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AL: TB beats HOU 4-2 (TB Leads Series 2-0)
NL: ATL beats LAD 5-1 (ATL Leads Series 1-0)
And then there were 4. Out of 12 runs total scored across both games today, 10 were on HRs. Do you believe in juiced balls and home run gate?
A-Rod and Big Papi. Does anyone else think the Fox Sports commentator combo of A-Rod and Big Papi is jarring? It's like watching Walter White being friendly with Gustavo Fring. I guess that goes to show that mature people can leave their professional rivalries on the field and be friends off the field.
Shawty Get Loose. Besides Altuve, I noticed a lot of short guys standing tall in these remaining Series. This includes ATL Ozzie Albies, 5’8” and LAD Mookie Betts, 5’9”. Props to these guys. I love to see great ballplayers that come in all shapes and sizes.
In and Out of the Shadows. The Rays Astros game started at 1:05pm in Petco Park. The entire field was plagued with shadows the whole game, including shadows directly in front of home plate for most of the game. Adjusting their eyes to the shadows was a big part of this game.
Rays Beat Astros
If the Astros are a Fastball, the Rays are an Offspeed Pitch. I think Tampa really has a special energy about them. When I see the opposing team get frustrated and panicked, Tampa keeps their cool. The metaphor here would be: everyone competes in trying to fire a 101 mph fastball, meanwhile, Tampa wins by dealing a 68 mph changeup.
Tyler Glasnow described the special energy of his bullpen in a pregame interview, saying, “The heart of this bullpen is so slow. Everyone’s just out there having a good time. The moment never seems to be too big. They don’t get nervous. On the contrary, they live for the Moment. “ Tyler even admitted that he doesn’t give 100% effort every pitch. He described he is most comfortable when his body feels good and he’s not exerting too much energy. For him, every outing is a marathon rather than a race.
I like Tyler: He’s a strong speaker. In interviews, he has found his perfect balance of being eloquent, funny, humble, and genuinely answering your question.
Margot’s Spidey Senses are Tingling. In Bottom 1, TB Margot hits a 3-run shot to center. In Top 2, RF Margot tracks down a ball popped up in far right field foul territory and squeezes the ball to get the out. He flips over the whole fence, falling head first over the rail and dropping about 6 feet. He hit his knee on the metal structure going in, but ultimately shook it off and stayed in the game.
Do You Really Want Kiermaier to Bunt? On a 1-0 count, TB Kiermaier shows bunt on a high fastball that ends up buzzing towards his eyeline. At the last second, he ducks away. Did Kiermaier misread a bunt sign here? I think like most players these days, he is definitely not a confident bunter.
Always a Strong Choi(ce). Ice Bear (Ji-Man Choi) saved the TB infield with his great plays at first base. There were 4 throws today that he dug out of the dirt or stretched his whole body out to save. In Top 9, he failed to dig a throw out of the dirt from the third baseman. Even though it was a tough pick, he looked visibly upset with himself for missing it. That runner didn’t end up mattering.
Braves Beat Dodgers
Mostly Tied 1-1, Braves Bust it Open in the 9th. This was a tight game, much closer than I expected it would be. It was tied 1-1 for the most part until the Braves attacked with a 4 run top of the 9th. To be honest with you, I fell asleep between the 6th and 8th inning. The score when I fell asleep was 1-1 and was the same when I woke up. I guess I still have some work to do before interviewing to be a color commentator (can't be falling asleep in the booth!)
About the Author
Bonnie Young runs the Amplified blog. She shares her insights on market trends from US to Asia and interviews founders that are shaking up the tech scene. She has been passionate about baseball since the age of 13 and regularly attended A's games before the pandemic. Bonnie is currently looking for a growth equity or VC role in the Bay Area. You can reach her at bonnieyoung@berkeley.edu
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