[ayaghmour2]

August 10th, 2018: I made the moves, activated J.T. Realmuto, designated Chad Wallach, optioned Brian Ellington, and added Brad Peacock to the 40-man roster. Wallach hit only .167/.286/.222 in 18 at bats. I didn't want him to be claimed, but I couldn't keep him on the 40.

The Mets were in town and Shelby Miller (1-6, 5.68 ERA, 1.67 WHIP) greeted the deGrominator (9-5, 2.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP). We got degrominated. Wait, we didn't? We did the degrominating? Well, not exactly.

deGrom wasn't sharp, allowing 5 runs off 8 hits in just 4 innings. Miller was sharp, allowing just 1 run despite giving up 8 hits in 6 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 1. We won 5-2, and Steceksaurus earned save 20 with a 20 pitch 9th in which he struck out the side.

I had such little faith in our team I accidentally left the game and assumed we lost when the sim finished...

We had 11 hits, and Rafael Ortega was the only position player who started to fail to record a hit. Tyler Saladino tripled, but the other 10 hits were singles. Brian Anderson stole a base and went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and a walk. Anthony Alford, Justin Bour, and Saladino had 2 hits a piece as well.

Wilson Contreras, who looks like he could win MVP this year, went 5-for-5 in a 9-4 Cubs W over the Nationals.

August 11th, 2018: I got some shocking news, Yovani Gallardo loves it here. He even wants an extension. He's looking for $2,000,000 for next year. It was managble, and I gave him what he wanted. I actually had over $17,000,000 in extension money, and Gallardo can eat innings in the pen or rotation and can be easy to deal. And he's good for hitting bombs if needed.

Remember Brett Anderson? He's awful now after his injury, but he's healed. I sent him to the GCL to rehab and he's not even good enough for the rotation. I'm half hoping (since this is a game and not real life) that he gets injured again since he's not on the 40. I'm just going to forget about him until he becomes a problem.

Anyways, Zach Godley (8-7, 4.44 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) really needed to bounce back against Gotham's Dark Knight (9-7, 3.62 ERA, 1.31 WHIP). Neither starter did too well, but man did Godley get unlucky. A Justin Bour error accounted for 6 runs and we ended up losing 9-5. We should've won 5-3...

Godley left with 2 outs in the 4th, and allowed just 5 hits, but 8 runs were plated. 3 walks and 3 strike outs were also part of his line. Gallardo pitched well, 2.1 scorless mop up innings. He's waiting for that extension...

Teoscar Hernandez and Bour homered. 1 run doesn't make up for 6 though... Saladino and Perez doubled. Saladino and Hernandez had a pair of hits each, the most on the team. Godley even got in on the action, 1-for-1 with an RBI.

Adam Morgan left the game with an injury.

August 11th, 2018: Those darn Nats claimed Chad Wallach. That takes away my only minor league catching depth. I was rather thin on catching in the minors to start with based on numbers, so this may hurt a bit.

The rubber match of the series saw Brad Peacock (7-1, 3.21 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) make his first start of the season against Zack Wheeler (4-8, 5.44 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). Peacock pushed Conley to the pen.

We needed a series win, but the Mets had other ideas, as they topped us 5-3. Peacock gave up 3 runs, and Preston Guilmet and Kevin Chapman gave up unearned runs, both courtesy of a Brian Anderson error. Guilmet left with a tired arm, and should miss just the upcoming series against Atlanta.

He did drive in a run in a 1-for-4 game, but these errors were starting to kill us. J.T. Realmuto and Ryon Healy both doubled, and Hernan Perez hit his 7th homer. The young Anthony Alford and the older Rafael Ortega stole bases.

Atlanta was the destination, as we'd face the 4th place Braves for 4th. We'd see Brandon McCarthy (8-5, 3.83 ERA, I accidentally typed 9 at first, fortelling what would happen), Mike Soroka (0-3, 9.60 ERA), and Aaron Blair (0-1, 7.20 ERA).

August 13th, 2018: Chad Wallach officially left the organization, and joined the Nationals. We're out of last in the power rankings, now at 51.0 in 29th ahead of the 45.5 White Sox.

Collin McHugh (11-4, 3.60 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) opened the series against McCarthy (8-5, 3.83 ERA, 1.35 WHIP). I typed 9 again. I better not be cursing myself...

I think I cursed McCarthy instead. He had a really, really werid game. He allowed 13 hits and 8 runs through 8+ innings. 4 in the 1st, then 5 scorless innings, 1 in the 7th, and for some reason they brought him back for the 9th, where he allowed 3 more runs. We won 8-2.

McHugh was awesome, going 7 allowing just a single run and 5 hits. He walked and struck out 4, picking up the win. For some reason Brian Johnson came in during the 9th. He's started all year, and gave up a run off 3 hits and a walk. I think Conley might be back in the rotation, but I'd have to look. Don Mattingly makes too many moves with the rotation.

I think Justin Bour was mad about the error. In 5 trips he doubled and hit 3 singles while driving in a run and scoring. Brian Anderson was a double away from the cycle, as he went 3-for-5 with 3 runs scored and driven in. Hernan Perez and Anthony Alford both singled twice in 5 trips. Bour even stole a base, his second of the year. He's actually not that slow, but don't get me wrong, he's not fast at all.

Jean Segura's 23 game hit streak was ended today in a loss to the A's. The M's fell 5-2.

I've seen a bunch of catchers better then Wallach that have gone unclaimed, and for some reason the Nationals wanted my guy.

August 14th, 2018: Heath Hembree suffered back tightness, and will head to the DL for just about a week. Adam Morgan would join him with bicep tendinitis, but he would be sidelined a bit longer. I checked the rotation, Conley did decide to replace Johnson in the rotation, and Conley actually has the better numbers. Only problem is now I didn't have a rested guy for today. I called Eshelman up temporarily, as well as Brian Ellington.

The Orioles would miss Dylan Bundy for the rest of the year with a ruptured finger tendon. So maybe it was his physical that failed. What a fiasco there.

Brett Anderson is out 4 days with an injury. It's only a matter of time before he falls apart.

So Eshelman (1-2, 6.28 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) will get the spot start since he's rested against Mike Soroka (0-3, 9.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP). Soroka lost to us earlier in the year, and Eshelman is 1-1 against Atlanta. He only has 1 MLB start not against the Braves.

Eshelman lasted 5 innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks, but just 2 runs while striking out 3. The bullpen was solid through 4 relief inninfs, allowing just 1 hit, but 4 walks. With help from a 4 run 5th, we managed a 6-2 win and won the series before it ended. Could we pick up another road sweep?

The only starting position player to not record a hit? 0-for-3 Tyler Saladino, but he walked twice. Anthony Alford, Hernan Perez, and Derek Dietrich all recorded 2 hits. Teoscar Hernandez doubled and drove in 3 while Anderson picked up a steal. Saladino also made an error, but it didn't hurt us.

Wilmer Flores went 5-for-6 as the Mets obliverated the hometown Orioles 19-1.

I didn't really know what to do with Eshelman, so I just kept him in the rotation for now.

August 15th, 2018: Could we finish the sweep? Two players with a connection, Shelby Miller (2-6, 5.19 ERA, 1.65 WHIP) and Aaron Blair (0-1, 7.20 ERA, 2.00 WHIP) took the mound. They were both part of the mega Braves-Diamondbacks swap. Would this be as dramatic as the Cardinals game 3? Short answer, I'll try to make it as dramatic as possible...

The Marlins started off good, with a Teoscar Hernandez 2 run single to give us a nice quick 2-0 lead. Fast foward to the 5th, and Dansby Swanson drove in two on a double off the pitcher he was traded for as well, Shelby Miller. Miller settled down, and pitched 6 solid, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. He'd recieve neither a win or loss, just like Blair. On to the pens...

Hernandez and Rafael Ortgea drove in runs off Daniel Watts with RBI singles to give the Marlins a nice 4-2 lead in the top of the 8th. Enny Romero, who pitched the 7th, came back for the 8th and struck out the side, giving him 4 in the game. He'd be in line for the win. We got a 9th inning hit, but it wasn't enough to score, so Drew Steckenrider was ready to shut the door and finish off the sweep.

Dramatic 9th? You bet...

Steckesaurus had 3 batters in mind: Tyler Flowers, Nick Markakis, and Johan Camargo. Up until today, I swore his name was John Camargo. Yikes.

Steck got Flowers to fly out to Alford in center, and the first out was a piece of cake. Markakis got the count to 1-2, before lining out to the second basemen Derek Dietrich. 2 outs.

Could we pull of our 2nd sweep of the year? All that was in front of us was Johan Camargo. He took a pitch, and then hit a dribbler to the pitcher Steckenrider. Steckenrider set his feet and threw the ball to Bour for the final out-- wait, is the ball in right field!?!?! DID HE JUST MAKE AN ERROR ON A THROW THAT EVERY MAJOR LEAGUER BUT JON LESTER CAN MAKE! The answer, might surprise you, yes. Camargo had a wide round around 1st, but retreated back to the base.

Oh man...

Next comes the rookie Austin Riely. Riley got the count to 2-2 before he lined a single between Anderson and Saladino, and Camargo raced around 2nd all the way to third. Oh man. Please, please stop...

Another member of the big Shelby Miller trade Ender Inciarte stepped in. Inciarte took the first pitch high. Come on man... Steckesaurus threw an outside pitch, but we got a lucky call to even the count at 1-1. On the 1-1 pitch, Steck laid a meatball for Ender, and he ripped it between Alford and Hernandez. Uh oh...

Camargo easily scored, Riely was racing around third, attempting to tie the game. Hernandez grabbed the ball and used all 68 of his outfield arm to launch the ball to Holaday behind the plate. Oh man, oh man, oh man...

Riley slid into home plate as Holaday was placing the tag. Bang bang play at the plate. The umpire paused, then screamed "OUT!!!!!" Brian Snitker was not happy, as he came out on the field to complain, but it did not matter. The Marlins held on 4-3! I didn't even care about the stats in this game, we swept another series, and it was on the road as well!!!

We got to party all night, with an off day tommorow!!!

August 16th, 2018: So we partied all night, and then got on a flight to the nations capital.

3 in D.C., then an off day, and back home for two against the Mets. Looking ahead to the upcoming series, we'd see Mike Leake (6-8, 5.72 ERA), Tanner Roark (8-5, 4.75 ERA), and former Marlin Wei-Yin Chen (1-3, 5.08 ERA). Don't think he had a good start after stomping us.

But hey, who cares! We got a sweep! Pop the champange, this is our World Series pt. 2!