(with apologies to Ogden Nash)

Hi, everyone! And welcome to Write-Up For Yesterday, BttP’s guide to what the heck happened yesterday in baseball. We’re not gonna just hand you some scores here, because we trust you know how to type the letters E-S-P-N into your internet machine. Instead, we hope to give you a fuller and richer understanding of important goings on from yesterday in baseball. The big stories, and the noteworthy performances-good and bad.
This is later than usual, but fortunately we will not have to pay any penalties. Hopefully, your taxes have long since been filed, and in honor of our muse, here’s Mr Nash’s “tribute” to Tax Day.

The St. Louis Cardinals had a rare Tuesday off. That’s bad for me but good for you, or this review would have just been a bunch of videos of Matt Carpenter fouling off full count pitches while I pumped my fist. Who said the Cardinals are boring?

STORY LINES AND NEWS CYCLE EPHEMERA

Not to start on a low note but last night we saw everyone’s least favorite play in baseball when Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco took a Melky Cabrera line drive to the face. He was carted off. Thankfully – as much as you can say “thankfully” in a situation like this – he was treated for a jaw contusion and appears to have avoided a serious head injury. If there’s a worse moment in sports I’m not sure what it is. The White Sox won the game 4-1. The Tribe have lost four home games to start the season for the first time since 1987 when they finished 61-101. Let’s move on.

Well holy hell, the Nationals are a bit of a mess! The Nats were roughed up in Boston on Monday, and last night took a 7-5 lead into the 7^th inning before the wheels fell off on a series of errors and hijinx. Red Sox eventually won the game 8-7. I wasn’t watching the following sequence of events, which allowed the Red Sox to tie the game, but it doesn’t sound like it was pitcher Blake Treinen’s best moment:

It’s early and they’re still without Denard Span and Anthony Rendon, but the Nats are 2-6 and four games behind the first place Atlanta Braves. You know, the first place Atlanta Braves? Also, Ian Desmond committed another error. He’s on pace for 122 which would be bad.

And what’s going on with this couple:

That’s not how the world works, you have to pick one team. I studied both rosters and came away thinking that they were possibly catcher Ryan Hanigan’s parents since he was born in Washington, DC, and is now with the Red Sox, but then I found this adorable interview with the real Hanigan parents and no decent parents rep the other team just because their son happened to be born there.  I’m left to conclude that these are foreign spies and they thought this was the best way to blend in.

The star of yesterday was Shane Greene who held the Pirates to just three hits and zero runs over eight full innings. Detroit won 2-0. At just 81 pitches, he was easily on pace for a “Maddux” until manager Brad Ausmus opted for Joakim Soria for the 9^th. Boo.

Brad Ausmus hates freedom, so he pulled Shane Greene after 8 shutout innings on just 81 pitches. No Maddux.

— Jason Lukehart (@JasonLukehart) April 15, 2015

The Orioles beat the Yankees 4-3. Alex Rodriguez pinch-hit in the top of the 9^th with a chance to tie the game, but he grounded out to short to end the game. Although you wouldn’t know that if you talked to this guy – who disrespects the game by standing up at inopportune times and obstructs the view of other paying customers.

I was all set for my narrative this morning to be that Jake Arrieta is one of the best pitchers in the National League – which I still think he is – but that’s much easier to convey following a win. Instead, the Cubs lost to the Reds 3-2. Arrieta went 6.2 and allowed all three runs. Watching the Reds close it out in the 9^th, I realized if there was a channel that exclusively showed Aroldis Chapman pitching on an endless 24-hour loop I would absolutely watch that channel.

Matt Harvey made his second start of the season after carving up the Nats last week. He was up against Phillies second-year man David Buchanan, who gave up six earned runs in just three innings pitched during his first outing. Yes, the smart money was on the Mets.

Mets are 71-29 favorites over Phillies today, per @fangraphs game odds. http://t.co/CV2UWpeTpI

— David Cameron (@OneDaveCameron) April 14, 2015

In the top of the 1^st, Harvey effortlessly mowed down Odubel Harris and Freddy Galvis electrifying the Citi Field crowd as if they were going to see a 27-strikeout game. But then Chase Utley roped a home run to right field (he would connect on another one later in the game) and the weird was on. Buchanan hit up a couple of guys, including Michael Cuddyer, who left with a hand injury (X-rays were negative). To help the ump make up his mind, Lucas Duda decided to take matters into his own hands and slide into home plate again.

And David Wright pulled a hamstring and had to leave the game. That meant Anthony Recker was stuck playing third base in the 9^th inning, which normally would be fine but for the fact that he’s maybe never played that position before in his entire life?

.@Anthony_Recker said he never played 3rd base until the 9th inning tonight. #Mets pic.twitter.com/Lz841gXASN

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 15, 2015

In the end, things worked out in Gotham and the Mets won 6-5. Harvey gave up three runs in six innings pitched and struck out eight. True, he looked almost human last night but how good has he been up to this point? This good:

My dad always said you could do a lot worse than Dwight Gooden (!), George McQuillan (??), and Ferdie Schupp (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

TWEETS WE LIKED

Hanley says Farrell gave
option of playing SS or third. He picked third. Said only experience playing inf this spring on Playstation

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) April 15, 2015

First game this season. @Cubs pic.twitter.com/l8YkRFtDB2

— Brandon Lee (@bleeinternets) April 15, 2015

Look who's got good seats to this game. #marlbororedsinthesteelcity #tigers pic.twitter.com/7KQ1uDGLGr

— ALDLAND (@ALDLANDia) April 14, 2015

You know what I think is disrespectful to baseball? Treating the game like a funeral. I wish more players played w/ Yasiel Puig's passion

— Mark Sands (@sharkmgs) April 14, 2015

Vin says "featuring the sounds of Coachella" and everything is right with the world.

— Matthew Leach (@MatthewHLeach) April 15, 2015

ARTICLES WE LIKED

Hardball Times remembers Dwight Gooden’s historic 1985 season.

Fangraphs breaks down Carter Capps’ strange delivery.

Russell Carleton discusses all of these pitchers batting eighth.

Ben Lindbergh talks about MLB: The Show.

TODAY’S THREE BEST PITCHING MATCHUPS

Alfredo Simon (DET) vs. Francisco Liriano (PIT)

These guys can pitch.

Jason Marquis (CIN) vs. Travis Wood (CHC)

These guys can hit.

Wily Peralta (MIL) vs. Lance Lynn (STL)

These guys are both Tauruses.

THINGS TO DO TONIGHT OTHER THAN WATCHING BASEBALL

Tonight at Busboys and Poets in Takoma, MD, Jonah Keri will be hosting a Grantland Panel and signing copies of his book Up, Up, and Away.  Other guests include Wesley Morris and Ben Lindbergh.  If you’re in the DMV area be sure to stop by.  I will be there.