The Cardinals and Pirates continue their series with Lance Lynn taking on Gerrit Cole. Lynn makes an excellent substitute ace, bringing a 2.53 ERA into the game. He walked one and struck out 10 in seven innings during his first meeting with the Pirates this season. Cole established himself as the Pirates ace this season, going deep in games with a 2.28 ERA.
The Yankees travel to Boston as a Red Sox get a chance to bring New York back to the pack before the All-Star game. Michael Pineda faces Clay Buchholz in the opener. Pineda’s ERA stands about 1.3 runs higher on the road than at home although in terms of three-true outcomes, Michael is a little better away. Buchholz is similar, but with a worse home ERA, but better three-true outcomes in Fenway.
Hector Santiago takes on Mike Montgomery in a battle of lefties as the Angels continue their series with the Mariners. Santiago owns a 1.83 ERA in his last six starts, with 31 K and 7 BB in 34 1/3 IP. He allowed five home runs, but all five were solo shots. The rookie Montgomery allowed just two home runs in his first 50 innings.
Enjoy!
Yet another say of wretched offense in baseball. Two 1-0 games already in the books plus a bunch of other low-scoring snoozers finished or in progress. The NL has slipped into deadball territory with its teams averaging less than four runs a game. Only the DH is (barely) saving the AL from the same fate.
The pathetic lack of action is exacerbating all of baseball’s many other problems. Attendance is limping along with a six million decline from 2007, maybe the last year ever for a record, to 2014. This year would be producing another drop if not for the big crowds in Kansas City. (Thank you, KC!)
TV ratings are abysmal. Only a lucky seventh game saved 2014’s World Series from yet another record low in viewers. If next week’s All-Star game sets a one more record low in viewership – which it quite possibly will – expect lots of invidious comparisons to soccer’s record high viewership last Sunday.
Baseball-is-dying stories have practically become a staple around the sports Interwebs. Trouble is, the writers can point to lots of numbers to support their case.
The one thing baseball could put in place immediately to attract a little more support is an increase in offense and action in the games.
1) Adopt the DH in the National League. Get rid of Colon, Lester and the other clowns masquerading as “hitters.”
2) Cut the mound to six inches. Put the pitcher on literally a more level playing field with the hitter.
3) Remind the umps that the plate is 17 inches wide, not 25. Laser trackers reveal that pitches off the plate – sometimes way off the plate – are routinely called strikes.
These steps are not a panacea. But they might at least attract a few more paying customers to the parks and make baseball look a little less moribund. Baseball is barely clinging to the number three spot in the U.S. sports pecking order, well below football and basketball. It could easily slip behind NASCAR, soccer, even hockey – all of which are on the rise – in the coming years.
Casey Abell » You should have waited for the Giants game. 🙂