Now Warming Up…MLB!

Let's start with the Opener.

***Shohei ended the MVP race in the National League this week with the most prodigious day in the batter's box this baseball fan has ever seen.  Going 6 for 6 with three mammoth homers, and stealing two bases to seal the first 50-50 season in MLB history, Ohtani also had two doubles among the barrage.  Wow.  Will teams pitch to him in the postseason? I wouldn’t.

Now to the Set Up Man.

 *** A postseason without the Braves may be in the offing.  Most thought Atlanta would be at the top of the NL, along with the Dodgers. But the loss of Acuna took the Braves from a great team to a good team.  Sitting in third place in the NL East, the Braves need things to go their way to make the playoffs.  Atlanta made the playoffs for an MLB record 14 straight years from 1991 to 2005, and currently have made the playoffs for 6 straight years while last winning the World Series in 2021.

Now the Closer.

***With the Baltimore Orioles General Manager, Mike Elias, claiming their team has lost their mojo as they have been mired behind the Yankees, I see it as a not-so-subtle kick in the pants for the team.  They have had their share of injuries to their starting pitching, but this is a playoff team.  Elias certainly expects a better performance than their quick playoff exit of 2023.  It seems like a “prove me wrong” moment from the guy who built the team.  I like it. 

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging." ~ Hank Aaron