It starts tomorrow: the makeshift BN Dogathon substitute for the Blogathon this year. I’m already thinking about what I can – and cannot – eat today to try to set myself up to not get sick over the next two days, eating nothing but hot dogs. I mean, I like hot dogs all right, but not enough to eat them constantly for two days. More details on the fundraiser for Make-A-Wish here.
•  For the second straight game, the Cubs put together a 9th inning rally that netted them a one-run loss in a game that was otherwise out of hand. That always just winds up making me angrier than I would have been if they’d just lost 6-2 or whatever. I guess on the bright side, you like that they keep pushing. On the less bright side, a loss is a loss, and there isn’t necessarily enough time in this season for things to “balance out.” The Cubs are going to need to, you know, push across some more runs earlier on in the game. Or at least not tease the crap out of us late.
•  Kyle Hendricks had yet another rough outing on the road in Cincinnati, which has been a real bugaboo for him. This time, he didn’t allow any walks, but his command was sufficiently spotty that he gave up more hard contact than usual (and 10 hits over his 6.0 innings).
•  I don’t want to get into a whole what’s-the-deal-with-Hendricks-on-the-road thing, because we know his road numbers have been quite bad the last couple years, and I don’t really have an explanation for it. One thing I’ve noticed – feels like it’s been his last three starts there – is that when Hendricks pitches at Great American Ballpark, it isn’t just that he doesn’t have his typical command, it’s that he’s up. And I don’t mean when he intentionally tries to go upstairs, I mean his pitches that are intended to be down wind up higher by three to nine inches:
•  Just no pitches there at the very bottom of the zone and slightly below. I don’t want to say for sure it’s just a road/Cincy thing, though, because in his previous outing – at Wrigley – against the White Sox, he was also up. So maybe something got off in his mechanics. In any case, just so you have the visual contrast, here’s what he looked like in the previous start – also at Wrigley – when he dominated the Cardinals:
•  Eugenio Suarez, who went 3-3 with a homer, a double, and a walk, came into last night’s game hitting .167/.286/.363 with a 75 wRC+. The guy could play until he’s 60 so long as the Reds only deploy him against the Cubs after age 38 or whatever.
•  Speaking of playing until you’re 60, Manny Ramirez is still trying to play professional ball, and he’s been touring the world while doing so. I respect it:
Breaking: Manny Ramirez, 48, signs 1-year deal with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League. Diamondstar international Baseball Agency with agent Hector Zepeda did the deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 29, 2020
•  Charging gear, ovens, and shavers are among your Deals of the Day at Amazon today. #ad
•  It was all just some extra dancing. After he’d previously agreed to buy the Mets, backed out because the Wilpons wanted to retain control for another five years, and then the pandemic struck, Steve Cohen is back to being the guy who is going to buy the Mets (and I bet he’s getting a huge discount from the January price):
Per @DavidFaber, Steve Cohen has entered exclusive negotiations to buy the Mets and is expected to reach a deal within days. This is a statement from Alex Rodriguez. pic.twitter.com/K1hqQSqslt
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 29, 2020