Welcome to Behind the Plate With DJ, a weekly look at what is going on in the world of baseball. This series will weigh in on the interesting, the controversial, and the downright cool. The play of the week could be an incredible play or an unusual one. If something made you scratch your head, you will probably find it here. So sit back, relax, and let’s take a look at the week that was.
Carlos Gomez
The Rangers signed Gomez to a minor league contract after being released by the Astros last week and promoted him on August 25. Gomez has been struggling since he was traded to the Astros last season, but the Rangers are hoping that he returns to his All-Star, Gold Glove form.
Gomez has made a big splash in his first seven games. He hit a 3-run home run in his first game on August 25 and a grand slam on August 31. He has 2 home runs and 8 RBI in seven games for the Rangers.
The Rangers have six games coming up against the Astros, including a three-game series starting on September 2, and three games against the Brewers, who traded him last season, later this season. Those nine games may give Gomez extra incentive to prove that those teams made a mistake, and could help propel the Rangers into the playoffs.
Milestone Wednesday
Baseball is a funny game. Sometimes, there are long stretches between players hitting milestones. Then there are days like August 24, when 5 players reached milestones.
Albert Pujols
Mike Trout and Pujols hit back-to-back home runs in the first as the Angels battered the Blue Jays 8-2. Pujols’ home run was the 584th of his career, passing Mark McGuire for 10th on the all-time list. Pujols ended the day going 4 for 4 with 3 RBI.
Jose Fernandez
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Fernandez struck out nine Royals in seven innings as the Marlins won 3-0. Those nine strikeouts gave Fernandez 213 on the season, breaking the Marlins’ single-season record of 209 set by Ryan Dempster in 2000.
David Ortiz
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Ortiz continued his monumental farewell tour with a home run in the first inning against the Rays. It was the 30th of the season, making Ortiz the oldest player to hit 30 in a season at 40 years, 280 days. It also gave him 100 RBI, his 10th season of 100 or more RBI, which is a Red Sox record.
Adrian Beltre
Beltre drove in Ian Desmond with a two-out double in the eighth inning that proved to be the game-winning run as the Rangers beat the Reds 6-5. That hit was Beltre’s 2,900th hit, leaving him just 100 short of the magical 3,000.
Zack Greinke
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Greinke struck out Freddie Freeman to lead off the 4th, giving him 2,000 strikeouts in his career. Greinke is the 78th pitcher to reach this milestone, and the sixth fastest. This is a small consolation for Greinke and the Diamondbacks considering the expectations coming into the season.
Ryan Braun
Braun hit his second home run of the night against the Rockies in the seventh inning. What made this home run special was the fact that Chad Qualls became the 200th pitcher to give up a home run to Braun. Braun is the Brewers all-time leader in home runs at 279 and counting.
September Playoff Races
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It is September, and the weather is about to get cooler. September has a smell to it, one that lets us know that fall is coming. If you are anything like me, that smell is the smell of pennant races.
Some of the races seem like they are over. The Cubs have a 15 game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central with 30 games to go. The Nationals have a 9 game lead over the Mets in the NL East. In the American League, the Rangers hold an 8.5 game lead over the Astros.
The other three divisions have much tighter races. The NL West has the Dodgers up by a game and a half over the Giants. The Indians have stumbled a bit just when the Tigers and Royals are heating up. Their lead is 4.5 games over the Tigers and 7.5 over the Royals.
The AL East is the most wide open, with 3 teams withing 6.5 games of the first place Blue Jays. The Red Sox are 2 games behind, the Orioles are 4 games behind, and the Yankees are 6.5 games out of the lead.
The Wild Card races are even more exciting. In the National League, the Giants have the first spot, 2 games ahead of the Cardinals, who are currently in the second slot. The Mets, Pirates, Marlins, and the Rockies are all within 6.5 games of the Cardinals.
In the American League, the Red Sox have the first Wild Card spot, and they have a 2 game lead over the Orioles and Tigers, who are tied for the second spot. The Astros, Yankees, Royals, Mariners are all within 4 games of the second spot, and the White Sox are still only 8.5 games out.
It is going to be an interesting September, with 18 teams within 4 games of a playoff spot. There are several series that should be exciting on the last weekend of the season. The Giants are hosting the Dodgers for a season-ending 3-game series, the Pirates go to St. Louis to face the Cardinals, the Royals host the Indians, the Blue Jays play the Red Sox in Boston, the Orioles travel to Yankee Stadium, and the Marlins face the Nationals in Washington.
Play of the Week
This week’s play once again comes from the Cubs, this time on August 31 against the Pirates. Gregory Polanco came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the seventh inning, with the Pirates down 5-2.
Polanco blooped one into shallow left field, and it looked like it was going to fall and allow at least 2 runs to score. Addison Russell was shaded over toward second base and had to race to the left field line to make a sliding catch.
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