CLINCH WATCH – First AL Clinch Activated – 9/2/2021

CLINCH ALERT ACTIVATED!

The Tampa Bay Rays are the first American League team to clinch a postseason spot with a win over the the Blue Jays.  The Rays have a record of 94-59 and it’s just a reminder that in any other division, the Dodgers would be on top and likely clinched the division already.

Coors Field Gonna Coors Field

NLG, I absolutely drugggg on writing this recap because that was Not A Fun Game.  Is the next game already on the television?  You bet and it’s half due to an eastern getaway-day, and half that I frustration showered and went to bed early last night.

And you know what?  I’m not gonna recap it. If you want to relive it, try YouTube highlights and more power to you for living through it again.

What I want to talk about is how kind of amazing this Rockies team has been.  And looking at a 71-80 record with 10 games left doesn’t seem that impressive until you remember that last season, their analytics team was also their grounds crew and clubhouse attendants.  They have what is consistently considered the worst front office in baseball who traded away their superstar for peanuts.  They have an owner more concerned with his real estate holdings around the ballpark than what happens inside it.  And they have a home stadium that is routinely filled with their competitor’s colors over their own.

Yet, they’re only a few games below .500.  And last night, they totally ate the Dodger’s dinner right in front of them.  That’s…that’s kind of amazing. 

It also means they won’t fare so well in the draft spot this year.  Which might not matter much, because they are consistently ranked in the bottom rungs of the farm system.  With the probable loss of Trevor Story in the off-season, Rockies fans have very little to look forward to in the coming season.  So you know what?  A rout of the Dodgers has to feel pretty good right now.  So good for them.

It’s also easier to type these things as AJ Pollock slides safely into home and the Dodgers take an early lead.

Dodgers move to 97-55, Rockies improve to 71-80, and Dodger fans need to prepare themselves for a wildcard game.

Giants Beat Padres….Again

The Giants led for the entire game, but the Padres did make an effort in the ninth to come back.  Alas.

The buzz from this game is definitely giants reliever Scott Kazmir.  Most relievers have a kind of journeyman career of Have Glove Will Travel, but Kazmir has been on 15 different baseball teams with seven different baseball franchises. He was even on the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes as an Angel and a Dodger.  He was a part of the 2016-17 Dodgers teams, but his $48 million dollar signing with Los Angels was considered a bust after injuries kept him from big league play.  He was then traded to Atlanta who released him.  

This year, Kazmir is 37 years old.  And he won a Silver medal with the US National team at the Olympics this year.  And in his first MLB game in years, he pitched four scoreless and only gave up one unearned run on a Buster Posey catcher interference.

Not bad, Scott Kazmir.  Not bad at all.

The other Thing Of Note from the game is that when they flashed the Dodgers/Rockies game on the scoreboard, the entire crowd cheered.  The Dodgers are indeed the great unifier of baseball ire.

Giants improve to 99-53, Padres go to 76-75 and are very much in danger of finishing the series under .500.

Diamondbacks Still A Team

And they lost 9-2 to the Braves.  But on a very young team, last night it was the veterans who made the moves.  Kole Calhoun and Christian Walker scored the RBIs for Arizona, with Walker having the only home run and 2-hit night for the Diamondbacks.  

Diamondbacks moves to 48-104.  Still tied for last in MLB.