Brewers appear to have finalized their Opening Day roster ahead of tomorrow’s opener against the Minnesota Twins, with Craig Counsell saying both outfielder Billy McKinney and reliever J.P. Feyereisen have made the team’s 26-man roster.With the other final names announced in the last few days Travis Shaw Jersey, including Drew Rasmussen and Dan Vogelbach, it looks like the Brewers will head into the season (or at least the first game of the seaason) with 14 position players and 12 pitchers.J.P. Feyereisen and Billy McKinney made the team.— Adam McCalvy March 31, 2021Feyereisen is a Wisconsin native and makes the Opening Day roster for a second year in a row, seemingly beating out Brad Boxberger and Ray Black (who was outrighted to the minors) for the last spot in the bullpen, despite being the only one of the three with minor league options remaining. That spot likely would have been Justin Topa’s before he landed on the Injured List with a strained flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. Related Daniel Vogelbach will make the Brewers Opening Day roster Brewers say Justin Topa likely to miss half the season with elbow strain Milwaukee Brewers outright Ray Black It’s not every day the Brewers choose NOT to use someone’s option in these decisions, but Counsell says Feyereisen earned the spot.More Counsell on Feyereisen: "He's put himself in a position where he really earned it and deserved it Devin Williams Jersey. He's at the point where he expects it, almost. That means he's in a different place. I think JP is in a place where he's pitching so well https://www.fanmb.com/pablo-reyes-jersey, he expects it. That's a good thing."— Tom March 31, 2021McKinney isn’t someone many would have thought would make the Opening Day roster, but put together an impressive spring and has the post-hype prospect pedigree that provides some hope that he may just be a late-blooming prospect. The former 24th overall pick in the 2013 draft is out of options, but ultimately forced his way into the mix — and his ability to play both the corner outfield and first base likely helped his cause.Counsell on McKinney making roster: "Billy had a good camp. When you come into camp out of options and you don't have secure spot on the team, you know there's lot riding on your performance. Probably more than any of the other players. Billy did his job. He played really well."— Tom March 31, 2021McKinney still has plenty swing-and-miss in his game — he struck out 13 times in 45 plate appearances this spring — but he also showed the power (4 home runs and 2 doubles) that makes him a decent 26th-man flier, especially if Lorenzo Cain and Jackie Bradley, Jr. are still a little banged up to start the year.We’ll see how long David Stearns and Matt Arnold go without making another roster move, but for now, it looks like the Local 26 is set for tomorrow.Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference

organization rich with pitching prospects. Jose Fernandez burst onto the scene in 2013 and now the organizations boasts Andrew Heaney, Tyler Kolek, and Justin Nicolino as players who will make an impact in Miami in the coming years. However, the organization's pitching depth runs much deeper than those three names. Some conversation in the comment section got me thinking about a player who is quickly rising up Miami Marlins prospect rankings. Thanks to that conversation, here is a brief update on Jose Urena, and the breakout season he is having Jesus Aguilar Jersey.The Marlins signed Jose Urena out of the Dominican Republic in 2009. He spent his first two professional seasons with the DSL Marlins before making the jump to Jamestown (the New York Penn League affiliate back then) in 2011. He did not really make much noise in short season Single-A, finishing with a 4.33 ERA in 15 starts.In 2012 Urena once again jumped a level to full season Single-A with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. There he started performing well. With Greensboro, Urena compiled a 3.38 ERA in 138.1 innings.2013 was also successful. Urena spent the whole season in high Single-A with Jupiter and upped his innings to a career high 149.2 and finished the season with a 3.73 ERA.In MLB.com's 2014 midseason prospect rankings Urena was ranked as the 9th best prospect in the Miami Marlins organization. The rankings also offered this brief scouting report on him Nick Neidert Jersey.The Dominican right-hander has an above-average fastball that can touch the mid 90s, and he combines it with a solid changeup that has improved considerably. Urena's breaking ball is a combination of a slider and a curve, and it needs to be refined for it to become a consistent weapon in his arsenal.If that happens, Urena has the chance to start, especially with his above-average command. If it doesn't, he has the chance to be a very good two-pitch bullpen option in the future.For the entire 2014 season Urena went 13-8 with a 3.33 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 162 innings. He also posted his best strikeout rate since his DSL days at 18.6%. His whole body of work for 2014 is impressive, but he has really finished the season strong. In his final ten starts Urena has 2.09 ERA, with 52 strikeouts to 10 walks. He has gone at least five innings in each start, and never allowed more than four earned runs in a single outing. In four of the ten starts he allowed no earned runs.It is clear after this jump in performance that Urena is a legitimate prospect and should find himself in the top five for Miami in the latest prospect rankings. At the very least he has entered my top five for Marlins prospects (not that those hold much weight). I'm not ready to say he's better than Heaney or Nicolino but he has certainly grabbed my attention https://www.mmfanstore.com/adam-duvall-jersey.Urena will likely be in Spring Training with the Marlins next year, and could have an outside shot at grabbing that final rotation spot. More realistically that final rotation spot will go to Andrew Heaney, and Urena will probably start the season in New Orleans to continue his development.There is some debate as to whether or not he will remain a starter due those concerns about his breaking ball, but so far his performance suggests he can stick in the rotation. With all the young pitching talent in the organization Urena will have to fight hard to land a spot in the future starting rotation. Too many pitching prospects is certainly a good problem to have. Soon the days of Brad Penny having a place in the starting rotation will be mercifully over.

2018 New York Mets won a ballgame in June! Seth Lugo was magnificent and held the Yankees scoreless through six strong innings. Robert Gsellman entered after him, and despite Jose Reyes’s best efforts to throw the game away, Gsellman preserved the 2-0 lead. The Mets’s lead came from one swing of the bat by Todd Frazier and Anthony Swarzak nailed down the victory in the ninth.After the game Adrian Gonzalez was released and Jose Lobaton was designated for assignment. Choose your recap: Amazin Avenue short and long, Bergen Record, Daily News, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, Newsday, PostSeth Lugo was sensational and has proven he belongs in the rotation Pete Alonso Jersey.Todd Frazier was very happy he took one of his old buddies deep and he has been a bat the Mets had been sorely lacking during the losing streak.Jose Reyes is just embarrassing himself at this point and doesn’t deserve the sendoff the Mets are so concerned about.Asdrubal Cabrera exited the game early with hamstring tightness which probably buys Reyes more time with the team.Yoenis Cespedes was sent to Port St. Lucie to continue his rehab after suffering a setback with his injury.Robert Gsellman has been a revelation out of the bullpen and the Mets prefer to limit him to one-inning stints. Naturally he pitched two innings against the Yankees in the finale https://www.nymgear.com/jerseys.After such an abysmal losing streak something had to change and Gonzalez was the one who drew the short straw.Unfortunately, the injury bug has also ravaged the Las Vegas 51s.The Mets signed pitcher Ian Krol to a minor league deal.Around the National League EastThe Braves’ offense struggled against Ross Stripling and the Dodgers.The Marlins’ couldn’t do much against Clayton Richard but at least they looked awesome in the teal throwback uniforms.The Phillies managed to a avoid a sweep at the hands of the Brewers.One swing of the bat by Brandon Crawford doomed Max Scherzer and the Nationals against the Giants.Around Major League BaseballThe Rays traded infielder Brad Miller to the Brewers for first baseman Ji-Man Choi.Vlad Guerrero Jr. is expected to miss approximately four weeks with a knee injury.The Astros continued their winning streak with the help of a balk in the ninth inning.James Paxton’s 10 strikeouts helped lead the Mariners to victory over the Rays.Albert Pujols now ranks seventh on the all-time RBI leaderboard with 1 Lee Mazzilli Jersey,952 runs batted in.Yesterday at Amazin’ AvenueAllison McCague covered the Gonzalez release. This Date in Mets HistoryThe Mets played a memorable game against the Angels on this date in 2005. Marlon Anderson hit a pinch-hit inside-the-park home run in the ninth to tie the game, and Cliff Floyd walked it off in extras with a more conventional blast.Jose Reyes turns 35 years old today.

Yoon made his debut with one scoreless inning Stevie Wilkerson Jersey. Chris Tillman threw 5 pretty good innings himself, and Chris Davis hit a home run, because that's what Chris Davis does.Steve Melewski: Caleb Joseph talks about Suk-min Yoon's O's debut"Caleb Joseph said Suk-min Yoon has several pitches to choose from. "He's got like five, I think. Fastball, curveball, cutter, changeup and a palm ball," Joseph said https://www.baltimoregearshop.com/john-means-jersey. "I've caught all of them in the bullpen and he's really consistent with all of them."Manny Machado of Baltimore Orioles may not be ready for Opening Day - ESPNManny Machado hasn't run for the past 5 days https://www.baltimoregearshop.com/matt-harvey-jersey, and Opening Day is looking like it might be an unrealistic target for his return to the Orioles roster.Steve Melewski: Jonathan Schoop: Bigger, better and chasing an opening day roster spotJonathan Schoop is making it pretty hard to justify not being on the Opening Day roster for the O's, especially if Manny Machado isn't.Orioles' Patton: 'It's self-inflicted. It's going to sting' | Comcast SportsNet Baltimore"It’s too early in my career to be missing an Opening Day. It’s still that exciting, running down the orange carpet…It’s self-inflicted, so it’s going to sting." Troy Patton knows he screwed up.Hometown boy fighting for backup catcher duty on Baltimore Orioles. | The Toronto ObserverHometown Boy Makes Good alert!!!!Alex Gonzalez making push for spot on Orioles' Opening Day roster as utility infielder - baltimoresun.comAlex Gonzalez might just be the utility infielder if Manny Machado can't go, Ryan Flaherty is pressed into duty at 3B and Jonathan Schoop wins the 2B job. And there's a pretty good likelihood all three will happen.Casilla scratched with hyper-extended left knee (other notes) - baltimoresun.comGotta be on the field to impress the brass, and Alexi Casilla just can't pull that off right now."Go Green" Day to Take Place on Monday for the Baltimore Orioles | Orioles 101Oh, goody. The green and black hats are back for St. Patrick's Day.Happy Birthday to Hobey Landrith, who played a grand total of two games for the Orioles in 1963, and Clint Courtney, who played for three non-consecutive seasons for the O's.On this day in Orioles history, "in 1953 - American League owners turn down a bid made by Bill Veeck to move the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore, MD. Spearheaded by Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, the vote is 6-2 against. Some observers speculate that the rejection is meant to force Veeck into selling his majority interest in the franchise. The next day, Veeck announces his willingness to sell the Browns for just under $2.5 million. The vote only delays the move by a year, however. In 1954 - The Baltimore Orioles purchase first baseman Eddie Waitkus from the Philadelphia Phillies." What a transforming move that was for the franchise. Seventeen *days?* Hey man, I don't wanna rain on your Open Thread, but we're not gonna last seventeen *hours!*

Memorial Honorary Star of the GameIt had been a minute since we’d seen Jesse Winker as a part of the Cincinnati Reds juggernaut offense. At least, it’s been a quick minute since he was a part of the 2021 vintage, seeing as he played the part of the single most potent bat the club could boast in 2020.A flu-like illness had kept him out while the Reds mashed and mauled all week Gary Redus Jersey, but he returned on Friday against the Arizona Cardinals and picked right up where he’d left off. He socked a homer that was wrongly ruled a double, added a pair of singles later, drove in a run, scored a run, and generally looked the part of Jesse Damn Winker once again.He did exit early after some calf cramps, and we’ll simply blame that on the incredibly dry air of the Land of the Endless Strip Mall. For now, though, it’s damn savory to relish another fantastic offensive night from Jesse.Honorable Mentions are due to: Tucker Barnhart, who doubled twice, singled, and drove in a pair - including the go-ahead run in extras; Tyler Mahle, who battled high early pitch counts but still fired 4 no-hit IP (with 4 BB and 6 K on 92 pitches); Tejay Antone, who picked things up with 2 IP of scoreless, 1 H ball; Amir Garrett, who hammered down a 10th inning for a save amid bullshit awful new ‘runner on 2B in extra innings’ hullabaloo; and Tyler Naquin, who socked yet another dinger, walked, and swiped a bag.Key PlaysJesse Winker led off the game with a solo dinger over the wall in left-center. Unfortunately, the ne’er-do-wells that are in charge of policing this sport had their eyes up their asses, ruled it a double, and despite video replay clearly showing it cleared the fence, they pflubbed their lips and shook their arms and said ‘double’ anyway. Winker did not technically score, and the baseball gods were shooketh.Winker got the Reds on the board eventually, though, socking a single in the Top of the 3rd to drive in Barnhart, who had earlier doubled. Reds ‘officially’ led, 1-0.The Top of the 4th saw Naquin sock his latest dinger, an absolutely gargantuan 454 foot bomb off Arizona starter Taylor Widener that put the Reds ahead 2-0.Singles by Alex Blandino, Winker, and Nick Castellanos loaded the bags in the Top of the 5th, and Blandino later scored when a ball hit by Joey Votto was booted for an error at 2B https://www.crfanshop.com/mike-moustakas-jersey. That left the bases loaded yet again, and Winker then scored on a sac-fly into CF off the bat of Eugenio Suarez. Reds led, 4-0.Naquin coaxed a walk to get the action going in the Top of the 6th, and after he swiped 2B to put himself into scoring position, Barnhart roped a double down the RF line to drive him in Mike Freeman Jersey. Reds led, 5-0.Cam Bedrosian was on the mound for the Reds in the Bottom of the 7th when Arizona finally got on the board. Eduaro Escobar socked a double into the RF corner to open the inning, eventually scoring on a Carson Kelly sac-fly. A pair of singles later and Bedrosian was chased in favor of Sean Doolittle, who came on to face the lefty Kole Calhoun. Calhoun smoked a double off the RF wall to clear the bases and make it a 5-3 game, but a fine defensive play from Mike Moustakas later salvaged the inning, and the the Reds headed to the 8th with said 5-3 lead.The 8th, though, saw some pain. Lucas Sims was on for the Reds, and after walking the leadoff batter he surrendered a 2-run blast to Eduardo Escobar on an inside breaking ball that tied the game. To the extras this one would thusly go...Geno began the Top of the 10th as the designated runner on 2B, and he moved up a bag on a productive Moose-out. He eventually scored on a single into RF by Barnhart, and the Reds held a 6-5 lead, one that Garrett would make stand after a mildly eventful - walk, wild pitch, intentional walk - Bottom of the 10th. Reds win!Tony GraphaninoSource: FanGraphsOther NotesJohnny Cueto is no longer a Cincinnati Red, but seeing him go 8.2 innings for any team this evening should bring you great joy. We still love you, Johnny.Speaking of veteran righties, it appears Sonny Gray is hopefully close to rejoining the Reds rotation. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic had that news earlier, noting that a simulated game this weekend is all that stands in the way of the Reds getting back one of their trusted aces.It’ll be Jeff Hoffman on the bump for the Reds in Saturday’s contest between these two clubs, giving the former Colorado Rockie a chance to face-off against a former division foe. Riley Smith will toe the rubber for Arizona, with first pitch set for 8:10 PM ET.Tunes.

Memorial Honorary Star of the GameIt had been a minute since we’d seen Jesse Winker as a part of the Cincinnati Reds juggernaut offense. At least, it’s been a quick minute since he was a part of the 2021 vintage, seeing as he played the part of the single most potent bat the club could boast in 2020.A flu-like illness had kept him out while the Reds mashed and mauled all week Gary Redus Jersey, but he returned on Friday against the Arizona Cardinals and picked right up where he’d left off. He socked a homer that was wrongly ruled a double, added a pair of singles later, drove in a run, scored a run, and generally looked the part of Jesse Damn Winker once again.He did exit early after some calf cramps, and we’ll simply blame that on the incredibly dry air of the Land of the Endless Strip Mall. For now, though, it’s damn savory to relish another fantastic offensive night from Jesse.Honorable Mentions are due to: Tucker Barnhart, who doubled twice, singled, and drove in a pair - including the go-ahead run in extras; Tyler Mahle, who battled high early pitch counts but still fired 4 no-hit IP (with 4 BB and 6 K on 92 pitches); Tejay Antone, who picked things up with 2 IP of scoreless, 1 H ball; Amir Garrett, who hammered down a 10th inning for a save amid bullshit awful new ‘runner on 2B in extra innings’ hullabaloo; and Tyler Naquin, who socked yet another dinger, walked, and swiped a bag.Key PlaysJesse Winker led off the game with a solo dinger over the wall in left-center. Unfortunately, the ne’er-do-wells that are in charge of policing this sport had their eyes up their asses, ruled it a double, and despite video replay clearly showing it cleared the fence, they pflubbed their lips and shook their arms and said ‘double’ anyway. Winker did not technically score, and the baseball gods were shooketh.Winker got the Reds on the board eventually, though, socking a single in the Top of the 3rd to drive in Barnhart, who had earlier doubled. Reds ‘officially’ led, 1-0.The Top of the 4th saw Naquin sock his latest dinger, an absolutely gargantuan 454 foot bomb off Arizona starter Taylor Widener that put the Reds ahead 2-0.Singles by Alex Blandino, Winker, and Nick Castellanos loaded the bags in the Top of the 5th, and Blandino later scored when a ball hit by Joey Votto was booted for an error at 2B https://www.crfanshop.com/mike-moustakas-jersey. That left the bases loaded yet again, and Winker then scored on a sac-fly into CF off the bat of Eugenio Suarez. Reds led, 4-0.Naquin coaxed a walk to get the action going in the Top of the 6th, and after he swiped 2B to put himself into scoring position, Barnhart roped a double down the RF line to drive him in Mike Freeman Jersey. Reds led, 5-0.Cam Bedrosian was on the mound for the Reds in the Bottom of the 7th when Arizona finally got on the board. Eduaro Escobar socked a double into the RF corner to open the inning, eventually scoring on a Carson Kelly sac-fly. A pair of singles later and Bedrosian was chased in favor of Sean Doolittle, who came on to face the lefty Kole Calhoun. Calhoun smoked a double off the RF wall to clear the bases and make it a 5-3 game, but a fine defensive play from Mike Moustakas later salvaged the inning, and the the Reds headed to the 8th with said 5-3 lead.The 8th, though, saw some pain. Lucas Sims was on for the Reds, and after walking the leadoff batter he surrendered a 2-run blast to Eduardo Escobar on an inside breaking ball that tied the game. To the extras this one would thusly go...Geno began the Top of the 10th as the designated runner on 2B, and he moved up a bag on a productive Moose-out. He eventually scored on a single into RF by Barnhart, and the Reds held a 6-5 lead, one that Garrett would make stand after a mildly eventful - walk, wild pitch, intentional walk - Bottom of the 10th. Reds win!Tony GraphaninoSource: FanGraphsOther NotesJohnny Cueto is no longer a Cincinnati Red, but seeing him go 8.2 innings for any team this evening should bring you great joy. We still love you, Johnny.Speaking of veteran righties, it appears Sonny Gray is hopefully close to rejoining the Reds rotation. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic had that news earlier, noting that a simulated game this weekend is all that stands in the way of the Reds getting back one of their trusted aces.It’ll be Jeff Hoffman on the bump for the Reds in Saturday’s contest between these two clubs, giving the former Colorado Rockie a chance to face-off against a former division foe. Riley Smith will toe the rubber for Arizona, with first pitch set for 8:10 PM ET.Tunes.

Memorial Honorary Star of the GameIt had been a minute since we’d seen Jesse Winker as a part of the Cincinnati Reds juggernaut offense. At least, it’s been a quick minute since he was a part of the 2021 vintage, seeing as he played the part of the single most potent bat the club could boast in 2020.A flu-like illness had kept him out while the Reds mashed and mauled all week Gary Redus Jersey, but he returned on Friday against the Arizona Cardinals and picked right up where he’d left off. He socked a homer that was wrongly ruled a double, added a pair of singles later, drove in a run, scored a run, and generally looked the part of Jesse Damn Winker once again.He did exit early after some calf cramps, and we’ll simply blame that on the incredibly dry air of the Land of the Endless Strip Mall. For now, though, it’s damn savory to relish another fantastic offensive night from Jesse.Honorable Mentions are due to: Tucker Barnhart, who doubled twice, singled, and drove in a pair - including the go-ahead run in extras; Tyler Mahle, who battled high early pitch counts but still fired 4 no-hit IP (with 4 BB and 6 K on 92 pitches); Tejay Antone, who picked things up with 2 IP of scoreless, 1 H ball; Amir Garrett, who hammered down a 10th inning for a save amid bullshit awful new ‘runner on 2B in extra innings’ hullabaloo; and Tyler Naquin, who socked yet another dinger, walked, and swiped a bag.Key PlaysJesse Winker led off the game with a solo dinger over the wall in left-center. Unfortunately, the ne’er-do-wells that are in charge of policing this sport had their eyes up their asses, ruled it a double, and despite video replay clearly showing it cleared the fence, they pflubbed their lips and shook their arms and said ‘double’ anyway. Winker did not technically score, and the baseball gods were shooketh.Winker got the Reds on the board eventually, though, socking a single in the Top of the 3rd to drive in Barnhart, who had earlier doubled. Reds ‘officially’ led, 1-0.The Top of the 4th saw Naquin sock his latest dinger, an absolutely gargantuan 454 foot bomb off Arizona starter Taylor Widener that put the Reds ahead 2-0.Singles by Alex Blandino, Winker, and Nick Castellanos loaded the bags in the Top of the 5th, and Blandino later scored when a ball hit by Joey Votto was booted for an error at 2B https://www.crfanshop.com/mike-moustakas-jersey. That left the bases loaded yet again, and Winker then scored on a sac-fly into CF off the bat of Eugenio Suarez. Reds led, 4-0.Naquin coaxed a walk to get the action going in the Top of the 6th, and after he swiped 2B to put himself into scoring position, Barnhart roped a double down the RF line to drive him in Mike Freeman Jersey. Reds led, 5-0.Cam Bedrosian was on the mound for the Reds in the Bottom of the 7th when Arizona finally got on the board. Eduaro Escobar socked a double into the RF corner to open the inning, eventually scoring on a Carson Kelly sac-fly. A pair of singles later and Bedrosian was chased in favor of Sean Doolittle, who came on to face the lefty Kole Calhoun. Calhoun smoked a double off the RF wall to clear the bases and make it a 5-3 game, but a fine defensive play from Mike Moustakas later salvaged the inning, and the the Reds headed to the 8th with said 5-3 lead.The 8th, though, saw some pain. Lucas Sims was on for the Reds, and after walking the leadoff batter he surrendered a 2-run blast to Eduardo Escobar on an inside breaking ball that tied the game. To the extras this one would thusly go...Geno began the Top of the 10th as the designated runner on 2B, and he moved up a bag on a productive Moose-out. He eventually scored on a single into RF by Barnhart, and the Reds held a 6-5 lead, one that Garrett would make stand after a mildly eventful - walk, wild pitch, intentional walk - Bottom of the 10th. Reds win!Tony GraphaninoSource: FanGraphsOther NotesJohnny Cueto is no longer a Cincinnati Red, but seeing him go 8.2 innings for any team this evening should bring you great joy. We still love you, Johnny.Speaking of veteran righties, it appears Sonny Gray is hopefully close to rejoining the Reds rotation. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic had that news earlier, noting that a simulated game this weekend is all that stands in the way of the Reds getting back one of their trusted aces.It’ll be Jeff Hoffman on the bump for the Reds in Saturday’s contest between these two clubs, giving the former Colorado Rockie a chance to face-off against a former division foe. Riley Smith will toe the rubber for Arizona, with first pitch set for 8:10 PM ET.Tunes.

Memorial Honorary Star of the GameIt had been a minute since we’d seen Jesse Winker as a part of the Cincinnati Reds juggernaut offense. At least, it’s been a quick minute since he was a part of the 2021 vintage, seeing as he played the part of the single most potent bat the club could boast in 2020.A flu-like illness had kept him out while the Reds mashed and mauled all week Gary Redus Jersey, but he returned on Friday against the Arizona Cardinals and picked right up where he’d left off. He socked a homer that was wrongly ruled a double, added a pair of singles later, drove in a run, scored a run, and generally looked the part of Jesse Damn Winker once again.He did exit early after some calf cramps, and we’ll simply blame that on the incredibly dry air of the Land of the Endless Strip Mall. For now, though, it’s damn savory to relish another fantastic offensive night from Jesse.Honorable Mentions are due to: Tucker Barnhart, who doubled twice, singled, and drove in a pair - including the go-ahead run in extras; Tyler Mahle, who battled high early pitch counts but still fired 4 no-hit IP (with 4 BB and 6 K on 92 pitches); Tejay Antone, who picked things up with 2 IP of scoreless, 1 H ball; Amir Garrett, who hammered down a 10th inning for a save amid bullshit awful new ‘runner on 2B in extra innings’ hullabaloo; and Tyler Naquin, who socked yet another dinger, walked, and swiped a bag.Key PlaysJesse Winker led off the game with a solo dinger over the wall in left-center. Unfortunately, the ne’er-do-wells that are in charge of policing this sport had their eyes up their asses, ruled it a double, and despite video replay clearly showing it cleared the fence, they pflubbed their lips and shook their arms and said ‘double’ anyway. Winker did not technically score, and the baseball gods were shooketh.Winker got the Reds on the board eventually, though, socking a single in the Top of the 3rd to drive in Barnhart, who had earlier doubled. Reds ‘officially’ led, 1-0.The Top of the 4th saw Naquin sock his latest dinger, an absolutely gargantuan 454 foot bomb off Arizona starter Taylor Widener that put the Reds ahead 2-0.Singles by Alex Blandino, Winker, and Nick Castellanos loaded the bags in the Top of the 5th, and Blandino later scored when a ball hit by Joey Votto was booted for an error at 2B https://www.crfanshop.com/mike-moustakas-jersey. That left the bases loaded yet again, and Winker then scored on a sac-fly into CF off the bat of Eugenio Suarez. Reds led, 4-0.Naquin coaxed a walk to get the action going in the Top of the 6th, and after he swiped 2B to put himself into scoring position, Barnhart roped a double down the RF line to drive him in Mike Freeman Jersey. Reds led, 5-0.Cam Bedrosian was on the mound for the Reds in the Bottom of the 7th when Arizona finally got on the board. Eduaro Escobar socked a double into the RF corner to open the inning, eventually scoring on a Carson Kelly sac-fly. A pair of singles later and Bedrosian was chased in favor of Sean Doolittle, who came on to face the lefty Kole Calhoun. Calhoun smoked a double off the RF wall to clear the bases and make it a 5-3 game, but a fine defensive play from Mike Moustakas later salvaged the inning, and the the Reds headed to the 8th with said 5-3 lead.The 8th, though, saw some pain. Lucas Sims was on for the Reds, and after walking the leadoff batter he surrendered a 2-run blast to Eduardo Escobar on an inside breaking ball that tied the game. To the extras this one would thusly go...Geno began the Top of the 10th as the designated runner on 2B, and he moved up a bag on a productive Moose-out. He eventually scored on a single into RF by Barnhart, and the Reds held a 6-5 lead, one that Garrett would make stand after a mildly eventful - walk, wild pitch, intentional walk - Bottom of the 10th. Reds win!Tony GraphaninoSource: FanGraphsOther NotesJohnny Cueto is no longer a Cincinnati Red, but seeing him go 8.2 innings for any team this evening should bring you great joy. We still love you, Johnny.Speaking of veteran righties, it appears Sonny Gray is hopefully close to rejoining the Reds rotation. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic had that news earlier, noting that a simulated game this weekend is all that stands in the way of the Reds getting back one of their trusted aces.It’ll be Jeff Hoffman on the bump for the Reds in Saturday’s contest between these two clubs, giving the former Colorado Rockie a chance to face-off against a former division foe. Riley Smith will toe the rubber for Arizona, with first pitch set for 8:10 PM ET.Tunes.

Inactive Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTablemso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;The Reds are standing alone in first place at the midpoint in the season for the first time in over a decade, which may be surprising to many out there in baseball land. However, the real surprise is not that the Reds are competitive this year, but how they are getting it done.Coming into this season https://www.kcrgear.com/brad-keller-jersey, it was pretty much assumed that the Reds were going to be a pitching and defense team, but we wondered whether or not they could score enough to make that pitching and defense a winning formula. Strangely enough, the offense has been the brightest spot on this team through the first half of the season. Through Wednesday's games, the Reds were the only National League team averaging over 5 runs a game. They led the league in home runs, batting average, and slugging, and were second in on base percentage. When the season started, it wasn't clear if the Reds had enough firepower to score over 700 runs this year and now they are on pace for over 800. That's why they don't play the games on paper.The team's run prevention has been less than expected so far. After a slow start, they have worked their way back to being a league average team in terms of runs allowed, but the expectations were much higher when the season started. Defensively, they don't make many errors, but the coverage hasn't been what it was last year as both Orlando Cabrera and Scott Rolen have lost a step from their best days https://www.kcrgear.com/meibrys-viloria-jersey. It's a solid defensive unit, but they haven't shown themselves to be among the best defensively like they were last year.The pitching has been shaky. Early excellence from Mike Leake and solid recent performances from Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo have buoyed the staff, but the bullpen has left many Reds fans dreading the final 3 innings of the game. Outside of All-Star Arthur Rhodes, there hasn't been much out of the bullpen to instill confidence, but the recent addition of Bill Bray, back from injury, and rookies Logan Ondrusek and Jordan Smith has given the bullpen a boost.With what appears to be the Reds first real shot at a pennant race since 1999 (2006 doesn't count because they weren't a very good team and were only in it because the Cardinals struggled), the team most assuredly will be buyers at the deadline. Based on performances from this season alone, the Reds don't have many glaring weaknesses. This has GM Walt Jocketty thinking big:"To improve the club, it would have to be a pretty significant player to do that. We have a lot of good things going," Jocketty said. " We don't want to disrupt that."But performances over a half season do not mean that the Reds don't have any concerns. For one, the offense appears to be dramatically over-performing. Several established players like Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, and Ramon Hernandez are beating their expectations by quite a bit. If their production starts to dry up, the Reds could find themselves in some need of offensive help.The one spot in the order where they could use help now, but are unlikely to do anything about it, is at shortstop. Orlando Cabrera trails all of the other regulars in wOBA by at least 45 points. His defense hasn't been terrible, but it is nowhere near the level needed to make up for his poor offensive performance. If the Reds could find a quality shortstop on the trade market, it would be wise to go after him, but I get the impression that the team feels that Cabrera's intangibles more than cancel out the negatives of his performance. In fact, I'm not even sure the Reds consider his performance to be a negative.Outside of shortstop, the Reds main goal in acquiring any offensive help should be to be prepared for a fall-off. They aren't likely to make any big deals to replace anyone in the current lineup, but they could use a legitimate starting threat off the bench in case someone starts to fade in the second half. The bench has performed decently so far, but no one should expect much out of Miguel Cairo or Paul Janish offensively. If they can acquire a good hitting middle infielder, it could go a long way to solidifying the offense.The Reds have been rumored to be involved in the discussions for Cliff Lee, but if that doesn't happen their bigger need might be for some cheap bullpen help. Edinson Volquez is due back in the rotation after the All-Star break, and Homer Bailey will hopefully be ready sometime later in the summer. So, starting pitching help isn't a dramatic need for the Reds, though you should never miss an opportunity to trade for someone like Cliff Lee if the deal is right.Barring the acquisition of Lee or perhaps Dan Haren, the Reds will likely be focused on cheaper bullpen options. If they can't get any bullpen help through a trade, they do have Jared Burton pitching well in Triple-A and of course, there is also Aroldis Chapman lighting up the radar guns in Louisville as well. I wouldn't be surprised if both of those guys made an appearance on the big league roster at some point this season.If it does come time to trade, don't be surprised to see Yonder Alonso's name involved. The Reds #1 pick from the 2008 draft, Alonso is blocked at first base by Joey Votto and will likely be dealt at some point, even if it is not this year. His struggling to develop his power after a broken hamate bone last summer, but I think there will be teams interested in his plate discipline and potential for developing more power.If teams are looking for power, Juan Francisco could provide it for them. The 23-year old left-handed third baseman is coming off of three straight 20+ home run seasons, including last year when he hit 28 homers across three levels. He's had some MLB experience already with a cup of coffee last year, and while his plate discipline is a huge question mark, his power is legit and could be attractive to a team that is less concerned about the on-base skills.The Reds have a collection of other prospects that could be added to beef up deals. Players like Todd Frazier, Chris Valaika, and catching prospect Devin Mesorasco might find themselves as part of a deal this summer, if the Reds are trying to spice up a package for a team. Also, pitchers like Travis Wood, Matt Maloney, Sam LeCure, and Matt Klinker could be added as MLB-ready https://www.kcrgear.com/kevin-appier-jersey, back-of-the-rotation filler to a deal. I would suspect that the only prospect that isn't available at this point is Aroldis Chapman.This should be an odd deadline for the Reds this year. They could either make a huge impact deal such as trading for Cliff Lee, or they could do nothing and try to get by with what they've got. Given his history, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jocketty wait until after the July 31st deadline to make a deal too. He likes to wait until the cards are in his favor before he plays a hand. We could see that again this year.-----Previous team previews:LAnaheim AngelsOakland AthleticsHouston AstrosToronto Blue JaysMilwaukee BrewersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago CubsArizona DiamondbacksSan Francisco GiantsCleveland IndiansSeattle MarinersFlorida MarlinsNew York MetsWashington NationalsBaltimore OriolesPhiladelphia PhilliesPittsburgh PiratesColorado RockiesKansas City RoyalsDetroit TigersMinnesota TwinsChicago White Sox

Inactive Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTablemso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;The Reds are standing alone in first place at the midpoint in the season for the first time in over a decade, which may be surprising to many out there in baseball land. However, the real surprise is not that the Reds are competitive this year, but how they are getting it done.Coming into this season https://www.kcrgear.com/brad-keller-jersey, it was pretty much assumed that the Reds were going to be a pitching and defense team, but we wondered whether or not they could score enough to make that pitching and defense a winning formula. Strangely enough, the offense has been the brightest spot on this team through the first half of the season. Through Wednesday's games, the Reds were the only National League team averaging over 5 runs a game. They led the league in home runs, batting average, and slugging, and were second in on base percentage. When the season started, it wasn't clear if the Reds had enough firepower to score over 700 runs this year and now they are on pace for over 800. That's why they don't play the games on paper.The team's run prevention has been less than expected so far. After a slow start, they have worked their way back to being a league average team in terms of runs allowed, but the expectations were much higher when the season started. Defensively, they don't make many errors, but the coverage hasn't been what it was last year as both Orlando Cabrera and Scott Rolen have lost a step from their best days https://www.kcrgear.com/meibrys-viloria-jersey. It's a solid defensive unit, but they haven't shown themselves to be among the best defensively like they were last year.The pitching has been shaky. Early excellence from Mike Leake and solid recent performances from Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo have buoyed the staff, but the bullpen has left many Reds fans dreading the final 3 innings of the game. Outside of All-Star Arthur Rhodes, there hasn't been much out of the bullpen to instill confidence, but the recent addition of Bill Bray, back from injury, and rookies Logan Ondrusek and Jordan Smith has given the bullpen a boost.With what appears to be the Reds first real shot at a pennant race since 1999 (2006 doesn't count because they weren't a very good team and were only in it because the Cardinals struggled), the team most assuredly will be buyers at the deadline. Based on performances from this season alone, the Reds don't have many glaring weaknesses. This has GM Walt Jocketty thinking big:"To improve the club, it would have to be a pretty significant player to do that. We have a lot of good things going," Jocketty said. " We don't want to disrupt that."But performances over a half season do not mean that the Reds don't have any concerns. For one, the offense appears to be dramatically over-performing. Several established players like Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, and Ramon Hernandez are beating their expectations by quite a bit. If their production starts to dry up, the Reds could find themselves in some need of offensive help.The one spot in the order where they could use help now, but are unlikely to do anything about it, is at shortstop. Orlando Cabrera trails all of the other regulars in wOBA by at least 45 points. His defense hasn't been terrible, but it is nowhere near the level needed to make up for his poor offensive performance. If the Reds could find a quality shortstop on the trade market, it would be wise to go after him, but I get the impression that the team feels that Cabrera's intangibles more than cancel out the negatives of his performance. In fact, I'm not even sure the Reds consider his performance to be a negative.Outside of shortstop, the Reds main goal in acquiring any offensive help should be to be prepared for a fall-off. They aren't likely to make any big deals to replace anyone in the current lineup, but they could use a legitimate starting threat off the bench in case someone starts to fade in the second half. The bench has performed decently so far, but no one should expect much out of Miguel Cairo or Paul Janish offensively. If they can acquire a good hitting middle infielder, it could go a long way to solidifying the offense.The Reds have been rumored to be involved in the discussions for Cliff Lee, but if that doesn't happen their bigger need might be for some cheap bullpen help. Edinson Volquez is due back in the rotation after the All-Star break, and Homer Bailey will hopefully be ready sometime later in the summer. So, starting pitching help isn't a dramatic need for the Reds, though you should never miss an opportunity to trade for someone like Cliff Lee if the deal is right.Barring the acquisition of Lee or perhaps Dan Haren, the Reds will likely be focused on cheaper bullpen options. If they can't get any bullpen help through a trade, they do have Jared Burton pitching well in Triple-A and of course, there is also Aroldis Chapman lighting up the radar guns in Louisville as well. I wouldn't be surprised if both of those guys made an appearance on the big league roster at some point this season.If it does come time to trade, don't be surprised to see Yonder Alonso's name involved. The Reds #1 pick from the 2008 draft, Alonso is blocked at first base by Joey Votto and will likely be dealt at some point, even if it is not this year. His struggling to develop his power after a broken hamate bone last summer, but I think there will be teams interested in his plate discipline and potential for developing more power.If teams are looking for power, Juan Francisco could provide it for them. The 23-year old left-handed third baseman is coming off of three straight 20+ home run seasons, including last year when he hit 28 homers across three levels. He's had some MLB experience already with a cup of coffee last year, and while his plate discipline is a huge question mark, his power is legit and could be attractive to a team that is less concerned about the on-base skills.The Reds have a collection of other prospects that could be added to beef up deals. Players like Todd Frazier, Chris Valaika, and catching prospect Devin Mesorasco might find themselves as part of a deal this summer, if the Reds are trying to spice up a package for a team. Also, pitchers like Travis Wood, Matt Maloney, Sam LeCure, and Matt Klinker could be added as MLB-ready https://www.kcrgear.com/kevin-appier-jersey, back-of-the-rotation filler to a deal. I would suspect that the only prospect that isn't available at this point is Aroldis Chapman.This should be an odd deadline for the Reds this year. They could either make a huge impact deal such as trading for Cliff Lee, or they could do nothing and try to get by with what they've got. Given his history, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jocketty wait until after the July 31st deadline to make a deal too. He likes to wait until the cards are in his favor before he plays a hand. We could see that again this year.-----Previous team previews:LAnaheim AngelsOakland AthleticsHouston AstrosToronto Blue JaysMilwaukee BrewersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago CubsArizona DiamondbacksSan Francisco GiantsCleveland IndiansSeattle MarinersFlorida MarlinsNew York MetsWashington NationalsBaltimore OriolesPhiladelphia PhilliesPittsburgh PiratesColorado RockiesKansas City RoyalsDetroit TigersMinnesota TwinsChicago White Sox

completed 14-of-28 passes for 209 yards Cam Gallagher Jersey, two touchdowns and one interception, and the Oakland Raiders picked up a 26-16 win over the rival Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday.Palmer hooked up with Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey on his touchdown throws. The first broke a 6-6 tie with 49 seconds left before halftime, and the second extended Oakland's lead to 23-9 midway through the third quarter. After a tightly contested first half, the Raiders controlled the game for the final 30 minutes Brady Singer Jersey. Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel fumbled on the first play of the third quarter, leading to an Oakland field goal. After that, the Raiders never led by fewer than 10 points.Moore led all receivers with 96 yards on five catches. Darren McFadden gained 114 yards on 29 carries and was the game's top rusher.Cassel completed 20-of-30 passes for 218 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He came on late in the first quarter to relieve the injured Brady Quinn. Quinn completed 2-of-4 passes for seven yards and an interception. He also lost a fumble. Cassel's 35 yards led the Kansas City rushing attack, and Dwayne Bowe had 65 yards on three catches to lead Chiefs receivers.The Kansas City offense struggled all afternoon Tyler Zuber Jersey, turning the ball over four times and gaining just 299 yards. Oakland complied 344 total yards and one turnover.With the win, the Raiders improved to 3-4 and moved into a tie for second place with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West. The loss dropped Kansas City to 1-6. The Chiefs are one of three teams that have one victory this season.Fantasy studs and dudsPerhaps the biggest winners were fantasy owners who started kickers Sebastian Janikowski and Ryan Succop. Janikowski was 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and made both of his extra points for the Raiders. Succop connected on 3-of-3 field goals, including a 52-yarder, and added an extra point. With his 96 yards and a touchdown, Moore had a fine day catching the ball. Palmer was a good fantasy start at quarterback with more than 200 yards and two scores.Anyone relying on running backs in this game came away a bit disappointed. No rusher on either side found the end zone on the ground, although, McFadden's 114 yards were a nice consolation. Kansas City's Dexter McCluster did have a touchdown catch, but he totaled just 64 yards.Injury reportQuinn left the game late in the first quarter with an apparent head injury, and he did not return. No further details on the injury have been released.Did they cover?The game opened at even-money odds, and Kansas City was a one-point favorite at most sportsbooks by kickoff. The Chiefs failed to cover by a wide margin.What's next?Nov. 4, 4:05 p.m. ET: Oakland vs. Tampa BayNov. 1, 8:20 p.m. ET: Kansas City at San Diego

completed 14-of-28 passes for 209 yards Cam Gallagher Jersey, two touchdowns and one interception, and the Oakland Raiders picked up a 26-16 win over the rival Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday.Palmer hooked up with Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey on his touchdown throws. The first broke a 6-6 tie with 49 seconds left before halftime, and the second extended Oakland's lead to 23-9 midway through the third quarter. After a tightly contested first half, the Raiders controlled the game for the final 30 minutes Brady Singer Jersey. Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel fumbled on the first play of the third quarter, leading to an Oakland field goal. After that, the Raiders never led by fewer than 10 points.Moore led all receivers with 96 yards on five catches. Darren McFadden gained 114 yards on 29 carries and was the game's top rusher.Cassel completed 20-of-30 passes for 218 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He came on late in the first quarter to relieve the injured Brady Quinn. Quinn completed 2-of-4 passes for seven yards and an interception. He also lost a fumble. Cassel's 35 yards led the Kansas City rushing attack, and Dwayne Bowe had 65 yards on three catches to lead Chiefs receivers.The Kansas City offense struggled all afternoon Tyler Zuber Jersey, turning the ball over four times and gaining just 299 yards. Oakland complied 344 total yards and one turnover.With the win, the Raiders improved to 3-4 and moved into a tie for second place with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West. The loss dropped Kansas City to 1-6. The Chiefs are one of three teams that have one victory this season.Fantasy studs and dudsPerhaps the biggest winners were fantasy owners who started kickers Sebastian Janikowski and Ryan Succop. Janikowski was 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and made both of his extra points for the Raiders. Succop connected on 3-of-3 field goals, including a 52-yarder, and added an extra point. With his 96 yards and a touchdown, Moore had a fine day catching the ball. Palmer was a good fantasy start at quarterback with more than 200 yards and two scores.Anyone relying on running backs in this game came away a bit disappointed. No rusher on either side found the end zone on the ground, although, McFadden's 114 yards were a nice consolation. Kansas City's Dexter McCluster did have a touchdown catch, but he totaled just 64 yards.Injury reportQuinn left the game late in the first quarter with an apparent head injury, and he did not return. No further details on the injury have been released.Did they cover?The game opened at even-money odds, and Kansas City was a one-point favorite at most sportsbooks by kickoff. The Chiefs failed to cover by a wide margin.What's next?Nov. 4, 4:05 p.m. ET: Oakland vs. Tampa BayNov. 1, 8:20 p.m. ET: Kansas City at San Diego

of question marks coming into the 2021 season, but on the whole, it’s performed pretty well as a group (it certainly hasn’t been one of the team’s problems). Gerrit Cole has been one of the best pitchers in the American League Aroldis Chapman Jersey, and Jordan Montgomery and Domingo Germán are both on pace to throw more than 150 innings at around a league-average ERA+. Even Jameson Taillon, who hasn’t pitched well, is healthy and on pace to make 30 starts this season. Staff averages are somewhat swayed by Cole’s dominance and a phenomenal May from Corey Kluber, but still, Yankees starters rank in the top third in the AL in average game score, quality starts, ERA, and WHIP. If we were given the above information back in March as an option, I think most Yankee fans would have signed on for it.However, some extra context is needed when discussing the Yankees’ starting pitching. In March, the Yankees as an organization fully expected to be playing in postseason games and competing for an AL pennant and a World Series this October. With that context, we need to be sure we’re asking the right question when discussing the starting rotation. Whether or not the starting rotation has been “good” to this point in the season is the wrong question. Is it “good enough for a team with high expectations?” is the better question.To answer that, the easiest thing to do is to look at the starting rotations of recent World Series winners and see how the current Yankees group compares to them. When looking at the starting rotations of the last five World Series winners, something stands out: They all had multiple starting pitchers who pitched at a much better than league average ERA+ for the season. That is to say, none of the recent World Series-winning teams had a staff of average-to-good pitchers, and none had a big-time ace and then some innings eaters. The last five champions all had serious depth in the “very good starting pitcher” column.For discussion’s sake, we’ll keep things simple and use ERA+ as a barometer and say that an ERA+ of 120 or better is much better than league average Domingo German Jersey. (Quick reminder: ERA+ is adjusted so that league average is 100, meaning an ERA+ of 120 is 20 percent better than average — so unlike traditional ERA, higher is better. It doesn’t tell the entire story of course, but for today’s purposes it’ll do fine.)Here’s the current Yankees alongside the last five World Series winners and the number of starting pitchers on each team with an ERA+ of 120 or better: >120 ERA+ club Team# of pitchers Team# of pitchers 2021 NYY 12020 LAD 42019 WSN 32018 BOS 32017 HOU 32016 CHC 4 *All pitchers considered pitched a minimum of 125 innings (prorated for 2020 and 2021) except for Justin Verlander in 2017 and Nathan Eovaldi in 2018 who joined their teams mid-season. They both would have easily qualified if they were with their teams for a full season, so they are included above.If the Yankees’ lack of depth in the very good starting pitcher department for a team with high expectations isn’t glaring enough, here’s more to consider — the gap in both quality and quantity between the Yankees and the other teams is actually greater than that chart indicates.The 2020 Dodgers had a fifth starting pitcher with a better than 120 ERA+, but Walker Buhler didn’t pitch enough innings to make the list. The Nationals (Anibal Sánchez; 114 ERA+), Red Sox (Eduardo Rodriguez; 116 ERA+), and Astros (Charlie Morton; 113 ERA+) came close to joining the Dodgers and Cubs with having a fourth starter to make that list. Furthermore, the Cubs and Red Sox had a fifth starter with a better than league average ERA+ in Jason Hammel (109) and Rick Porcello (103) respectively. (If you’re curious, Jordan Montgomery’s 103 ERA+ is the second-best on the Yankees among qualifying pitchers.)It bears repeating due to the significance of the topic, so even though I’ve written it here before, I’ll remind everyone again: The last four World Series were closed out with starting pitchers on the mound who came out of the bullpen, and it wasn’t because those teams had bad bullpens — it was because of serious talent and depth in their starting rotations. Furthermore, if you were pinning your hopes on Cole’s level of dominance being such that it might move the needle for the Yankees Gerrit Cole Jersey, I have disappointing news for you.“Cole is so great, his starts are close to automatic wins, and the other guys just need to be OK for the team to reach the postseason or win a playoff series,” is a viewpoint with some holes in it. For starters, the Yankees are only 8-7 in games that Cole has started this season. On top of that, when compared to the aces of the teams listed above, Cole doesn’t really stand out, as odd as that may sound. In fact, his current ERA+ of 179 would rank fourth out of six among the aces of the teams above, only ahead of Jon Lester’s 171 in 2016 and Max Scherzer’s 151 in 2019. The other teams listed above all had dominant number ones, but they needed high-quality depth in the rotation in order to win big.Does all of this mean it’s impossible for the 2021 Yankees to win a World Series with the current starting rotation? No, but it does mean the odds are long. Unless both the depth and quality of the starting pitching behind Cole improves, the Yankees are hoping to be an unlikely exception to the rule, which is not a great strategy. However harsh the reality may be, it is the reality right now and it’s hard to be optimistic about it improving significantly this season. Adding a pitcher who’ll make a difference through a trade will be difficult for a combination of reasons. Expecting Kluber and/or Luis Severino to return and be at or near their best is being very optimistic, as is expecting Montgomery or Germán to significantly improve — which again, isn’t a criticism, as they’ve both been good.Still, “good” and “good enough” are two different issues, and this group is unlikely to be “good enough.”