Atlanta Braves Morning Chop for SAT, 10/18
The Fall Leaves have turned, there’s a chill in the air, it’s a lazy Saturday morning, and this is your Atlanta Braves Morning Chop.
World Series Game Schedule
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Climbing Tal's Hill
So, with both league championships wrapped up early, we naturally… stall until next week before beginning the World Series. The Fall Classic begins Tuesday, October 21st in Kansas City – between two teams that couldn’t win their own divisions, and couldn’t crack 90 wins. Guessing that thought about the ‘importance of winning your division’ goes out the window.
The Royals “earned” the home team privileges by virtue of the exciting 5-3 American League victory during July’s All-Star game while the Royals’ participants went 0-1 at the plate (Salvador Perez) and spub a scoreless 7th inning on the mound (Greg Holland).
Games will be aired on the (regular) Fox network with Joe Buck, Harold Reynolds and Tom Verducci behind the mics. On the field will be Ken Rosenthal and Erin Andrews, with the latter getting to present the trophy (presumably because it’s taller than Rosenthal – and she’s 5’10”).
Memo to ALL players: you’d better smile on photo day – you never know what fans will do with your face. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s the schedule:
- TUES, Oct 21, 8PM ET. Giants at Kansas City (Bumgarner vs. Shields)
- WED, Oct 22, 8PM ET. Giants at Kansas City (all remaining pitchers TBD)
- FRI, Oct 24, 8PM ET. Royals at San Francisco
- SAT, Oct 25, 8PM ET. Royals at San Francisco
- SUN, Oct 26, 8PM, ET. Royals at San Francisco
- TUE, Oct 28, 8PM ET. Giants at Kansas City
- WED, Oct 29, 8PM ET. Giants at Kansas City
So which team do you pick? At times, neither can score. Both have been suddenly coming up with home runs/key hits/key plays from nowhere. KC hasn’t lost any game since September 27th and is now on a run of 14-2 since September 21st. The Giants have just 2 losses in the playoffs, and haven’t given up more than 5 runs in any game – even if it goes 18 innings. But somebody’s luck has to run out – there’s no “dominant” team here.
My call: Giants in 6. Make your call right here:
Pitchers unfazed by 20-second clock in third test run
SCOTTSDALE — The Salt River Rafters and Peoria Javelinas were tied at three when the game was called after 11 innings, but the Rafters may not have been in that position if it weren’t for Twins prospect Eddie Rosario.
Friday night’s matchup at Salt River Fields was the third game using the 20-second pitch clock, which Major League Baseball’s Pace of Game Committee is testing — along with other time-saving measures — in the Arizona Fall League.
However, there were no pitch-clock violations in the contest. The 11-inning game lasted three hours and 12 minutes, which raised the average of “pitch-clock games” to 2:38.
“I like it,” Rosario said of the new, sped-up game. “Very nice, very nice.”
Rosario also had a very nice night on the field as he went 3-for-6 with a run scored and a pair of stolen bases.
Rosario, the No. 10 prospect in Minnesota’s organization according to MLBPipeline.com, now has six stolen bases through nine games in the Arizona Fall League.
Peoria Did Not Lose
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Motor City Bengals
As you may have noticed above, they didn’t win either, but…. one step at a time.
I’m guessing that the coaches believe they have no one else to play Right Field, as Edward Salcedo is playing virtually every game (8 of the 10 so far). Good for him. He went 1-for-5 last night (.235) with 2 strikeouts. In the 8th inning, he singled, stole a base, advanced to third on a pickoff throwing error, and was thrown out on a play that sounds like he actually did try and steal home.
Salcedo does make for an eventful box score.
The only other Braves’ player making an appearance last night was Nate Hyatt, who continued his good work with a scoreless 8th inning (1 walk, 1 K, no hits). His AFL ERA stands at 2.25.
Peoria stands at 2-6-2 now, though is only 2 games behind the division-leading Suprise Saguaros (5-5).