I got to know John in my
early treks to 'Zona for the Fall League and he was always very friendly
and willing to engage. The job of being a Minor League player analyst is a very
tough and demanding one. You're constantly on the road, sitting behind
home plate with your radar gun and notebook. The fact that John did just
that for as long as he did is deserving of our respect, admiration, and
thanks.

Josh James could also find his way into the mix? Maybe a stars and scrubbs approach? The Houston bullpen is one serious mess.

And let the Mackenzie Gore rumours run rampant!

Very sad!

The Indians thumped Cinci 13-0 and the Royals whupped the Cubs 13-2 last night, and even so the NL has outscored the AL 268-253. The other score: NL 36 - AL 29.

Another job casualty of the minor league season being cancelled:

Yesterday's Top Performers

Batters:

Jose Ramirez* (CLE): 3-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R

Jose Altuve* (HOU): 3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB

Renato Nunez* (BAL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Leury Garcia (CHW): 2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Christian Yelich (MIL): 1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R

Jonathan Villar (MIA): 3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB

Whit Merrifield (KCR): 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB

Jorge Soler (KCR): 3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Anderson Tejeda (TEX): 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB

J.T. Realmuto (PHI): 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

View All of Yesterday's Batters at Baseball-Reference.com

I tired to claim Taylor for free on Monday but he went to Rotoman instead. For free.

Fangraphs and BP have his 2019 stats in the minors (A/AA/AA). We should get his stats with the Stros tomorrow.

Hot off the press from the Closer Monkey:

Optioned to the alternate training squad as teams cut down to 28 players.

G/L/F suggests .547 BABIP wasn't entirely bad luck. At least all the hits were in play.

The Brewers announcers in the bottom of the 8th after their team has taken an 8-2 lead in the top of the inning over the White Sox: "Hitters have lost a certain amount of intensity but you are not seeing that from Peralta, he is dialed in."

Peralta strikes out the side.

Two questions.

1) The game is the conclusion of a four-game series: two in Chicago, two in Milwaukee. Why the unnecessary travel, short though it is? The fans in all four games are safely at home.

2) Why is this the last game of the night? It's 8:30 on the West Coast.

Drives in his first two runs in the big leagues, gets called up from the depths.

Four walks and a trip around the bases running flat out.

Between this and the Marlins sweep of the O's, it's not exactly a great week.

The Marlins win another. Four-game sweep of the O's, the last three by one run,  after sitting idle for more than a week. With four of their top five starting pitchers, their two best set-up guys, their star shortstop, their starting catcher, their best DH, their top utility player and too many others to count still sitting idle. What were the odds?

So much more fun than watching the game at home!

Two-run double against the Yankees. Has hit his way onto the 28-man roster for sure.

CG for Dylan Bundy. Wow.

It can't be that long ago that he was the top pitching prospect in the game. He's only 27.

Big win for the Pirates this afternoon, rallying for three runs in the last two innings to beat the Twins at home. With runners on second and third and no outs in the ninth, Taylor Rogers struck out Polanco and got two quick strikes on Newman, who got just enough on the 2-2 offering to roll it into center against a drawn-in infield.

With the winning run on second in the ninth inning, I'm not sure I would have pitched to Newman. Rogers has great control; I think I'd walk the batter and play the infield at double-play depth. Get the force at home if you don't think you cam turn two.

As it is, the Pirates won their third game and the Twins lost their third.

From BA today...

Cincinnati Reds

—Tejay Antone made his first career start, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing a run on two hits, walking four and striking out four. The righthander relies on above-average control without a plus pitch in his arsenal, but he struggled to throw strikes in the team’s loss to the Indians. Antone walked two batters and gave up a single to load the bases in the third inning before inducing a ground ball for a double play to end the frame. In the fifth he walked another batter before being relieved by Michael Lorenzen. Antone, the Reds No. 26 prospect, pitched 4.1 innings in relief on July 27, allowing a run on one hit, walking one and striking out five.