It’s time to get to know a few things.
If golf has a traditional “moving day” — Saturday, the third round of most tournaments — consider moving to this weekend in Major League Baseball. Oh, a streak of three, four or five games alone won’t sufficiently impact a sample of 162 games, especially in August, but a slate of showdown series this weekend is going to sip quite a bit of emotional baggage for teams and watchers alike.
Who did you get – Steve Cohen’s money or the indomitable spirit of Atlanta? Over five matches at Citi Field, we might as well find out.
MLB TRADE DEADLINEThe winners and losers of all baseball deals
POSTSEASON RANKINGS: The 8 best competitors in the World Championships after the deadline
What were the world’s Yankees thinking about trading the start-mid turn before the extended lead? The Cardinals – and Jordan Montgomery – got an instant chance to prove it was a reckless maneuver.
Is the claim at AL Central worth our time? And will Padres’ latest nuclear option — introducing nuclear weapons into their farm system — make them more than just Hermanito Dodgers to the south?
Let’s explore.
Braves Mets: Don’t look back
This will be good
The Mets have been at the top of the NL East since April 12, and since they’ve been 3 games ahead, the unthinkable – the Braves’ five-game sweep – could change on Sunday. But that’s not so much about the maneuvers in August as it’s a long time in the ring for two dueling partners who have been looking at each other pretty much from afar during the first half that the Mets have been solid nearly every week and the Braves are unstoppable since the June frenzy ( Last June, which caused the hangovers of the early tournament.
game to watch: Sunday. Nothing sums up what will take these teams to the World Championship better than a match for dominant starter Spencer Strider and recovering ace Jacob de Groom, who will make his second start to the season after missing the first four months of the season with a stress reaction in his shoulder. .
Along with junior quarterback Michael Harris, Strider has reinvigorated the 23-27 Braves on May 31 and May 40-15 since then. Strider clearly fears no one: Since June 26, he has posted a 2.06 ERA with 61 strokes in 39 rounds. In this stretch, he threw six rounds each at the Dodgers and Cardinals and twice caught the Phillies in one round over six innings.
De Groom seemed pretty dominant but only managed five rounds in his first season in Washington. Appearing healthy from start to back at regular rest would be a big enough victory for the Mets.
After the catastrophe: Teams meet four more times starting August 15 in Atlanta, and not again until the penultimate series of the season.
Padres Dodgers: Emotional Rescue
These teams seem to have met every two weeks during the first half of 2021, every game being an emotional rollercoaster but ultimately just an exercise in dribbling dominance: They went 12-7 against San Diego en route to 106 wins, while Padres stayed home . October.
This time around, though, the Padres bring Soto to the party in a tight grip for a wild card spot, focusing on moving up the hole and securing a home field advantage on that best of the three round. Dodgers? Nothing will affect their lead in 11 games, although it might be a good idea to get back to the head of their “rivals” ahead of a potential playoff.
game to watch: Sunday. It’s on national television, Sunday Night Baseball, the last little piece of real estate that might catch the sports nation’s attention, and a perfect time for Soto to make an appearance on the field where he won the Home Run derby last month. Any playoff for Padres would follow a course cleared by bowlers Yo Darvish and Joe Musgrove, and veteran Darvish would get the ball.
After the catastrophe: Six more meetings at Petco Park and another series of three games in one month at Dodger Stadium. Stay tuned for the period from August 29 to September. 14, when the Padres played 11 of 14 against the Dodgers, Giants and Mariners, an extended test of their revamped roster.
More MLB coverage: Keep up with the biggest happenings in baseball
the news: Get the latest sports news straight to your inbox
Yankees Cardinals: You again?
This very interesting blue-blooded showdown is evidenced by the fact that Yankees’ No. 4 just three days ago will now try to beat them, wondering what he deserves from losing a 70-36 playoff to a 55-48 wild card position.
No, Jordan Montgomery Revenge may not produce a limited series on Netflix, but the strong showing against the club that has traded it despite devouring largely high-quality roles is sure to spark some upheaval once again in New York.
game to watch: Saturday. Is Montgomery the man who made seven quality starts in his last 13 outings with New York, including a 6-stroke performance, twice at the hated Astros on July 21? Or is he heading downhill, would he have been removed from any playoff list, and the Yankees would be better off without him? Montgomery, who has been replaced by injured Cardinals center Harrison Bader, has an immediate opportunity to prove them wrong.
After the catastrophe: While the Cardinals will be battling the in-game bully this weekend, their fate in class and championship will be determined by their ability to beat some cans of tomatoes: only seven games remaining with Milwaukee and 29 of their last 54 games against the Reds, Buccaneers, Cubs and Nationals.
Blue Jays Twins: Open Gifts
Minnesota’s low and efficient trade deadline – adding rookie Tyler Mahley, all-stars closest Jorge Lopez and loyal Michael Vollmer – may be among the most impactful in the game. As is often the case, AL Central resembles a pillow fight, but the 55-49 twins are equipped to build on one or two game leads on Guardians and the White Sox, who did zip, zero, dew almost on Deadline.
game to watch: Friday. It will be the twins of ex Jose Berrios against Mahley and a great opportunity for Minnesota to prove that they have “won” the trade deadlines. The Twins’ 2021 struggles prompted a trade to Berrios, who has dominated at times in Toronto but has fallen overall to 4.53 ERA in what now amounts to a full season – 33 starts – in Toronto. The Blue Jays signed him to a seven-year deal worth $131 million after they exhausted the prospects of Austin Martin and Simon Woods Richardson to get him.
Mahle, a former Cincinnati Red, can be similarly inconsistent, but he also has the kind of swing and miss (114 strokes in 104 1/3 innings) the twins have lacked in two decades of playoff absurdity. Now he’s getting a “Welcome to the Flag Race” moment.
After the catastrophe: The Blue Jays play better than almost any wild card and aim to dodge Seattles to gain their court advantage in the best of the three round. Season time slot for the Twins – 19 game limit against Astros, Giants, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees and Guardians starting August 23.
Astros-Guardians: Football season?
It seems that many sports fans in Cleveland as well Ready to cuddle Deshaun Watson Despite the mountain pile of allegations against him. It is very likely that a competing baseball team will not be distracted by the public soon.
Are Guardians a legitimate competitor or do they tread the water at 54-50? The lack of movement from the front office may indicate that they think it’s the latter. Four games against the AL class might prove it.
game to watch: Thursday. Justin Verlander vs. Zach Plisak is an excessive match in the truest sense of the word but it will provide a barometer for the kinds of games Cleveland have to win to stay in this thing – the odds are heavily skewed against them.
After the catastrophe: While the Astros are fine-tuning and thinking about how to enjoy the first round, Cleveland can’t chase the twins head-on until seven games in September. It’s best not to bury the Guardians this weekend to begin another perilous two months.
