The Montreal Expos... Exposing the New MLB?

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Jacksonville 3B Fernando Robles(28, 3.5/4*) .381-5-20 1.073OPS 1.2WAR 4x All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Detroit RHSP Trevor Oien(35, 2.5*) 4-0 1.12 25K 32IP 5GS 0.8WAR No Awards but $19M salary
Rookie of the Month: Memphis LF Christian Garcia(23, 2.5*) .326-4-12 .916OPS 0.6WAR (Scouting Discovery 2016)

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Oakland LF Tye Dowling(29, 3*) .374-9-26 1.114OPS 1.7WAR 2019 WL All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Gamblers RHCL Noah Fletcher(34, 4*) 0-0 14SV 0.00 13K 14G 12.2IP 0.8WAR 2018 Reliever of the Year
Rookie of the Month: Portland RHCL Jeff Hawk(26, 2.5*) 2-0 7SV 14K 10G 13IP 0.7WAR 14th Rounder 2018

16-12. Or ‘worst’ month of the season puts us tied with the Vancouver Canadians for the best record in baseball. That being said, we struggle against other contenders. Best example: 2-4 with the New York Mets, 1-2 with Denver, 1-2 with Houston. Nuff said.

Overall, the team is performing admirably with us second in runs scored and first in runs against and with the addition of Mitsuyasu Kai and Austin Williams, the bullpen should be a bit more stable for the rest of the year. All we need now… no injuries and good form. And the New York Mets starting to struggle.

Those exact New York Mets are an offensive juggernaut. CF Abel Lemke(25, 4*, .308-7-45 .830OP 47/53SB 4.0WAR) is putting up video game numbers on the basepaths. Absolutely insane. If C Mario Toscano(26, 5*, .275-9-46 .820OPS 1.9WAR) starts to get up to his .930OPS version from 2021, 1B Bernie Castillo(27, 4*, .307-4-41 .776OPS 1.3WAR) returning to his 2x batting champ form and sophomore DH Alejandro Cantu(24, 3*, .296-15-43 .857OPS) continuing to hit like that… they are dangerous. Oh, and their bottom four of the order already combine for 42 home runs…

And with that, all of the US are looking up towards Canada. Vancouver is rolling with 2022 Batting Champ LF Pedro Aragon(24, 3.5*, .288-7-39 .800OPS 1.4WAR), 1B Brian Ward(30, 3.5*, .334-19-63 .982OPS 2.6WAR), 2x All-Star C Jake Williams(27, 5*, .309-16-43 .895OPS 2.5WAR) and 3B Jerry Santa Cruz(25, 3*, .338-15-54 .954OPS 2.9WAR)… their offensive output is premium.
In other news, we will pick #15 in the upcoming First Year player draft + the supplemental round pick, 14th in the second round and 13th every round after that. That being said, this years draft is… a bit more shallow. The best hitter according our scouting department should be RF Jeffrey Kaufman(18, 5*, 70/55/55/50/55 65D LF), a left-handed hitter from the University of Virginia with high baseball IQ.

Pitching wise, there is a trio of high ceiling right-handers out of high school with high potential… and below that, there is about a dozen of 4* ceiling guys before the draft gets shallow. This won’t be a big haul.

Pitching:

DL: RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 4/4.5*) 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR 7GS partially torn labrum 2 months

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
RHSP Sam Griffin 2.93 ERA – 5th
RHSP Sam Griffin 9 W – tied 2nd
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.0WAR – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 5.1 K/BB – 5th
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.5 BB/9 – 2nd
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.13 WHIP – 2nd
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.00 FIP – 3rd
LHSP Brett Asselin 9 W – tied 2nd

Right now, Sam Griffin is the ace of this staff. No kiddin’ Brett Asselin has run a bit out of steam with a 5.94ERA in June and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back and adjust to the league adjusting to him. I now believe in our bullpen. Yes, Freddy Silva is struggling a BIT, but he is a bullpen leader and then some. I want him around.

Now, imagine this pitching staff with a dealing Dan Hinton every five days…

Position Players:

DL: CF Bobby Martinez(24, 2.5*, .214-2-17 .554OPS -0.1WAR) sprained ankle 4 days , CF Sam Spangler(22, 2.5/3*, .320-1-1 .974OPS 0.2WAR 11G) oblique strain 2 days , 2B Fernando Perez(23, 3/4*, .258-23-56 .844OPS 2.0WAR ) fractured foot 2-3 weeks

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
1B Dave Grochowski .345 Batting Average – 2nd
1B Dave Grochowski 61 RBI – 3rd
1B Dave Grochowski .386 OBP – 4th
1B Dave Grochowski .612 SLG – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .998 OPS – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 6 TP – 3rd
2B Fernando Perez 23HR – 1st
2B Fernando Perez 56 RBI – 5th
2B Fernando Perez 112K – 1st
LF Ignacio Benavides 55 R – tied 3rd
RF Ian Messer .353 Batting Average – 1st
RF Ian Messer .395 OBP – 3rd
RF Ian Messer .899 OPS – 5th

Hitting is on point. Even with injuries to the supporting cast and Fernando Perez out for 2-3 weeks, this is the best offense we have had since I got here. Our defense was a tad bit better last year, but it works. Side node, when Spangler is back Pedraza is going to AAA and Martinez will follow two days later. Spangler may not be a good defender in center, but the better hitter.

Something else, Benavides already exceeded his 2022 WAR and Ian Messer is 0.2WAR away from his 2020 season… our struggling outfield from last year is now dealing and an important 1-2 punch in our lineup. Sooo happy we kept them around.

Prospect Watch:
AAA LF Santiago Rodriguez(2/3.5*) .262-2-14 .725OPS 32G 2/6SB 0.0WAR strained abdominal muscle 1 weeks
AA RHSP Alejandro Corral(2/3*) 3-8 4.55 65K 1.3WAR 85IP 15GS
AA SS Gabe Rivera(1.5/3* HS, 1.5/4* OSA) .173-3-17 .492OPS -1.2WAR 50G plantar faciitis 1 weeks
A 1B Joe Townsend(2/3*) .321-8-39 .868OPS 67G 0.6WAR
A SS Bryan Booth(22, 1.5/4*) .264-11-33 .822OPS 63G 1.5WAR
A OF Tyler Dean(20, 2/5*) .365-11-49 1.058OPS 63G 3.5WAR
R 2B/3B/SS Manny Ramirez(1/4.5*) .367-13-53 1.071OPS 64G 2.2WAR
R LF Antonio Estrada(0.5/3.5*) .329-16-46 1.004OPS 65G 0.2WAR

The latest update of Baseball America’s Top 100 list: #1 Tyler Dean, #3 Manny Ramirez, #25 Bryan Booth. Those three are our studs that will be untouchable at the deadline.

[Griever20]

Week 14: 3vs Denver Seahawks(44-35), 3@ Toronto Blue Jays(35-44)

July 1st

Roy Hurls 8.1 Scoreless as Expos Dominate Toronto

Montreal starter Austin Roy kept the Toronto hitters in check, helping his team cruise to a win, 9-0. The Montreal win streak is now 3 games.

Roy, who dominated for Montreal, earned the victory to move to 9-4. He was in control the whole game, scattering 4 hits over 8.1 innings, while striking out 8. Toronto batters could never bunch up enough hits to produce a rally.

"I put my work in and trusted the process," said Roy.

Sam Griffin(R, 9-3 2.93) - Larry Burke(L, DNP) tomorrow. Career minor leaguer with 24 relief appearances in NMLB at age 27.

SP Austin Roy 8.1IP 4H 0R 0ER 2BB 8K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-5 2R RBI HR
RF Ian Messer 3-5 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 R
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R RBI BB HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-4 R DB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 2RBI BB DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 2RBI 2BB TP
HR MON: Messer(7), Talbert(15), Benavides(8)
HR TOR: none
W: Austin Roy(9-4 3.33) L: Brendan Lucas(6-3 2.87) SV: none
Roy was stellar and Lucas got bombed together with their bullpen.

July 2nd

Expos Sweeps Canada Series with 7-3 Win

Led by Rich Meilleur, the Montreal Expos defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-3. Meilleur went 3-4 with a home run and a double, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 2 for the Expos.

"We're just going to try to build off this win," said Meilleur. The glove first shortstop is batting a hot .291-6-37 .788OPS 1.9WAR in 76 games.

Sam Griffin, who went 7 innings, was the winning pitcher. He was charged with 2 runs on 7 hits, while walking 0 and striking out 2. His record now stands at 10-3. The win gives Montreal a season record of 53-32.

It could have been a different outcome for Montreal, had it not been for James Slowik, the 25-year old second baseman . Slowik contributed a 2-run single in the top of the second inning to put Montreal up, 3-0.

Jordan Munoz(L, 0-2 6.11) - Juan Miranda(R, 4-6 4.72) the day after tomorrow. 24-year old groundballer trying to find his footing.

SP Sam Griffin 7IP 7H 2R 2ER 0BB 2K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5 R RBI TP
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 RBI
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 2BB
CF Roberto Pedraza 2-4 R DB
SS Rich Meilleur 3-4 3R 2RBI DB HR PotG
RF James Slowik 2-4 R 2RBI
HR MON: Meilleur(6)
HR TOR: Lopez(13), Massie(11)
W: Sam Griffin(10-3 2.91) L: Larry Burke(0-1 6.75) SV: Freddy Silva(1 4.55)
Griffin is the second pitcher to get to 10W this year after PHI ace Ruben Torrez(23, 4.5/5*, 10-2 2.72 119K 3.9WAR).

Record: 53-32, 1st in EL Northeast, 1.5G lead
Week: 4-2 (1-2 vs DEN, 3-0 @ TOR)
Power Rankings: #1(+-0)
Runs scored: 458(1st)
Runs against: 328(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.51(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 4.19(6th)
Defensive Eff.: .685(2nd)
Zone Rating: +30.1(1st)
Fan Interest: 84(+-0)

Who's hot?
SP Sam Griffin 16G 10-3 2.52 96.1IP 75K
SP Austin Roy 2G 2-0 0.56 16IP 16K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 23G 2-0 0.76 23.2IP 23K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2G 2-0 0.56 16IP 16K

Who's not?
3B Julian Hernandez 5G 0-21 .000 0HR 1RBI

News:
July 1st - Sacramento SS Bryant Hunt(23, 2.5*) collected a rare 5-hit game today despite a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, going 5-45 2RBI for the night. The rookie is batting .318-1-10 .824OPS 0.3WAR in the first 13 games of his career.

July 2nd - Astros RHSP Andy Lindaman(26, 2.5*) used his rare splitter/forkball/fastball combination to pitch a complete game 5-hitter with 1BB and 8K in a 5-0 win over the Reds. The 26-yar old is 4-6 5.59 80K 0.3WAR in 13 starts.

July 3rd - Blue Jays RF Luis Penaloza(23, 2.5/3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 12-22 2HR 6RBI 6R. The sophomore is batting .348-8-33 .997OPS 2.1WAR in 53 games.

July 3rd - Calgary 3B Vinny Roman(35, 2.5*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 9-22 3HR 6RBI 4R. The 3x Silver Slugger is batting .233-7-19 .672OPS 0.2WAR in 43 games.

Next: 3 vs Washington Nationals(43-41), 3 vs Detroit Trains(46-40)

--

Yes, Julian is struggling right now, but I trust the kid to bounce back from his funk. Oh, and contenders coming up next. This will be fun.

[Griever20]

Week 15: 3vs Washington Nationals(43-41), 3vs Detroit Trains(46-40)

July 3rd
Offday

Transactions:
LHRP Bill Costa(27, 2*) was eligible to come off the IL after a torn meniscus… and was waived and DFA’ed right away. We have better lefties around. Also, OF Roberto Pedraza(26, 2.5*, .308-1-2 1.015OPS 0.1WAR 5G) was sent back down to AAA as OF Sam Spangler(22, 2.5/3*, .320-1-1 .974OPS 0.2WAR) was activated off the IL.

July 4th

Expos Drops Nationals, 4-3

The Montreal Expos beat the Washington Nationals, 4-3, in part because of shortstop Rich Meilleur. He went 2 for 3 with a home run, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once. Montreal pitcher Juan Miranda earned the win, hiking his record to 5-6. Jordan Munoz suffered the loss. The Expos, at 54-32, have now won 5 straight.

Early in the game, Meilleur had a 2-run home run for Montreal. It was his 7th home run of the season and put the Expos on top, 3-1. The glowing white infielder is batting .295-7-40 .805OPS 2.1WAR in 77 games.

"Both teams played hard," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

Ian Munson(R, 3-6 5.22) - Marty Murrietta(R, 5-4 3.84) tomorrow. Looking to get into 2022 3.82ERA form.

SP Juan Miranda 7IP 9H 3R 3ER 0BB 9K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 R DB
2B Robby Weltzer 1-3 R BB SB(5)
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 R RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 2-3 R 3RBI HR PotG
HR WSH: McFadyen(17)
HR MON: Meilleur(7)
W: Juan Miranda(5-6 4.66) L: Jordan Munoz(0-3 6.00) SV: Austin Williams(18 2.53)
Meilleur now stepping up and Miranda rebounding from some rough outings.

July 5th

Transactions:
CF Bobby Martinez(24, 2.5*, .214-2-17 .554OPS -0.1WAR) was eligible to come off the IL and banished to AAA right away.

Nationals Strike Back, Win 3-2

The Washington Nationals had to overcome a fine effort from Montreal pitcher Marty Murrietta to win, 3-2, at Olympic Stadium. Murrietta went 9 innings and allowed 3 runs. Zachary Welborn earned his 14th save in 16 chances. The win elevated the Nationals to 45-42.

Jose Chavez had a direct impact on the outcome. Chavez contributed a run-scoring triple in the top of the third inning to put Washington up, 3-0. Also hitting a home run later that game, he is batting .286-3-14 .932OPS 0.4WAR in the first 15 games of his NMLB career.

"It never gets old," said Chavez. "Winning, that is."

Jim Sherwood(R, 5-4 3.56) - Brett Asselin(L, 9-3 4.00) tomorrow. 2020 1st rounder in his rookie year.

SP Marty Murrietta 9IP 4H 3R 3ER 1BB 10K L PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 DB
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 0-3 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R DB
2B Joe Hawk 1-4 RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 0-1 2BB SB(4)
HR WSH: Chavez(3)
HR MON: none
W: Ian Munson(4-6 5.05) L: Marty Murrietta(5-5 3.73) SV: Zach Welborn(14 1.75)
Welborn as their closer was on our wishlist for a while but we cooled off a bit as they turned things around in June.

July 6th

Expos Take Series Win Behing Messer, Asselin, Win 4-2

The Montreal Expos defeated the Washington Nationals, 4-2, at Olympic Stadium. Montreal was led by 27-year old right fielder Ian Messer, who went 2-3 with a home run and a walk. He scored 2 runs and drove in 2. Austin Williams got the save, his 9th in 9 chances. Montreal goes to 55-33, Washington to 45-43.

With Montreal leading 2-0 in the bottom of the second, Messer hit a sinker from Jim Sherwood for a 2-run home run. It was his 8th home run of the season and put the Expos ahead, 4-0. He is batting .354-8-36 .913OPS 2.7WAR in 82 games.

After the game, Montreal manager Aaron McCreery applauded the team's effort. "They busted their humps out there," he said.

Hitoshi Watanabe(L, 7-5 4.89) - Austin Roy(R, 9-4 3.33) tomorrow. Once our AAA farm hand, traded away for a now 3* SP prospect.

SP Brett Asselin 6.1IP 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K W
RF Ian Messer 2-3 2R RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 DB
DH Matt Talbert 2-3 RBI
2B Joe Hawk 1-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 R BB DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 BB
C Jordan Chavis 1-4 R RBI
HR WSH: none
HR MON: Messer(8)
W: Brett Asselin(10-3 3.94) L: Jim Sherwood(5-5 3.78) SV: Austin Williams(19 2.45)
We jumped ahead 4-0 after two innings and Asselin and the boys held the fort.

July 7th

Expos Win Series Opener 5-1 Over Detroit

Austin Roy never let Detroit get something going. The Montreal right-hander commanded his slider in pitching the Expos to a 5-1 win. Montreal is now 56-33, 3½ games up in the Eastern League North East Division.

"Austin did a nice job," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery. The righty is now 10-4 3.20 115K 2.4WAR in 18 starts and may finally get a winning season in his third year with the team.

Robby Weltzer had a big 2-run double for the Expos in the bottom of the first inning. With Montreal leading 2-0 and runners on 1st and 3rd, he got a slider from 24-year old left-handed pitcher Hitoshi Watanabe and swatted a double to left-center. It was his 7th double of the season, and more importantly, it put the Expos ahead, 4-0.

Trevor Oien(R, 10-4 3.36) - Sam Griffin(R, 10-3 2.91) tomorrow. De facto aces facing off…

SP Austin Roy 7.1IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 7K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 4-4 2R RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 2RBI HBP
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R
2B Robby Weltzer 1-3 2RBI BB DB
HR DET: none
HR MON: Weltzer(7)
W: Austin Roy(10-4 3.20) L: Hitoshi Watanabe(7-6 5.14) SV: none
Roy performing like we hoped he would when we traded for him two years ago.

July 8th

Trains Score Five Spot in 4th to Win, 8-5

The Detroit Trains beat the Montreal Expos by a score of 8-5. Detroit first baseman J.J. Brock deserved the lion's share of the credit. Brock went 1 for 1 with a home run, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once for the Trains. Elliot Malloy was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 25 of 26 save opportunities. The win puts Detroit at 48-43 this season.

In the top of the eighth, the Trains grabbed the lead when Brock hit his 3rd home run of the season. The 3-run home run off Freddy Silva made it 8-5, Detroit.

"It's nice to come out on top today," said Brock. The veteran 3x Silver Slugger is batting .240-3-15 .700OPS 0.2WAR in 57 games.

Bret Engling(L, 3-7 3.75) - Juan Miranda(R, 5-6 4.66) tomorrow. Better than his record…

SP Sam Griffin 3.2IP 8H 5R 5ER 0BB 4K
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 2R RBI DB HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R 3RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 HBP
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 1-2 R
HR DET: Brock(4)
HR MON: Benavides(9), Grochowski(17), Hernandez(12)
W: Jeremy Walker(5-3 4.11) L: Freddy Silva(3-1 4.91) SV: Elliott Malloy(25, 4.10)
Griffin was due I guess…

July 9th

Expos Go into All-Star Break With Series Win, 7-1

The Montreal Expos topped the Detroit Trains, 7-1, in Eastern League action at Olympic Stadium. The game was highlighted by the performance of Montreal right fielder Ian Messer. Joe Herzer got the win, improving to 3-0. He held the Trains to 1 run on 5 hits over 6.2 innings, while striking out 4 and walking 2. After today's action, Montreal sits at 57-34; Detroit slips to 48-44.

With Montreal leading 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Messer hit a fastball from Joe Boyd for a 2-run home run. It was his 9th home run of the season and put the Expos ahead, 5-1.

"We took advantage of our opportunities," Messer told the Montreal Herald. "It's as simple as that." He is batting .355-9-38 .921OPS 2.9WAR in 85 games.

SP Joe Herzer 6.2IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 4K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 0-2 2R 2BB
RF Ian Messer 2-3 2R 2RBI BB DB HR
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2RBI TP
1B Dave Grochowski 0-2 RBI BB
DH Joe Hawk 0-2 BB fractured tibia 6 weeks
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 R
2B James Slowik 1-4 2RBI DB
HR DET: none
HR MON: Messer(9)
W: Joe Herzer(3-0 2.15) L: Bret Engling(3-8 3.86) SV: none
Lots of things going on. Miranda got scratched late due to not feeling well, so our long reliever and lefty Joe Herzer started, and we lost a lefty bat due to a collision at second…

Transactions:
2B/DH Joe Hawk(25, 2.5*, .258-5-23 .735OPS -0.1WAR) was placed on the 10-day IL with a fractured tibia 6 weeks. Switch hitter OF Roberto Pedraza(26, 2.5*, .308-1-2 1.015OPS 0.1WAR 5G) was recalled as we need a bat more than an infielder.

Record: 57-34, 1st in EL Northeast, 2G lead over NYM
Week: 4-2 (2-1 vs WSH, 2-1 vs DET)
Power Rankings: #1(+-0)
Runs scored: 485(tied 1st)
Runs against: 346(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.50(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 4.06(5th)
Defensive Eff.: .689(1st)
Zone Rating: +32.4(1st)
Fan Interest: 84(+-0)

Who's hot?
SP Austin Roy 3G 3-0 0.77 23.1IP 23K
SP Marty Murrietta 2G 1-1 2.12 17IP 13K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 24G 2-0 0.72 25IP 24K

Who's not?
Nobody

News:
July 3rd - Cavaliers C Andy Easter(23, 2.5*) boomed 3 home runs today in a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels, going 4-4 4R 6RBI 3HR. The 23-year old is batting .311-9-31 .896OPS 1.3WAR in 41 games.

July 10th - Astros 1B Ed Bigalow(30, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 12-26 2HR 5RBI 6R. The 2x All-Star is batting .258-13-41 .780OPS 0.3WAR in 79 games.

July 10th - Cavaliers C Andy Easter(23, 2.5*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 12-17 3HR 10RBI 4R.

Next: All-Star Break, First-Year Player Draft, 3@ Los Angeles Angels(53-37)

--

Hawk doesn’t hurt as much as Matt Talbert has stepped up. Aand Fernando Perez is due to return in one week.

[Griever20]

Four nominations! We got two starters in with their third nomination each, Messer with his first and Grok with his second.

DEN 1B Devin Grose(38, 3.5*) 15x All-Star
BOS 1B Tim Aguilar(35, 4*) 10x All-Star
HOU SP Orlando Turrietta(36, 4*) 9x All-Star
ARI 1B Miguel Martinez(32, 4.5*) 9x All-Star
DET SP Seth Dykstra(31, 4*) 6x All-Star
LV RHCL Noah Fletcher(35, 4*) 6x All-Star
PIT C Elias Mora(30, 5*) 6x All-Star
PHI 2B Fidel de Leon(31, 3.5*) 6x All-Star
SF 2B Bruce Locey(32, 4*) 6x All-Star

As for some wheeling and dealing… there are some interesting relievers on the board with RHRP Jaden Simon(29, 3.5*, 0-4 5.26 37K -0.2WAR), the 2022 EL Reliever of the Year, LHRP Juan Ospina(27, 3.5*, 7-3 2.52 43K 1.3WAR) who was just named an All-Star, and we have been talking with Boston about LHCL Paul Ide(25, 5*, 4-4 18SV 2.19 51K 1.2WAR)…

[Griever20]

Expos-Aeros Trade: Shaulis for Ide
stadiumreport.bbn

July 10th, 2023

The Expos and the Aeros finalized a deal this afternoon. Montreal has traded for 25-year old LHCL Paul Ide(25, 5*). A 23rd rounder in the 2016 draft, he was just named an EL All-Star for a dominant 4-4 18SV 2.19 51K season, good for 1.2WAR in 30 games.

In return, Boston will receive 21-year old minor league RHSP Tristan Johnson(21, 2/2.5*, 3-1 2.33 11K 4GS 0.3WAR A), 20-year old minor league RHRP Randy Aubuchon(20, 1.5/2*, 0-1 2.70 3.1WAR), and 24-year old minor league RHP Ed Shaulis(24, 2.5*, 9-3 2.94 79K 3.0WAR 16GS AAA).

In a corresponding move, RHRP Freddy Silva(26, 3*, 3-1 4.91 34K -0.1WAR 35G) was demoted to AAA Spring Valley.

[Griever20]

Slated to have the first five choices in this year amateur draft are Washington, Calgary, Miami, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. In a pre-draft poll of BNN baseball analysts, the consensus was that the 2023 draft's top ten picks will be:

1. Jeffery Kaufman, 18 year-old RF out of high-school.
2. Andrew Price, 22 year-old SS out of college.
3. Zach Meyer, 22 year-old 2B out of college.
4. Bill Beaverson, 23 year-old SS out of college.
5. Dan Shelton, 23 year-old C out of college.
6. Nick Kinney, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
7. Rob Engel, 22 year-old C out of college.
8. Nate Gibson, 18 year-old SS out of high-school.
9. Tony Limon, 21 year-old 2B out of college.
10. Butch White, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.

1st Round, 1st Pick(1st overall) Washington Nationals select 2B Zach Meyer(22, 4*) out of Kent State University (Kent, OH)
Good Competition: .336/.521/.734 17HR 62RBI 7.4WAR 76G
Signability: Norma, Bonus Demand: $6.44M
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Adaptability, Work Ethic
Versatile defender in the infield and outfield that has one major strength… talking his walks. A solid pick at age 22 that is only medium risk in development. The concerning thing? The OSA has him as a 3* potential guy, while Baseball America had him 3rd in their mock draft.

1st Round, 15th Pick(15th overall) Montreal Expos select LHSP John Slade(18, 4.5*), out of Vauxhall (AB) High School
Poor Competition: 12-0 0.83 198K 8.6WAR119IP 16GS
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $2.4M
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Financial Ambition
Young Canadian from the Alberta Province, the lefty is already throwing 96-98 with the potential for a 100mph on his four seamer… that he does not use. A cutter, splitter, slider, changeup and screwball pitcher with 55 movement and control potential and 65 stamina, he could be a workhorse if he develops fine through the minors. According to our scouting department, he was the best available player around and we are not afraid to take the high school arm here.

1st Round (Suppl.), 1st Pick(33rd overall) Montreal Expos select RHSP Adam LeRoy(19, 4*), out of Archbishop Moeller High School (Cincinnati, OH)
Average Competition: 10-0 0.94 146K 5.9WAR 96IP 14GS
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $5.5M
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Adaptability, Financial Ambition
Another good groundball pitcher with a mid-90s four-seamer with a slider, a changup and a sinker that gets thrown with potential 65 control. A guy that has quite an aura of self-confidence, he wants quite some money to go away from his commitment to Mercer University… but we have some money left right now. The Grok Rookie of the Year pick here

2nd Round, 14th Pick(47th overall) Montreal Expos select 2B Michael Allen(18, 3* HS, 3.5* OSA), out of Houston County (HA) High School
Average Competition: .449/.545/.956 9HR 49RBI 35/50SB 5.2WAR 40G
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $600k
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Unknown
Another Canadian native, the 18-year old right-handed hitter is a 60 potential defender at second base and a solid, average 55/50/50/45/50 hitter with some speed. He was committed to the University of Ottawa, but getting him a look at the major league team will probably convince him… and he wants to play ball badly.

3rd Round, 13th Pick(78th overall) Montreal Expos select CF David Carter(18, 3.5* HS, 3* OSA), out of Grace High School (Tulsa, OK)
Average Competition: .450/.553/.970 12HR 56RBI 20/23SB 5.8WAR 42G
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $450k
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Loyalty, Work Ethic, Financial Ambition
A good kid that really comes through as a sympathetic ballplayer, he more projects as a corner outfielder defensively. His bat is more a pull bat, but his balls tend to end up as doubles off the wall, not home runs. He can run fast, but the skill of finding the right spot to run has yet to find him.

4th Round, 13th Pick(110th overall) Montreal Expos select 3B/SS Lorenzo Bocanegra(18, 3* HS, 4* OSA), out of Deer Valley High School (Antioch, CA)
Average Competition: .433/.526/.889 8HR 46RBI 5.1WAR 42G
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $470k
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Loyalty, Work Ethic, Adaptability
A defensive juggernaut, Bocanegra is exactly my kind of player. Rated 70/60/65/60 in the infield defense skills, he adds a 55/60/50/45/50 line drive bat to the mix. Love the kid.

5th Round, 13th Pick(140th overall) Montreal Expos select RHSP Robby Ragusa(19, 3* HS, 4* OSA), out of Glendale CC College (Glendale, CA)
Fair Competition: 9-4 3.17 110K 2.6WAR 116.1IP 17GS
Signability: Easy, Bonus Demand: $40k
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Loyalty, Adaptability
Another good boy who led his college team as a JuCo player, he has already shown that he can go deep into games and can throw a lot of pitches. With a 91-93 heater, he more lives of his assortment of five total pitches as well as above average movement and control . The OSA is a bit more positive about his stuff, but given that we are in round five, I guess our scouting department may be more accurate.

6th Round, 13th Pick(170th overall) Montreal Expos select 1B Steve Rushing(18, 3.5* HS, 2.5* OSA), out of Grand Prairie Hish School (TX)
Average Competition: .468/.567./904 10HR 51RBI 5.2WAR 39G
Signability: Extremely Hard, Bonus Demand: $1.6M
Injury Proneness: normal
Personality: Loyalty, Adaptability, Work Ethic, Financial Ambition
Ye, we aimed for good personality from high school teams this year. The right-handed hitter is not a great power bat, projecting as a 60/45/50/45/65 hitter that rarely strikes out.

The draft died quickly after that.

Brett Asselin(L, 10-3 3.94) - Julian Valdenas(L, 6-6 3.90) tomorrow. Strikes out 9.3 per nine…

[Griever20]

Week 16: 3@ Los Angeles Angels(53-37)

July 14th

Sexton gets 6 RBI to Kickstart Angels Second Half

The Los Angeles Angels downed the Montreal Expos, 8-3, at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Angels were led by Craig Sexton. Sexton went 2-4 with a home run, while adding 6 RBI and scoring once. The triumph puts Los Angeles at 54-37 for the season.

In the first inning, Sexton had a grand slam home run for Los Angeles. It was his 18th home run of the season and put the Angels on top, 4-0.

Sexton attributed the win to "everyone pulling their weight." The 2023 WL All-Star is batting .271-18-60 .816OPS 3.0WAR in 83 games.

Austin Roy(R, 10-4 3.20) - Dylan Roberts(R, 6-4 4.53) tomorrow. 18-game loser in 2022.

SP Brett Asselin 4.2IP 5H 6R 6ER 4BB 5K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-4 R BB DB
RF Ian Messer 2-5 DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5
3B Julian Hernandez 2-5
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-2 R RBI 2BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
2B Robby Weltzer 2-4 R RBI HBP
HR MON: Weltzer(1), Cervantes(9)
HR LAA: Sexton(18)
W: Julian Valdenas(7-6 3.91) L: Brett Asselin(10-4 4.24) SV: none
Asselin is not quite an ace yet…

July 15th

Expos Tie Series with 6-4 Win

The Montreal Expos faced a tough opponent in Los Angeles pitcher Dylan Roberts, but did just enough to pull out the victory at Angel Stadium of Anaheim by a final score of 6-4. Roberts went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs. Austin Williams picked up the win in relief. His record improves to 1-1. Trevor Hoag suffered the loss. Paul Ide notched his 1st save in 1 chances.

Montreal took a 6-4 lead on Roberto Pedraza's 3rd double of the season. The bases-clearing double, which Pedraza hit in the top of the ninth, left Los Angeles pitcher Trevor Hoag visibly frustrated. He is batting .400-1-6 1.271OPS 0.3WAR in 6 games.

"It was a good night for them and a bad night for us," said Los Angeles manager Juan Acosta.

With this game in the books, Montreal is 58-35, Los Angeles 54-38.

Sam Griffin(R, 10-3 3.24) - Hector Ontiveros(R, 4-3 3.84) tomorrow. Waiver claim in 2021.

SP Austin Roy 5.1IP 7H 2R 2ER 0BB 7K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5
PH/RF Robert Pedraza 2-2 4RBI 2DB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 2R BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 0-2 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 2R BB DB
2B Robby Weltzer 1-2
HR MON: none
HR LAA: Gonzalez(19), Elliott(2), Jammal(13)
W: Austin Williams(3-2 2.38) L: Trevor Hoag(4-3 3.93) SV: Paul Ide(19 2.13)
Ide has arrived as the new back end of our pen has come through great today.

July 16th

Los Angeles Upended by Montreal, 5-1

Montreal third baseman Julian Hernandez helped his team beat the Los Angeles Angels, 5-1. Hernandez, who is tied for 8th in the EL in extra base hits with 39, went 3 for 4 for the Expos.

"I was just going up there trying to see good pitches, that was about it," said Hernandez. He is batting .316-13-57 .845OPS 2.0WAR in 87 games.

Sam Griffin was the winner. He's now 11-3. The loser was 25-year old right-handed pitcher Hector Ontiveros. With the victory, the Expos upped their record to 59-35.

The Expos got a big at-bat from right fielder Ian Messer. For the game, Messer was 1-5 with a home run, while adding 2 RBI and scoring once. In the top of the third, with a runner on 2nd, he stroked a 2-run home run. His 10th home run of the season gave Montreal a 2-0 lead.

Marty Murrietta(R, 5-5 3.73) - Hitoshi Watanabe(L, 7-6 5.14) tomorrow. Him again…

SP Sam Griffin 5.2IP 5H 1R 1ER 0BB 7K W
RF Ian Messer 1-5 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 0-3 R 2BB
DH Matt Talbert 0-3 R HBP
3B Julian Hernandez 3-4 R 3RBI DB HR PotG
SS Rich Meilleur 1-2 R 2BB DB
HR MON: Messer(10), Hernandez(13)
HR LAA: none
W: Sam Griffin(11-3 3.16) L: Hector Ontiveros(4-4 4.34) SV: none
A series win against one of the strongest teams in the WL!

Record: 59-35, 1st in EL Northeast, 3G lead over NYM
Week: 2-1 (2-1 @ LAA)
Power Rankings: #1(+-0)
Runs scored: 499(2nd)
Runs against: 359(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.55(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 4.03(4th)
Defensive Eff.: .689(2nd)
Zone Rating: +35.3(1st)
Fan Interest: 84(+-0)

Who's hot?
SP Austin Roy 4G 3-0 1.26 28.2IP 30K
SP Marty Murrietta 2G 1-1 2.12 17IP 13K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 25G 2-0 0.68 26.1IP 25K
3B Julian Hernandez 5G 9-21 .429 2HR 6RBIs

Who's not?
Nobody

News:
July 14th - Oakland RF Brian Pfannenstiel(27, 2.5*) lasered five hits today, going 5-5 2R 3RBI HR in a 5-3 win over the Sacramento Cavaliers. The 2nd rounder in 2014, he is batting .283-13-49 .810OPS 0.8WAR in 91 games.

July 14th - Boston C Savion Smith(26, 3*) banged three home runs in a 8-7 win over the Denver Seahawks, going 3-4 3R 6RBI 3HR. The switch-hitter is batting .254-11-45 .782OPS 1.7WAR in 70 games.

July 16th - Calgary CF Jason Clem(26, 2.5*) collected five hits today in a 11-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, going 5-5 R RBI DB. The 2x All-Star is batting .246-13-37 .704OPS -0.3WAR in 85 games.

July 16th - Mets C Mario Toscano(26, 5*) showed off is bat, going 5-5 R 4RBI DB HR in a 8-3 win over the Portland Bears. The 2x All-Star is batting .287-12-54 .863OPS 2.5WAR in 74 games.
July 17th - Blue Jays CF Mario Lopez(25, 3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 8-14 2HR 7RBI 4R. The third year pro is batting .283-15-56 .840OPS 0.9WAR in 79 games.

July 17th - Gamblers CF Trevor Wolthuis(30, 2.5*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 8-15 3HR 8RBI 4R. The four time home run champ is batting .230-23-57 .805OPS -0.2WAR in 86 games.

Next: 3@ Detroit Trains(51-44) , 3vs Kansas City Royals(35-59)

--

Big one. Hernandez is back on track and Perez is due to the KCR series.

[Griever20]

Week 17: 3@ Detroit Trains(51-44) , 3vs Kansas City Royals(35-59)

July 17th

Dominant Performance by Murrietta in Montreal Win

The Montreal Expos locked up a win at Comerica Park, knocking off the Detroit Trains, 4-2. On the mound for Montreal was right-hander Marty Murrietta. He played a major role in the triumph. Paul Ide was credited with the save, his 2nd in 2 tries. The defeat makes Detroit 51-45.

Murrietta tossed 109 pitches over 7 innings to clinch the win for the Expos. The right-hander allowed just 2 hits, while racking up 9 strikeouts in the game.

"Thought I threw pretty well and overall I felt good," said Murrietta.

Juan Miranda(R, 5-6 4.66) - Dan Rabalais(L, 1-2 5.55) tomorrow. AAAA rookie.

SP Marty Murrietta 7.0IP 2H 1R 1ER 2BB 9K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 0-5 R
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R BB
1B Dave Grochowski 2-3 R 2RBI BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 0-2 2BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-4 DB mild hamstring strain one week
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 RBI DB
HR MON: Grochowski(18)
HR DET: Armijo(12)
W: Marty Murrietta(6-5 3.52) L: Hitoshi Watanabe(7-7 5.00) SV: Paul Ide(20 2.31)
Watanabe has no fun against us. With Cervantes… its only running. He can hobble to first base.

July 18th

Trains Score Late to Nip Expos, 4-3

Detroit Trains starter Dan Rabalais found his groove in his team's 4-3 win over the Montreal Expos. The loss makes Montreal 60-36.

Jordan Rios was the walk-off hero for Detroit. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Trains designated hitter hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home. He is batting .265-8-33 .739OPS 0.0WAR in 63 games.

Detroit manager Andy Musa commended his team for "doing what it takes to win."

Brett Asselin(L, 10-4 4.24) - Trevor Oien(R, 10-4 3.67) tomorrow. Beat us last time…

SP Juan Miranda 7.0IP 5H 3R 3ER 1BB 5K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 2R 2RBI HR
RF Ian Messer 1-3
PH/RF Roberto Pedraza 1-2 DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 BB
DH Matt Talbert 2-5 RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 BB
2B Robby Weltzer 1-2 R 2BB SB(6)
HR MON: Benavides(10)
HR DET: Rios(8), Burleson(9), Blatter(7)
W: Elliot Malloy(2-6 3.79) L: Pablo Mendoza(2-1 4.40) SV: none
Bad luck. It was basically a playoff game until the walkoff.

July 19th

Montreal Beats Detroit, 5-3

Conditions were not ideal but Montreal and Detroit were able to put their game in the books.

The Montreal Expos picked up a win at Comerica Park, taking down the Detroit Trains, 5-3. Starting pitcher Brett Asselin was a big reason why. Asselin yielded 3 runs over 7 innings to notch the win. He scattered 6 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. His record improves to 11-4.

Julian Hernandez, who is tied for 3rd in the EL in doubles with 25, helped out the Montreal cause in the top of the sixth inning with a 2-run double. For the game, the third baseman was 2 for 4 with a double. He drove in 2 runs and scored once.

"We take it day by day here," said Hernandez, "and today was a good one for us." The #5 prospect prior to the season is batting .312-13-59 .835OPS 2.0WAR in 90 games.

With the win, Montreal upped its record to 61-36.

Ricky Corral(R, 6-9 4.91) - Austin Roy(R, 10-4 3.21) the day after tomorrow. Former Rule 5 Draftee.

SP Brett Asselin 7.0IP 6H 3R 3ER 4BB 3K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 2R RBI DB HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2RBI DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 R 2RBI HR
HR MON: Grochowski(19), Cervantes(10)
HR DET: none
W: Brett Asselin(11-4 4.14) L: Trevor Oien(10-5 3.87) SV: Paul Ide(21, 2.25)
Guess I can now be more confident against other contending teams. Good series.

July 20th
Offday

With LHSP John Slade, our first rounder and final draft pick has signed.

July 21st

Royals Come Up Short at Montreal, 3-2

The Montreal Expos picked up a win at Olympic Stadium, downing the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. On the mound for Montreal was right-hander Austin Roy, who played a pivotal role in the win. Roy picked up the win for Montreal, going 6.2 innings. He gave up 1 run on 3 hits. He now sports a record of 11-4.

"We found a way to get it done," Roy said. Paul Ide got the save, his 4th in 4 chances.

Ignacio Benavides, who is tied for 2nd in the EL in runs scored with 68, chipped in a solo home run for Montreal in the bottom of the fifth. For the game, the left fielder had 3 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 home run, 2 singles, 1 run scored, and 1 run batted in. The 26-year old is batting .284-11-40 .796OPS 1.6WAR in 94 games.

Montreal is now 62-36, while Kansas City is 36-62.

Jeff Berg(R, 3-4 3.31) - Sam Griffin(R, 11-3 3.16) tomorrow. Rookie, these are his first 11 starts.

SP Austin Roy 6.2IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 6K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-4 R RBI HR
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R DB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 3-3 BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3
HR KCR: Smith(9)
HR MON: Messer(11), Benavides(11)
W: Austin Roy(11-4 3.11) L: Ricky Corral(6-10 4.83) SV: Paul Ide(22 2.20)
Roy really is in the form of his life…

July 22nd

Transactions:
OF Roberto Pedraza(26, 2.5*, .412-1-6 1.297OPS 0.3WAR 8G) was demoted to AAA as 2B Fernando Perez(23, 3/4*, .258-23-56 .844OPS 2.0WAR) came off the IL and straight back into the lineup.

Expos Win on Bullpen Day, 4-2

Led by Gabriel Cervantes, the Montreal Expos downed the Kansas City Royals, 4-2. Cervantes went 2 for 3 with a home run. He drove in 3 runs and scored once for the Expos. Mitsuyasu Kai was the winner in relief. His record is now 1-0. The losing pitcher was Jeff Berg. Paul Ide was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 5 of 5 save opportunities.

The game turned with two out in the bottom of the fourth. That's when Cervantes hit a 2-run single off Jeff Berg. It propelled the Expos into the lead, 3-1. The 27-year old is batting .274-11-31 .801OPS 2.2WAR in 71 games.

"We need better swings, better at-bats," said losing manager Omar Sanchez.

The win gives Montreal a season record of 63-36.

Kevin Ward(R, 3-8 6.28) - Marty Murrietta(R, 6-5 3.52) tomorrow. 45 stamina AAAA arm.

SP Sam Griffin 4IP 6H 1R 1ER 1BB 4K herniated disc (back) one week
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 R
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3 RBI
DH Matt Talbert 0-3 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-3 R
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-3 R 3RBI HR PotG
HR KCR: Orozco(7)
HR MON: Cervantes(11)
W: Mitsuyasu Kai(1-0 2.25) L: Jeff Berg(3-5 3.59) SV: Paul Ide(23 2.14)
Griffin left the game injured, but we have a ton of offdays, so we can manage this without an DL stint.

July 23rd

Expos Sweep Royals, 5-2

The Montreal Expos beat the Kansas City Royals, 5-2. Montreal pitcher and San Juan, Puerto Rico, native Marty Murrietta led the way. Austin Williams earned his 10th save in 10 chances. The Expos have an impressive 64-36 record.

Ian Messer hit a 2-run double off Kevin Ward in the bottom of the second, which put the Expos in front, 3-1. In addition to the double, Messer had 1 single, while going 2 for 4.

After the game, Montreal manager Aaron McCreery applauded the team's effort. "We put some good AB's together," he said.

Jonathan Bashor(R, 1-3 4.37) - Juan Miranda(R, 5-6 4.61) the day after tomorrow. 15-game winner in 2021-

SP Marty Murrietta 6.2IP 8H 2R 2ER 0BB 12K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-5 2R RBI SB(10) HR
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R 3RBI DB
1B Dave Grochowski 2-3 RBI BB SB(2)
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 R
HR KCR: Orozco(7)
HR MON: Cervantes(11)
W: Marty Murrietta(7-5 3.45) L: Kevin Ward(3-9 6.42) SV: Austin Williams(20 2.08)
The back end of our bullpen is perfect right now. Ide was unavailable after two saves. Oh, Perez was 0-4 2K.

Record: 64-36, 1st in EL Northeast, 5G lead over NYM
Week: 5-1 (2-1 @ DET, 3-0 vs KCR)
Power Rankings: #1(+-0)
Runs scored: 523(2nd)
Runs against: 374(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.47(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.94(3rd)
Defensive Eff.: .691(2nd)
Zone Rating: +38.1(1st)
Fan Interest: 84(+-0)

Who's hot?
SP Austin Roy 5G 4-0 1.27 35.1IP 36K
SP Marty Murrietta 2G 2-0 1.98 28.1IP 21K
SP Sam Griffin 2G 1-0 1.86 9.2IP 11K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 26G 3-0 0.95 28.1IP 28K
LF Ignacio Benavides 5G 11-21 .524 3HR 4RBIs

Who's not?
Nobody

News:
July 17th - Aeros C Savion Smith(26, 3*) collected his SECOND 3 HOME RUN game in four days, going 3-4 4R 7RBI BB 3HR in a 12-11 win over the San Francisco Red Devils. The 26-year old is batting .263-14-52 .831OPS 2.2WAR in 73 games.

July 18th - Seattle LF Manny Villeda(25, 3/3.5*) has hit for the CYCLE today, going 4-5 R 4RBI DB TP HR in a 12-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The 2020 WL Rookie of the Year is batting .275-20-67 .809OPS 0.9WAR in 90 games.

July 20th - San José 1B Nate McClory(24, 4*) now has a 5-hit game on his CV after going 5-5 3RBI 3DB in a 11-7 win over the Angels. The 2023 WL All-Star is batting .328-20-68 .948OPS 2.7WAR in 95 games.

July 20th – The San Diego Padres(56-40) bolstered their playoff hopes by trading for LF Brian Garcia(30, 3.5*, .279-24-53 .907OPS 2.1WAR), a 5x All-Star, from the Kansas City Royals. Going back will be prospect 3B Mike Baker(21, 3.5* HS, 3* OSA, .308-4-13 .832OPS 0.4WAR S A).

July 20th – The 58-40 Vancouver Canadians added 2B Bruce Locey(32, 4*, .328-9-41 .936OPS 2.5WAR) from the San Francisco Red Devils via trade today. The 6x All-Star is signed until the end of 2028. Going back will be RHRP Sam Wheeler(29, 3*, 8-1 3.25 51K 0.6WAR 36IP) and #65 prospect 2B Jeff Ritter(19, 3.5* HS, 4* OSA, .298-7-18 .863OPS -0.2WAR R).

July 24th - Aeros 2B Ruben Barrales(25, 4*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-28 3HR 6RBI 7R. The 2021 EL Silver Slugger batting .305-11-34 .861OPS 2.5WAR in 69 games.

July 24th - San José 1B Nate McClory(24, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 15-30 2HR 10RBI 5R. The 2023 WL All-Star is batting .328-22-74 .957OPS 3.0WAR in 98 games.

Next: 2vs Arizona Diamondbacks(49-51), 3@ Vancouver Canadians(61-40)

--

The Vancouver series will be interesting.

[Griever20]

Week 18: 2vs Arizona Diamondbacks(49-51), 3@ Vancouver Canadians(61-40)

July 24th
Offday

July 25th

Expos Sweep Royals, 5-2

The Montreal Expos coasted to a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-3. Matt Talbert had a good day at the plate for Montreal. He was 3-5 with a home run and 2 singles, while adding 5 RBI and scoring once. Juan Miranda, who is tied for 8th in the EL with a 1.22 WHIP, was the winner. He's now 6-6. The loser was Jonathan Bashor. The first-place Expos have won 5 in a row.

With Montreal trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Talbert hit a sinker from Jonathan Bashor for a grand slam home run. It was his 16th home run of the season and put the Expos ahead, 4-1. The designatred hitter is batting .271-16-48 .807OPS 0.9WAR in 95 games.

"We came out aggressive," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery. "We came out swinging the bats."

Miguel Ricketts(R, 7-4 3.05) - Brett Asselin(L, 11-4 4.14) tomorrow. 3x All-Star.

SP Juan Miranda 7IP 8H 2R 2ER 2BB 6K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 R RBI BB DB
RF Ian Messer 2-4 3R BB
1B Dave Grochowski 3-4 2R RBI BB
DH Matt Talbert 3-5 R 5RBI HR PotG
3B Julian Hernandez 3-5 R 2RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 BB DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 R
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 R SB(5)
HR ARI: Martinez(19), Martin(13)
HR MON: Talbert(16), Hernandez(14)
W: Juan Miranda(6-6 4.49) L: Jonathan Bashor(1-4 5.12) SV: none
We bashed Bashor today and I took the freedom of managing the game, first one in a while. Boy are we difficult to get out.

July 26th

Montreal Downs Arizona as Asselin Deals, 5-2

Getting an impressive start from Brett Asselin, Montreal beat Arizona by the score of 5-2. The winning pitcher was Asselin, now 12-4. He tossed 8 innings of 4-hit ball, while walking 0 and fanning 7. Montreal leads the Eastern League North East Division by 5½ games.

Montreal shortstop Rich Meilleur contributed a timely at-bat in the bottom of the fifth. With two down, he hit a sinker to center field for a run-scoring single. It was his 85th hit of the season and put the Expos ahead, 1-0. The Canadian native is batting .273-7-43 .750OPS 2.2WAR in 93 games.

"We had some nice at-bats at the right time," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery.

Austin Roy(R, 11-4 3.11) - Billy Gerovac(R, 5-8 4.19) the day after tomorrow. 3rd Rounder in 2017 with low stamina…

SP Brett Asselin 8IP 4H 2R 2ER 0BB 7K W PotG
RF Ian Messer 0-3 R HBP
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 RBI DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 R RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 RRBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 RBI SB(6)
HR ARI: Martinez(20), Martin(14)
HR MON: Perez(24)
W: Brett Asselin(12-4 4.03) L: Miguel Ricketts(7-5 3.19) SV: Paul Ide(24 2.09)
Asselin already is going deep into games and will improve further.

July 27th
Offday

July 28th

Montreal Upended, 2-0, by Vancouver

Enthusiastic fans came out to support the home team at Canadians Field.

Vancouver pitcher Billy Gerovac did his part in helping his team beat the Montreal Expos, 2-0. The right-hander kept opposing batters from doing too much damage. In 5.1 innings, Gerovac surrendered 4 hits, while striking out 10 and walking 2. He allowed no runs.

The Canadians got a big at-bat from shortstop Cole McGuire. For the game, McGuire went 1 for 3 with a double, while adding 2 RBI. In the bottom of the second, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, he stroked a 2-run double. His 25th double of the season gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead.

"Getting ahead of the hitters was the key," said Gerovac.

The loss makes Montreal 66-37.

Sam Griffin(R, 11-3 3.12) - Edgar Padilla(R, 3-7 5.70) tomorrow. First start with the new team for him…

SP Austin Roy 7IP 8H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K L
1B Dave Grochowski 2-3 BB DB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 HBP
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 DB
HR MON: none
HR VAN: none
W: Billy Gerovac(6-8 3.99) L: Austin Roy(11-5 3.09) SV: Keith Holliday(30 3.18)
Roy was good but the Canadians completely shut us down.

July 29th

Expos Bounce Back to Win, 6-2, Versus Vancouver

The Montreal Expos downed the Vancouver Canadians, 6-2, at Canadians Field. Rich Meilleur led the way, going 3-for-4 for Montreal. Montreal pitcher Pablo Mendoza got the win. He's now 3-1. Edgar Padilla was tagged with the loss. With the victory, the Expos upped their record to 67-37.

Fernando Perez came through with a big-time hit for Montreal. The second baseman smacked a 3-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to give his team the lead, 5-2. It was his only hit, but it was clutch. The 23-year old is batting .246-25-60 .821OPS 1.8WAR in 76 games.

"Solid performance from our side," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-5 3.45) - Hagane Noguchi(R, 9-4 3.98) tomorrow. 2018 Cy Young winner, now 38-year old.

SP Sam Griffin 5IP 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 2K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5 R RBI
RF Ian Messer 2-5 R
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 R 3RBI HR HBP
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 RBI
PH Sam Spangler 1-1 R
SS Rich Meilleur 3-4 R RBI DB HR PotG
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MON: Meilleur(8), Perez(25)
HR VAN: none
W: Pablo Mendoza(3-1 3.94) L: Edgar Padilla(3-8 5.63) SV: none
Griffin came back from his back injury and was fine enough.

July 30th

Lanthier Delievers Walk-Off Win for Canadians

The Vancouver Canadians downed the Montreal Expos, 5-4. The hitting star was catcher Jake Williams. Williams was 2-4 with 2 home runs. He drove in 3 runs and scored twice for the Canadians. The 3x All-Star is batting .299-22-55 .895OPS 3.1WAR in 85 games.

With this game in the books, Vancouver is 64-42, Montreal 67-38.

The decisive blow was delivered by Andy Lanphier in the bottom of the 11th when he hit a solo home run off 25-year old left-handed pitcher Paul Ide to win the game for Vancouver. The home crowd went nuts.

"If you want to be considered a good team, these are the kind of games you have to win," said Vancouver manager Rod Hernandez.

Juan Miranda(R, 6-6 4.49) - Jonathan Holder(R, 5-7 3.88) tomorrow. Power Pitcher that won’t make much more than five innings per start.

SP Marty Murrietta 9IP 10H 4R 4ER 1BB 7K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 RBI BB
RF Ian Messer 1-6
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 R
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 R RBI BB DB HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-6 5K
3B Julian Hernandez 0-3 R 2BB SB(10)
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 R BB TP
SS Rich Meilleur 1-2 RBI BB
HR MON: Perez(26)
HR VAN: Williams 2(22), Lanphier(11)
W: Dave Wages(1-0 3.00) L: Paul Ide(4-5 2.23) SV: none
Tough one, we were ahead 4-3 after seven, but McCreery left Murrietta in a tad too long instead of going to the back end of our pen.

Record: 67-38, 1st in EL Northeast, 6G lead over NYM
Week: 3-2 (2-0 vs ARI, 1-2 @ VAN)
Power Rankings: #2(-1)
Runs scored: 549(2nd)
Runs against: 388(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.45(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.88(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .692(2nd)
Zone Rating: +40.7(1st)
Fan Interest: 84(+-0)

Who's hot?
SP Austin Roy 2G 1-1 1.98 13.2IP 10K
SP Sam Griffin 3G 1-0 2.45 14.2IP 13K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 26G 3-0 0.95 28.1IP 28K
RHRP Austin Williams 17G 9SV 1.08 16.2IP 20K

Who's not?
Nobody

News:
July 25th – The Houston Astros added 1B Ricky Osorto(29, 3.5*, .283-6-32 .799OPS 1.4WAR) from the Marlins in exchange for prospect LF Ray Ross(19, 0.5/3*) and followed up by adding RHSP Devin Bennett(28, 3/3.5*, 4-11 4.99 113K 1.5WAR) from the Minuteman for prospect C Dan Tucker Jr.(22, 1.5/3*).

July 25th – Houston Astros C Hector Zamora(31, 5*) celebrated their trade acquisitions with a 3 home run game, going 4-5 4R 4RBI 3HR in a 11-6 win over Memphis. The 6x All-Star is batting .244-6-18 .728OPS 0.8WAR in 51 games after a series of knee injuries.

July 27th – In a surprising trade, the Miami Marlins acquired C James Wilson(26, 3.5/4.5*, .252-4-11 .795OPS 0.7WAR) from the Vancouver Canadians in exchange for SP Edgar Padilla(25 ,2.5/3*, 3-7 5.70 64K 0.2WAR) and an outfield prospect. The Canadians have a 3x All-Star at catcher but in my opinion didn’t make the most out of that trade chip.

July 28th - San Francisco 1B Mark Schwarz(27, 3.5*) had himself a night for the ages, going 5-5 4R 8RBI 3HR night in a 13-3 win over the Oakland Oaks. The 2022 WL All-Star is batting .295-10-54 .832OPS 1.0WAR in 77 games.

July 31st - Memphis RF Brian Clinton(30, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 9-22 5HR 11RBI 6R. The 20184 EL Silver Slugger is batting .251-20-61 .820OPS 2.4WAR in 94 games.

July 31st - San Francisco 1B Mark Schwarz(27, 3.5*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 11-22 3HR 10RBI 9R.

Next: 3@ Pittsburgh Kings(52-53), 3vs Toronto Blue Jays(45-61)

--

McCreery kinda blew the last game. 6 relievers available, he not only leaves Murrietta in until he gets the ND, he does not go with a different arm after Ide threw a dominant scoreless 9th.

[Griever20]

Week 19: 3@ Pittsburgh Kings(52-53), 3vs Toronto Blue Jays(45-61)

July 31st

Talbert Helps Montreal Cruise to 12-3 Win

The 12-3 Montreal win over Pittsburgh was due in large part to Matt Talbert. The Expos designated hitter was 4-5 with a triple, a double, and 2 singles. He scored 3 runs and drove in 3. Joe Herzer was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 1 of 1 save opportunities. Montreal goes to 68-38, Pittsburgh to 52-54.

Early in the game, Talbert had a 2-run double for Montreal. It was his 13th double of the season and put the Expos on top, 2-0. He is batting .274-16-52 .808OPS 1.0WAR for the season.

"I like our moxie," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery.

Brett Asselin(L, 12-4 4.03) - Jon Russo(R, 7-6 5.08) tomorrow. Former 2018 All-Star in trouble.

SP Juan Miranda 5.1IP 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-6 R
RF Ian Messer 1-6 R RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 3-3 3R 2RBI BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 2R RBI DB HBP
DH Matt Talbert 4-5 3R 3RBI DB TP PotG
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 4RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-5
SS Rich Meilleur 1-5 R
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 R BB
HR MON: none
HR PIT: Mora(21)
W: Juan Miranda(7-6 4.44) L: Jonathan Holder(5-8 4.46) SV: Joe Herzer(1 2.34)
Talbert bounced back from a 5K game to missing the cycle via the home run.

END OF JULY

Trade Deadline Ends with Three Minor Deals in Montreal
stadiumreport.bbn

July 31st, 2023

While they were pretty much set to stand pat, K.C. Martin and the Montreal Expos front office never shy away from a good trade and pulled the trigger on three transactions that could make them better in the long run.

Being blocked in the majors by a glut of infielders, AAA 2B Kyle Oldham(24, 2.5*, .285-3-31 .734OPS 1.9WAR AAA) was traded in a three team deal that will see LHRP Juan Ospina(27, 3.5*, 7-3 1SV 2.33 56K 1.7WAR) move from Pittsburgh to Chicago with Montreal eating the rest of the salary.

Also going through the door was AAA RHSP John Martinez(25, 2.5*, 3-6 4.39 69K 1.0WAR AAA) who had a brief stint with the Major League team in 2021 with a 7.18ERA but never break through again. He will be going to the Philadelphia Grizzlies.

The return on those two deals? Chicago gave up young R LF Jose Rivera(19, 1/3* HS, 1/4* OSA, .373-10-32 1.140OPS 0.7WAR R) and Grizzlies R 1B Jose Velasquez(18, 3.5* HS, 2.5* OSA, .354-2-13 0.1WAR R). Both are unranked prospects.

There was not much of a seller’s market this year and so we only did some minor deals. We last minute tried to find a taker for Santiago Rodriguez but there was nothing that really came together. Offers were a bunch of first baseman/DH or bad catchers. Oh and for Ospina, we had no use for ANOTHER strong lefty.

Around the league, there have been a lot of AAAA players changing hands, and some strugging 3* guys, but there was no big blockbuster.

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Minuteman RF Karl Ferguson(28, 2.5*) .369-5-20 1.094OPS 1.4WAR 23G Of course. There he is hitting.
Pitcher of the Month: Pittsburgh RHSP Victor Alvarez(24, 3/3.5*) 4-1 1.29 38K 1.2WAR 5GS First Rounder 2017
Rookie of the Month: Pittsburgh SS Guadalupe Ontiveros(22, 2.5/3*) .294-7-19 .962OPS 0.9WAR 25G #81 prospect prior to the season

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: San Francisco CF Laurent Fournier(28, 2.5*) .447-8-24 1.316OPS 1.6WAR Waiver claim 2020
Pitcher of the Month: Seahawks RHCL Bob Thrall(26, 3.5*) 4-1 4SV 2.45 18K 0.5WAR 12G 2022 All-Star
Rookie of the Month: Killer Whales RHSP Jordan Bahena(21, 2.5/3*) 3-2 2.43 49K 1.9WAR 6GS Scouting Discovery in 2018

We are rolling along right now. 17-6 for the month and we extended our lead to six games in the division over our rivals from New York. All we have to do now is not collapse completely. We don’t have any reinforcements left in AAA if we don’t throw a hail mary and call up the fragile body of Santiago Rodriguez… and wait for Hinton and Hawk to return off the IL.

Now, speaking about those New York Mets, how about a fairy tale? On opening day 2021, a young first baseman named Alejandro Cantu was released from the Boston Aeros after hitting .266-13-54 .742OPS 3.3WAR in single A to make room on the 40-man as he was placed there in 2020. He didn’t play professionally in 2021 just to sign a minor league contract with the Mets in February 2022. After hitting .293-10-40 .797OPS 2.3WAR in AAA, Cantu made his NMLB debut that year… and now he is hitting third, batting .286-23-59 .879OPS 1.4WAR in 98 games. Happy days.

Overall, looking at division leaders, we are the biggest surprise I guess. The Astros utilized the biggest budget in baseball to make the playoffs 11/24 times, albeit without championship. The Eagles have 13 playoff appearances with one World Series in 2021, the Seahawks made the playoffs for 16 years in a row from 2007-2022 and won six World Series titles over that span… looking for year 17.

LA made the playoffs 12x from 2000-2018 before a four year long drought they look to end, and Vancouver may have only made the playoffs 8x but won the 2014 World Series.

Us: Seven Playoff Appearances with one World Series in 2015.

Lots of work to do.

Pitching:

DL: RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 4.5*) 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR 7GS partially torn labrum 5 weeks

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.14 ERA – 5th
RHSP Sam Griffin 11 W – tied 2nd
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.6WAR – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 5.3 K/BB – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.4 BB/9 – 1st
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.12 FIP – 3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 3.09 ERA – 3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 11W –tied 2nd
RHSP Austin Roy 140.0IP –3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 1.13 WHIP – 2nd
LHSP Brett Asselin 12 W – 1st
LHCL Paul Ide 24 SV – 3rd

By the way, don’t ask me how we will pay all those pitchers or the rest of the team in 2-3 years. Please don’t. Paul Ide did a good job so far as our new closer with only one stinker in the final game of July, ending a streak of six straight saves for him since he came over. To be fair, we could’ve easily survived the season with Williams in there who is 1-1 10SV 1.50 0.6WAR in 18 innings since coming over… but I want a back end of the bullpen that is stellar for the playoff run.

Now, if McCreery would use them the right way would be nice.

As for Dan Hinton, there is a difficult decision to make here in five weeks. We may be able to give him 1-3 starts in AAA as rehab and a couple at the NMLB level if everything works out fine. But, the question is, do we want to stretch him out for the end of the season and the playoffs, or do we save him and shut him down for the year… How often can you go into a playoff run without your ace, get him back in time and aim for a ring?

The other starters are performing well and Sam Griffin continues to amaze me… but can they shut down any opponent in a tight game like Danny can? No, not quite.

Position Players:

DL: 2B/DH Joe Hawk(25, 2.5*) .258-5-23 .735OPS -0.1WAR 45G

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
1B Dave Grochowski .343 Batting Average – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 76 RBI – 2nd
1B Dave Grochowski .391 OBP – 4th
1B Dave Grochowski .594 SLG – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .985 OPS – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 3.1WAR – 3rd
1B Dave Grochowski 6 TP – tied 3rd
2B Fernando Perez 26HR – 1st
2B Fernando Perez .535 SLG – 5th
2B Fernando Perez 126K – 4th
LF Ignacio Benavides 74 R – 2nd
RF Ian Messer .338 Batting Average – 2nd
CF Vicente Rodriguez 6 TP – tied 3rd

Dave Grochowski is amazing. Projecting ahead from his performance this season, he won’t reach the 6WAR mark he had in 2022 but he has solidified his place between the best contract hitters in all of baseball with this season. Not bad for a 9th rounder.

Now, we stood pat at the deadline in the end. The only spot that was tempting to replace would have been the DH slot with Matt Talbert only performing at a 110 OPS+, there would’ve been marginally better options out there on the trade market, just… it didn’t feel quite worth it to give up a big prospect for that. I’d rather look for a superstar in his position like Paul Ide than hitting the market for a 3* throwaway guy that is a 2 month rental.

Prospect Watch:
AAA LF Santiago Rodriguez(2/3.5*) .277-3-20 .755OPS 44G 3/8SB 0.4WAR
AA RHSP Alejandro Corral(2/3*) 5-8 4.85 89K 1.6WAR 111.1IP 20GS
AA 1B Joe Townsend(2/3*) .250-2-8 .753OPS -0.2WAR 9G
A SS Gabe Rivera(1.5/3* HS, 1.5/4* OSA) .364-2-9 1.119OPS -0.1WAR 6G
A SS Bryan Booth(22, 2/4*) .264-13-41 .812OPS 2.0WAR 84G
A OF Tyler Dean(20, 2/5*) .361-16-73 1.050OPS 4.7WAR 85G
S A Adam Leroy(19, 1.5/4*) 1-0 0.00 4K 0.2WAR 1GS
S A LF Antonio Estrada(0.5/3.5*) .273-2-5 .883OPS 0.0WAR 7G
R LHSP John Slade(18, 1.5/4.5*) 2-0 2.45 8K 0.4WAR 2GS
R 2B/3B/SS Manny Ramirez(1/4.5*) .344-20-77 1.028OPS 1.4WAR 87G

Following the draft, we reorganized the minor league just a bit, and made some tough decisions here. First, we demoted Gabe Rivera, who we got via trade this winter, back to single A. AA was way over his head hitting wise, and he responded with a hot start at least. There, he will finish the year with Booth and Dean. That was the second hard decision… not promoting Dean to AA. No reason to rush him.

Why is that a tough one, apart from his insane numbers in A-ball? Our upper minor league system is pretty barren… yet Baseball America recently updated their top 100 prospects… get ready. Dean #1, Ramirez #2, Slade, our first rounder this year, #4, Booth #25. Holy…

By the way, despite our scouts saying he is ready for at least short A, we decided to run Slade through rookie ball at age 18, soon 19. Again, don’t rush him and give him time to settle in with professional baseball.

[Griever20]

Week 19: 3@ Pittsburgh Kings(52-53), 3vs Toronto Blue Jays(45-61)

August 1st

Expos 4-2 Winners Over Pittsburgh

Led by Dave Grochowski, the Montreal Expos defeated the Pittsburgh Kings, 4-2. Grochowski went 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 singles, while adding 2 RBI and scoring once for the Expos. Today's win puts Montreal at 69-38, while Pittsburgh falls to 52-55.

With the game tied, 2-2, in the top of the seventh, Grochowski had a key at-bat for Montreal. With the bases loaded, Grochowski hit a run-scoring single off David Mercado, making the score 3-2, Expos.

"This is a great group to be a part of, and it's a big win for us," Grochowski told the Montreal Herald. The 2x All-Star now has tied his home run total from last year already, batting .347-20-78 .995OPS 3.3WAR in 96 games.

Austin Roy(R, 11-5 3.09) - Brent Perino(R, 9-5 3.39) tomorrow. His best season so far.

SP Brett Asselin 6IP 6H 2R 2ER 5BB 7K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 RBI BB
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 3-5 R 2RBI HR PotG
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R RBI BB HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 R BB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 DB
PH/CF Sam Spangler 1-2 R
HR MON: Grochowski(20), Talbert(17)
HR PIT: Mora(22)
W: Brett Asselin(13-4 3.99) L: Jon Russo(7-7 5.04) SV: Paul Ide(25 2.18)
Lots of things happening. Asselin with his NLMB leading 13th win, Grok being awesome, Ide bouncing back from a bad outing.

August 2nd

2-1 Kings Win Avoids Sweep

Pittsburgh Kings starter Brent Perino pitched a strong game against the Montreal Expos at PMC Park, leading the Kings to victory, 2-1. He worked 6.2 innings of 1-run ball and left the game with a 1-1 tie.

"If I go out there and help the team win, that's all you can do," said Perino. After today's action, Pittsburgh sits at 53-55, while Montreal falls to 69-39.

Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead on Angelo Paima's 15th double of the season. The run-scoring double, which Paima hit in the bottom of the eighth, left Montreal pitcher Austin Williams visibly frustrated. The 7th rounder in 2015 is batting .261-19-59 .817OPS 1.2WAR in 95 games.

David Rodgers(R, 0-5 3.79) - Sam Griffin(R, 11-3 3.14) the day after tomorrow. CANADA SERIES!

SP Austin Roy 6IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 5K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-3 BB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 BB
HR MON: Grochowski(21)
HR PIT: none
W: David Mercado(1-3 4.31) L: Pablo Mendoza(3-2 4.24) SV: T.J. Hoffman(18 4.87)
Jep, that is all we got. Three stinking hits. Roy deserved better today.

August 3rd
Offday

August 4th

Blue Jays Pull Out Late-Game Win, 3-2

The Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos played an entertaining game for Olympic Stadium patrons.

The Toronto Blue Jays had to overcome a good performance from Montreal pitcher Sam Griffin to claim a 3-2 win at Olympic Stadium. Griffin went 7.2 innings and allowed 2 runs. The 4th-place Blue Jays have won 5 consecutive games.

Mike Massie, who finished 5th in the EL in runs with 106 in 2019, helped out the Toronto cause in the top of the eighth inning with a run-scoring single. For the game, the designated hitter was 1-3 with a walk. The 2019 EL MvP is batting .296-16-57 .813OPS 0.5WAR in 92 games.

"We had the right guys up at the right times," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery. "We just didn't cash in."

David Villalobos(R, 1-2 6.92) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-5 3.51) tomorrow. Once a World Series winner with us.

SP Sam Griffin 7.2IP 7H 2R 1ER 1BB 7K PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 1-3
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 R DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-2
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 RBI
HR TOR: Penaloza(11)
HR MON: Talbert(18)
W: Jeff Martinelli(6-8 4.50) L: Austin Williams(3-3 2.16) SV: none
Can’t do much if the top four of your order goes 1-14 for the day.

August 5th

Blue Jays Lose to Expos Walk-Off

The Montreal Expos defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, in part because of catcher Gabriel Cervantes. Cervantes went 3-4 with a home run and 2 singles, while scoring 2 times for the Expos.

Reliever Paul Ide picked up the win. His record improves to 1-1. Jeff Martinelli, who is tied for 7th in the EL in holds with 11, took the loss. The Expos improved their record to 70-40 with the win over Toronto. The 28-year old is batting .270-12-32 .789OPS 2.3WAR in 81 games.

The clutch at-bat came in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Montreal pinch hitter Robby Weltzer, facing Jeff Martinelli, had a run-scoring sacrifice fly. It gave the Expos the 6-5 win.

"Nice to tuck this win away," said Weltzer.

Tim Jones(R, 1-2 6.92) - Juan Miranda(R, 7-6 4.44) tomorrow. Not a great rookie season.

SP Marty Murrietta 6IP 4H 3R 3ER 3BB 11K
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 R 2RBI BB DB HR
2B Fernando Perez 0-3 R BB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R 2RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 3-4 2R RBI HR PotG
SS Rich Meilleur 2-3 R
HR TOR: Penaloza(12)
HR MON: Talbert(19), Benavides(13), Cervantes(12)
W: Paul Ide(5-5 2.14) L: Jeff Martinelli(6-9 4.33) SV: none
Nice bounceback from yesterday’s game.

August 6th

Blue Jays Take Series with 5-4 Win

The Toronto Blue Jays had to overcome a fine effort from Montreal pitcher Juan Miranda to win, 5-4, at Olympic Stadium. Miranda went 6.2 innings and allowed 5 runs. Harley Wilson snagged the win in relief. He goes to 3-0 on the season. Juan Miranda suffered the loss. Manny Ayala earned his 19th save in 24 chances.

Toronto used the timely hitting of Mike Massie to seize the win. The designated hitter stroked a 2-run single in the top of the seventh inning to put the Blue Jays on top, 5-3. It was his only hit in 5 at-bats, but it was a game-changer.

"I'm just looking for a good pitch that I can hit well," said Massie. "And not try to do too much." He is batting .295-16-59 .808OPS 0.4WAR in 94 games.

The Blue Jays improved their record to 51-62 by beating Montreal.

Andres Colon(R, 4-9 6.07) - Brett Asselin(L, 13-4 3.99) tomorrow. 2020 All-Star

SP Juan Miranda 6.2IP 5H 5R 2ER 3BB 7K L PotG
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R 2RBI BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-2 R RBI 2BB DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 R RBI 2DB
HR TOR: Mancillas(14)
HR MON: Messer(12)
W: Harley Wilson(3-0 4.37) L: Juan Miranda(7-7 4.35) SV: Manny Ayala(19 4.34)
Not our series unfortunately.

Record: 70-41, 1st in EL Northeast, 4.5G lead over NYM
Week: 3-3 (2-1 @ PIT, 1-2 @ TOR)
Power Rankings: #2(+-0)
Runs scored: 578(2nd)
Runs against: 408(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.40(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.83(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .693(1st)
Zone Rating: +40.5(1st)
Fan Interest: 83(-1)

Who's hot?
SP Austin Roy 3G 1-1 1.83 19.2IP 15K
SP Sam Griffin 4G 1-0 2.01 22.1IP 20K
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 27G 3-0 0.90 30IP 30K
RHRP Austin Williams 18G 8SV 0.52 17.1IP 22K

Who's not?
CF Sam Spangler 14G 3-20 .150 0HR 0RBI

News:
August 7th - Nationals SS Vince Shumaker(26, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 10-18 3HR 10RBI 6R. An addition via trade this July, he is batting .346-11-26 1.084OPS 1.7WAR in 40 games.

August 7th - Diamondbacks 2B Emery Martin(28, 3.5*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 12-25 3HR 8RBI 6R. The 2x All-Star is batting .281-18-52 .837OPS 2.5WAR in 103 games.

Next: 4vs Memphis Bolts(56-57), 3vs Jacksonville Patriots(51-60)

--

One 3-3 week and we lost 1.5 games of cushion.

[Griever20]

Week 20: 4vs Memphis Bolts(56-57), 3vs Jacksonville Patriots(51-60)

August 7th

Montreal Tacks 8-7 Loss on Memphis

The Montreal Expos beat the Memphis Bolts, 8-7, at Olympic Stadium. The win was due in part to designated hitter Matt Talbert, who was 2 for 4 with a home run, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2.

"I'm just looking for a good pitch that I can hit well," said Talbert. "And not try to do too much." Celebrating his birthday today, he is batting .274-20-58 .826OPS 1.2WAR in 106 games.

Brett Asselin, the winner, improved to 14-4. He held Memphis to 5 runs on 6 hits over 8 innings, while racking up 7 strikeouts. Paul Ide notched his 8th save in 8 chances.

Montreal shortstop Rich Meilleur helped the Expos go up, 5-4, in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the game tied, Meilleur hit a run-scoring single off Memphis pitcher Matt Bow.

By defeating Memphis, the first-place Expos improved to 71-41.

Chad Orlich(R, 4-6 3.20) - Austin Roy(R, 11-5 3.02) tomorrow. 2023 All-Star

SP Brett Asselin 8IP 6H 5R 5ER 2BB 7K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 R RBI BB SB(11)
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R RBI BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-5 2R DB
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 2R 2RB HR PotG
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 RBI BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 0-2 R RBI BB
HR MEM: Clinton(23), Levine(8), Garcia(12)
HR MON: Talbert(20)
W: Brett Asselin(14-4 4.07) L: Matt Bow(5-4 6.75) SV: Paul Ide(26 2.31)
Asselin was left in too long and then Cowden and a cold Paul Ide gave up single runs to make this one closer than it should have been.

August 8th

Roy Now 12-5 Following 4-0 Win

Behind an impressive start by Austin Roy, Montreal beat Memphis, 4-0. Montreal now has a record of 72-41 with the win.

Roy, the winning pitcher, raised his record to 12-5. In 8.1 innings of work, Roy gave up no runs on 1 hit, while racking up 9 Ks. He kept the Bolts punchless, offensively.

"I felt like I had pretty good command of mostly everything," said Roy. That being said, Montreal still took a hit as RHRP Austin Williams left the game with what would later be diagnosed as an oblique strain 2 weeks.

Alfonso de Jesus(R, 4-5 5.02) - Sam Griffin(R, 11-3 3.02) tomorrow. Genuine 5+ERA pitcher.

SP Austin Roy 8.1IP 1H 0R 0ER 2BB 9K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R HBP
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 0-2 2BB
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 R 2RBI HR
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MEM: none
HR MON: Talbert(21), Grochowski(22)
W: Austin Roy(12-5 2.86) L: Chad Orlich(4-7 3.15) SV: none
Roy and the pen with a 1-hitter here. Impressive.

Transactions:
RHRP Austin Williams(29, 3.5*, 3-3 20SV 2.08 63K 1.7WAR) was placed on the 15-day IL with a oblique strain 2 weeks. RHRP Freddy Silva(26, 3*, 3-1 1SV 4.91 34K -0.1WAR) was recalled.

August 9th

Bolts Hammer Griffin, Montreal, 8-1

Memphis third baseman Fernando Guerrero played a vital role in his team's 8-1 conquest of Montreal. He was 2 for 3 with a home run, a double, and a walk. He scored 2 times for Memphis. Memphis reliever Michael Brown picked up the win, upping his record to 5-4. Sam Griffin was saddled with the loss. The loss makes Montreal 72-42.

Memphis used a clutch at-bat from Aaron Levine to capture the win. The center fielder hammered a 3-run home run in the top of the second inning to put the Bolts ahead, 4-0. It was his lone hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a humdinger. The 3rd overall pick in 2019 is batting .286-9-44 .788OPS 1.9WAR in 101 games.

"We didn't pitch good, and when you don't pitch good, you lose," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

Kyle McCall(R, 6-8 4.90) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-5 3.56) tomorrow. 2018 All-Star

SP Sam Griffin 2.1IP 6H 5ER 2BB 2K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 0-4 R BB SB(12)
RF Ian Messer 1-5 RBI TP
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 BB
2B Fernando Perez 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
3B Julian Hernandez 1-3 BB
SS Rich Meilleur 2-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MEM: Levine(9), Guerrero(6), Zimmerman(4)
HR MON: none
W: Michael Brown(5-4 4.98) L: Sam Griffin(11-4 3.32) SV: none
Griffin was due for a bad one.

August 10th

Memphis Beats Montreal, 9-6

Fernando Guerrero was a vital contributor to the 9-6 Memphis victory over Montreal. The Bolts third baseman was 2 for 3 with 2 singles and a walk, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once. The 2019 EL Silver Slugger is batting .299-6-33 .855OPS 0.8WAR in 66 games.

Mike Rodriguez was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 28 of 32 save opportunities. Memphis is now 58-59, Montreal 72-43.

Josh Nadeau drew 2 walks, while adding 2 RBI and scoring once for Memphis. The 30-year old first baseman had a key at-bat in the top of the ninth. With one out and the bases loaded, he broke a 6-6 tie with a run-scoring walk off Paul Ide. It was his 36th walk of the season.

"Winning never gets dull," said Nadeau.

Xavier Davis(L, 3-8 5.33) - Juan Miranda(R, 7-7 4.35) tomorrow. 34th overall 2019

SP Marty Murrietta 5.1IP 2H 4R 4ER 6BB 6K ND
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R RBI BB HR
RF Ian Messer 2-3 R DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5
DH Matt Talbert 0-4 R HBP
LF Sam Spangler 3-5 2R RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 R 2BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 RBI
2B Robby Weltzer 3-3 3RBI
HR MEM: none
HR MON: Hernandez(15)
W: David Schreiber(5-6 5.77) L: Paul Ide(5-6 3.04) SV: Mike Rodriguez(28 3.45)
Ide now has an ERA of 6.10 with us… the collapse is coming?

August 11th

Montreal Slaps 9-2 Loss on Jacksonville

The Montreal Expos stopped the Jacksonville Patriots, 9-2, at Olympic Stadium. The Expos got a big game from Dave Grochowski, who went 4-5 with a double and 3 singles. He drove in 3 runs and scored once. The 2x All-Star is batting .340-22-84 .980OPS 3.5WAR in 105 games.

Montreal pitcher Juan Miranda got the win, upping his record to 8-7. Xavier Davis got the loss. The loss makes Jacksonville 54-62.

Fernando Perez, who is tied for 7th in the EL with a .514 slugging percentage, chipped in a 2-run home run for Montreal in the bottom of the third. For the game, the second baseman had 2 hits in 3 at-bats with 1 home run, 1 single, 1 run scored, and 2 runs batted in.

"Very pleased with the effort on our side," said Perez.

Paul Kirksey(L, 5-11 4.42) - Brett Asselin(L, 14-4 4.07) tomorrow. Better than his ERA…

SP Juan Miranda 7IP 5H 2R 2ER 1BB 2K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-3 R RBI 2BB
1B Dave Grochowski 4-5 R 3RBI DB PotG
2B Fernando Perez 2-3 R 2RBI 2BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 1-5
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5 R
RF Sam Spangler 2-5 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 R BB
C Jordan Chavis 1-3 2R 2RBI BB
HR JAC: Derry(3), Jones(10)
HR MON: Perez(27)
W: Juan Miranda(8-7 4.26) L: Xavier Davis(3-9 5.49) SV: none
Good thing we scored enough to keep them away from the back end of our pen…

August 12th

Asselin Nets #15 as Expos Win, 3-1

Montreal turned a fine outing from starter Brett Asselin into a victory over the Jacksonville Patriots at Olympic Stadium. The final score was 3-1. The Eastern League North East Division-leading Expos have a record of 74-43.

The Expos had to work out of trouble in the top of the ninth. The score was 3-1, Montreal, with two out. Jacksonville, with runners on 1st and 2nd, was mounting a threat. Kevin Jones dug in at the plate, but on a 1-2 sinker, he grounded out.

B.J. Pitcher(R, 10-8 5.01) - Austin Roy(R, 12-5 2.86) tomorrow. The name…

SP Brett Asselin 7.1IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 8K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
2B Fernando Perez 1-4 DB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R TP
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R RBI BB SB(14)
SS Robby Weltzer 3-4 R SB(7)
HR JAC: none
HR MON: none
W: Brett Asselin(15-4 3.94) L: Paul Kirksey(5-12 4.45) SV: Paul Ide(27 2.98)
Asselin keeps on winning and Ide got his act together today.

August 13th

12-5 Win Seals Sweep For Expos

The Montreal Expos defeated the Jacksonville Patriots, 12-4, at Olympic Stadium. Leading the charge for Montreal was first baseman Dave Grochowski. He went 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 2. Austin Roy picked up the win, lifting his record to 13-5 on the season. He struck out 9 and walked 1 in 5.2 innings, while yielding 4 runs. With the win, Montreal pushed its record to 75-43.

Ignacio Benavides, who is tied for 9th in the EL in hits with 130, helped out the Montreal cause in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run-scoring single. For the game, the left fielder went 1-4 with a walk. The leadoff hitter is batting .284-13-51 .791OPS 13/17SB 2.1WAR in 1214 games.

"It's disappointing, but we have to move on," Jacksonville manager Dave Meyer said: "You're going to have games like that."

Sam Griffin(R, 11-4 3.32) - Robby Alacon(R, 5-3 2.57) the day after tomorrow. #49 prospect prior for the season

SP Austin Roy 5.2IP 8H 4R 3ER 1BB 9K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 RBI BB SB(13)
RF Ian Messer 1-5 R RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 3R RBI BB HR PotG
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 2R 2RBI BB DB HR
DH Matt Talbert 3-5 R RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 1-1 R bruised wrist 1 week
3B/2B James Slowik 1-4 R 2RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 3-5 2R RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 R RBI BB SB(7)
HR JAC: Crews(16)
HR MON: Grochowski(23), Talbert(22), Perez(28)
W: Austin Roy(13-5 2.92) L: B.J. Pitcher(10-9 5.28) SV: none
Bring the brooms. As for Hernandez, he is only hampered lightly while hitting, we will have him on the bench and run him out only if needed…

Record: 75-43, 1st in EL Northeast, 5G lead over NYM
Week: 5-2 (2-2 vs MEM, 3-0 vs JAC)
Power Rankings: #1(+1)
Runs scored: 621(2nd)
Runs against: 439(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.44(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.88(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .695(1st)
Zone Rating: +44.1(1st)
Fan Interest: 83(+-0)

Who's hot?
RHRP Mitsuyasu Kai 29G 3-0 1.14 31.2IP 34K

Who's not?
none

News:
August 7th - Detroit LHSP Bret Engling(32, 3.5*) blanked the Nationals 9-0 with a complete game 2-hitter with 2BB and 9K The 3x All-Star is 6-9 3.45 82K 1.0WAR in 18 starts.

August 12th - The Nationals and 2023 EL All-Star C Luke Kelly(25, 4.5*) have agreed to a 8y/$162.4M contract extension today. The star catcher is batting .313-7-41 .781OPS 1.8WAR in 90 games this season.

August 14th - Nationals RF Fernando Sanchez(25, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-24 2HR 7RBI 7R. A waiver claim this spring, he is batting .295-17-58 .825OPS 1.8WAR in 90 games.

August 14th - Salt Lake City 1B Fernando Rodriguez(30, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 13-28 2HR 6RBI 8R. The 3x All-Star is batting .286-26-71 .868OPS 1.8WAR in 118 games.

Next: 3@ Salt Lake City Bearcats(54-65), 3@ New York Mets(70-48)

--

We gained a game of cushion, the next weekend series will be crucial. That’s why we didn’t put Hernandez on the IL.

[Griever20]

Week 21: 3@ Salt Lake City Bearcats(54-65), 3@ New York Mets(70-48)

August 14th
Offday

August 15th

Bearcats Score Late to Nip Expos, 6-5

Salt Lake City beat Montreal at Bearcats Park, escaping with a 6-5 win. The win in large part was due to first baseman Fernando Rodriguez. He went 2-4 with a home run and a double. He scored 2 times. The winner was Salt Lake City reliever Tim Ford, now 2-2. The loser was Paul Ide. With the win over Montreal, the Bearcats improved to 55-65.

The Bearcats were down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth inning, when 30-year old left fielder Alex Quinones landed a big blow. He turned a first pitch splitter from Paul Ide into a 2-run single. The walk-off single sent the Bearcats Park denizens into a frenzy and sent the Bearcats home with a thrilling 6-5 win.

"The crowd went nuts," Quinones said.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-5 3.72) - Carlos Aguilar(R, 7-7 4.12) tomorrow. Solid low 4ERA pitcher.

SP Sam Griffin 6.1IP 9H 3R 3ER 0BB 4K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-4 R BB SB(14)
1B Dave Grochowski 2-5 R 2RBI DB
DH Matt Talbert 2-5 R RBI
3B Robby Weltzer 1-4 R RBI BB DB SB(8)
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-5
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 RBI BB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-4 R
HR MON: none
HR SLC: Rodriguez(27)
W: Tim Ford(2-2 2.81) L: Paul Ide(5-7 2.94) SV: none
The closer role is cursed.

August 16th

Bearcats Deal Montreal 5-3 Defeat

Bearcats second baseman David Johnson left his mark on his team's 5-3 win over the Montreal Expos. Johnson was 1 for 1 with a home run, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 for Salt Lake City in the contest. With the win, Salt Lake City has a record of 56-65. Montreal falls to 75-45.

Johnson had a game-changing home run in the bottom of the seventh. On a 1-0 fastball from Marty Murrietta, he banged a 2-run home run to right-center, giving the Bearcats a 5-3 lead. It was the 2nd home run of the year for Johnson while batting .244 in 30 games.

"We take it day by day here," said Johnson, "and today was a good one for us."

Juan Miranda(R, 8-7 4.26) - Jose Nunez(L,4-4 4.29) tomorrow. Fragile pitcher with a great heater.

SP Marty Murrietta 6IP 8H 5R 5ER 1BB 8K L
RF Ian Messer 2-4 DB
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 R RBI HR
3B Robby Weltzer 2-4 2R 2DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3
SS Rich Meilleur 3-4 2RBI 2DB
HR MON: Talbert(23)
HR SLC: Rodriguez(28), Johnson(2)
W: Luke Valliere(3-4 4.18) L: Marty Murrietta(7-6 3.93) SV: Willie Panama(10 7.41)
Speaking about collapsing.

August 17th

Bearcats Suffer 9-2 Home Defeat

The Montreal Expos knocked off the Salt Lake City Bearcats, 9-2, in Eastern League action at Bearcats Park. Montreal pitcher and Boyden, Iowa, native Juan Miranda had an outstanding performance. With the win, Montreal raised its record to 76-45.

Montreal used a well-timed hit by Robby Weltzer to capture the win. The shortstop socked a 2-run double in the top of the fourth inning to put the Expos ahead, 4-1. Though it was his only hit in 4 at-bats, it was important. He is batting .283-1-16 .740OPS 8/8SB 0.8WAR in 42 games.

"Juan did a heck of a job," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

Brett Asselin(L, 15-4 3.94) - Hector Tinoco(R, 6-7 3.44) tomorrow. Strong, solid arm…

SP Juan Miranda 6.2IP 6H 1R 1ER 0BB 9K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-5 DB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-5 R
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 2R 2RBI BB DB HR PotG
2B Fernando Perez 1-5
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 3R TP
RF Ian Messer 0-3 2RBI BB
C Jordan Chavis 1-4 2R
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 R 2RBI BB DB
SS Robby Weltzer 1-4 2RBI DB
HR MON: Grochowski(24)
HR SLC: none
W: Juan Miranda(9-7 4.12) L: Jose Nunez(4-5 4.33) SV: Mitsuyasu Kai(1 1.74)
At least one win.

August 18th

5 game difference, three against the New York Mets now…

Dominant Performance by Tinoco in NY Win

The New York Mets downed the Montreal Expos, 3-0, at Citi Field. Stellar pitching by Hector Tinoco had a lot to do with it. The right-hander, who is tied for 9th in the EL with a 1.21 WHIP, handcuffed his opponent all game. Brian Sirianni recorded the save. In save chances, he's now 25 for 27. With the win over Montreal, the Mets improved to 72-50.

Tinoco yielded no runs on 3 hits over 7.1 innings for the Mets. For the season, Tinoco has a record of 7-7 with 141 strikeouts.

" Hector was dealing," said New York manager Nathan Sandlin.

Austin Roy(R, 13-5 2.92) - Darrell Weber(R, 1-1 3.68) tomorrow. Nutin’ special, get him boys.

SP Brett Asselin 6.2IP 8H 2R 2ER 3BB 8K L
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-4 HBP
HR MON: none
HR NYM: Blackson(2)
W: Hector Tinoco(7-7 3.25) L: Brett Asselin(15-5 3.89) SV: Brian Sirianni(25 2.35)
**** 4G lead.

August 19th

Montreal Tacks 4-2 Loss on New York

New York wasted an exceptional performance by pitcher Darrell Weber, falling to the Montreal Expos, 4-2. Weber threw 7.0 innings of 3-hit ball for the losing team. Montreal now sits at 77-46, while New York falls to 72-51.

Montreal used a well-timed hit by Matt Talbert to capture the win. The designated hitter socked a bases-clearing double in the top of the third inning to put the Expos ahead, 4-0. Though it was his only hit in 4 at-bats, it was important.

"We can always improve and get better, but we're feeling confident after that win," said Talbert. The 26-year old .282-23-66 .849OPS 1.8WAR in 117 games.

Sam Griffin(R, 11-4 3.37) - Edgar Hernandez(R, 9-3 3.44) tomorrow. Strong between pen and rotation.

SP Austin Roy 3.2IP 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 5K ND back stiffness 5 days
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 R
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 3RBI
HR MON: none
HR NYM: Lee(13)
W: Joe Herzer(4-0 2.56) L: Darrell Weber(1-2 2.49) SV: Paul Ide(28 2.88)
A win! Our offense was pitiful apart from that one big hit by Matt.

August 20th

Expos Lose to Mets, 5-2

The New York Mets defeated the Montreal Expos, 5-2, in Eastern League action at Citi Field. New York pitcher Edgar Hernandez had a standout performance. Hernandez, now 10-3, was the winner. In 8 innings, he gave up 5 hits, while striking out 3, walking 0, and allowing 2 runs. By defeating Montreal, the second-place Mets improved to 73-51.

The Mets picked up the win with a combination of good hitting and good pitching.

"Edgar is tough to beat when he's hitting his spots," said New York manager Nathan Sandlin.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-6 3.93) - Melvin Magana(R, 4-5 6.59) tomorrow. That guy…

SP Sam Griffin 3.2IP 10H 5R 5ER 1BB 1K L
3B Robby Weltzer 0-4 RBI
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R DB
LF Sam Spangler 1-4 RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 R DB
2B James Slowik 1-3 DB
HR MON: none
HR NYM: none
W: Edgar Hernandez(10-3 3.35) L: Sam Griffin(11-5 3.60) SV: Brian Sirianni(26 2.30)
Damn. We had some scheduled offdays today, which didn’t exactly help us.

Record: 77-47, 1st in EL Northeast, 4G lead over NYM
Week: 2-4 (1-2 @ SLC, 1-2 vs NYM)
Power Rankings: #2(-1)
Runs scored: 644(2nd)
Runs against: 462(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.50(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.78(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .691(1st)
Zone Rating: +44.0(1st)
Fan Interest: 83(+-0)

Who's hot?
LHSP Brett Asselin 2G 1-1 1.93 14IP 16K
RHRP Glen McKeen 12G 0-0 1.17 15.1IP 21K

Who's not?
none

News:
August 15th - Astros RHSP Grant Morea(32, 2.5*) pitched a gem tonight, 9IP 5G 0ER 1BB 8K in a 11-0 win over the Oaks. The 2x Gold Glover is 6-4 1SV 3.58 90K 0.9WAR in 24G/11GS.

August 18th - San José RHSP Eddie Baiamonte(31, 3*) destroyed the Kansas City Royals 10-0 today with a 9IP 3H 0ER 0BB 7K performance. The 5x All-Star is 1-5 4.14 75K 1.2WAR in 14 starts.

August 21st - Rangers SS Lazaro Miranda(24, 4*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 10-25 2HR 11RBI 5R. The 2022 Silver Slugger is batting .286-17-83 .826OPS 3.0WAR in 114 games.

August 21st - San José RF Andy Doherty(25, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 16-29 2HR 7RBI 5R. The sophomore is batting .285-20-5 .840OPS 2.5WAR in 119 games between CAL and SJ.

Next: 4@ Chicago Rangers(62-63), 3vs San Francisco Red Devils(71-52)

--

Hnnggg… it’s not like we won’t make the Wild Card if we collapse… but I want that Division Crown.

[Griever20]

Week 22: 4@ Chicago Rangers(62-63), 3vs San Francisco Red Devils(71-52)

August 21st

Expos Top Rangers in Extras, 8-4

The Montreal Expos picked up a win at Globe Life Field, knocking off the Chicago Rangers, 8-4. Starting pitcher Marty Murrietta played a key role in the triumph. He worked 6.1 innings of 1-run ball with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts, but got a no-decision.

Montreal reliever Freddy Silva was the winner. His record is now 4-1. Juan Ospina took the loss. The first-place Expos, at 78-47, lead the Eastern League North East Division by 4½ games.

Matt Talbert drew 2 walks in 5 trips to the plate for Montreal. The 26-year old designated hitter had a key at-bat in the top of the tenth. With no one out and the bases loaded, he broke a 4-4 tie with a run-scoring walk off Juan Ospina. It was his 38th walk of the season.

"It's the best feeling when you come through for your teammates," said Talbert.

Juan Miranda(R, 9-7 4.12) - Jacob Smucker(R, 8-6 4.48) tomorrow. 15-game winner with 3.08ERA last year.

SP Marty Murrietta 6.1IP 5H 1R 1ER 4BB 9K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-6
3B Julian Hernandez 1-6 2R SB(11)
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 R DB
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 R RBI BB DB
DH Matt Talbert 0-3 R RBI 2BB
RF Sam Spangler 3-5 2R DB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 R 3RBI DB TP
PH Robbie Weltzer 1-2 RBI
C Jordan Chavis 1-4 2RBI
HR MON: none
HR CHI: none
W: Freddy Silva(4-1 4.26) L: Juan Ospina(1-3 6.30) SV: none
Hidden in that: Dustin Jenkins got a blown save on a Benavides error in left field scoring three unearned runs.

August 22nd

Smucker Leads Chicago Past Montreal

The home crowd had a good time watching the Montreal Expos and Chicago Rangers get after it.

Chicago registered a win at Globe Life Field by beating the Montreal Expos, 5-1. Pitcher Jacob Smucker was one reason why the Rangers triumphed. By defeating Montreal, the 4th-place Rangers improved to 63-64.

Smucker allowed 1 run on 3 hits over 7.1 innings for the Rangers. With the win, he is 9-6 with an ERA of 4.31.

"For the most part, I made good pitches when I needed to," said Smucker.

Brett Asselin(L, 15-5 3.89) - Carlos Botello(R, 9-4 4.26) tomorrow. Another solid arm.

SP Juan Miranda 5.2IP 6H 4R 4ER 0BB 5K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-3 TP
RF Ian Messer 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-4
CF Sam Spangler 0-2 2BB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
HR MON: Talbert(24)
HR CHI: Scott(7)
W: Jacob Smucker(9-6 4.31) L: Juan Miranda(9-8 4.21) SV: none
Smucker and the rest held us to six hits.

August 23rd

#16 for Asselin as Expos Deal Rangers 5-3 Defeat

Montreal Expos starter Brett Asselin found his groove in his team's 5-3 win over the Chicago Rangers. The winner was Asselin. He threw 8.0 innings of 5-hit ball. The loser was Mitchell O'Day. The Expos improved their record to 79-48 with the win over Chicago.

Montreal used a clutch at-bat from Gabriel Cervantes to capture the win. The catcher hammered a 3-run home run in the top of the fourth inning to put the Expos ahead, 3-0. It was his lone hit in 3 at-bats, but it was a humdinger. He is batting .261-13-36 .773OPS 2.5WAR in 94 games.

"I like our moxie," said Expos manager Aaron McCreery.

Austin Roy(R, 13-5 2.91) - Burgess Steen(R, 6-7 4.51) tomorrow. 8x Gold Glover.

SP Brett Asselin 8IP 5H 3R 3ER 0BB 8K W PotG
RF Ian Messer 2-4 DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 R 2BB
DH Matt Talbert 2-5 2R
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 R 3RBI HBP HR
SS Rich Meilleur 2-4 RBI DB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 RBI DB
HR MON: Cervantes(13)
HR CHI: Alvarez(4)
W: Brett Asselin(16-5 3.86) L: Mitchell O’Day(3-4 4.05) SV: Paul Ide(29 2.82)
Asselin may become the ace that Danny may never be because he just does not stop or get injured.

August 24th

Transactions:
RHRP Freddy Silva(26, 3*, 4-1 1SV 4.26 41K 0.2WAR) was demoted to AAA as RHRP Austin Williams(29, 3.5*, 3-3 20SV 2.08 63K 1.7WAR 43.1IP) was activated off the IL.

Talbert hits 2 home runs, Expos Move to 80-48

The Montreal Expos defeated the Chicago Rangers, 10-7. Doing his part was designated hitter Matt Talbert, who hit 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice. Montreal is now 80-48, Chicago 63-66.

Montreal used the hitting of Jordan Chavis to pick up the win. The catcher clubbed a 2-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to put the Expos on top, 9-6. For the game, Chavis had 1 home run and 1 single in 5 at-bats.

"It doesn't matter if you're 10 games over .500 or 10 games under, it feels good to win," Chavis told the Montreal Herald. The backup catcher is batting .220-7-21 .697OPS 0.1WAR in 47 games.

Luis Garcia(R, 6-10 3.60) - Sam Griffin(R, 11-5 3.60) tomorrow. This year’s All-Star on a playoff bound team.

SP Austin Roy 5.2IP 10H 6R 6ER 1BB 3K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5 2R RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 2-5 2R 2RBI DB HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-4 2R RBI BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 3-3 2R 4RBI 2BB 2HR
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R DB HBP SB(15)
C Jordan Chavis 2-5 R 2RBI HR
HR MON: Hernandez(16), Perez(29), Talbert 2(26), Benavides(14), Chavis(7)
HR CHI: Abreu(1)
W: Austin Roy(14-5 3.14) L: Burgess Steen(1-3 6.26) SV: Paul Ide(30 2.79)
Roy was on the right team and survived 5 to get a cheap win.

August 25th

Garcia Now 7-10 After Beating Expos

At Olympic Stadium, the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Red Devils were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.

San Francisco turned a fine outing from starter Luis Garcia into a victory over the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium. The final score was 4-0. San Francisco goes to 73-54, Montreal to 80-49.

The Expos had trouble solving Garcia, who surrendered no runs on 4 hits over 7 innings.

"I just tried to focus on getting that first guy out every inning," said Garcia.

Jonathan Neumann(R, 11-5 4.06) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-6 3.79) tomorrow. Week of good opposing pitchers…

SP Sam Griffin 7.0IP 9H 4R 4ER 0BB 5K L
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3
HR SF: none
HR MON: none
W: Luis Garcia(7-10 3.44) L: Sam Griffin(11-6 3.68) SV: none
Garcia and the back end of their pen got us shut down easily today…

August 26th

Transactions:
In order to maximise our pinch-hit potential, UT James Slowik(26, 2.5*, .226-0-16 .557OPS -0.5WAR 39G/25GS) was demoted to AAA to make room for 2B/DH Joe Hawk(25, 2.5*, .258-5-23 .735OPS -0.1WAR), who came off the IL today.

Expos Walk-Off Red Devils in 11

The Montreal Expos scored a tight, 4-3 win versus the San Francisco Red Devils at Olympic Stadium. Montreal pitcher Marty Murrietta held his own in the contest. Montreal pitcher Dustin Jenkins got the win. He's now 4-1. Pat Dugger was tagged with the loss. Montreal is now 81-49, San Francisco 73-55.

"Marty had good stuff. When he did get into a compromising count, he made the most of it," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

The Expos got a clutch hit from shortstop Rich Meilleur. In the bottom of the 11th, he delivered a run-scoring single to win the game for the Expos. He is batting .284-8-52 .768OPS 3.1WAR in 117 games.


Francisco Colon(R, 0-2 7.32) - Juan Miranda(R, 9-8 4.21) tomorrow. For the series!

SP Marty Murrietta 7.0IP 7H 0R 0ER 0BB 7K ND
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 R RBI BB
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 R RBI BB
DH Matt Talbert 1-5
3B Julian Hernandez 1-5 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-5 RBI
CF Sam Spangler 1-2 RBI
HR SF: Schwarz(15)
HR MON: none
W: Dustin Jenkins(4-1 2.93) L: Pat Dugger(4-4 2.59) SV: none
Guess what happened between Murrietta’s gem and that walk-off win… Paul Ide 0.2IP 3ER BS(3)

August 27th

San Francisco Beats Montreal, 5-0

San Francisco turned a good effort from starter Francisco Colon into a win over the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium. The final score was 5-0. The winning pitcher was Colon, now 1-2. He tossed 5 innings of 3-hit ball, while walking 3 and fanning 7. With the win, San Francisco upped its record to 74-55.

Freddy Naranjo had a big 2-run home run for the Red Devils in the top of the fourth inning. With San Francisco leading 1-0 and a runner on 2nd, he sized up a fastball from Juan Miranda, who is tied for 9th in the EL with a 1.20 WHIP, and punished it. The result was his 2nd home run of the season, which put the Red Devils on top, 3-0.

"If we play like this, we can win a lot of games," Colon told the San Francisco Observer.

Carlos Botello(R, 9-4 4.30) - Brett Asselin(L, 16-5 3.86) tomorrow. Rematch.

SP Juan Miranda 5.0IP 5H 4R 4ER 4BB 8K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3 BB
3B Fernando Perez 0-3 BBR
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
HR SF: Naylor(2), Naranjo(2)
HR MON: none
W: Francisco Colon(1-2 5.84) L: Juan Miranda(9-9 4.30) SV: none
We had nuthin’ today.

Record: 81-50, 1st in EL Northeast, 3.5G lead over NYM
Week: 4-3 (3-1@ CHI, 1-2 vs SF)
Power Rankings: #3(-1)
Runs scored: 672(2nd)
Runs against: 493(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.55(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.72(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .688(2nd)
Zone Rating: +45.3(1st)
Fan Interest: 83(+-0)

Who's hot?
RHSP Marty Murrietta 2G 0-0 0.67 13.1IP 16K
RHRP Austin Williams 21G 8SV 0.45 20IP 25K

Who's not?
IF Robby Weltzer 7G 1-22 .045 0HR 2RBI

News:
August 23rd - Oakland RF Josh McGrath(23, 2.5/3*) hammered 3 home runs today in a close 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Eagles, going 3-4 3R 4RBI 3HR. The 2018 12th rounder is batting .261-6-15 .862OPS 0.4WAR through the first 21 games of his NMLB career.

August 26th - Gamblers RHCL Noah Fletcher(35, 4*) collected career save #400 today. The 2018 WL Reliever of the Year and 6x All-Star is a career 66-75 400SV 2.72 868K 26.7WAR pitcher in 888.2IP and 796 games, all with Las Vegas.

August 28th - New York 1B Jay Blackson(29, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 12-23 1HR 6RBI 7R. The 2x All-Star is batting .251-22-71 .747OPS 0.8WAR in 120 games.

August 28th - Oakland RF Josh McGrath(23, 2.5/3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 11-24 6HR 9RBI 9R.

Next: 3 vsChicago Rangers(65-67), 3@ Memphis Bolts(64-68)

--

Was a tough week against a playoff bound opponent.

[Griever20]

Week 23: 3 vsChicago Rangers(65-67), 3@ Memphis Bolts(64-68)

August 28th

Chicago Slaps 3-2 Loss on Montreal

The Chicago Rangers picked up a win at Olympic Stadium, courtesy of Carlos Botello. The right-hander helped his team stop the Montreal Expos, 3-2. Chicago is now 66-67, Montreal 81-51.

"I felt great. Had good rhythm with my mechanics," said Botello.

Chicago used a well-timed hit by Edwin Jimenez to capture the win. The center fielder socked a run-scoring double in the top of the fourth inning to put the Rangers ahead, 3-0. Though it was his only hit in 3 at-bats, it was important. The 2x All-Star is batting .280-3-29 .735OPS 51/54SB 1.7WAR in 95 games.

Burgess Steen(L, 6-8 4.76) - Austin Roy(R, 14-5 3.14) tomorrow. 5ER in 2.2IP last week.

SP Brett Asselin 7.0IP 9H 3R 3ER 1BB 6K L
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 3-4 R RBI 2DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-3
PH Ian Messer 1-1
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 RBI
RF Sam Spangler 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 2-3 TP
HR CHI: none
HR MON: none
W: Carlos Botello(10-4 4.22) L: Brett Asselin(16-6 3.86) SV: Alfonso Lara(1 0.96)
We were offensively challenged today…

August 29th

Expose Dispose of Rangers, 8-4

The Montreal Expos cut down the Chicago Rangers by the score of 8-4, with the largest share of the credit going to first baseman Dave Grochowski. Grochowski went 4-5 with a triple, a double, and 2 singles, while adding 2 RBI and scoring once for the Expos.

Grochowski told a Montreal Herald reporter that he was "satisfied" with the win. The 2x All-Star is batting .336-24-94 .967OPS 3.8WAR in 121 games.

Austin Roy, the winning pitcher, is now 15-5. He went 6.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, while fanning 6 and walking 2. Montreal is now 82-51. Chicago is 66-68.

Montreal designated hitter Matt Talbert contributed a timely at-bat in the bottom of the second. With two down, he hit a sinker to center field for a 2-run single. It was his 132nd hit of the season and put the Expos ahead, 6-2.

Reizo Yoshimura(R, 5-7 3.45) - Sam Griffin(R, 11-6 3.68) tomorrow. 27-year old import from Japan.

SP Austin Roy 6.2IP 8H 3R 3ER 2BB 6K W
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 2-5 2R DB
1B Dave Grochowski 4-5 R 2RBI DB TP
2B Fernando Perez 0-0 HBP bruised shin 4 days
PR/ SS Rich Meilleur 0-4 2R
DH Matt Talbert 2-3 R 2RBI BB
RF Ian Messer 3-4 3RBI DB
SS Robby Weltzer 1-4 SB(9)
CF Sam Spangler 1-3 R BB
HR CHI: Chacon(6), Fondren(14), Ramos(7)
HR MON: none
W: Austin Roy(15-5 3.17) L: Burgess Steen(1-4 7.14) SV: none
Offense! Steen is pretty washed up at age 31 it seems. Perez is only hobbling a bit, but can hit, so no DL stint.

August 30th

Yoshimura Schools Montreal in 3-0 Chicago Triumph

The Chicago Rangers picked up a win at Olympic Stadium, knocking off the Montreal Expos, 3-0. Starting pitcher Reizo Yoshimura was a big reason why. Austin Berry was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 24 of 33 save opportunities. The Rangers improved their record to 67-68 by beating Montreal.

Yoshimura delivered a quality start for Chicago. The 5-foot-11 right-hander allowed no earned runs on 3 hits over 7.1 innings of work.

"I tell our guys all the time, 'Every pitch is the right pitch if you put it in the right place, you believe in it and have conviction,'" Chicago manager Brett Morse said.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-6 3.58) - Kyle McCall(R, 7-9 5.13) the day after tomorrow. Was with TOR last year and pretty good there.

SP Sam Griffin 7.1IP 5H 2R 1ER 2BB 4K L
RF Ian Messer 2-3
PH Jordan Chavis 1-1
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 DB intercostal strain 2 days
HR CHI: Chacon(7)
HR MON: none
W: Reizo Yoshimura(6-7 3.25) L: Sam Griffin(11-7 3.56) SV: Austin Berry(24 5.04)
Ouch. V-Rod will be fine with the offday tomorrow… but not the best way to end the month of August.

August 31st
Offday

END OF AUGUST

News:
August 28th - Arizona RF Ricardo Orta(33, 3*) collected career home run #300 today. The 2x Silver Slugger and 1x All-Star is a career .261/.351/.453 300HR 827RBI 943R 1628H 19.6WAR hitter in 1687 games between TOR and ARI.

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Washington RF Jorge Saldana(26, 3.5*) .352-7-22 1.030OPS 1.3WAR 1x All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Atlanta RHSP George Ostermeyer(23, 4/4.5*) 4-0 2.52 36K 32.1IP 6GS 0.5WAR 2nd overall in 2018, but fragile
Rookie of the Month: Montreal LHSP Brett Asselin(24, 3/4*) 4-2 3.35 44K 43IP 6GS 0.8WAR Leads everyone in W.

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Arizona 2B Emery Martin(28, 3.5*) .347-9-21 1.148OPS 1.6WAR 2x WL All-Star
Pitcher of the Month: Padres RHSP Joe Baier(26, 4*) 5-0 2.02 37K 40.0IP 6GS 0.8WAR 2022 WL All-Star
Rookie of the Month: Seattle RHSP Rick Ramer(25, 3*) 4-0 1.04 41K 34.2IP 5GS 1.4WAR 11th Rounder 2017

It was a 14-14 month and it certainly felt like treading water. Injuries were not a concern that much, but it was single performances that hurt us a lot, looking at you, Paul Ide. Our main rivals from New York picked up two games on us with five players putting up an OPS of .800+ last month. We had two in Talbert and Grok… With all being said, we will be in the playoffs regardless as our lead on a Wild Card slot is substantial… I want that division badly.

In the South East, the big money Houston Astros($288M budget) have a 6.5 game lead and they are living the dream of having a 36-year old 3x Cy Young winner in SP Orlando Turrietta(36, 4*, 11-5 3.69 163K 5.3WAR) having a bounceback season and a half, and they rely heavily on him and the pitching as they are 15th in runs scored… I’m not scared by them.

A team that shot up in the standings despite having 29 games in 31 days… are the Padres with a 21-8 month. Apart from the Pitcher of the Month above(who is 15-2), they have four starters with an ERA under four, and it can be said that Alberto Avalos(24, 3*, 8-7 3.19 178K 3.8WAR), claimed off waivers from Washington in 2023, is the co-ace here. Oh, and adding CF Brian Garcia(30, 3.5*, .272-31-77 .883OPS 2.9WAR) via trade in July made a huge difference.

Pitching:

DL: RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 4.5*) 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR 7GS partially torn labrum 4 days

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
RHSP Sam Griffin 4.3WAR – 2nd
RHSP Sam Griffin 5.0 K/BB – 4th
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.4 BB/9 – 1st
RHSP Sam Griffin 3.22 FIP – 3rd
RHSP Austin Roy 3.17 ERA – 4th
RHSP Austin Roy 15 W – 2nd
RHSP Austin Roy 176IP – 2nd
RHSP Austin Roy 1.16 WHIP – 4th
LHSP Brett Asselin 16 W – 1st
LHSP Brett Asselin 177IP – 1st
LHSP Brett Asselin 170K – 5th
RHCL Paul Ide 30 – 3rd

Paul Ide with us: 1-3 12SV 5.87 25K -0.1WAR. ****. Sam Griffin also had a tough month with a 4.98ERA and four losses in six games… he was due, despite me loving him to death for what he has done in the last years. That puts up the question: what to do with Dan Hinton and who is leaving the rotation.

The easy answer is, we recalled Freddy Silva as player #27, and will put Dan Hinton in after two rehab starts, and run with a six-man rotation until the end of the season. Easy Easy. Practically, Miranda is the odd man out, he has been the weakest link in the rotation… not that means that he is bad.

Position Players:

DL: nobody

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
1B Dave Grochowski .333 Batting Average – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 94RBI – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .381 OBP – 4th
1B Dave Grochowski .579 SLG – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski .959 OPS – 1st
1B Dave Grochowski 3.7WAR – 4th
1B Dave Grochowski 159 H – 3rd
1B Dave Grochowski 7 3B – tied 3rd
2B Fernando Perez 29HR – 3rd
2B Fernando Perez 166 K – 3rd
LF Ignacio Benavides 83 R – tied 3rd
RF Ian Messer .323 Batting Average – 5th

Our offense came down to earth this month. Messer hit a .263 clip, which is more up to what you can expect from him, and Fernando Perez only hit .220 with three home runs. Hernandez .202, Cervantes .200. The guy that kept us afloat: Matt Talbert with a .300/.353/.627 10HR 23RBI 1.1WAR month.

We have to bounce back in September to have a good run into October, but I trust the kids. By the way, despite a cold August, Fernando Perez leads Rookie hitters by 0.6WAR over Memphis CF Aaron Levine(24, 3/4.5*, .286-15-56 .800OPS 2.3WAR) and Asselin is tied with Atlanta SP Daniel Gardreau(23, 3*, 10-12 4.26 164K 2.5WAR)… another Rookie of the Year in the making for us?

Prospect Watch:
AA RHSP Alejandro Corral(2/3*) 5-12 5.53 113K 141.2IP 26GS 1.8WAR
S A RHSP Adam LeRoy(17, 1.5/4*) 3-0 1.73 28K 5GS 0.9WAR shoulder inflammation 4-5 months
R LHSP John Slade(19, 1.5/4.5*) 5-0 2.47 41K 8GS 1.4WAR

A RHRP Luis Solano(21, 2/3.5*) 3-5 9SV 1.70 34K 42.1IP 1.0WAR
S A RHRP Josh Reinke(19, 1.5/3.5*) 0-2 22SV 2.43 24K 33.1IP 0.2WAR
R RHRP Jose Herrera(17, 1.5/4*) 4-6 19SV 3.83 46K 44.2IP 1.5WAR
R LHRP Manuel Sanchez(17, 1.5/3.5*) 6-2 9SV 3.72 47K 46IP 0.4WAR

AAA LF Santiago Rodriguez(2/3.5*) .268-6-34 .756OPS 70G 6/13SB 0.8WAR
AA 1B Joe Townsend(2/3*) .246-7-31 .758OPS 34GS -0.1WAR
A OF Tyler Dean(20, 2/5*) .358-23-93 1.061OPS 112G 6.5WAR
A SS Bryan Booth(22, 2/4*) .267-21-62 .841OPS 111G 2.4WAR
S A LF Antonio Estrada(18, 0.5/3.5*) .222-7-19 .753OPS 33GS -0.2WAR
R 2B/3B/SS Manny Ramirez(1/4*) .338-28-95 1.024OPS 109G 2.3WAR
R 1B Jose Velasquez(18, 0.5/3.5*) .301-3-19 .784OPS 36GS -0.2WAR

Reorganized the list a bit. As you can see, we don’t have hot **** above single A right now. Bad news, our supplemental round pick in Adam LeRoy is out for the season, and most of the lower draft picks are slashed down to 3* prospects. Yet, our top prospects are still on track and we will have another wave of talent in a few years… and yes Santiago Rodriguez stays on the trade block.

[Griever20]

Week 23: 3 vsChicago Rangers(65-67), 3@ Memphis Bolts(64-68)

September 1st

Bolt Handle Montreal, Snag 8-4 Win

The Memphis Bolts powered past the Montreal Expos, 8-4, at Bolts Grounds. Brian Clinton went 2 for 4 with 2 home runs and a walk, to lead the charge. Kyle McCall, who went 6 innings, was the winning pitcher. He was charged with 3 runs on 7 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 7. His record now stands at 8-9. Memphis is now 66-70, while Montreal is 82-53.

John Foley had a big 3-run home run for the Bolts in the bottom of the second inning. With Memphis leading 3-0 and runners on 2nd and 3rd, he sized up a fastball from Marty Murrietta, who is tied for 10th in the EL in quality starts with 13, and punished it. The result was his 15th home run of the season, which put the Bolts on top, 6-0.

"We did more than enough to get the win," said Foley. The 2x Silver Slugger is batting .257-15-56 .775OPS 0.5WAR in 99 games.

Juan Miranda(R, 9-9 4.30) - Jose Archuleta(R, 7-9 4.87) tomorrow. Had a 3.36ERA year in 2021.

SP Marty Murrietta 4IP 9H 7R 3ER 1BB 3K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 0-3 BB
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3 R 3RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-4 R RBI HR
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 R
HR MON: Grochowski(25), Cervantes(14)
HR MEM: Levine(16), Foley(15), Clinton 2(25)
W: Kyle McCall(8-9 5.11) L: Marty Murrietta(7-7 3.68) SV: none
That was not good enough. An error by Hernandez started the slide for Murrietta and he never recovered.

September 2nd

Multi HR-Game for Grochowski in 7-6 Win

A 5-RBI performance from Dave Grochowski, who leads the EL with a .595 slugging percentage, helped the Montreal Expos beat the Memphis Bolts, 7-6. Montreal reliever Dustin Jenkins picked up the win to move to 5-1. Alfonso de Jesus suffered the loss. After today's action, Montreal sits at 83-53, while Memphis falls to 66-71.

Grochowski had an important at-bat with runners on 1st and 2nd in the top of the eighth, when he hit a 3-run home run. The Expos went on to win.

"It wasn't a pretty victory," said Grochowski, "but we got it done." The 2x All-Star is batting .335-27-102 .977OPS 4.1WAR in 124 games.

Brett Asselin(L, 16-6 3.86) - Eric Brooks(L, DNP) tomorrow. 11-5 3.28 3.5WAR in AAA

SP Juan Miranda 6.1IP 9H 5R 5ER 3BB 4K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 2-5 R
RF Ian Messer 2-4 2R HBP
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 2R 5RBI BB 2HR PotG
2B Fernando Perez 1-5 R RBI HR
SS Rich Meilleur 0-2 R 2BB
HR MON: Grochowski 2(27), Perez(30)
HR MEM: Cendejas(13), Zimmerman(7)
W: Dustin Jenkins(5-1 2.95) L: Alfonso de Jesus(4-8 5.06) SV: Paul Ide(31 3.38)
Hard fight today, and we managed to make it interesting when Miranda improded in the 7th and Ide allowed a run in his save.

September 3rd

Memphis Downed, 3-1, by Expos

The Montreal Expos had to overcome a good performance from Memphis pitcher Eric Brooks to claim a 3-1 win at Bolts Grounds. Brooks went 8 innings and allowed no runs. Paul Ide got the save, his 14th in 17 chances. Montreal raised its record to 84-53 with the win.

Montreal won the game in part because of Matt Talbert. The designated hitter ripped a 2-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to put the Expos ahead, 3-1. For the game, Talbert had 1 double and 1 home run in 4 at-bats. He is batting .278-27-77 .847OPS 1.8WAR in 131 games.

Montreal manager Aaron McCreery called it "a pretty good win."

Austin Roy(R, 15-5 3.17) - Cristiano Zavala(R, 5-7 3.65) tomorrow. Strong groundballer.

SP Brett Asselin 3.2IP 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 2K ND sprained ankle 4 weeks
PH Sam Spangler 1-1 R RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-4 R DB
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 R 2RBI DB HR
C Jordan Chavis 2-3
HR MON: Spangler(2), Talbert(27)
HR MEM: none
W: Austin Williams(4-3 1.86) L: Mike Rodriguez(3-5 4.00) SV: Paul Ide(32 3.31)
I blacked out when Asselin fell down awkwardly trying to cover first on a grounder…

Transactions:
LHSP Brett Asselin(24, 3/4*, 16-6 3.84 172K 2.6WAR) was placed in the 15-day IL with his sprained ankle 4 weeks. In an act of desperation, we recalled RHP Cesar Alvarado(23, 2.5*, 0-1 2SV 7.26 37K 31IP -0.3WAR). He rebounded in AAA, going 6-2 2.55 55K 12G/11GS 1.7WAR since we demoted him.

Record: 84-53, 1st in EL Northeast, 4G lead over NYM
Week: 3-3 (1-2vs CHI, 2-1 @ MEM)
Power Rankings: #3(+-0)
Runs scored: 696(2nd)
Runs against: 518(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.57(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.63(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .688(2nd)
Zone Rating: +47.7(1st)
Fan Interest: 82(-1)

Who's hot?
RHRP Glen McKeen 13G 0-0 1.15 15.2IP 23K
RHRP Austin Williams 24G 8SV 0.39 23IP 30K
1B Dave Grochowski 6G 10-24 .417 3HR 11RBI

Who's not?
IF Robby Weltzer 11G 2-32 .062 0HR 2RBI
LF Ignacio Benavides 6G 3-34 .125 0HR 0RBI

News:
September 2nd - Detroit 2B Juan Velez(28, 3*) lost a strong 28-game hitting streak today. The 2020 EL All-Star is batting .315-15-83 .852OPS 2.5WAR in 28 games.

September 3rd - Detroit RHSP Seth Dykstra(31, 4*) blanked the Eagles 7-0 today with a complete game 5-hitter with 1BB and 12K. the 5x Cy Young winner is 9-2 2.05 841K 2.7WAR in 12 games after missing time with a torn triceps.

September 4th - Jacksonville CF Cory Carter(22, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-21 2HR 7RBI 7R. The rookie is batting .316-9-29 .883OPS 1.4WAR in 50 games.

September 4th - San Francisco CF Jordan Ocegueda(24, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 12-26 4HR 12RBI 6R. A 2x All-Star at his young age, he is batting .313-26-104 .912OPS 4.4WAR in 127G.

Next: 3@ Philadelphia Grizzlies(66-71), 3@ Boston Aeros(59-77)

--

Coming up, two series against divisional rivals that have dropped out of the playoff race. If Ide serves up a grand slam to his former team, I’ll kill him.

[Griever20]

Week 24: 3@ Philadelphia Grizzlies(66-71), 3@ Boston Aeros(59-77)

September 4th

Expos Lose Game, 6-5, and 15-game Winner

Jose Maldonado was instrumental in his team's 6-5 triumph over the Montreal Expos. The first baseman went 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 singles. He drove in 3 runs and scored once for the Philadelphia Grizzlies. Dave Golberg came out of the bullpen to earn the win. The left-hander allowed no runs on 4 hits in 2.2 innings. His record now stands at 3-0. With the win, Philadelphia has a record of 67-71. Montreal falls to 84-54.

Maldonado had an important at-bat with runners on 1st and 2nd in the bottom of the seventh, when he hit a 3-run home run. The Grizzlies went on to win. "Trying isn't good enough in this league," said Maldonado. "You've got to get results." He is batting .284-3-39 .756OPS 2.3WAR with Gold Glove defense in 131 games.

The worst news however came to the Montreal Expos in the 4th when starting pitcher Austin Roy left the game in discomfort. The crushing diagnosis: torn rotator cuff 13 months.

Sam Griffin(R, 11-7 3.56) - Jessie Dittus(R, 5-14 5.13) tomorrow. Steady decline from a 3.95ERA in 2020 to now.

SP Austin Roy 3.2IP 3H 2R 2ER 3BB 4K ND torn rotator cuff 13 months
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 2R HBP
RF Ian Messer 4-5 2R RBI TP
DH Matt Talbert 0-5 RBI
2B Fernando Perez 2-4 2RBI DB
1B Joe Hawk 1-3 R RBI HR
C Gabriel Cervantes 2-3 BB DB
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
HR MON: Hawk(6)
HR PHI: Maldonado(3), Victor(21)
W: Dave Golberg(3-0 5.37) L: Kevin Cowden(1-3 3.45) SV: Jose Gutierrez(29 3.38)
Kill me.

September 5th

Transactions:
RHSP Dan Hinton(24, 4.5*, 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR 7GS) was sent to AAA for a rehab assignment and will make his first start today. RHSP Austin Roy(26, 3.5*, 15-5 3.21 173K 3.6WAR) was placed on the 60-day IL and in a hard decision process, we decided to not call up Cody Bowman(26, 2.5*, 10-10 4.05 108K 3.2WAR AAA), but the better performing RHSP Ryan Harrison(22, 2.5*, 11-8 3.08 113K 3.5WAR AAA) to the majors. 40-man full. Harrison is a 19th round selection in 2018 from high school that steadily rose through the minors and is nothing special, apart from some above average movement on his pitches.

Philadelphia Beaten, 3-1, by Montreal

Montreal and Philadelphia played a hard-fought contest.

In a low-scoring contest, Montreal pitcher Sam Griffin was marvelous, enabling his team to nab a 3-1 win. Paul Ide was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 15 of 18 save opportunities.

Montreal used a timely hit from Sam Spangler to get the win. The pinch hitter stroked a 2-run double in the top of the eighth inning to put the Expos ahead, 3-1. It was his only hit in 1 at-bat, but it made an impact. The 22-year old is batting .296-2-8 .814OPS 0.3WAR in 39 games.

Griffin called the win the result of "everyone being in sync."

Montreal now sits at 85-54, while Philadelphia falls to 67-72.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-7 3.68) - Hugh Kieninger(R, 9-8 4.88) tomorrow. All-Star last year.

SP Sam Griffin 7.1IP 5H 1R 1ER 0BB 7K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 0-3 2BB
RF Ian Messer 1-5
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R BB TP
2B Fernando Perez 2-5 R
DH Matt Talbert 1-4 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 2-3 RBI
PH Sam Spangler 1-1 2RBI DB
SS Rich Meilleur 2-4
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MON: none
HR PHI: Munoz(12)
W: Sam Griffin(12-7 3.45) L: Armando Berumen(2-5 5.48) SV: Paul Ide(33 3.25)
Ide didn’t blow up, we won the game and in other news, Hinton threw 72 pitches, is still alive and got shelled.

September 6th

Grizzlies Take Tight Tangle

Philadelphia picked up a win at Citizens Bank Park, bumping off the Montreal Expos, 4-3. Pitcher Hugh Kieninger was a major reason the Grizzlies emerged victorious. Jose Gutierrez converted his 30th save in 36 tries.

"Coming in, from the get-go, I knew my stuff was good," said Kieninger. After today's action, Philadelphia sits at 68-72; Montreal slips to 85-55.

Fidel de Leon, who finished 4th in the EL in slugging percentage with .567 in 2020, helped out the Philadelphia cause in the bottom of the fifth inning with a 2-run single. For the game, the second baseman went 1 for 3 with a walk. He drove in 2 runs and scored once. He is batting .293-24-66 .925OPS 3.9WAR in 103 games.

Jordan Arroyo(R, 5-10 6.13) - Juan Miranda(R, 9-9 4.42) the day after tomorrow. Had a better year in 2022.

SP Marty Murrietta 7IP 7H 3R 3ER 5BB 7K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R
1B Dave Grochowski 3-3 2RBI BB DB TP
DH Matt Talbert 1-1 DB mild groin strain 3 days
DH Joe Hawk 1-3 R
SS Rich Meilleur 1-3 RBI
C Jordan Chavis 2-4 R
HR MON: none
HR PHI: Forbes(3)
W: Ricky Espinal(5-6 4.48) L: Austin Williams(4-4 1.98) SV: Jose Gutierrez(30 3.32)
Another stinker.

September 7th
Offday

September 8th

Miranda Deals Boston 5-0 Setback

The Montreal Expos knocked off the Boston Aeros, 5-0, in Eastern League action at Olympic Stadium. Montreal pitcher and Boyden, Iowa, native Juan Miranda had an outstanding performance. With the win, Montreal raised its record to 86-55.

In his 97-pitch effort, Miranda allowed no runs on 4 hits over 7 innings. He walked 1 and struck out 7.

"Juan pitched the ball pretty freaking great," said Montreal manager Aaron McCreery.

Steve Behanna(R, 11-11 4.96) - Cesar Alvarado(R, 0-1 7.26) tomorrow. Beat us in his only start.

SP Juan Miranda 7IP 4H 0R 0ER 1BB 7K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 3-5 R DB
RF Ian Messer 0-4 R SB(17)
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 R RBI BB SB(4)
2B Fernando Perez 1-4 RBI
DH Matt Talbert 2-4 2R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-3 BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 0-1 2RBI BB HBP knee contusion 3 days
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 RBI
HR BOS: none
HR MON: none
W: Juan Miranda(10-9 4-23) L: Jordan Arroyo(5-11 6.15) SV: none
Miranda stepped up big time and we scored enough runs to keep Ide of the mount.

September 9th

Boston Beats Montreal, 3-1

Olympic Stadium was the site of a tense game between the Montreal Expos and Boston Aeros.

In a low-scoring contest between the Boston Aeros and the Montreal Expos, Steve Behanna, who is tied for 6th in the EL in wins with 12, proved to be the difference. The Boston right-hander earned props for his performance in the 3-1 Aeros win. Ron Becker earned his 7th save in 7 chances.

Boston used a timely hit from Frank Marquez to get the win. The third baseman stroked a run-scoring double in the top of the seventh inning to put the Aeros ahead, 2-1. It was his only hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a difference-maker. The 2023 EL All-Star is batting .249-29-82 .801OPS 2.3WAR in 130 games between BOS and MEM.

"Steve kept his poise and got the job done," said Boston manager Tony Rodriguez. "He was outstanding."

Boston is now 61-80, Montreal 86-56.

Ed Shaulis(R, 3-5 4.14) - Ryan Harrison(R, DNP) tomorrow. NMLB debut vs. traded for Ide.

SP Cesar Alvarado 5.2IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 5K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-3 BB SB(15)
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4
2B Fernando Perez 0-3 R BB
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 BB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 RBI
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-2 BB
HR BOS: Barrales(13)
HR MON: none
W: Steve Behanna(12-11 4.82) L: Dustin Jenkins(5-2 3.36) SV: Ron Becker(7 0.00)
Alvarado wasn’t a train wreck. We just lacked offense. Again.
September 10th

Harrison Strong as Expos Walk-Off in 11

The Montreal Expos racked up a win at Olympic Stadium, bumping off the Boston Aeros, 3-2, in 11 innings. Ryan Harrison, who started his NMLB career today for Montreal, pitched effectively for his team. He worked 6.1 innings of 5-hit and 1-run ball, walking two and striking out 5.

"It's a thrill to get that kind of win," Harrison said. Reliever Freddy Silva picked up the win. His record improves to 5-1. Isaiah Starks took the loss. Montreal goes to 87-56, Boston to 61-81.

The Expos got a clutch hit from catcher Gabriel Cervantes. In the bottom of the 11th, he delivered a run-scoring single to win the game for the Expos. The 28-year old is batting .253-14-38 .758OPS 2.6WAR in 107 games.

Zach Laurents(R, 13-6 4.44) - Sam Griffin(R, 12-7 3.45) tomorrow. Hasn’t pitched against us so far this year.

SP Ryan Harrison 6.1IP 5H 1R 1ER 2BB 5K ND
2B Fernando Perez 3-4 R BB 2DB
DH Matt Talbert 0-4 R BB
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4 R RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4 RBI
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 RBI
HR BOS: Barrales(14), Smith(20)
HR MON: none
W: Freddy Silva(5-1 3.86) L: Isaiah Starks(2-3 6.75) SV: none
Harrison with a great debut and a well fought out win today. Oh, and Hinton pitched 6.1 scoreless in AAA. One more rehab start and then he is good to go.

Record: 87-56, 1st in EL Northeast, 3G lead over NYM
Week: 3-3 (1-2@ PHI, 2-1 vs BOS)
Power Rankings: #4(-1)
Runs scored: 716(3rd)
Runs against: 534(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.50(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.63(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .689(2nd)
Zone Rating: +47.3(1st)
Fan Interest: 82(+-0)

Who's hot?
RHSP Sam Griffin 2G 1-1 1.23 14.2IP 11K
RHRP Glen McKeen 15G 0-0 1.02 17.2IP 25K

Who's not?
IF Robby Weltzer 11G 1-21 .047 0HR 0RBI

News:
September 4th - Washington 2B Jose Chavez(23, 2.5/3*) collected a big 3 home run night in a 16-0 win over Chicago, going 4-6 3R 8RBI DB 3HR. The rookie is batting a hot .264-9-31 .810OPS 0.4WAR in 56 games.

September 11th - Washington 2B Jose Chavez(23, 2.5/3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 10-20 4HR 9RBI 5R.

September 11th - San Diego 1B David Dose(30, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 13-27 1HR 4RBI 7R. A former 1st overall pick is batting .314-9-55 .833OPS 27/31SB 3.3WAR in 117G.

Next: 4@ New York Mets(84-59), 3@ Toronto Blue Jays(60-83)

--

The next series is big for the division crown. We dropped another game to them, but we have three of our remaining strong starters lined up plus Alvarado.

[Griever20]

Week 25: 4@ New York Mets(84-59), 3@ Toronto Blue Jays(60-83)

September 11th

Expos Walk it Off to Make it 4 Game Lead

The Montreal Expos eked out a 3-2 win versus the New York Mets at Olympic Stadium. Nobody did more than pitcher Sam Griffin. He was terrific. Griffin worked 5.1 innings of 3-hit and 2 run ball, but go a no-decision.

Montreal reliever Paul Ide picked up the win, raising his record to 2-3. Brian Sirianni was tagged with the loss. The first-place Expos, at 88-56, now lead their division by 4 games.

Vicente Rodriguez was the walk-off hero for Montreal. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Expos center fielder hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home.

Montreal manager Aaron McCreery called it "a darn good win."

Bubba Hubbard(R, 8-8 4.88) - Marty Murrietta(R, 7-7 3.69) tomorrow. Trade Acquisition at the deadine, 4.21ERA since then.

SP Sam Griffin 5.1IP 3H 2R 2ER 2BB 4K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 4-5 R DB
RF Ian Messer 3-5
PH/CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-2 RBI
2B Fernando Perez 2-3 R BB
DH Matt Talbert 1-4
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R
CF Sam Spangler 1-3 R BB
HR NYM: Cantu(29)
HR MON: none
W: Paul Ide(6-7 3.09) L: Brian Sirianni(3-4 2.60) SV: none
A bit too close for comfort, but did the trick.

September 12th

Lee has 5 RBI to Ignite Mets Offense

The New York Mets stopped the Montreal Expos, 9-6, at Olympic Stadium. The Mets got a big game from Yong-gwan Lee, who went 1-3 with a home run and 2 walks. He scored 2 times and drove in 5. Today's win puts New York at 85-60, while Montreal falls to 88-57.

With New York leading 5-2 in the top of the sixth, Lee hit a fastball from Glen McKeen for a grand slam home run. It was his 15th home run of the season and put the Mets ahead, 9-2.

"Feels good to get the job done," Lee said after the game. The 2021 EL All-Star is batting .265-15-60 .741OPS 1.4WAR in 128 games.

Edgar Hernandez(R, 11-5 3.77) - Juan Miranda(R, 10-9 4.23) tomorrow. Money waiver claim in 2023.

SP Marty Murrietta 5.0IP 3H 8R 5ER 7BB 6K L
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 R
RF Ian Messer 3-5 R 2RBI 2DB
1B Dave Grochowski 1-5 R 3RBI HR
3B Julian Hernandez 4-5 DB
2B Joe Hawk 2-3 R DB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-3 RBI BB DB
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 2R BB DB
HR NYM: Lee(15)
HR MON: Grochowski(28)
W: Brian Hubbard(9-8 4.86) L: Marty Murrietta(7-8 3.88) SV: none
Murrietta’s 45 control shining through…

September 13th

Expos Bridle Mets, 4-3

Baseball fans saw a good contest between the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.

The Montreal Expos knocked off the New York Mets, 4-3, in Eastern League action at Olympic Stadium. Montreal pitcher and Boyden, Iowa, native Juan Miranda had an outstanding performance. He worked 6.1 innings of 3-run ball and improved to 11-9.

Paul Ide was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 16 of 19 save opportunities.

The Expos got a big at-bat from designated hitter Matt Talbert. For the game, Talbert was 1-3 with a home run and was hit by a pitch. He drove in 2 runs and scored once. In the bottom of the fifth, with a runner on 2nd, he stroked a 2-run home run. His 28th home run of the season gave Montreal a 4-2 lead.

Montreal manager Aaron McCreery commended his team for delivering "maximum effort."

The first-place Expos, at 89-57, lead the Eastern League North East Division by 4 games.

Hector Tinoco(R, 10-8 3.62) - Cesar Alvarado(R, 0-1 6.38) tomorrow. This could be ugly.

SP Juan Miranda 6.1IP 7H 3R 3ER 0BB 5K W PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-4 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3 R BB DB
2B Fernando Perez 1-4
DH Matt Talbert 1-3 R 2RBI HR HBP
3B Robby Weltzer 3-3 R DB
HR NYM: Lemke(13)
HR MON: Benavides(15), Talbert(28)
W: Juan Miranda(11-9 4.23) L: Edgar Hernandez(11-6 3.89) SV: Paul Ide(34 3.03)
Miranda with a fine effort… one more for the series win…

September 14th

Multi-HR Day for Neighbors as Mets Overpower Expos, 5-3

The New York Mets topped the Montreal Expos by a score of 5-3. Leading the way was catcher Josh Neighbors. Neighbors hit 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice for the Mets. New York is now 86-61, Montreal 89-58.

Neighbors had a game-changing home run in the top of the eighth. On a 0-1 fastball from Dustin Jenkins, he banged a 2-run home run to left, giving the Mets a 5-3 lead. It was the 12th home run of the year for Neighbors.

"I'm just looking to see the ball, hit the ball," said Neighbors. The rookie is batting .235-12-30 .787OPS 0.9WAR in 70G/43GS.

Ryan Harrison(R, 0-0 1.42) - Paul Davis(R, 9-9 3.95) tomorrow. CANADA SERIES!

SP Cesar Alvarado 5.1IP 6H 2R 2ER 3BB 2K ND
3B Julian Hernandez 2-4 R 2DB
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R RBI DB
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 RBI DB
DH Matt Talbert 0-2 RBI BB
LF Sam Spangler 1-3
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
C Jordan Chavis 1-3 R
HR NYM: Neighbors 2(12)
HR MON: none
W: Trevor Vega(4-1 2.70) L: Dustin Jenkins(5-3 3.50) SV: Brian Sirianni(32 2.56)
Naughty Neighbors.

September 15th

Perez Homers Thrice as Expos Win, 6-4

The Montreal Expos beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-4, at Skydome. The win was due in part to second baseman Fernando Perez, who slugged 3 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored three times. Montreal is 90-58 and Toronto, with the loss, 62-86.

Perez had a game-changing home run in the top of the eighth. On a first pitch fastball from Larry Burke, he banged a 2-run home run to left, giving the Expos a 6-4 lead. It was the 33rd home run of the year for Perez. He is batting .254-33-77 .837OPS 3.7WAR in 117 games.

"We took home the win," said Perez. "What's not to like?"

Sam Griffin(R, 12-7 3.45) - Brendan Lucas(R, 7-9 4.03) tomorrow. Nickname: Crime Dog…

SP Ryan Harrison 5.0IP 7H 3R 3ER 1BB 4K ND
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5 R
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 R 2RBI HR
1B Dave Grochowski 1-3
PH Jordan Chavis 1-1 R
2B Fernando Perez 3-4 3R 4RBI 3HR PotG
RF Sam Spangler 2-4 2DB
HR MON: Perez 3(33), Hernandez(17)
HR TOR: none
W: Dustin Jenkins(6-3 3.59) L: Larry Burke(1-5 6.55) SV: Paul Ide(35 2.98)
Perez was quiet the last weeks… let’s hope he gets hot again…. But in bigger news…

WE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF BERTH TODAY!

Transactions:
Following his final rehab start(7ER…), Dan Hinton(24, 4.5*, 3-1 1.67 47K 1.3WAR) was activated off the IL today. In order to make room, AAA LHSP Cody Bowman(26, 2.5*, 10-11 4.09 111K 3.4WAR AAA) was waived and designated for assignment. We will still go with the plan of a 6-man rotation for the rest of the regular season tho.

September 16th

Montreal 5-4 Losers to Blue Jays

The 5-4 Toronto win over Montreal was due in large part to Oscar Cabrera. The Blue Jays first baseman was 3-4 with a home run and 2 singles. He drove in 3 runs and scored once.

"I was just going up there trying to see good pitches, that was about it," said Cabrera. The 2021 EL Silver Slugger is batting .233-20-54 .734OPS 0.5WAR in 105 games.

Jeff Martinelli picked up the win in relief, improving his record to 8-10. Sam Griffin, who is a three-time All-Star, was tagged with the loss. Toronto now sits at 63-86, while Montreal falls to 90-59.

Luis Penaloza, who is tied for 9th in the EL in triples with 5, chipped in a run-scoring single for Toronto in the bottom of the sixth. For the game, the right fielder had 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 home run, 1 single, 1 run scored, and 2 runs batted in.

Marty Murrietta(R, 7-8 3.88) - Ryan Niese(R, 2-1 5.31) tomorrow. 14th rounder in 2014, debut season.

SP Sam Griffin 6.1IP 9H 5R 4ER 0BB 4K L
1B Dave Grochowski 2-4 2R DB
2B Fernando Perez 3-4 2R 2RBI HR
DH Matt Talbert 2-4
3B Julian Hernandez 1-4 RBI
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
HR MON: Perez(34)
HR TOR: Penaloza(14), Cabrera(20)
W: Jeff Martinelli(8-10 3.92) L: Sam Griffin(12-8 3.53) SV: Manny Ayala(24 3.86)
Griffin seems to run out of steam… or is going back to his usual average season.

September 17th

Toronto Downed, 3-0, by Expos

Getting an impressive start from Marty Murrietta, Montreal beat Toronto by the score of 3-0. Dustin Jenkins, credited with the win in relief, is now 7-3. He allowed no runs on no hits in 1.1 innings. Paul Ide converted his 18th save in 21 tries.

Dave Grochowski came through with a big-time hit for Montreal. The first baseman smacked a 2-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to give his team the lead, 2-0. It was his only hit, but it was clutch.

"This level of focus will win us a lot of ballgames," Murrietta said after the game.

The win gives Montreal a season record of 91-59.

Juan Miranda(R, 11-9 4.23) - Tony Allmon(L, 9-5 4.14) tomorrow. 2022 All-Star

SP Marty Murrietta 6.2IP 5H 0R 0ER 2BB 12K ND PotG
LF Ignacio Benavides 1-5
RF Ian Messer 1-3
1B Dave Grochowski 1-4 R 2RBI HR
2B Fernando Perez 1-3 R RBI BB HR
DH Matt Talbert 0-2 2BB
C Gabriel Cervantes 1-4
SS Rich Meilleur 1-4
PH/SS Robby Weltzer 1-1 HBP
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
HR MON: Perez(35), Grochowski(29)
HR TOR: none
W: Dustin Jenkins(7-3 3.52) L: Larry Burke(1-6 7.11) SV: Paul Ide(36 2.93)
Murrietta from 8R last game to 6.2 scoreless… the control is still holding him back a lot.

Record: 91-59, 1st in EL Northeast, 3G lead over NYM
Week: 4-3 (2-2 vs NYM, 2-1 @ TOR)
Power Rankings: #2(+2)
Runs scored: 745(3rd)
Runs against: 562(1st)
Starters ERA: 3.54(1st)
Bullpen ERA: 3.55(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .688(2nd)
Zone Rating: +48.3(1st)
Fan Interest: 81(-1)

Who's hot?
RHSP Dan Hinton 5G 2-0 0.59 30.2IP 35K
2B Fernando Perez 8G 14-28 .500 5HR 7RBI

Who's not?
None

News:
September 13th - Salt Lake City 1B Fernando Rodriguez(30, 3*) collected career home run #300 today in a 10-5 win over the Padres. The 3x All-Star is a career .265/.323/.528 300HR 742RBI 615R 1116H 11.9WAR player in 1098 games, all with the Bearcats.

September 14th - Sacramento 3B Bryan Hurst(32, 2.5*) collected a big 5-hit game, going 5-5 2R RBI in a 6-4 win over the Denver Seahawks. The lefty is hitting .212-6-28 .581OPS -1.5WAR in 113 games.

September 18th - Montreal 2B Fernando Perez(23, 3.5/4*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-24 5HR 7RBI 7R. The prime Rookie of the Year candidate is batting .259-35-80 .856OPS 3.9WAR in 119 games.

September 18th - San José C Caleb Godina(31, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 8-14 3HR 6RBI 5R. Signed till the end of 2027 for $17.8M p.a., he is batting .260-13-54 .759OPS 2.1WAR in 116G.

Next: 3@ Washington Nationals(79-70), 3vs Atlanta Minuteman(67-83)

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CLINCHED! And still three games ahead in the division. And Perez is hot. AAAND Paul Ide has now pitched eight scoreless since his last blunder on September 2nd.