Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Bad, but rebuilding
The Braves were never expected to be contenders this season, but the team’s been terrible this year: After losing to the Mets on Monday, 4–1, their record now stands at 6-19—the worst record in MLB.
But with so much badness, even the players acknowledge that the real focus is on the future, the team’s farm system. As Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes, “The average age of the Braves’ position players, according to Baseball-Reference, is 29.7 years, the oldest in the National League. The emphasis in the organization is on long-term assets that can lead to sustained success.” Read more about the Braves’ plans here.
Mariners’ ’pen
The Seattle Mariners currently sit second in the American League West, half a game back of the Rangers—and they have their bullpen to thank for some of their wins.
That was the case on Monday as the Mariners defeated the A’s, 4–3. Vidal Nuno, Nick Vincent, Joel Peralta and Steve Cishek each put in a strong performance (and Cishek picked up his seventh consecutive save).
For a revamped bullpen that was criticized coming into the season, Seattle’s relievers have fared very well so far.
“We are solidifying ourselves as one of the better bullpens in the league,” Vincent said.
Trouble in Houston?
The Twins defeated the Astros 6–2 on Monday, and with that, Houston ace Dallas Keuchel’s 17-game home win streak came to an end.
The 28-year-old is now 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA this season. Should his team be worried?
Stop! Hammel time
Jason Hammel improved his record to 4-0 on Monday and the Cubs defeated the Pirates, 7–2. The 33-year-old righty pitched just five innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, and striking out three.
Hammel admitted he was surprised at being pulled so early—he’d thrown 89 pitches and was yanked after hitting Starling Marte with a pitch (Chicago was ahead 6–2).
Despite his surprise, Hammel acknowledged that he wasn’t exactly spectacular on Monday night. “I didn’t have the best command,” he said. “With a good team like that, you don’t want to play around too much. I had confidence I could go another inning.”
Rocked in Cincinnati
Johnny Cueto made his first start in Cincinnati since the Reds traded him last season, and it wasn’t pretty. The right-hander allowed six runs—including a three-run homer launched by Joey Votto—over five innings, walking two and giving up seven hits.
Cueto left the game in line for the loss, but his team came back to win it, 9–6. The Giants’ victory came thanks to the Reds’ bullpen—which has given up at least one run in each of their past 20 games. Cincinnati will be looking for better results on Tuesday in game two of the series, lest they set a new record for awfulness.
