MLB podcast with Augie Mesenburg: Astros could be a force if they can just clinch a playoff spot; Braves add Morton to IL; plus more news

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is hoping to lead the Astros into the post season, in the Wild Card the Astros are in third place and are 1.5 back in the AL West. (AP file photo)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Augie:

#1 Augie, the Houston Astros just holding onto the third position in the AL Wild Card and they are 1.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West. If the Astros get into post season they will be as tough as anyone in the American League playoffs.

#2 One thing the Atlanta Braves have to be concerned about is their pitching rotation which added Charlie Morton to the 15 IL today. Morton is suffering from a right sprain finger and can’t pitch NL Division Series. Morton (14-12 ERA 3.64) how much will he be missed for the beginning of the post season?

#3 Los Angeles Dodgers Mookie Betts set an Major League record for the most RBIs for a leadoff hitter in a season with 105. Betts hit an eighth inning double on Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants pitcher Ross Stripling to score Dodgers Austin Barnes and David Peralta.

#4 The Los Angeles Angels had already shut down Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon now they have officially ended outfielder Mike Trout’s 2023 season as the injuries pile on the Angels. Trout who returned Aug 22after fracturing a hamate bone but was still in discomfort and returned to the 30 day IL. It was announced by the Angles Trout would be out for the rest of the season on Sunday.

#5 After the Pittsburgh Pirates took two out of three games from the Chicago Cubs in a previous series the Pirates came right and and rallied for nine runs against the Cincinnati Reds to come back and win 13-12. The Reds who have been suffering all season had their bullpen meltdown as the Pirates came back with nine runs to win it. The last time the Pirates came back to win scoring nine runs was way back in 1882.

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O: Phils manager tossed for clock reset issues; Twins Polanco back on IL for hamstring injury; plus more

On the MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Philadelphia Phillies manager Ron Thompson was ejected after plate umpire Roberto Ortiz refused to reset the pitch clock after Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola requested a new baseball. Ortiz had threw out several baseballs and requested new ones and Ortiz felt that he had reached his quota of disposed baseballs. Thompson came out to argue that Ortiz should have reset the clock back from 10 seconds to 20 seconds with a runner on base in the sixth inning. Crew Chief Bill Miller got most of Thompson’s heat after ejecting Thompson, while Nola was facing the Los Angeles Dodgers David Peralta. Thompson questioned how Ortiz knew for sure that Nola was trying to stall for time by throwing out baseballs.

#2 The Minnesota Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco is back on the ten day IL due to a left hamstring. Polanco returned to the line up on June 1st from being out with the left hamstring injury. Polanco is hitting .250, with five home runs, 16 RBIs in 30 games.

#3 Los Angles Dodgers pitcher Shelby Miller was place on bereavement leave on Saturday. Miller 32, 1-0 ERA 2.57 and has relieved in 24 games for the Dodgers. Friday night Miller pitched two innings striking out three in two innings of work.

#4 The Oakland A’s for the first time have a won four straight games. The A’s who have baseball’s worst record at 16-50 and are 26.5 games in last place in the AL West. The A’s took two of the last three games in Pittsburgh and the first two games of a three game series in Milwaukee. Is it possible that they might have turned a page or too early to tell?

#5 Charlie lastly, the saga of the $380 million tax credits that the Oakland A’s are seeking from the state of Nevada and Clark County continues as the Nevada Assembly adjourned Thursday and will return on Monday to vote on whether or not to approve the bonds. If the bonds are not approved the A’s will have to find another deal to work out possibly with the City of Oakland and Mayor Sheng Thao who has a deal from the previous Howard Terminal bargaining session. If the Nevada Legislature approves the stadium bonds the Nevada State Assembly must approve the measure before Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signs off on the deal.

Join Charlie O for the MLB podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Charlie O: Was Scherzer suspension too excessive?; Mad Bum out at Arizona but LA might be interested; plus more

New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer pleads his case that has clean hands in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wed Apr 19, 2023, but umpires ruled he had a sticky substance on his hands after he was ordered to wash his hands and was suspended for ten days by MLB (AP News photo)

On the MLB podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie O, Last Wednesday at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, New York Mets Max Scherzer said that he was supervised by an MLB official when he was ordered to wash his hands during his last start to remove what the umpiring crew termed as “sticky substance” apparently that didn’t work he was tossed from the game and hit with a ten day suspension in your view Charlie O was this a justified ejection and suspension?

#2 Scherzer sat on the MLB Players Association representatives during the last contract negotiations and he’s been active with the players union is it a conspiracy to say that their might be some retribution from baseball for his union activity?

#3 The Arizona Diamondbacks released pitcher Madison Bumgarner on Friday. Bumgarner had been struggling going 0-3 ERA 10.26. The Dodgers might be interested in his services. The Diamondbacks are on the hook for $34 million remaining on his five year contract. There is this and next season remaining on the deal.

#4 Can you believe how the Chicago Cubs Drew Smyly’s no hit perfect game ended when Smyly went to field a grounder in between home and the mound hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers David Peralta Cubs catcher Yan Gomes flipped over Smyly’s back. Smyly lost his balance and ended up on the ground holding the ball but it was too late as Peralta was on base and the perfect game was no more.

#5 Can’t leave out the toughest story of the week the announcement of Oakland A’s team president David Kaval announcing the moving of the team to Las Vegas. Kaval announcing on Wednesday night the A’s have a binding agreement at the old Wild Wild West location at Tropicana and I 15 to build a new A’s park. First Charlie how heartbreaking is this for Oakland and the Bay Area?

Charlie O does the MLB podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pillar goes 5-for-5, Belt gets grand slam in Giants’ 5-run win, 11-6

sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Belt hits a grand slam against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning during a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, in Phoenix.

In what is the San Francisco Giants’ last trip to Chase Field this season, the team is on fire through the first three games of the series.

Kevin Pillar went 5-for-5, Brandon Belt hit a grand slam and drove in six runs and the Giants defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-6 at Chase Field.

With the victory, the Giants clinched the four-game series with one game remaining on Sunday afternoon and Madison Bumgarner on the mound.

Rookie Logan Webb, who grew up in Rocklin made his major-league debut went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned), giving up five hits, walking one and striking out seven, as he picked up the win in his debut.

Webb, who just returned from an 80-game suspension in July for testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs.

The right-hander made three starts at Double-A Richmond and then one at Triple-A Sacramento this past Monday.

Things did not start out well for Webb, as he allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning, as Jarrod Dyson singled to lead off the inning, and then scored on a Wilmer Flores double. After Webb got Eduardo Escobar and David Peralta, Flores scored on a throwing error on a ball hit by Adam Jones.

Webb got out of the jam, as he got Jake Lamb to ground out to first base to end the inning.

That lead for the Diamondbacks would not last long, as Alex Dickerson led off the second inning with a walk, then Flores committed a throwing error, as he tried to flip the ball to Nick Ahmed at second base.

Pillar then came up with his first hit of the game that loaded the bases, and then Belt hit a grand slam that gave the Giants the lead for good.

It was the second career grand slam for Belt, who last hit one off of Luis Perdomo of the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 7, 2017.

Brandon Crawford got into the act following the Belt home run, as he singled; however, Webb popped out on a sacrifice attempt for the first out of the inning.

Mike Yastrzemski, who hit three home runs on Friday night then singled to right field and then Stephen Vogt loaded the bases with a base hit of his own.

Evan Longoria drove in the fifth run of the inning, as he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Crawford from third base and sent Yastrzemski to third base.

Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke did not get out of the second inning, as he went 1.2 innings, allowing five runs (three earned), walking one and striking out one.

Belt drove in his fifth run of the game in the top of the third inning, as he hit an opposite field single to left field that scored Pillar.

The Giants scored another run in the top of the sixth inning, as Longoria grounded into a double play that scored Austin Slater.

Crawford drove in his first run of the game, as he grounded out to Flores that allowed Scooter Gennett from third base.

Slater, who went 2-for-3 on the game after coming into the game on a double switch that saw Yastrzemski move to left field for Dickerson and Slater went into right field, singled to left field to score Pillar to give the Giants what looked like a commanding seven run lead.

The Diamondbacks, who scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday night to tie up the game began the comeback, as Christian Walker hit a solo home run and then Escobar hit a sacrifice fly that scored Dyson in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Pillar drove in a run with his fifth hit of the game that scored Longoria, who singled to lead off the inning.

Belt then drove in his sixth run of the game, as he grounded out to Flores that scored Gennett from third base.

The final two runs of the game came when Ahmed hit a two-run home run off the foul pole in the bottom of the eighth inning.

With the score 11-6 in the top of the ninth inning, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo sent his catcher Alex Avila to the mound and he pitched a perfect ninth inning that included striking out Yastrzemski for the second out of the inning.

Jandel Gustave came on to close it out for the Giants in a non-save situation, and the game ended on a great play from Slater to Gennett to Longoria, as Escobar tried to stretch a double into a triple; however, Slater made a perfect throw to Gennett, who threw to Longoria to end the game.

NOTES: With the addition of Webb to the roster, Joey Rickard was optioned to Sacramento to make room for Webb.

The Giants went 7-for-16 with Runners In Scoring Position.

UP NEXT: Bumgarner will take the mound on Sunday for the Giants, while the Diamondbacks, who will try to avoid the sweep will send Merrill Kelly to the hill.