CNOTES CFL BEST BETS-NEWS-NOTES-WRITEUPS !

Cnotes53

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Saturday’s 6-pack:
Last six players to hit four home runs in a game:
2025— Nick Kurtz
2025— Eugenio Suarez
2017— JD Martinez
2017— Scooter Gennett
2012— Josh Hamilton
2003— Carlos Delgado

Quote of the Day
“It’s arguably the best game I’ve ever watched from a single player. This kid (Nick Kurtz) continues to have jaw-dropping moments.”
A’s manager Mark Kotsay

Saturday’s quiz
Who holds the Oakland/Sacramento A’s single-season record for most pitching wins in a season?

Friday’s quiz
When the Giants beat Detroit in the 2012 World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was the Tigers’ manager.

Thursday’s quiz
On June 29, Washington’s James Wood was walked intentionally four times in one game; before that night, Barry Bonds was the last player to get four intentional walks in a game, in 2004.

**********************************************

Saturday’s Den: Wrapping up a very warm Friday night…….

— A’s 15, Astros 3
Rookie 1B Nick Kurtz had one of the greatest games in baseball history:
He went 6-for-6, and scored six runs.
He hit four home runs, a single and a double.
He drove in eight runs.
He tied the all-time record for total bases in a game (19), a record that Shawn Green set in 2002.

— Angels 3, Mariners 2 (10)
Zach Neto had a walk-off single on his bobblehead night.
Angels’ bullpen allowed only 3 baserunners in four scoreless IP.
Julio Rodriguez had two home runs for Seattle.

— Diamondbacks 1, Pirates 0 (11)
Pittsburgh had one hit the whole game, Pham’s 2nd inning triple.
Eugenio Suarez hit a sac fly in the 11th inning.
Teams combined to go 0-18 with runners in scoring position.

— Rockies 6, Orioles 5
Baltimore hit four solo home runs in the first two innings, led 4-0.
Colorado is 5-2 since the All-Star break.
Orioles are only MLB team without a walk-off win this season.

— Phillies 12, New York 5
New York led 3-2 after the sixth inning.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice, scored three runs, had four RBI.
Schwarber got his 1,000th career hit in this game.
New York’s bullpen gave up 10 runs in 3.1 IP.

— Twins 1, Nationals 0
Rookie Zebby Matthews allowed two hits in his six scoreless IP.
Byron Buxton’s 5th inning sac fly scored the game’s only run.
Washington hasn’t scored in its last 21 innings.

— White Sox 12, Cubs 5
White Sox led this game 9-0 in the fourth inning.
Cubs ace Imanaga gave up 12 hits, seven runs in three IP.
Rookie C Edgar Quero had his first career 4-hit game.

— Cardinals 3, Padres 0
San Diego has lost four games in a row.
Willson Contreras got on base four times, scored twice.
Miles Mikolas tossed 5 shutout IP, despite getting only one whiff in his 73 pitches.

Famous birthdays, July 26th:
Bob Lilly, 86
Dick Grubar, 78
Mike Rae, 74
Jody Reed, 63
Sandra Bullock, 61
Kate Beckinsale, 52
Delonte West, 42
Ryan O’Hearn, 32
Van Jefferson, 29
Gavin Williams, 26

— Thoughts/prayers go out to Kansas Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self, who went to the hospital this week and had a procedure with two stents inserted in arteries near his heart. He is expected to make a full recovery.
62-year old Self had a similar procedure two years ago.

— New Jersey Jets QB Justin Fields dislocated a toe on his right foot this week; he isn’t expected to miss much time, should be ready for the season opener against Pittsburgh, his old team.
Tyrod Taylor is the Jets’ backup QB; he’s started 58 NFL games (28-29-1).

— Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson a mild hamstring strain and will be held out of practice; he will be re-evaluated next week, but is expected to be ready for the Vikings Week 1 game against the Bears in Chicago.

— Seattle Mariners acquired 1B Josh Naylor from Arizona, the first significant chip to fall before this summer’s trade deadline. Diamondbacks got two prospects in return.
Naylor went 1-for-4 in his Seattle debut; he is hitting .292 this year, with an .804 OPS.

— Colorado Rockies traded 3B Ryan McMahon to Bronx, for two minor leaguers; New York will also take on the $36.5M that is left on McMahon’s contract, thru 2027.
McMahon is hitting. 217 this year, with a .717 OPS.

— Baltimore Orioles traded traded lefty reliever Gregory Soto to the Mets for two minor leaguers; Mets are Soto’s fourth team the last four years- he has a 3.96 ERA in 45 appearances this season, but he gives the Mets a second lefty in the bullpen.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Mets, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Phillies, Padres
AL: Toronto, Detroit, Houston. Wild Cards: New York, Mariners, Red Sox
 

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JULY'S CFL BEST BETS !!

07/26/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/25/2025.................2 -0 - 0.................100.00%.............+ 10.00
07/24/2025.................1 - 1 - 0.................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/20/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%.............- 11.00
07/19/2025.................2 - 0 - 0................100.00%.............+ 10.00
07/18/2025.................1 - 1 - 0.................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/17/2025.................1 - 1- 0..................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/13/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/12/2025.................2 -.2 - 0..................50.00%.............- 1.00
07/06/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%.............- 11.00
07/05/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/04/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%..............- 11.00
07/03/2025.................2 - 0 - 0.................100.00%.............+ 10.00

TOTALS.....................14 -14 - 1.................50.00%................- 7.00

***********************************

JUNE'S TOTALS.........19 - 13 - 0..................59.37%..............+ 23.50
 

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3 keys to victory for BC, Hamilton in Week 8​

VANCOUVER — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats go for a fifth straight win on Sunday night when they head to the west coast for a showdown with the BC Lions.

In Week 7, the Tiger-Cats downed the Ottawa REDBLACKS 30-15.

BC fell to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33-27.

Here’s three keys to the game for both teams ahead of Sunday’s 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff, which can be watched on TSN in Canada, and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

1. RECEIVERS NOT NAMED KENNY LAWLER

Tim White and Kiondré Smith stepped up with a combined 170 yards in last week’s win. If the Ticats can continue to get help from Kenny Lawler’s supporting cast, it will only open the field for the team’s star. They’ll need them, too, as the Lions lead the league in average passing yards allowed and should be an ornery bunch after coughing up an uncharacteristic 375 against the Riders.

2. ARE GREG BELL AND JOHNNY AUGUSTINE THE ANSWER?

Head coach Scott Milanovich’s offence runs through quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, but production still has to come from elsewhere. Squaring off with a strong secondary, running backs Greg Bell, who is listed as the starter, and Canadian backup Johnny Augustine will have their numbers called to ease some of the offensive load. Add in that the Lions are surrendering 122.7 rushing yards per game, and Bell and Augustine very well could be the key to finding the end zone.

3. STOUT SECONDARY

The Ticats are just fine with quarterback Nathan Rourke putting the ball in the air, given they lead the league in pass knockdowns and interceptions. Defensive backs Jamal Peters, Stavros Katsantonis, Destin Talbert and Jonathan Moxey have combined for nine of the team’s 11 picks and are tasked with keeping tabs on the Lions’ talented receivers.


BC LIONS

1. PRESSURE BO LEVI MITCHELL

Being ornery won’t be enough to right the pass defence against Mitchell, Lawler and company. The Lions front has 11 sacks on the season, but failed to record one against Trevor Harris and the Riders. It’s up to defensive linemen DeWayne Hendrix and Mathieu Betts, who lead the team with three sacks each, to find their way through the offensive line.

2. FIND JUSTIN MCINNIS EARLY

Rourke didn’t complete a pass to receiver Justin McInnis until the fourth quarter versus Saskatchewan and went just 1-for-7 when he looked his way. Getting the ball in his hands earlier will help the pair rekindle their chemistry.

3. AYDEN EBERHARDT’S IMPACT

With how well the Ticats’ secondary is playing, Rourke will be required to spread the field. When he tries to, receiver Ayden Eberhardt should be considered a primary option. Eberhardt is averaging 16.2 yards per reception and has 78 yards after the catch.

NEED TO KNOW:

  • All four of Hamilton’s wins have been against East Division opponents.
  • The Ticats and Lions split their 2024 season series 1-1, with a total of 133 points scored.
  • Kickoff from Save-on-Food Field at BC Place is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and can be watched on TSN in Canada, and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
 

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Sunday’s 6-pack:
— Blue Jays 6, Tigers 1- Game was scoreless after seven innings.
— Detroit has lost 12 of its last 13 games.
— Rangers 6, Braves 5 (10
)- Atlanta slips to 18-33 on the road.
— Phillies 9, New York 4- New York is 21-28 in its last 49 games.
— New York put RF Aaron Judge (elbow) on the injured list.
— Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2- LA homered twice in first inning, didn’t score again.

Quote of the Day
“I never had any really elbow issues or anything like that. You never know what you’re kind of getting into, but I’m glad it’s just it is what it is.”
Aaron Judge

Sunday’s quiz
Which NFL team is the only one that has never won a game they trailed in by 21+ points?

Saturday’s quiz
Bob Welch holds the Oakland/Sacramento A’s single-season record for most pitching wins in a season; he won 27 games in 1990.

Friday’s quiz
When the Giants beat Detroit in the 2012 World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Leyland was the Tigers’ manager.

***************************************************


Sunday’s Den: Trends for Week 1 NFL matchups……

Early season trends for Week 1 NFL matchups:

— Cowboys @ Eagles
Dallas is 4-2 SU/5-1 ATS in its last six road openers.
Since 2007, Cowboys are 14-4 ATS in road openers.
Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine road openers.
This is first time Philly opened at home since 2019.
Last four years, Eagles are 4-0 SU/3-1 ATS in Week 1.
Eagles are 2-3 SU/1-4 ATS in last five home openers

— Chiefs vs Chargers (@ San Paolo, Brazil)
Last ten years, Chiefs are 8-2 SU/7-3 ATS in Week 1.
Over is 7-1-1 in Kansas City’s last nine Week 1 games.
Last six years, Chargers are 5-1 SU in Week 1.
Last five years, under is 4-1 in their Week 1 games.

— Giants @ Commanders
Since 2011, Giants are 2-11 SU/2-10-1 ATS in Week 1.
Last eight years, under is 7-1 in their Week 1 games.
Since 2009, Giants are 5-9-1 ATS in their road opener.
Last seven years, Washington is 4-3 SU/ATS in Week 1.
Over is 4-2 in their last six Week 1 games.
Last five years, Commanders are 4-1 SU/3-2 ATS in their home opener.

— Cardinals @ Saints
Last six years, Arizona is 3-3 SU/6-0 ATS in its road opener.
Last seven years, under is 5-2 in their road openers.
Last six years, Cardinals are 2-3-1 SU/5-1 ATS in Week 1 games.
Since 2015, Saints are 4-6 SU/2-8 ATS in their home opener.
Over is 7-2 in their last nine home openers.
Last 11 years, New Orleans is 5-6 SU/2-9 ATS in Week 1 games.

— Dolphins @ Colts
Last four years, Dolphins are 4-1 SU/3-1 ATS in Week 1 games.
Last 10 years, Miami is 6-4 SU/7-3 ATS in its road opener.
Under is 19-4 in their last 23 road openers.
Since 2014, Colts are 0-10-1 SU/2-8-1 ATS in Week 1 games.
Over is 5-2 in their last seven Week 1 games.
Last six years, Colts are 3-3 SU/4-2 ATS in home openers.

— Raiders @ Patriots
Last six years, Raiders are 4-2 SU/ATS in Week 1 games.
Since 2007, Raiders are 12-5-1 ATS in their road opener.
Under is 6-2 in their last eight road openers.
Last four years, Patriots are 0-4 SU/0-3-1 ATS in home openers.
Last seven years, under is 6-0-1 in their Week 1 games.
Under is 5-1 in their last six road openers.

Steelers @ Jets
Pittsburgh won/covered its last five road openers.
Under is 11-1 in their last dozen road openers.
This is 10th time in 11 years Steelers open on the road.
Last six years, Jets are 1-5 SU/ATS in Week 1 games.
Last two years, Jets won/covered their home opener.
Under is 7-1 in their last eight home openers.

Panthers @ Jaguars
Last six years, Panthers are 1-5 SU/ATS in Week 1 games.
Since 2009, Carolina is 5-11 SU/ATS in road openers.
Under is 8-4 in Carolina’s last 12 home openers.
Last 8 years, Jacksonville is 4-4 SU/5-3 ATS in Week 1.
Since 2012, Jaguars are 3-10 SU/ATS in home openers.
Jaguars’ last four home openers stayed under the total.

Famous birthdays, July 27th:
Haven Moses, 79
Bob Klein, 78
Mack Calvin, 78
Brian Kingman, 72
Hugh Green, 65
Alex Rodriguez, 50
Max Scherzer, 41
DeMarre Carroll, 39
Ryan Tannehill, 37
Drew Rasmussen, 30

— Bengals @ Browns
Bengals started 0-1 in five of the last six seasons.
Under is 5-1 in their last six season openers.
Bengals are 1-5 SU/3-3 ATS in last six road openers.
Since 2005, Browns are 2-17-1 SU in Week 1 games.
Last six years, Browns are 3-3 SU/1-5 ATS in home openers.
Over is 5-1 in their last six home openers.

— Buccaneers @ Falcons
Last six years, Bucs are 5-0 SU/4-1 ATS in Week 1 games.
Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU/ATS in its last ten road openers.
Over is 7-3 in Tampa Bay’s last ten home openers.
Last seven years, Falcons are 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS in Week 1 games.
Since 2008, Atlanta is 12-5 SU/13-4 ATS in home openers.
Since 2004, under is 15-6 in their road openers.

— 49ers @ Seahawks
Since 2015, 49ers are 7-4 SU/6-5 ATS in Week 1 games.
49ers are 4-6 ATS in their last ten road openers.
Under is 6-2 in their last eight road openers.
Seahawks started out 1-0 five of the last six years.
Seattle is 3-6 ATS in its last nine home openers.
Under is 10-4 in their last 14 home openers.

— Titans @ Broncos
Last five years, Titans are 1-4 SU/ATS in season openers.
Under is 4-1 in their last five road openers.
Since 2012, Tennessee is 3-10 ATS in home openers.
Last six years, Denver is 1-5 SU/3-3 ATS in Week 1 games.
Broncos’ last six home openers stayed under the total.
Last three years, Denver scored 16-16-6 points in its home opener.

— Texans @ Rams
Last six years, Texans are 1-5 SU/4-2 ATS in their road opener.
Under is 7-3 in its last ten road openers.
Last six years, Houston is 4-2 ATS in its season opener.
Under McVay, Rams are 6-2 SU/ATS in home openers.
Over is 3-1 in their last four home openers.

— Lions @ Packers
Last four years, Detroit is 2-2 SU/4-0 ATS in Week 1 games.
Over is 6-2 in their last eight season openers.
Lions are 6-3 ATS in their last nine road openers.
This is first time since 2018 that Packers are at home in Week 1.
Since 2013, Green Bay is 12-0 SU/9-3 ATS in home openers.
Under is 6-2 in their last eight home openers.

— Ravens @ Bills
Last nine years, Ravens are 7-2 SU/ATS in Week 1.
Since 2008, Baltimore is 11-6 ATS in road openers.
Over is 12-5-1 in Ravens’ last 18 road openers.
Last eight years, Bills are 5-3 SU/4-4 ATS in Week 1.
Last six years, Buffalo os 5-1 SU/3-3 ATS in home openers.
Under is 7-2 in their last ten road openers.

— Vikings @ Bears
Last nine years, Minnesota is 6-3 SU/ATS in Week 1 games.
Since 2017, Vikings are 1-5-1 SU/1-6 ATS in road openers.
Under is 10-1 in their last eleven home openers.
Last 11 years, Chicago started season 0-1 eight times.
Last five years, Bears are 4-1 SU/3-2 ATS in home openers.
Under is 7-1 in their last eight home openers.
Rams won six of last eight season openers.
 

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JULY'S CFL BEST BETS !!

07/27/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/26/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/25/2025.................2 -0 - 0.................100.00%.............+ 10.00
07/24/2025.................1 - 1 - 0.................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/20/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%.............- 11.00
07/19/2025.................2 - 0 - 0................100.00%.............+ 10.00
07/18/2025.................1 - 1 - 0.................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/17/2025.................1 - 1- 0..................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/13/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%.............- 0.50
07/12/2025.................2 -.2 - 0..................50.00%.............- 1.00
07/06/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%.............- 11.00
07/05/2025.................1 - 1 - 0..................50.00%..............- 0.50
07/04/2025.................0 - 2 - 0..................00.00%..............- 11.00
07/03/2025.................2 - 0 - 0.................100.00%.............+ 10.00


TOTALS.....................15 -15 - 1.................50.00%................- 7.50

***********************************

JUNE'S TOTALS.........19 - 13 - 0..................59.37%..............+ 23.50
 

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Monday’s 6-pack:
College football line moves for Week 1 games:
— Hawaii was +1.5, is now -1.5 vs Stanford
— Baylor was +1.5 vs Auburn; the game is now pick ‘em.
— Temple was -1.5 vs UMass; now they’re -3.
— Tennessee was -12.5 vs Syracuse; now they’re -14.
— Utah was -5 vs UCLA; now they’re -6.5.
— Clemson was -3 vs LSU, now they’re -3.5

Quote of the Day
“Three-thousand [career] hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers. Except, oh, one of you.”
Ichiro Suzuki, referring to the one person who didn’t vote for him to get into the Hall of Fame

Monday’s quiz
Who is the only ballplayer to hit an inside-the-park home run in an All-Star Game?
(Hint that won’t help; that game was played in San Francisco)

Sunday’s quiz
Carolina Panthers are the only NFL team that has never won a game they trailed in by 21+ points.

Saturday’s quiz
Bob Welch holds the Oakland/Sacramento A’s single-season record for most pitching wins in a season; he won 27 games in 1990.

****************************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Sunday……..

— If you have HBO, there is a great documentary about Billy Joel on there “And So It Goes”
This is a two-part show, think it is four hours in all; it is like taking a college course on the history of music in this country, especially if you’re from New York, like I am.
One part is more personal, about his upbringing; the second part is about once he became a star, how he met Christie Brinkley and how MTV starting in the 80’s propelled his career.
If you like music, this will be right up your alley.

— Baseball’s trade deadline is this coming Thursday; what teams will be sellers, what teams will be buyers? It is really hard to tell right now.
There are only three American League teams that are further than 5.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot; there are only four NL teams further than six games out of the last Wild Card spot.
How many players on those seven non-contenders will be valuable trade chips?
Which teams on the cusp of contending will throw in the towel and sell players?
Should be an interesting week…….

— There was only one baseball game Sunday that started at 4:00; weird scheduling; there was the Sunday night game on ESPN, but only one 4:00 game?
Why???

— A’s 7, Astros 1
A’s went to Houston and swept the four-game series, holding Houston to seven runs.
A’s are 9-7 in their last sixteen games.
Houston leads the AL West by four games, over Seattle/Texas.

— Our fantasy baseball league has a 10-day week the game after the All-Star break; A’s rookie Nick Kurtz had quite a game this week:
He went 22 for 37, with 51 total bases.
13 runs scored, 15 RBI
His on-base percentage was .634.
Tremendous performance.

— Pirates 6, Arizona 0
Streaky Pirates have won five of their last six games.
Under is 9-1 in Paul Skenes’ last ten starts.
Arizona scored one run in three games since they started selling players off.

— Reds 2, Rays 1
Tampa Bay got swept in Cincinnati, scoring 2-1-2 runs.
Reds are 16-6 in their last 22 home games.
Rays have lost 10 of their last 13 games.

— Brewers 3, Marlins 2
Marlins led 2-1 after the 7th inning.
Blake Perkins had the game-winning hot for Milwaukee.
Eury Perez allowed only four baserunners, one run in 5 IP for Miami.

Famous birthdays, July 28th:
Bill Bradley, 82
Sally Struthers, 78
Doug Collins, 74
Clint Longley, 73
Carmelo Martínez, 65
Elizabeth Berkley, 53
Hannah Waddingham, 51
Manu Ginobili, 48
DeMeco Ryans, 41
Darin Ruf, 39
Walker Buehler, 31
Malik Nabers, 22

— Watching the Hall of Famers get introduced on YouTube, it has to be pretty amazing to be one of those guys; for one weekend a year, you’re an immortal.
If you’ve never been to Cooperstown and you really like baseball, put it on your bucket list, it is worth the trip, and it is quite a drive.

— Sunday night, I crossed paths with two younger guys wearing Mariners’ caps; they had just come back to Albany from seeing Ichiro Suzuki getting inducted in Cooperstown- they loved the experience, said it was well worth the cross-country trip.

— Speaking of which, the person who didn’t vote for Ichiro to get into the Hall of Fame should step forward and say why. It is a free country, but it would be nice to know why the person was an idiot in his voting.

— Rangers 8, Braves 1
Texas is 8-1 since the All-Star break; they’re tied with Seattle for the last AL Wild Card spot.
Rangers are 34-20 at home, 22-30 on the road.
Atlanta is 18-34 on the road.

— Tigers 10, Blue Jays 4
Detroit led 3-0 after seven innings, scored 7 more in 8th inning.
Jack Flaherty tossed six scoreless innings to get the win.
Just the second win for Detroit in their last 14 games.

— Kansas City Royals signed P Seth Lugo to a two-year, $46M contract extension; 35-year old Lugo is 23-14, 2.98 in 52 starts for the Royals the last two seasons.
 

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CFL Last Week


Games In 10

CFL 2025 Recap: Hamilton @ BC - Week 8​


CFL 2025 Recap: Winnipeg @ Toronto - Week 8​


CFL 2025 Recap: Edmonton @ Saskatchewan - Week 8​


CFL 2025 Recap: Montreal @ Calgary - Week 8​


 

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Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Players who have hit the most grand slams:
25— Alex Rodriguez
23— Lou Gehrig
21— Manny Ramirez
19— Eddie Murray
18— Willie McCovey, Robin Ventura
17— Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carlos Lee

Quote of the Day
“it is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to the target of clever satirists. You have given the gift of laughter to our people. May we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives.”
President Lyndon Johnson, back in the 1960’s

Tuesday’s quiz
Who holds the Seattle Mariners’ record for most runs scored in a season?

Monday’s quiz
Ichiro Suzuki is the only ballplayer to hit an inside-the-park home run in an All-Star Game.

Sunday’s quiz
Carolina Panthers are the only NFL team that has never won a game they trailed in by 21+ points.

**************************************

Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….

— Trade deadline is Thursday; who will buy, who will sell?
AL Wild Card standings:
1- New York
2- Seattle
3- Boston
Rangers- 0.5 games behind
Rays- 2.5 games behind
Guardians- 4 games behind
Angels/Royals- 4.5 games behind
Twins- 5 games behind

NL Wild Card standings:
1- Cubs
2- Phillies
3- Padres
Reds- 2 games behind
Cardinals- 3.5 games behind
Giants- 4 games behind
Arizona/Miami- 7 games behind
All that leaves seven teams who are non-contenders; Arizona has already pretty much thrown up the white Flag. How many other teams will do that before Thursday?

— Apparently MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was in the Phillies clubhouse last week, and he got cursed out by Bryce Harper, when Harper got steamed when he thought Manfred wanted to talk about a potential salary cap in the sport’s near future.
It isn’t looking good for baseball in 2027, when the next collective bargaining deal is expected to start; some owners want a salary cap, the players’ union, with scumweasel agent Scott Boras behind it, vehemently does not want one.
Sounds like we could be having a spring full of Korean baseball at 4am in a couple years.

— Diamondbacks’ 3B Eugenio Suarez is a hot commodity at the trade deadline; hell, I was trying to trade for him in our fantasy league, but he got drilled with a pitch on his right hand Monday and left the game. X-rays were negative; more tests are expected Tuesday.
Tigers 5, Diamondbacks 1- Arizona has scored total of two runs in four games since they traded Josh Naylor to Seattle.

— Twins 5, Red Sox 4
Brooks Lee’s 2-run single was a walk-off winner for the Twins.
There was a 90-minute rain delay during the ninth inning.
Twins traded P Chris Paddack to Detroit earlier in the day.

— Pirates 6, Giants 5
Andrew McCutchen hit a 2-run homer in the 7th inning.
Mitch Keller started for Pittsburgh, lasted only 2 IP, throwing 73 pitches.
Willie Adames was 3-5 with two RBI for the Giants.

— RIP to Hall of Fame 2B Ryne Sandberg, one of the most beloved players in Cubs history, who passed away Monday at age 65.
Sandberg hit .285 with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams — winning the Home Run Derby in 1990 — and took home nine Gold Gloves.
Sandberg was MVP of the National League in 1984; his OPS was .887 that year.
He later managed the Phillies for a couple years. RIP, sir.

Famous birthdays, July 29th
Mike Starr, 75
Ken Kravec, 74
Scott Wedman, 73
Ken Burns, 72
Dave LaPoint, 66
Steve Pelluer, 63
Pepper Johnson, 61
Ryan Braun, 45
Dak Prescott, 32
Jack Suwinski, 27

— Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase has been put on paid leave as part of a betting investigation, joining Cleveland starter Luis Ortiz on that list.
Apparently the investigation revolves around prop bets, like whether the first pitch of an inning will be a strike or not. Prop betting is for total degenerates; this is bad for the game.

Rockies 8, Guardians 6- To make matters worse for Cleveland, the dreadful Rockies scored four runs in the top of the ninth, after the Guardians had rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 5-4 lead after eight innings.

— Padres 7, Mets 6
Elias Diaz had a walk-off single for San Diego; they trailed 5-1 in 5th inning.
Mark Vientos homered, had four RBI for the Mets.
Luis Arraez homered for the Padres.

— Nationals 2, Astros 1
Riley Adams hit a tie-breaking home run in the 7th inning.
Astros have lost 10 of their last 11 home games.
Last three games, Houston was held to 1-1-1 runs.
After the game, Houston P Framber Valdez complained about the Astros’ defensive placement in the outfield. He wasn’t happy where the RF was playing in the 6th inning, when a double scored the Nationals’ first run.

— Mets paid $97M in payroll taxes last year, that’s how high their payroll was.
By way of comparison, the Pirates’ entire payroll last year was $88,542,440.

— Royals P Kris Bubic is out for the year with a left rotator cuff strain.

— Dusty Baker is going to manage Team Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic next winter.

— RIP to former big league pitcher Bill Denehy, who passed away last month at age 79.
Denehy was a big enough prospect that he was on a rookie baseball card with Tom Seaver in 1967; he faced Willie Mays four times, struck him out three times, but Denehy pitched in only 49 big league games, starting nine of them.
Mets actually traded him to the Washington Senators in 1967 for a manager, Gil Hodges, who two years later let the Miracle Mets to the 1969 World Series title.

RIP, sir.
 
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