the pitch clock is counting down to the MLB 2023 REGULAR SEASON THREAD

Is he better than anyone on the A's? Semi serious question

If the Diamondbacks do move on from Bumgarner and eat the rest of his contract, it'd make sense that he'd try to steer himself to the Rangers. There is a ton of trust shared with new Texas Manager Bruce Bochy, built on three championships.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 20, 2023

Called it but also didn't know they are currently in first place. Who knows?

4/6 teams in an American League playoff spot are from the AL east. Christ.

dude it's april

Ok. Sorry I shared that information. Sorry I talk at all here since you’re determined to be an asshole to me whenever possible. You’re doing a great job trying to make this place as toxic as possible for me.

whoa man what

i somehow hadn't caught that the cubs were off to a fairly hot start, they're going to be 12-7 once they finish creaming the dodgers today, they've recently won series against the dodgers and mariners

Yeah I was coming here to post about this game, absolutely brutal stuff and Hoerner just hit the fourth homer of the day. Smyly pitching quite a game ofc 👀

If it wasn't for Outman, the Cubs have absolutely owned the Dodgers this year, it's crazy. Their scouting on Freeman in particular has been A+.

seems like their pitching has mostly been good - i know steele and stroman have both had strong starts

All the Cubs on the same page here, you love to see it. 🤞🏻

Bellinger has been really good. Looking like a decent gamble.

That has to be absolutely the worst way to break up a perfect game

THIS is how Drew Smyly's perfect game bid ends??? pic.twitter.com/AHaiPZ0pA7

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 21, 2023

too funny

We yelled

The Rangers' Adolis Garcia hit 3 HR and two doubles last night, fourth player ever to do that. He's got 28 RBI in 19 games.

Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe has a torn labrum and will likely miss four to six months, manager Phil Nevin said Sunday.

love to see the pirates (seven straight wins) and the dbacks doing well in the early going

Yep extremely happy for the Pirates especially with that Cruz injury

I meant to say something earlier, but Loandepot Park back on opening day in Miami was lots of fun. Great stadium, and as luck would have it, I got to see one game with the roof on and one with the roof off. Cool graffiti/neon light exhibits outside the stadium, and the bobblehead museum was fun if small. You could get a beer, pretzel, and hot dog for $3 each. Opening day had a soccer game atmosphere, with drumming and the mariachi band playing non-stop through the entire game. I know it was the opening series, but there was no shortage of hardcore/enthusiastic Marlins fans around me.

The rally towel for opening day (Scherzer vs Alcántara) said "The Greatest Opening Day Matchup In History" on it. Haven't checked the facts on that.

Rays are 19-3 after today. A few points of comparison: '84 Tigers (19-3), '01 Mariners (18-4), '86 Mets (18-4), '18 Red Sox (17-5), '98 Yankees (16-6), '22 Dodgers (15-7).

Time to put a sawbuck down for them to win it all

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/does-sending-players-to-the-wbc-screw-teams-up/

warning: numbers
tldr: no

Rays trounce Houston. I would think that might open some eyes.

Amazing A's v. Angels game tonight:

Oakland up 7-1 in the 3rd, only to blow the lead and Angels tie in the 6th, then regain lead 8-7 in the 7th.

Top of the 9th the Angels' choose to not use their 2 elite closers and this guy Wanz starts off by allowing 2 BBs, then after an out allows a single to load the bases.

Brent Rooker comes up with the bases loaded (he's already hit 2x HRs earlier in the game) and coaxes a walk to tie the game.

In the 10th, the A's continue to beat up on the Angels bullpen and drop 3 in the top, and then the bottom of the 10th the Angels:
Drury 2 run HR (scoring ghost runner)
single
walk
HBP (bases loaded)
strike out
then with Mike Trout bases loaded with the game on the line... soft infield grounder to end the game.

Total rollercoaster. The A's sure do suck, but man the Angels are equally terrible. Great baseball at any rate.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have blown two ninth inning leads in the last three days against the Royals and A’s, the teams with the two worst records in baseball.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have seven blown saves already, the most in MLB.

Their series against the Red Sox was a total clown show

That has to be absolutely the worst way to break up a perfect game

Jim Joyce has entered the chat

I stand corrected. Jesus Christ.

Jarred Kelenic is off to such a hot start that he’s already had seven home runs and the month isn’t over yet. Love to see it.

An obsession of mine:

Goldschmidt - .287/.398/.437, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Freeman - .280/.370/.430, 3 HR, 8 RBI

There is no such thing as a small sample size with these two guys.

This A's v Angels series has been fascinating to watch, every game is like little league with massive scoring swings. When you think both teams could get no worse find away to just stumble ever lower, everyone just looks utterly defeated out there.

the Angels are gonna lose this I can feel it

I just looked at the box score - how did Ohtani cough up five runs to the A’s?!

Degrom got shelled by the A’s last year. You can’t predict baseball etc.

agree with ss that has been quite a strange series though

The A’s have run differential of -113!!

This ball did not go out pic.twitter.com/eZ4ZZ2748U

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 29, 2023

kinda looks like it did go out actually

The Rays' run differential (+106) is almost twice the #2 team (Rangers are +59) and exactly twice the #3 team (Pirates are +53). Today was their 12th win by five or more runs.

the A's pitchers' stats are (apart from presenting apostrophe challenges) kinda incredible

Loved this guy’s story

The @Pirates reaction to Drew Maggi's first career hit.🥹 pic.twitter.com/mKIvakZ37t

— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 30, 2023

Watching Bochy’s Rangers for the first time, they hit a grand slam off Nestor Cortes in the first inning. No Judge today ofc

Looking forward Braves-Mets tomorrow. They've played five innings in three days -- who's going to come out refreshed and playing well, and who's going to be over-amped and forget which end of a bat is which?

The Rangers commenters are not great. Referred to someone getting thrown out as being “gunned down”; showed a little infographic about Jonah Heim’s celebrity dinner date being Elon Musk (lol) and then started asking about peas being vegetables.

Rangers walloping Yankees 14-1, bottom of the 6th

Never thought of the decline in "gunned down" from play by play guys, was common back in the day but can't remember the last time I noticed someone saying it.

i heard it just the other day, forget which team. it's hard when so many players have a cannon for an arm and are capable of throwing a bullseye

I could be way off here, but I wouldn't be surprised if--because of the world we live in--it's an expression that is discouraged by station management.