Timmy U

During his draft year, Braden was so much better from the left side that some people thought he should give up switch hitting. Last year he was very good as a righty. Sample size is so small from that side in AAA that it’s hard to really pass judgment yet, I think.

I would handle this almost like a bullpen game. Gilbert for maybe 2, then Sandlin for 3, 4 tops. Not letting him face Schwarber, Harper, Marsh more than once. Then empty out the pen to try to steal one. Similar to Burke, Sandlin has trouble with lefties.

More than the Sox got for Robert.

Charlotte wins their 8th straight against their rival Durham. Peoples and Pallette both pitched. Both about 96 with just okay fastball command. Peoples struck out 2. Pallette walked a guy. Neither are gonna remind you of Grant Taylor, but you could see them in an mlb pen.

Braden 2-2 with 2bb and a hbp that would have been ball 4 if it didn’t hit him. Looks extremely hitterish right now

Rock got rocked. Iriarte is back up to Charlotte and he is in the game now.

Great win. Much needed.

That was siiiick

Harper HoF, Schwarber borderline, Turner multiple all-star, Marsh leading the league in hitting. They have won 90 or more the last 3 years. They gonna be okay.

Newcomb for game mvp

Huge inning for Newcomb. He get another to make sure he gets Marsh? Or do you go Taylor?

This Phillies line up is DEEP. They are gonna be tough moving forward.

Less than 100 off the bat

Park is playing lively. Vargas just hit it to the wrong part of the park

Vargas has the stronger arm, also Vargas more comfortable at 3b

That was a laser.

He could platoon at second with Meidroth, spell Montgomery once a week at short, give a blow to Vargas against rhp. If he hits, they’ll find at bats.

Gonzalez looking so much better than he did a year ago. He may be the real deal.

Rikuu has a tough profile if he’s gonna make one pitch outs.

That’s why I think they may ultimately form a 2b platoon.

Funny, after being better hitting righty most of last year, in AAA Montgomery is back to how he was in college, very lefty dominant. He may be up fairly soon, but there are holes in his swing. I would give Pereira first crack at some playing 5ime, but Braden is definitely getting close.

That is likely ballgame.

Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that the Bears -- historically the North Side's team that played for years in Wrigley -- is suddenly gonna be on the far Southside? Also, I grew up in St. Joe, Michigan, so I am very familiar with the Wolf Lake area. The whole thing has to be a Superfund site, right? For many years, the air around there could have been mined for an assortment of metals, let alone the water. I gotta believe the environmental work they'd have to do to make that site ready is going to stretch into years.

Are Davis Martin and Andrew Benintendi the only members of the team that was on that 2024 roster? Vargas was acquired later in 2024. Montgomery, Meidroth, and Quero all made their debuts last year. Antonacci, Gonzalez, Rikuu, and Peters all made their debuts this year. Acuna, Hill, Grichuk and Romo were on other teams. Burke made his debut late in 2024. Sandlin debuted this year. I guess Fedde was on that team, but Kay was in Japan. Taylor made his debut last year. Davis debuted this year. Newcomb, Hudson, and Seranthony were on other teams. Gilbert and Eisert were also on other teams as was Richards. None of injured guys Smith, Murakami, Hays, Teel, Pereira, Schultz, or Baldwin was on that team either. So they have turned over the entire roster since the first half of 2024. No wonder they’re better.

With how truly awful Antonacci has been off lhp, Pereira would be a good guy to get back. When he’s ready, does Acuna go? Or Rikuu? One of them is out of options.