Mains: Under the radar in Tampa Bay
From SABR member Rob Mains at Baseball Prospectus on September 5, 2018:
Remember June 30? That’s OK, me neither. It was a Saturday. In the World Cup, France beat Argentina 4-3 and Uruguay beat Portugal 2-1. There were marches across the country to protest family detentions and separations of immigrants. In baseball, the Red Sox beat the Yankees 11-0, as Chris Sale allowed a hit and a walk over seven innings, striking out 11, and the Mariners beat the Royals 6-4, as King Felix was credited with his eighth (and, to date, final) win of the season. In the day’s most exciting finish, Justin Smoak led of the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off homer as the Jays beat the Tigers 4-3.
All in all, not a particularly memorable day. I don’t expect you to recall it. By the same token, I don’t expect you to know this: Which teams have had the best records since June 30? (Throughout this article, all data are through Labor Day’s games.)
I’ll narrow it down: Which five teams have played .600-or-better ball since June 30?
Read the full article here: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/42478/flu-like-symptoms-the-under-the-radar-great-team/
Originally published: September 7, 2018. Last Updated: September 7, 2018.