Sunday notes (non-pennant-race edition)

I’m too glum about Detroit’s loss to cover the races, so here’s some stupid stuff instead:

@D’backs 10, Giants 2: Rookie Patrick Corbin tossed 8 strong innings, but his biggest contributions came with the lumber. He drove in 4 runs — a new high for a pitcher this year — with 2 hits, including a triple with the pillows plumped that broke a 2-2 tie in the 4th and foiled an intentional walk. Corbin came in with just 2 hits in 28 ABs and no RBI, but he looks hitterish up there, no? In the minors, Corbin was 12 for 50 with 5 walks against 13 Ks.

@Padres 12, Rockies 11: Admit it — you’re half-sure I’ve misreported the locale. It’s the first time in the 643-game history of Petco Park that both teams scored 10+ runs in regulation. As a bonus, we have the first career HR for Colorado’s Matt McBride, the first grand slam by Josh Rutledge (tying the game in the 8th), and the 2nd HR in as many games by pitcher Alex White, a 3-run drive. And with all that, the game ended on a thrilling play at home after a single by Yonder Alonso, who drove in the game’s first run the same way. It was his first walk-off RBI.

  • White is tied with 2 others for the pitcher HR lead, including the only other pitcher with a 3-run HR, which came against Colorado the day after White’s 1st HR. He’s the first pitcher since 2009 to homer in consecutive games. (I had hoped that Micah was the answer here, too, but Johnson’s streak came a month later.) The only other pitcher to homer at Petco this year is Drew Pomeranz in this losing effort; of the 8 pitcher HRs ever hit there, only Mat Latos did it for the home team.
  • Chase Headley regained the NL RBI lead with a 2-run HR. Only Dave Winfield ever won an RBI crown as a Padre. (Pop quiz: Who won the only HR crown as a Padre?)
  • Here’s the only other Petco contest where both teams scored 10+ runs (in 11 innings).
  • Here’s the only other one where both teams scored 9+ runs in regulation.

Reds 5, @Marlins 4 (11): Here’s the last time the Reds had 17+ hits with no more than one extra-base hit. (That’s also the only searchable Reds game with 17+ hits and no XBH.)

@Cubs 13, Pirates 9Alfonso Soriano became the first since 2008 with 100+ RBI at age 36 or older. There were 31 such years from 1996-2008, and the same number from 1901-95.

  • Soriano also will likely be the 5th Cub ever with 100+ RBI and less than 70 Runs. He has 61 Runs in 136 games.

@Braves 5, Nationals 1: No dice in Gio‘s first bid for win #20. Here’s the only 20-game-winner in franchise history.

  • Why does Orel Hershiser favor Gonzales over R.A. Dickey in the CYA race? “More wins.”

@Astros 7, Phillies 6: First consecutive Houston wins in over a month. After going 8-46 in July & August, they’re now 8-7 in September, looking for their first winning month since Sept. 2010.

  • Roy Halladay still needs 2 wins for 200, with 3(?) starts left. I’m pretty sure this guy was the last to get #200 in Phillies uni.

_______________

Pop quiz answer: Woof-woof!

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Jacob
Jacob
11 years ago

I really feel the Cubs should be happy with the way the Soriano contract played out. After adjusting for the fact they signed him to those figures in the first place, I mean.

Mark in Sydney
Mark in Sydney
11 years ago

On Orel H on the CYA.

He also mentioned that he thought Gio deserves it because Gonzales plays for the Nats, and they are a better team than the Mets.

Go figure…

bstar
bstar
11 years ago
Reply to  Mark in Sydney

Holy crap, I just checked the WAR leaderboard for the NL Cy, and Kris Medlen is less than a win and a half out of the lead. That’s pretty amazing considering the guy has 9 starts this year. I think anyone who says there is a clear winner for the NL Cy right now is deluding themselves. Cueto, Dickey, Gonzalez, there’s very little difference between those three and possibly a few others. It’s got to hinge on their last few starts. As for Dickey, I think he may have the lead in the voters’ minds. Playing for a worse team… Read more »

Gordon
Gordon
11 years ago

If this is Stupid Stat Day, how about some love for Orlando Hudson? The man has more triples (8) than doubles (3) and homers (2) combined!

Ed
Ed
11 years ago
Reply to  Gordon

Wow, great find Gordon! To add a bit of context…Hudson would be only the 18th player since the deadball era to have 1) more than 250 PAs and 2) more then half his extra base hits be triples. Before Hudson, the last person to do it was Alex Cole in 1992. Four players have done it with more than 502 PAs: Dale Mitchell (1949) Larry Bowa (1972) Roger Metzger (1973) Craig Robinson (1974) Odd that such a rare feat was pulled off three years in a row by three different players. Mitchell, Bowa and Metzger all lead the league in… Read more »

RJ
RJ
11 years ago

Runs are overrated. The only game I’ve been to at Petco was this 1-0 thriller: no earned runs, one extra base hit, and a man standing on third precisely three times. Oh, and the most unbelievable diving catch by 41-year-old Barry Bonds…’s defensive replacement Todd Linden. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN200608140.shtml

topper009
topper009
11 years ago

Pop Quiz = The Crime Hound. Through 2007 he was the answer to a nice question which looked like it would remain true for a long time, who was the last player in each league to lead the league in HRS with less than 40?

The answer is
AL: McGriff ’89 TOR (36 HRs)
NL: McGriff ’92 SD (35 HRs)

Since then the 2008 AL, 2009 AL and 2011 NL had a HR leader with < 40.

Voomo Zanzibar
Voomo Zanzibar
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

The boxscore says Start Time Temperature: 86.

But my LA friends were facebook posting the poolside drinks they were inventing yesterday, as the temp was 102.

That’s my guess for why.

That or LA is just a terrible place full of non-sports fans.
(Though I am from NYC and Norcal, so I can’t even pretend objectivity there).

Doug
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

John, how about these attendance figures for Yankee home games in the 1926 World Series.

Game 1 (Sat) – 61,658
Game 2 (Sun) – 63,600

Game 6 (Sat) – 48,615
Game 7 (Sun) – 38,093

Baffling.

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

It was drizzling on the day of game 7.

birtelcom
Editor
11 years ago

Wily Peralta of the Brewers, pitching against the Mets yesterday, had a Game Score of 82 in his fourth career game. Only two Brewers had previously had such a high Game Score so early in their careers: In 1997, Steve Woodward had a 92 Game Score in his major leage debut, and in 1985 Teddy Higuera had an 82 Game Score in his third career appearance. The Mets had three times previously seen opposing pitchers rack up Game Scores of 82 or more within their first four MLB games: In 1983, Jose DeLeon in his third career game threw nine… Read more »

tag
tag
11 years ago
Reply to  birtelcom

I saw a couple of those very early Hooton games. That knuckle-curve of his was just falling off the table, and few batters had seen anything like it. I think Happy threw a couple no-hitters early in his career too, before batters finally learned to lay off that thing and make him throw the fastball.

tag
tag
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

John, thanks for the correction on Hooton and the reminder of that ’72 Cubs team. I went to the ballpark a lot that summer as a teenager (South Shore electric railway to downtown, El to Wrigley) and remember that edition well. The core regulars – Santo, Billy, Hickman, Hundley and Beckert – were getting a little long in the tooth, but the rotation was excellent and might actually have been all-time exceptional had they not traded Kenny Holtzman the previous offseason. They got Monday in return, who was a decent if maddening player, but they already had Bill North. He… Read more »

Brent
Brent
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

From Lasorda’s Lair (which I presume is a fan run Dodger’s blog:

“Treanor leads off the bottom of the fifth with a walk. Elian Herrera comes off the bench to bat for Fife. While Herrera is batting, Treanor is thrown out trying to steal. Another busted hit and run play. Herrera reaches on a bunt single, but Victorino and Ethier both ground out. “

Ed
Ed
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

And the play-by-play at CBS Sportsline does show it was a swinging strike on Herrera. I do agree with John…a very odd/poor decision by Mattingly.

Voomo Zanzibar
Voomo Zanzibar
11 years ago
Reply to  Ed

No no no, it was reverse psychology, element of surprise! Mattingly gets advice from his forbidden mullet and sideburns, which are steeped in a jar with full of Bigelow tea.

topper009
topper009
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Hes been doing it for a while now, I’m sorry if it offends your sensibilities Tony La Autin. He should probably be thrown at his next AB.

Ed
Ed
11 years ago
Reply to  topper009

I’m with Topper on this one. I just don’t see it as a big deal. Or any kind of deal. Honestly, that’s nothing compared to some of the things you see in the NFL, sometimes after a very minor play.

topper009
topper009
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

I would defend anyone who wants to celebrate a HR with their 3B coach.

Jonas Gumby
Jonas Gumby
11 years ago
Reply to  topper009

That low-five is getting progressively lower every time I see him do it. Either Braun or the 3B coach is going to throw his back out, and that’ll be the end of it, until it’s replaced with some jumping sky-high-five. Then, when that gets unfashionable, they’ll experiment with the Will Smith/DJ Jazzy Jeff secret handshake. They should just do the beerleague softball home-to-first-to-dugout trot on the homeruns.

topper009
topper009
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Just for you I will criticize Braun for taking way too long between pitches generally, doing his best AL East impersonation stepping out after basically every single pitch. I really, really wish 6.02(d)(1) would actually be enforced The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout the batter’s time at bat, unless one of the following exceptions applies, in which case the batter may leave the batter’s box but not the dirt area surrounding home plate: (i) The batter swings at a pitch; (ii) The batter is forced out of the batter’s box by a pitch;… Read more »

nightfly
11 years ago
Reply to  topper009

Often what happens is, when the batter decides to futz around with his gloves and whatnot, the pitcher decides to step off and wait. If the pitcher isn’t ready to deliver the pitch, there’s no real reason for the umpire to enforce the delay rule against the batter. I agree that it would be good to see the rule enforced, but at the very least it would require the pitcher to come set while the batter was wandering. And that becomes a fine line, because MLB umpires are ultra-super-ridiculously sensetive about being shown up. If a pitcher took it too… Read more »

Jim Bouldin
11 years ago

Meanwhile Indians move to 21-9 in one run games.

Doug
Doug
11 years ago
Reply to  Jim Bouldin

Indians are following the pattern of the 2003 Tigers.

2012 Indians
1 run: 21-9, .700
2+ runs: 40-77, .342

2003 Tigers
1 run: 19-18, .514
2+ runs: 24-101, .192

Doug
Editor
11 years ago

100+ RBI and under 70 runs scored.

Interesting combination. Has happened only 49 times since 1901.
– Cubs actually have a 6th player to do it – Fred McGriff, playing for “TOT” (Tampa Bay and Chicago) in 2001
– Cardinals have also done it 6 times, last in 1989
– Astros (3 times) have most for an expansion team, including twice by Carlos Lee. Marlins have two guys in their short history.
– other guys to do it twice: Fred McGriff, Lee May, Vic Wertz
– 8 HOFers on the list: Killebrew, Bench, Stargell, Banks, Dawson, Mize, Simmons, Cronin

Doug
Editor
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Vic Wertz for the 1960 Red Sox has far and away the lowest run total (45) for any player with 100+ RBI. Wertz batted fourth that season and had a decent .282/.335/.460, good for 111 OPS+. Ahead of him was Williams, still with a gaudy .465 OBP at age 42. Behind those two were a motley collection of no. 5 hitters (none of whom started more than 37 games) led by Russ Nixon and Frank Malzone. The starters batting fifth somehow totaled only 65 RBI (including 3 RBI by Wertz and Williams, in the 3 games they started in that… Read more »

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

I would suspect that Wertz was quite frequently removed for a PR. He started 110 games and finished only 61 of them. Of course he was sometimes replaced for defensive reasons. He reached base 168 times and had 19 HR so that leaves 26 runs scored due to other batters.

Doug
Editor
11 years ago

To some degree, Richard. Here is Wertz’s 1960 season.
CG – 61 games
Started and played into 9th or later – 19
Started and played into 7th or 8th – 26
Other starts – 4
Pinch-hit ONLY – 14
Pinch-hit and stay in game – 6
Defensive replacement – 1

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
11 years ago
Reply to  Doug

I was expecting Ernie Lombardi to be on that list but it turns out that he never had more than 95 RBI in any one season. He scored 60 runs that year(1938). It was the only time he scored more than 50 runs. He only had four seasons of more than 120 G.

topper009
topper009
11 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

After this season you are a first person witness as to why Prince Fielder is only a 4-5 win player max, his defense is horrible, below average in every way including height.

He is infact the shortest qualifying player this season to play 50% of his games at 1B, listed at 5’11”, 3 inches shorter than the next bunch of guys. Corey Hart, his replacement, is the tallest regular 1B which I would say is ironic if I didn’t know what that word meant.

AJ Burnett is facing the crew tonight JA, I assume you like their chances.

birtelcom
Editor
11 years ago

Most Consecutive Home Games, Scoring Fewer Than Four Runs (1918-2012):
Reds, 17 games (last 16 home games of 1948, plus first home game of 1949)
Mariners, 16 games (8/7/2010 through 9/13/2010)
Orioles, 15 games (8/6/1954 through 9/9/1954)
7 teams tied at 14 games, including the Mets with a current streak that started on 8/20/2012

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