Around the American 2020 Version

[Cdizzle]

The other things weird about comparing baseball teams is that mid week games showcase pitchers especially that likely will make few if any appearances on the weekends when it matters (or postseason) yet those games mean exactly as much.

Sort of. I feel like they end up being big parts of the postseason. Maybe not if you run through all your postseason pods without losing, but otherwise. It's certainly an interesting dynamic. Kindof true just because of starting pitching in general. It's not like other sports where you're rolling out the same lineup every game.

[Cdizzle]

Speaking of RPI, ours dropped from 67 to 69 after today's win. Then it jumped to 47 after TxSo won @ #8 Mississippi St.

[WuDrWu]

ECU scored 3 in the 1st and never looked back, handling a good Elon team tonight 7-2 at Elon.

Memphis paid back Central Arkansas 8-5

In one of the oddest things you'll see, UCF moved to 7-1 winning at Bethune-Cookman 6-0...all six runs unearned. 1 in the 2nd, 2 in the 3rd, 1 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th and 1 more in the 6th. 6 runs on 7 hits and SEVEN BCU errors. SEVEN.

Houston just gave up a grand salami in the top of the 8th to UTRGV and appear to be the lone losers in league tonight trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the 8th.

Hold the phone, Houston gets 3 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th and we're in extra innings. A 2 out error gives UTRGV 2nd and 3rd with a chance to take the lead. They come up empty and Houston leaves 2 on in the bottom of the frame. On to the 11th tied at 5.

Bottom of 11, Houston batter takes one right in the melon (is fine) and advances to 3rd on a single, overcoming falling between 2nd and 3rd. Intentional walk to set up the force at every base brings up Thomas. on a 2-0 pitch Thomas grounds to 3rd and UTRGV turns the 5-2-5-4 TRIPLE PLAY.

On to the 12th. Like a train wreck, I can't look away on a Tuesday evening, FML. UTRGV gets their own HBP to lead off the 12th. They fail to get the bunt down, but eventually coax a walk. 1st and 2nd nobody out. Next batter also fails to get a bunt down, and still bunts with 2 strikes and pops it up. Houston catches instead of dropping it for a sure double play. Another HBP and they're loaded, except, come back, didn't try to get out of the way. 3rd base coach almost gets tossed. 0-2 pitch gets away, runners break, throw to 2nd, 2nd base drops the throw, would have been the 2nd out. 2nd and 3rd now, 1 out. Intentional walk to load them up setting up, again, a force everywhere. Ball in the dirt, 1-0. Foul, 1-1. Outside 2-1. In the simulated dirt 3-1. Blasted just foul 3-2. Deep fly scores one. 6-5. Another deep fly ends the threat. 1 run on no hits. 6-5 UTRGV going to the bottom of the 12th. OF COURSE UTRGV walks the leadoff batter. Gotta think Houston is bunting here with the 8 spot. 1-0 and didn't show bunt. Wade is hitting .176 Ball 2. 2-0, down 1, nobody out and your .176 C is swinging away....ground ball to the pitcher, back to 2nd to get the lead runner, and interference is called, double play. SMFH 2 down bases empty. 0-1. Swing and a miss 0-2. Ball 1-2. Hangs a breaking ball but the batter lays off. 2-2. Ground ball to 2nd, game over. 6-5 Houston loses, falling to 2-5. The only loss in the American tonight. Good night all.


In other games of interest, Texas Southern went into Starkville and handled #6 Mississippi State 8-4. #NetBump

[Cdizzle]

Real weird thing about all those unearned runs is doing it over 5 separate innings. Not that hard to have 5 unearned in an inning if somebody boots the 3rd out.

[Cdizzle]

What site/app do you use for baseball scores? ESPN sucks the big one.

[WuDrWu]

Just the American.org site for conference but if I want to follow the games I always end going to team sites and keep a bunch of tabs open....I only do this if I'm doing work in my office mostly.

[WuDrWu]

In case you read over it above, in a tie game in the bottom of the 11th, bases loaded and nobody out, Houston hit into a 5-2-5-4 triple play.

Boy you don't see one of those very often.

Some argument if it may have been a 5-2-6-4 triple play, but they went home, to 3rd and then to 2nd. How in the hell do you get the runner at 2nd as the 3rd out?

[Cdizzle]

Houston loses in the 12th

[WSUwatcher]

In case you read over it above, in a tie game in the bottom of the 11th, bases loaded and nobody out, Houston hit into a 5-2-5-4 triple play.

Boy you don't see one of those very often.

Some argument if it may have been a 5-2-6-4 triple play, but they went home, to 3rd and then to 2nd. How in the hell do you get the runner at 2nd as the 3rd out?

One of the great things about baseball, Doc -- they've been playing forever, thousands upon thousands of games, and you think you've seen everything. And then you get a triple play so strange no one could imagine it if they tried.

[ShockerFever]

Eek with RPI talk 2 weeks into the season.

[Cdizzle]

If you'll notice, the RPI talk is meta

[Shocker1976]

Speaking of RPI, ours dropped from 67 to 69 after today's win. Then it jumped to 47 after TxSo won @ #8 Mississippi St.

Texas Southern beating Mississippi State makes one rethink the Shockers sweep of Texas Southern.

[Cdizzle]

Texas Southern beating Mississippi State makes one rethink the Shockers sweep of Texas Southern.

Not in any big way I don't think, other than that a sweep is a good thing regardless of opponent. Baseball is such a wonky sport with tons of variance based on game-to-game pitching availability.

[Cdizzle]

Good news, WuDrWu, Stanford managed to score more than 2 runs last night. They lost again, but still.

And just for ShockerFever, that puts the 1-7 #15 Stanford RPI at 250. :)

[Wuzee]

To show how volatile the RPI is right now, WSU's 2-1 walk-off win over No. 252 Arkansas-Pine Bluff vaulted us 17 spots to No. 49 in the RPI. (And APBU rose 3 spots with the loss.)