When I Woke
Marx Brothers - assorted tracks
Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds - assorted tracks

Game 251 - Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics

September 7 at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, CA
CSN

A solid afternoon of Baseball Phrases/regular nonsense during Oakland's 10-9 victory. Let's take a look:

"Risk-reward"
"Tip your hat"
"Pitcher's pitch"
"Prototypical clean up hitter"
"Clog up the bases"
"Do things by the book"
"Zone up"
"He's known to scatter the zone"
"Tap him on his seat pants"
"Using the whole field"
"I'm thinking this is auto-take right here"
(In one breath) "Another big hit, clutch hit, pinch hit"
"Good theater"

Game 250 - Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees

September 7 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

A tight, tense game, as these teams often play was won by the Yankees 8-6.

New York hit three home runs - Alex Rodriguez & J.R. Murphy had the first two, but none was bigger than rookie Greg Bird's three-run home run to put the Yankees ahead for good in the seventh inning. Bird went down 0-2 to Brian Matusz, then crushed a weak breaking ball right down the middle into the Yankee bullpen to make it an 8-5 game.

* Here's how the top of the eighth inning went for New York reliever Dellin Betances:

A) walked the bases loaded
B) struck out the side

Game 249 - Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals

September 6 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
ESPN

Webb Bobo All Stars

Let's all welcome new Webb Bobo all star and Pirates' September call-up Bobby LaFromboise.

Games 247 & 248 - Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

September 5/6 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY
YES Network

Early Saturday afternoon first pitch after a night game/long night for me, we're going Mute mix.

As always, these are actual albums/tracks that were played on actual tape players.


Since we're on the subject of muting things, I will say this about the YES crew and in particular, play-by-play fella Michael Kay:

I have not been horrified at the things Michael Kay has said this year. In fact, I have very nearly not noticed Michael Kay. In fact, I may be baking some Michael Kaykes in my (neighbor's) kitchen right now.


House of the Holy - Led Zeppelin

* I'd like to take this brief moment to say goodbye to an old friend. We officially lost my Houses of the Holy tape early today at the age of 42. He lived a good life & he's survived by his lovely wife Maryanne and their two kids, currently unnamed.

The tape played one final side and then made some gurgling sounds before passing.

Appalachian Memories - various artists
Sailing to Denver - Sailing to Denver
Various tracks - COLOR
Blood, Sweat & Beers - Bastard Suns
Random live tracks - Radiohead
When She Flies - Dolly Parton
Cumberland Records - sampler
Surround Sounds - The Chief
Funky Monkey - The Technician
Bluegrass Sessions - Bela Fleck

Game 246 - Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs

September 4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL
Comcast Sportsnet

Plenty of Baseball Phrases & assorted silliness from the broadcast team of Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies in this one, a 14-5 Cubs win. We'll break down the nonsense on an inning-by-inning basis. 

Bottom 1

"Step on the gas pedal"
"Hostile environment"
"The wind is blowing out at Wrigley"

Top 2

"Popular guy in the clubhouse"
"Had some crazy english on it"
"Body language"

Top 3

"Deja vu all over again"

Top 4

"Early trip to the showers"

Bot 4

"Difference maker"

Bot 5

"Traffic on the bases"
"Joins the hit parade"


Bot 8

"Replacement level"

Top 9

"Put this one to bed"
"All bets were off"


Webb Bobo All Stars

Our newest member is Arizona reliever Silvino Bracho.

Don't do that, Zack Godley

The Arizona starter was not good - 3 2/3 IP, 6 ER - and one of his six walks was issued to Jon Lester. Lester, who picked up the first hit of his CAREER earlier this season, came into the game with an .021 on-base percentage.


Game 244 - Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals

September 2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
ESPN

Wednesday was Rick Sutcliffe Night, which sounds like something that would happen at an American Legion, but no: broadcast booth of a Major League Baseball game.

Rick, you're up.

1. Sutcliffe: "I love the story of Evan Gattis. You know that some day it's gonna be a movie."

Who knows? You?

Gattis fought through depression & drug addiction and became a big league baseball player, which is great. I'm just not as convinced as "Sutty" (nickname patented by family friend Joe "The Machine" Benson) that the man's story will be made into a MOVIE.

2. Some more Sutcliffes:

"Without Bryce Harper, they're (Washington) the Philadelphia Phillies."
[silence]
"Right?"
[silence]

3. On the Nationals - "they can't afford to lose another game"

30 games left. Washington needs to go 30-0.

26-4? Not good enough. [insert one of three standard golf jokes] !


Other Sutcliffes:

"He's got that champion in him"
"And Max Scherzer will put the train back on the track"
"Heart of a champion"
"He left everything he had out there on that mound"

Game 243 - New York Yankees at Boston Redsox

September 2 at Fenway Park in Boston, MA
NESN/YES Network

Baseball Phrases

Michael Kay, YES:

"monster seats"

Game 242 - Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs

September 2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL
WGN

Game 241 - Texas Rangers at San Diego Padres

September 1 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA
Fox Sports San Diego

Special moment here at 300 Game Season as we're about to have our first Late Night Mute Mix (Percy Sherman Moon Mix) (P.S.M.M)!

Instead of silly Dick Enberg, let's listen to several other things!


Von Grey - Von Grey EP
Dave Matthews - random rare tracks
The Strokes - Angles
Harpo Marx
Bernie Williams - The Journey Within
Traffic - live in Germany 1973
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets
Bob Marley - Satisfy My Soul

Game 240 - New York Yankees at Boston Redsox

September 1 at Fenway Park in Boston, MA
NESN

There was plenty to like about Tuesday's game, including the 3-1 Yankees' win. Michael Pineda pitched well (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 7 K), Stephen Drew delivered what turned out to be the winning, two-run double in the fifth and Brett Gardner got his first extra base hit since May of 1972 with an insurance, solo home run in the eighth.

But my favorite part of the game?

David Ortiz

4 plate appearances
4 strike outs

Game 239 - San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers

August 31 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA
Comcast Sports Net