Snake Bytes 5/16: Brandon....Pfaadt or Webb?

Team News

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt shuts down Reds in latest sharp performance

“He’s been on the rise,” Lovullo said. “But the postseason, for me, took him to a whole different level emotionally.”

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2024/05/15/reds-diamondbacks-wednesday-game-score/73707166007/

Pfaadt’s slider untouchable in best start of ‘24

“Our game plan was to use more sliders, I certainly did and it was super effective,” Pfaadt said. “So I think moving forward, that’s probably going to be our game plan and pitch off the slider a little bit more. … Backdoor, back foot and that’s kind of what I mean by moving around the plate and showing them a little something that opens up those other pitches.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/lourdes-gurriel-jr-brandon-pfaadt-lead-d-backs-win

Diamondbacks Take Series Behind Brandon Pfaadt’s Elite Outing

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/arizona-diamondbacks-game-day/diamondbacks-take-series-behind-brandon-pfaadt-s-elite-outing-01hxz37hgmxq

Diamondbacks’ Lovullo honors Mike Bell, adds David Bell to MLB All-Star Game staff

https://arizonasports.com/story/3547666/why-torey-lovullo-chose-david-bell-mlb-all-star-game-staff/

The August 5th game was started by Webb, because of course it was. Pfaadt arguably had the better game, though Webb did get a CG.

Webb: 9 innings, 9 hits, 1 earned run, no walks, 4 Ks and a game score of 69.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI200808050.shtml

Pfaadt: 7 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run on 2 walks and 9 Ks with a game score of 76.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI202405150.shtml

Other Baseball

MLB attorney: Loss of Comcast as TV carrier ‘devastating’

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40153860/loss-comcast-tv-carrier-devastating

Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco receives 10-game suspension after foreign-substance ejection in win over A’s

“It was probably rosin I put on my left arm,” Blanco said, via The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. “Maybe ‘cause of the sweat, it got into the glove, and that’s what they maybe found.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/astros-pitcher-ronel-blanco-receives-10-game-suspension-after-foreign-substance-ejection-in-win-over-as-021923432.html

Yeah....

Astros’ Ronel Blanco suspended for foreign substance in glove

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40153289/astros-ronel-blanco-suspended-foreign-substance-glove

Rutschman’s walk-off HR keeps O’s sweepless streak alive

....the last time the Orioles got swept in a multi-game regular-season set (May 13-15, 2022, at Detroit). It was also when Adley Rutschman made his MLB debut (May 21, 2022).

https://www.mlb.com/news/adley-rutschman-s-walk-off-homer-lifts-orioles

Matos’ home run robbery leaves Webb in disbelief: ‘He’s a showman’

“As soon as it came off the bat, I went out with the intention of catching it,” Matos said in Spanish. “It was hit pretty far, but luckily, I was able to make the catch.”

“He’s a showman, right?” Webb said. “That’s what excites people and excites us. Obviously, he saved us a run today. It was awesome.”

https://www.mlb.com/news/luis-matos-helps-logan-webb-with-home-run-robbery?t=high-speed-play

Judge ‘a little oversized for the park’ with 467-ft HR, three doubles

https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-homers-3-doubles-yankees-beat-pablo-lopez?t=season-of-dreams-coverage

Anything Goes

This day in history:
In 1770, French Dauphin, Louis married Marie Antoinette and became Louis XVI. Btw, the “let them eat cake’ quote was false and just made up to make the Queen look bad.
Warsaw Ghetto uprising ended in 1943.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/day/may-16

This day in baseba;;
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_16

In Ancient Greece, they believed redheads became vampires after death! This was partly because redheaded people are very pale-skinned and sensitive to sunlight—unlike the Mediterranean Greeks, who had olive skin and dark features.

Oh, so the “gingers don’t have souls” kind of predates South Park...

Winston Churchill typically smoked eight to ten cigars a day, sometimes as much as fifteen. During the American prohibition, he would get a doctor’s note saying he needed to drink “indefinite” amounts of alcohol when he would come and visit the states.

I have nothing to offer, but “blood, toil, tears and sweat”...and possibly cigars.