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BRAVES NEWS
Freddie Freeman explodes for five RBI off the bench as Braves beat Mets 6-3
Freddie Freeman didn't start Thursday's game due to issues with his wrist. By the end of the game, that was a distant memory as the Braves' star first baseman absolutely took over once he entered the game. Freeman ended up giving the baseball world his best Robert Lewandowski impersonation, as he collected five RBI off of the bench. That included a monster three-run shot that put the Braves in front of the Mets for good. The Braves have now won five out of six. Compared to how the past couple of months have gone, this team is on absolute fire right now.
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David Wright was "angry" with Freeman during last night's game
Although he hasn't really been able to do so due to injury and other issues, Freddie Freeman hasn't exactly been the Mets tormentor that he normally has been over the years. That changed in a big way last night, and one guy who wasn't exactly thrilled was Mets third baseman David Wright, who admitted that he was "playfully angry" with Freeman during last night's Braves victory.
"I have animated conversations with a lot of people," Wright said about his exchange with Freeman. "Freddie is a thorn in our side. It's fun to get that competitiveness back and forth. I wasn't expecting to see him tonight. He comes off the bench and kills us again. So I'll be glad to get rid of him and Andrelton Simmons and everybody else that beats us up over there. Freddie came in and singlehandedly beat us tonight. That's why he is who he is. It just seems like he elevates his game against us."
Told it looked as if the expletive he said to Freeman was said in anger, Wright grinned and added: "In what? In anger? I am angry at him. He hit a two-run double and then a three-run homer. I am angry at him, but more in a playful way. Freddie and I, we go back and forth every now and then. It's nothing more than just competitive banter."
Shelby Miller is having one of the weirdest individual seasons, ever
When you really sit down and think about it, it's really difficult to find another pitcher who's had as weird of a season as Shelby Miller has had. He's had some lofty peaks (Two Madduxes in one month, for starters), and now he's in the midst of an incredibly deep valley when it comes to this absurd losing streak. Everybody knows why Miller's having such a bad run in that regard (the run support, obviously), but Miller himself hasn't been bad at all during this stretch. The crew at Sports on Earth made sure to point this out:
Take away the wins column and Miller has had, by numerous metrics, a very good season. Among qualifiers, his strikeout rate (20.1 percent) ranks 34th out of 63, the same as Oakland's Sonny Gray. Miller's hits per nine innings (8.11) ranks 26th, better than Cole Hamels and Jon Lester. Miller's Fielding Independent Pitching (3.43) ranks 21st. His ERA+ (which is park-adjusted) is 127, good for 17th overall and better than Corey Kluber, Chris Sale and Felix Hernandez. Almost any way you slice it, Miller deserves to be bunched with the top half (and, in some cases, top third) of all qualified starting pitchers. His talent and performance is worth north of $10 million a year, an incredible bargain considering he's making $535,000 this season, is entering arbitration next year and remains under team control through 2018.
Meanwhile, speaking of Shelby Miller and weirdness, apparently he and Todd Cunningham are vicious when it comes to teammates who sleep on the plane and popcorn.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When one piece of popcorn isn't enough <a href="https://twitter.com/wisler233">@wisler233</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShelbyMiller19">@ShelbyMiller19</a> <a href="http://t.co/9Ezk0rnMX8">pic.twitter.com/9Ezk0rnMX8</a></p>— Todd Cunningham (@Todd_Cunningham) <a href="https://twitter.com/Todd_Cunningham/status/646921017139572736">September 24, 2015</a></blockquote>
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MLB NEWS
Pirates clinch third consecutive Postseason berth
Hey, remember when the Pirates went two decades without even coming close to making the playoffs? Now, it appears that they can't get enough of Postseason baseball,a s the Pirates have officially punched their ticket for October baseball. They clinched a spot in at least the Wild Card game in style by blowing out the Rockies by the score of 13-7.
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Blue Jays pick up crucial victory versus Yankees
Speaking of super-long Postseason droughts, one team that appears poised to end their long absence from the Postseason is the Toronto Blue Jays. They extended their lead on the Yankees in the AL East to three-and-half games after beating them 4-0 last night, and they did so thanks to a three-run homer from Russell Martin. Also, make sure to take a look at the crowd there at the Rogers Centre. You think that fanbase is hungry for playoff baseball?
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