Heroism

EFL Standings for 2017

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Haviland:  L, 3 – 9. (.296, .375, .407; 12.7 ip, 10 er).  Heroism depends on one’s perspective, right?  If someone is brave in an evil cause — rushing into a burning building to steal a neighbor’s valuables — it’s hard to call that heroic. So Alex Avila propping up the Dragon Throne with his 2 for 5 with a homer isn’t a hero except in tiny Haviland,  Kansas. Enduring through tragic hardship isn’t heroism, either, if you’re causing the hardship.  So Juan Nicasio’s infinite chulk (0 ip, 4 er) isn’t heroic except outside of  Haviland.

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Cottage:  L,  1 – 8. (.194, .256, .361;  12 ip, 9 er). To put this more positively, heroes brave dangers and overcome great odds in a GOOD cause.  So if we think of breaking the elite’s hold on the EFL trophy as a good cause, then Wil Myers homer and HBP count as at least minor heroism.  Sean Manaea  (6 ip 5 er) and Luis Severino (6 ip, 4 er) may have been gallant, but they were ineffective and thus not heroes.

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Flint Hill: ‘W’, 1 – 3. (.133, .200, .400; 18.3 ip, 9 er).  Jeff Samarzdija was the most influential of all seven Drive hurlers yesterday. Of the 9 earned runs Kaline surrendered, Samardzija surrendered 8 in 6 innings.  That’s pretty awful, until you realize he protected every other Drive pitcher’s ERA by taking all that fire himself.

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Pittsburgh: L, 3 – 8. (.311, .340, .422; 4.0 ip, 5 er). Jose Altuve went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk (1.750 OPS) and was matched by Nick Castellanos’ 2 for 4 with a double and a triple (also 1.750 OPS by a different route).  They strove valiantly, but in vain, to undo the damage being done by Miguel Diaz (3.3 ip, 4 er) and Kirby Yates (0.7 ip, 1 er) from the mound.

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Portland: “L”, 9 – 8. (.321, .441, .679; 17.7 ip, 12er).  Finally — a win (even if it masqueraded as a loss). No one chulked.  They just were ineffective from the mound.  Mookie Betts’ homer and walk in 4 plate appearances, Anthony Rendon’s homer, single and walk in 5 appearances; and Eric Thames revival with a double, a homer and a single in 5 appearances all contributed mightily to the Rosebud’s efforts to overcome three bad pitching performances.

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Kaline: L, 5 – 11. (.224, .328, .449;  5.3 ip, 7 er).  This post is supposed to be about heroism, but theDrive were hobbled by James Paxton’s awful 3.7 ip, 7 er near-chulk. Aaron Judge can’t be a hero (2 for 3 with a triple, a homer and two walks) because he’s a Yankee.  I  kind of favor Mike Zunino’s more modest 2 singles in 4 trips for the progress it demonstrates after years of perseverence.

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Peshastin: W2, L (-1); 5 – (-10).  (.244, .325, .488;  25.0 ip, 7 er).  Here now finally we have heroism in all its aspects:  great deeds (Max Scherzer –8 ip, 1 er; Carlos Carrasco — 6.3 ip, 1 er) in support of a noble cause (the first Pear pennant in the 14 years of the EFL history) facing long, but not impossible, odds (the Pears are in 7th place, 7.7 games out).

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Canberra:  W, 5 – 4. (.344, .382, .500; 14 ip, 7 er). Alan Hanson went 3 for 4 with a walk, a brave stand for a desperate team now in 8th place 13.5 games back.  Somehow the ‘Roos have slipped from the group of good teams trying to chase down the Cheese and Dragons, to being within sight of our pair of lovable losers. Maybe the ‘Roos will transform our Laurel and Hardy into the Three Stooges?

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Old Detroit: W, 10 – 1. (.325, .378, .725; 8 ip, 1 er).  Yesterday the Wolverines were devestated by betrayal from long-term Wolverines.  Today they are consoled by courage from one of the newest W’s:  Alex Wood, who turned in the 8 ip, 1 er.  He was joined by four hitters OPSing over 2.000:  Josh Bell (a triple and homer in 4 AB), Willson Contreras (two doubles and a walk in four PA), Mallex Smith (a triple, a single, and walk in 4 pA), and most thrilling of all, Steve Pearce, fresh from the DL, hitting a homer and walking in 3 PA.  Together these heroes helped a needy Wolverine fan base glimpse for a day their team as it was supposed to be in 2017.

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DC: L, 0 – 7. (.139, .205,.194; 2 ip, 0 er) While all else around him failed, Omar Narvaez stood tall: 3 for 4 with a double. The rest of the team went 2 for 32 with a double, two walks and a HBP.

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Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2017