adambr2

Pretty sure Stearns said during the off season that they intended to keep him in AAA all year. He said he would start in AAA, he never said he would stay there all season. I doubt Stearns would be that inflexible among changing circumstances.

He absolutely blew it yesterday. It was refreshing to hear him admit it, and he wasn't the only one, but he blew it yesterday. Yesterday was the one that really hurt, just finding a way to lose. Looks like another bad series now.

Is there anything more certain in baseball than once your struggling pitching staff finally starts to get going, your offense will take a crap?

Except Hiura at least is getting hits when he isn't striking out. Shaw another 0 for 3 with 2 K gem in San Antonio. There's no need to even consider bringing him back until he shows some real signs of turning it around.

Wilkerson is a nice story, but he's like the Nate Orf of pitchers. He's not a big league talent.

Cain has fouled off approximately 8,000 hittable hanging pitches this season.

Who would have thought that a lineup without Yelich and Grandal would struggle to score?

Perez won't be on the 40 anymore, so I don't think it's a slam dunk that he'll be back in September. If they have 40 man spots open after September I think they probably prioritize some other guys over bringing Perez back. I agree he's very expendable and I don't see the point in adding him then barring injuries.

This. They're both journeyman mediocre players, comparing the two is splitting hairs. If Saladino is so much better, why was Perez even tendered this year? Why not just roll with Saladino and save the tender on Perez? They likely made the switch because Saladino has more roster flexibility with the option and because he loses that next season I doubt he'll be back. It's not because Saladino is some obviously better option than Perez.

Making rash and definitive judgments based on the tiniest of sample sizes seems to be a very popular thing to do around here. And well, with fans in general. Like how Woodruff wasn't a starter based on his 2016 ERA in that role, or how Chacin was the worst signing ever a couple of starts into his tenure. And even when it's not SSS-related, the conviction in the hot takes is the same. I remember the reactions to the Wade Miley signing. Or whoever it was calling for Stearns' head for not signing Alex Cobb. And no, it's not about being wrong about those things (I mean it's not like anyone thought Miley would do what he did, not even those who liked the move), everyone is wrong a lot of the time, it's more about how the reactions are so strong, based on so little, and with no regard for the possibility that they might be wrong. Anyway, to bring it back to the original topic; Grandal started 0-12, and he has been pretty good since. Yelich had something similar (Or maybe it was 1-20 or sth?) just this past week. I don't expect Saladino to hit like them, obviously, but stretches like this happen all the time. This one just happens to be the first at bats after being called up to replace a popular player. Wait, Perez was a popular player? Popular to whom? Anyway, the thing is, when you're a marginal, easily replaceable player like Tyler Saladino, you don't get a large sample size. You have to come up and get the job done or you go back down because you are very easily replaced. Woodruff isn't a great comparison because he was a high prospect and he STILL spent a great deal of time being sent down last year. Yasmani Grandal has a track record and the team invested 18M in him this year. Christian Yelich is an MVP level player. When players like Grandal and Yelich hit a 0 for 13 to start the season, you shrug and wait for them to come out of it. When a player like Tyler Saladino does it, you shuffle him out and shuffle in the next guy. Sure, he might get 20-25 ABs or so to do something, but that will probably be it because he has options and you don't wait around for easily replaceable players forever. Might seem unfair, but that's just the way it goes.

Yep: " I made a bad decision there. I overthhought it. " I respect the heck out of that. No one is perfect, but it's refreshing to hear him admit it. Not because I need to hear him say it but because it shows he's willing to learn from his mistakes and do it differently next time. I'll take that every time over the stubborn manager who says he was right and he'll do the same thing next time.

At this point, not thinking about the Cubs. There are other threats in the Central. We need to fix our house. The rest of the division doesn't matter if we can't do that.

Hiura was just sort of standing out by 2nd base daydreaming on that last play, which about perfectly sums up the play.

I really don't think that awful 0-2 pitch was lost on anyone. It's been discussed.

- Counsell doesn't use his LOOGY in a 1 run game with 2 outs in the 8th, just because, I don't know why - Yelich bunts, yes bunts in a tie game in the 11th - Yelich half asses a terrible throw into the infield with the winning run coming around. - Thames half asses an attempt to catch it - Burnes backs it up...like not at all. - Burnes sets up that very play with an 0-2 grooved fastball after Puig just fished after 2 sliders Anyone on the team that cared to try to win this one tonight?

Hahaha, what an absolute joke.

Goodness gracious Burnes. What a god awful 0-2 pitch after Puig chased 2 pitches. Even the usual calm company man Bill Schroeder is laying into him for that pitch.

I think the non move to Claudio against Votto in the 8th was far more questionable.

Calm down, Suarez, it was a strike.

That inning was just an enormous dud from the start. Yelich bunting in almost any situation makes little sense, but in a tie game in the 11th...come on, man.

Why, Yelich?

Yep, right decision, wrong inning. They'd be on their way back to the hotel if he makes that move in the 8th.

A 9 pitch strikeout is Saladino's best AB of the season, sadly.

That was shaky, but onto the 10th we go. Good work.

He's safe, but I don't get why you don't ask them to look. They will, and you literally have nothing to lose. You never know what to expect from these replay officials.