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Barrie, Engvall lead Maple Leafs to 3-1 win over Coyotes

By STEPHEN THOMAS GUGLIOCIELLO

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tyson Barrie and rookie Pierre Engvall came through to help new Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe get a win in his NHL coaching debut.

Barrie scored his first goal of the season, Engvall got the first of his career and the Maple Leafs snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.

“Pretty special night for a lot of guys here,” said Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who also scored back in his hometown. “And a big two points with everything that’s been going on the past couple of weeks and the past 36 hours.”

Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots to help the Maple Leafs end an 0-5-1 skid one day after Keefe replaced the fired Mike Babcock.

“The guys went out and played with confidence,” Keefe said. “We had to find our way through the first period. I thought we had really good energy on the bench.”

Not everything was perfect in his first game behind the bench in the NHL, though.

“I was a little behind on making my line changes,” said Keefe, who was in his fifth season as coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies when he was promoted. “I’d like to speed that up a bit. But the players took care of me well there.”

Some Maple Leafs players saw the coaching change as a chance for a new start.

“He came in with a really fresh attitude,” Barrie said. “We know we weren’t meeting expectations and we need to be better.”

Vinnie Hinostraza scored with 17 seconds left for Arizona to spoil Andersen’s shutout bid. Darcy Kuemper finished with 29 saves. The Coyotes had won four of their previous five games.

“Too many mistakes and we didn’t really defend good enough,” Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson said.

Barrie got the scoring started with 46 seconds left in the first period, beating Kuemper under the right glove after coming down the right side from the point with open ice.

“I think I did a good job jumping in on the pass and that’s what I’m accustomed to,” Barrie said.

The Coyotes had trouble generating offense, as the Maple Leafs dominated the puck. Andersen was forced to make a glove save midway through the first on Carl Soderberg, and made a clean save of Jason Demers’ shot on a break in the second off a feed from Phil Kessel.

Engvall scored short-handed after breaking up a point-to-point pass and beating Kuemper under his left leg with his left-handed shot with 3:11 remaining in the second.

Matthews made it 3-0 as he skated far side and beat Kuemper between the legs 48 seconds into the third period.

“With everything that (Keefe) threw at us in a short period of time that he’d like to see I thought we executed that for the most part,” Matthews said.

NOTES: Toronto had allowed the first goal in its previous seven games. ... The Maple Leafs hadn’t led in regulation in its previous eight games, since a 3-1 win against Los Angeles on Nov. 5. They trailed 1-0 against Vegas two nights later before rallying to win 2-1 in overtime in their last victory before their skid. ... The Coyotes lost for just the fifth time in 19 games (14-4-1).

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: At Colorado on Saturday night for the fourth game of a six-game trip.

Coyotes: At Los Angeles on Saturday.

https://apnews.com/30c5f7fcf82e4820a5232503f051a34a?fbclid=IwAR1YtJh25UOGYEzje5SiuthjryqspNc3BJrjXZTrRkmP4ACHJL7Av-OJ3UU

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Dort, Arizona St. use big second half to beat Cal 69-59

This originally appeared on The Associated Press’ sports wire back in February. I’m really proud to have done something for such a prestigious institution as the AP, and the people who made it happen, from John Marshall, to John Perrotto and Will Graves, I will forever be thankful.

By Stephen Thomas Gugliociello

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Luguentz Dort had 22 points and Rob Edwards scored 16 points to help Arizona State secure a 69-59 comeback victory over California on Sunday.

The Sun Devils (19-8, 10-5 Pac-12) made up a six-point halftime deficit against the Golden Bears (5-22, 0-15).

Arizona State came out hot in the second half, putting together a 28-10 run over the first 12-plus minutes to take a 12-point lead. The Sun Devils shot 16 of 28 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, after halftime.

“I thought it was a great response in the second half the way the guys played and performed at both ends of the floor,” said Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley. “Our approach was better. Our aggression was better without fouling. It looked like we were putting together consecutive determined possessions.”

Edwards scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to push the Sun Devils.

“Rob had an outstanding spurt on offense that really kind of gave us separation in the game,” Hurley said.

Cal had staged a 20-7 run to close the first half and go into the break leading 34-28. During that stretch, Grant Anticevich hit both of his 3-pointers and Matt Bradley added five points.

Bradley finished with 23 points, hitting 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and 10 rebounds.

“A lot of things went against us at the end of the first half that were a little unfortunate,” Hurley said. “We had to come with the deficit when it could’ve been a lot closer and we overcame that.”

Zylan Cheatham, the Pac-12′s leading rebounder, finished with eight points and 12 rebounds. He’s second in the conference with 11 double-doubles this season.

“I really wanted to get my 10 points to be honest,” he said with a laugh.

SAYING GOODBYE

Cheatham and De’Quon Lake were honored before the game in the team’s senior-night ceremony. Sunday was Arizona’s last home game of the season, as they’ll play the final three on the road.

“Emotionally, I was pretty good at first, once the tribute video and the crowd gave me a standing ovation I couldn’t hold back the tears,” Cheatham said.

“It was very emotional. It was very special, the crowd was very awesome,” said Lake, who finished with eight points and four rebounds.

On his way off the court, Cheatham took time to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.

“It’s a surreal moment. I’m the type of person, I get chills when someone knows my name without introducing myself,” the Phoenix-native said. “That five, 10 minutes, is the least I can do.”

“Not everyone has a real impact on a program the way he has,” Hurley said. “It’s immeasurable what he’s meant to me for two years. The way he worked, the way he pushed the guys, his attitude, his personality. He plays with heart and his soul and his emotion.”

Cheatham transferred from San Diego State after his sophomore year and sat out the 2017-18 season, per NCAA rules.

LET DOWN

Cal had a six-point lead over the Sun Devils at the half. The last time the Golden Bears led at the half was against UCLA on Feb. 13. They ended up losing to the Bruins 75-67, in overtime.

Cal is now 3-4 on the season when leading at the half, and 2-18 when trailing.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona State picked up its tenth conference win to take possession of second in the Pac-12 standings. It’s the first time the Sun Devils have reached the 10-win plateau since 2013-14 and the first under Bobby Hurley.

Cal has three games left to prevent a winless conference season. Twice the Golden Bears have gone 1-11, in 1948-49 and 1954-55. The Golden Bears extended their various losing streaks to 16 straight overall, 23 straight in conference play and 18 straight on the road.

UP NEXT

Arizona State will travel to Eugene to take on Oregon on Thursday night. They’ll visit Corvallis on Sunday to take on Oregon State.

Cal will continue to seek its first Pac-12 win as it returns home to face conference-leading Washington on Thursday night. They’ll finish their double-dip at home Saturday against Washington State.

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Snooze AM kicks into high gear for the first meal of the day.

By Stephen Gugliociello

Moving can be very hard. There’s the stress from packing. There’s stress from saying goodbye to your friends. There’s stress on what to bring and what not to bring. There’s stress from getting to your new home.

But once you’ve settled down, there’s that one thing we all want to do at least three times a day (or seven to nine times in my case) -- get something to eat.

When you’re new to the area, you don’t know what you’re going to like, you don’t know really how far away it is, and you don’t know if you can trust the reviews on Yelp, which range from far-too-fond of the restaurant, to threats of arson against it.

This is why chain joints are so popular (even though some of us may look down our noses at Chili’s because in Phoenix, there’s such a wealth of great southwestern and Mexican restaurants). But we go to these places because a Chili’s in Chandler is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the Chili’s in Little Falls, NJ. You know the menu, you know you want chips and salsa, and you know that burger is probably going to taste the same at both locations.

Ever since I moved to Phoenix (Ahwatukee) from the greater Pittsburgh area, I’ve been in search of places to eat -- keep in mind, a lot is packed, most of the kitchenware and cutlery is packed, I have to find a grocery store I like because I’m extremely picky with my ingredients.

Plus, to be completely honest with you, I haven’t been in the mood to cook. Food, and cooking in particular, is a family affair. And being single and in a new place, I just haven’t been inspired yet.

While out with family last week at Rumbi Island Grill, I came across something on the menu which had me overjoyed -- on the dessert menu, there it was: Pineapple upside down cake. I was so excited, I ordered two (but to be honest, I probably could’ve eaten five).

For the uninitiated, pineapple upside down cake is a yellow cake cooked in a single cake pan with the ingredients at the bottom (hence the “upside down” part). The cake is coated with a brown sugar frosting, with whole, sliced pineapples and maraschino cherries. Try it! If you don't like it, send the leftovers to me.

After having these cakes, I went to Google and searched “Best pineapple upside down cake in Phoenix,” and the top result was a bit of a surprise.

The top return was for Yelp reviews on a place called “Snooze an AM eatery.”  Now, while I had never heard of it, I quickly learned it was a regional chain (downvote) -- I guess I’ve always associated the best bakeries as mom-and-pop shops. When you’re from New Jersey, which is where I was born and raised, almost everything is a mom-and-pop shop. In my hometown, they tried to open a Subway across the street from the high school. I’m sure some people went there, but more were willing to walk down the street to an authentic Italian deli.

And you don’t even want to hear about on how long Papa John’s lasted …

When I came to the reviews of “Snooze an AM eatery,” I was piqued with curiosity for why I was brought there. The top recommendation (and photos) were of pineapple upside down pancakes. Color me intrigued. And there were a number of reviews simply glowing about the dish.

I made a call and set up an appointment with Mariam Elgawhry, the store’s general manager. Now, the eatery does not accept reservations, but if you’re going to meet with someone, it’s always best to agree to a time in advance.

So, as to not be a noodge, I decided to wait until after I ate to talk to Elgawhry. I asked the hostess if I could sit outside. There’s nothing I enjoy more than dining all'aperto, especially when it’s not 120 degrees out. Apparently, everyone else does too -- most of the customers were sitting out on the patio with only two tables occupied inside.

The hostess was very polite and showed me to my table. She saw my camera and asked if I was a photographer. I confessed I was, but that I am mainly a writer. She asked if I was any good. I grinned and nodded and said, “Depends who you ask.”

The waitress took my drink order, coffee with milk and a water with no lemon, and when she returned, she asked for my order. There’s no turning back now!

My pancakes came out and they had looked on Yelp and they smelled delicious. I dug in as if I hadn’t eaten in a lifetime. I got the most I could out of my first bite — the fluffy pancake, the cinnamon butter, the sweet pineapple, the bruleed top of the pancakes and the vanilla crème anglaise.

Now, let Chef Stephen jump in for a second. The use of the sweet pineapple is essential. Even though there are dozens of tiny chunks of pineapple (as opposed to the full ring typically found on the cake), the sweetness is an important achievement. In my experience, when slicing a pineapple, especially toward the middle, the fruit can be very tart. However, it’s actually toward the base that has the sweetest pieces .

The cinnamon butter offered a nice bit of bite and richness to the tasting. Cinnamon is an essential part of the glaze when making the cake.

Now, some may disagree (I don’t want to mention Elgawhry’s name here, but … ), for me, it was the vanilla crème anglaise that really made the dish. And, as I mentioned before, as I enjoyed the pineapple upside down cakes from Rumbi, they lacked something. When I had my pancakes, I knew exactly what it was -- the soft vanilla taste of the cake.

Elgawhry said she believed what made the dish was the bruleeing of the pancakes on the flat top.

The dish tops out at 1,110 calories, so for the health-conscious, you may want to avoid this. My doctor set my daily intake at 2,200-2,500 calories; plus I’m a more of a grazer than a “sit down and have a meal” kind of person. So if you’re like me and only give a passing thought to your daily-caloric-intake, then hey, live your best life!

My bill with the pancakes and the coffee came out to a little over $11, so the price was very reasonable for a nice brunch. It’s not upscale, but it’s certainly not like most of the diners in New Jersey. Feel free to bring your whole family and your priest if you want, there’s something for everyone — but keep in mind you’re not getting a Taylor’s ham and fried egg sandwich from the Arlington Diner at 3 a.m. either.

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Stephen Gugliociello and John Perrotto discuss the slow pace of play in baseball, the highlight culture, and the sweet science of other sports.

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Do the Los Angeles’ football teams have a failure to thrive problem?

By Stephen Gugliociello

When the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles following the 2016 season, there were hopes of a bigger fan base and, more importantly, the promise of a new stadium -- a deal-breaker the City of San Diego was not able to, or willing to, secure. 

Stan Kroenke, the owner of the then-St. Louis Rams had secured a site, funding, and league approval to build a new Taj Mahal in the Hollywood Hills.

So the Chargers left southern California and a die-hard fan base behind to return to greener pastures in less-southern California. 

Since returning to Los Angeles, where the Chargers played in 1960 as a member of the AFL, the club have called the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., their home. The stadium (in name only) is the home of the MLS’ LA Galaxy. That’s right. It’s a soccer stadium that holds 27,000 people. San Diego County Credit Union Stadium, or “The Murph” if you’re nasty, holds 70,561. The stadium, unfortunately (for it?), opened in 1967, and that’s too old for the Chargers’ likings. And they want something new.

In Week 1 this season, the Chargers took on the Kansas City Chiefs in Carson. According to the official box score, there were 25,351 people in attendance, but as Public Enemy says, “Don’t believe the hype.” The crowd consisted of at least 50 percent Chiefs fans, as those red jerseys stood out against white Chargers jerseys (and empty, green seats).

In Week 4, the Chargers second home game, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Paid attendance was 25,397. 

The Rams first moved to Los Angeles in 1946 after a 10-year stint in Cleveland (can’t say you didn’t learn anything today). 

In the near 50 years the Rams spent in L.A. (from 1946-1994), they won two NFL Championships (pre-merger) in 1945 and 1951, saw the emergence of the Fearsome Foursome, won seven-straight NFC West Championships in the ’70s, punctuated by a trip to Super Bowl XIV in January of 1980, and had 14 NFL Hall of Famers (including owner Dan Reeves).

But alas, after four-straight seasons of finishing dead last in the NFC West, Georgia Frontiere moved the team east to St. Louis -- the Gateway to the West.

The Rams greatest success in franchise history came in St. Louis (and not Los Angeles). The team would make it to two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXIV, behind “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

As like the Chargers (or should I say, “the Chargers followed the Rams’ lead”), the Rams returned to Los Angeles in 2016. They returned to their old home, where they played from 1946-1979, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

In contrast to a soccer stadium that was built in 2002, the Coliseum has been open since 1923 -- primarily as the home of the USC Trojans football team, but also hosted Pope John Paul II, hosted two Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984, and will be the centerpiece for the 2028 Olympiad, home of the Dodgers when they first made their arrival on the West Coast from Brooklyn, home to the UCLA Bruins for nearly 50 years, and, of course, the Rams. The NFL official reports list the capacity at 93,607.

Needless to say, there’s some history in them walls. 

Since returning to Los Angeles, though, the Rams have had trouble drawing crowds.

While it’s easy to argue the team that made the journey back west from St. Louis. The returning, 2016 Rams compiled the same record as the 1994 squad the year they left -- 4-12.

However, after a coaching change from Jeff Fischer to Sean McVay, things have turned around, and immediate fashion. He took No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff under his wing and, along side star back Todd Gurley II and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, everything is looking green inside the franchise. 

However, the fans still aren’t coming. In 2018, the Rams have played three home games and averaged 69,163. That’s only 73.9 percent capacity. Even during Week 4, a Thursday night showdown hyped as a match up between the two best teams in the NFC, only drew 72,027, more than 20,000 under capacity. 

This season, the franchise decided to bring back their blue and yellow jerseys, the uniform worn from 1973-2000. I can only think the idea behind this was to drum up nostalgia of when the team was successful in Los Angeles and hearken back thoughts of Jack Youngblood and Eric Dickerson. 

Unfortunately, all I conjure up is Chuck Knox and Jim Everett leading the team to another high draft pick.

Ground was broken on the Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park in November of 2016. The stadium, which will cost nearly $5 billion, will seat 70,240 and will be expandable to 100,240. The stadium is projected to be ready for the 2020 season for the Chargers and Rams, and is already scheduled to host the Super Bowl in 2022 and the NCAA Division I College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2023. It could host FIFA World Cup matches (though it wasn’t listed on the pitch that won the 2026 World Cup because the committee didn’t want to include non-completed stadiums). It’s also expected to be used as part of the Summer Olympics in 2028.

I’m sure it will host a Taylor Swift concert or two as well. Or, whoever the new Taylor Swift is in 2020.

According to Biz Journals, Los Angeles County had more than 16,000 tax filers earning more than $1 million in 2015. The city is also home to 23 of the Fortune 500 companies, led by The Walt Disney Co. This wealth is good for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, who has 275 executive suites to sell to the Inglewood stadium.

However, the question remains: Who will fill the seats? Los Angeles is notorious for being a transplant city -- whether people are from Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, etc. -- and could come up lacking with fans that are native Los Angelenos. Except maybe Adam Carolla? 

While the Rams are struggling to fill the bowl at the Coliseum, they’re still drawing 70,000 people per game. And, unlike the Chargers, they still have somewhat of a fan base in the city. The Chargers are struggling to sell 25,000 a game and are approximately 130 miles from their fans.

These teams differ from another set of teams that share a stadium -- the New York Giants and the New York Jets, who share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Both teams draw fans from the same fan base and have been in the area for 58 years in the Jets case, 93 years for the Giants. Both teams have long waiting lists to even get the opportunity to buy season tickets.

Since moving to Los Angeles, both teams have seen a noticeable rise in value.

The Rams, as cited by the Forbes 2018 NFL Valuations, has a current value of $3.2 billion, which is up 7% over the previous year. They are the fourth most valuable franchise in the league, behind the Dallas Cowboys ($5 billion), the New England Patriots ($3.8 billion), and the New York Giants ($3.3 billion).

The Chargers, on the other hand, are worth $2.275 billion, which, while it’s nothing to shake a stick at, is a zero percent increase from the previous year, and ranks No. 22 in the league.

Both teams are struggling when it comes to revenue as well. The Rams are 27th in the league, earning $366 million in 2017, while the Chargers are 31st (out of 32 teams), earning $346 million. They both fall far behind the Cowboys, who earned a staggering $864 million.

According to Forbes, the methodology for determining value is “Forbes’ team values are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) based on the multiples of revenue of historical transactions as well as offers to buy and invest in teams currently on the table. The values are based on each team’s current stadium (with adjustments for pending new stadiums and renovations).  Revenue and operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) are for the 2017 season, net of stadium debt service. Revenue from non-NFL events, like concerts and stadium tours, is included when such revenue is pocketed by the team owner or an entity the owner controls”

According to Statista, revenue is made up of “sponsorships, media, partnerships, tickets and concession sales.”

Lastly, the Rams have the most debt-value in the NFL at 45 percent, but that’s largely because they’re the primary ownership behind the new stadium.

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Technical difficulties...

I’ve experienced ummm a temporary delay in getting the story about the sustainability of Los Angeles football online. Stay tuned...

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Celtics’ Hayward returns after leg-injury that cost him all of 2017-18

By Stephen Gugliociello

The first game of the 2017-18 season was one that came with great anticipation -- it was a rematch of the 2016-17 Eastern Conference Finals, it was the return of Kyrie Irving to Cleveland after being traded to Boston during the off-season (after he hit the game-winning shot in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to clinch the Cavaliers first NBA title), and the Celtics unveiled their new-look lineup — one bolstered through trades, free agency, and the draft, which the team from Bean Town hoped would help them knock off LeBron James and Co.

Aside from the acquisition of Irving to take over the point, second-year player Jalen Brown being able to play both the 2 and 3 spots, the No. 3 overall draft pick, Jason Tatum, out of Duke (as the continued reverberations of the infamous 2014 Nets-Celtics trade), and the return of perennial all-star Al Horford, there was the splash the team made in free agency ...

After leading the Utah Jazz to the playoffs and making his first all-star team, all while scoring 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RB, 3.5 AST, the 6-8 Butler alumnus, Gordon Hayward, hit free agency after the best season of his career. 

The Celtics signed Hayward for a four-year, $128 million contract. 

But only five minutes into the first quarter, the entire complexion of the Celtics’ season changed -- Hayward would get undercut going for an alley-oop, land awkwardly, and break his leg. Gruesomely. 

As the season went along, Tatum would prove himself to be an all-star in the making and Brown would prove himself to be an excellent 3 and D guy with a great wingspan, allowing him to play the 2, 3, or 4. 

After the opening game, Hayward would undergo surgery to fix the fracture in his leg, and would spend the next number of months going through rehab. There were even some rumors that he may return for the playoffs, then the Cavaliers series, then the Finals if the Celtics made it that far -- all of which were denied vehemently by both GM Danny Ainge and coach Brad Stevens. 

Hayward finally did return -- on Sept. 29, for the Celtics first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Hayward looked tentative running, but what could really have been expected? He scored 10 points in the Celtics loss, and even got on the highlight reel by managing a chase-down block on Jeremy Lamb. It was anything but LeBron-esque. Hayward ran down court at less than 100 percent, and when Lamb slowed down to bring the ball back to the middle of the paint, Hayward turned it on from the free-throw line and swatted the attempted dunk

However, during his post-game interview, reporters and fans alike got a glimpse at the warm-hearted, Indiana-native the fans had come to understand while he was injured. 

First, let’s flashback to the time Hayward was out -- one of the biggest trends online became gender-reveal parties, and subsequently, videos. And the Haywards were among the throngs to take part.

In the video, posted originally to the Instagram account belonging to his wife, Robyn, Hayward, a father of two little girls, is prompted by one of his daughters (and his wife) to open a box containing balloons, presumably to reveal the gender of the child his wife is pregnant with.

And, well, you judge the lone-male Hayward’s excitement ... 

https://youtu.be/2n8zl4-SVIg

Quickly, Hayward’s back-turned, sarcasm-meets-melancholy response of “Daddy’s always happy,” quickly became meme fodder online.

So during the post-game scrum after his first preseason game, Hayward gave a nod to everyone that he is, indeed, in on the joke.

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Yelich’s unlikely shot at history comes to an end as Brewers win NL Central

By Stephen Gugliociello

By the time Christian Yelich arrived in Phoenix for Milwaukee Brewers spring training, he was the final piece of another Miami Marlins fire sale to go.

Over the previous seven months, the Marlins had traded or released the majority of their primary assets: Reigning-NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton had been traded to the New York Yankees, left fielder Marcel Ozuna had been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, second baseman Dee Gordon had been traded to the Seattle Mariners, and the team’s best pitcher, Edinson Volquez, had been granted his out-right release.

Yelich had always been a player with great potential, but had only shown flashes of it in south Florida. In his five seasons in Miami, he averaged .290, 12 homers, 59 RBI, .369 on-base percentage, and .432 slugging. He did have a career year in 2016, however, when he hit 21 home runs, 98 RBI, .298/.376/483 and had won a Silver Slugger.

But when Yelich arrived in Milwaukee, he was met with something he had never experienced before -- expectations. The team had recently signed free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain away from the Kansas City Royals, and were in hot pursuit of free-agent pitcher, Yu Darvish (Darvish eventually signed with division-rival Chicago).

The team still had pieces in place from the previous season -- 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun, third baseman Travis Shaw (31 homers, 101 RBI in 2017), young shortstop Orlando Arcia, and first baseman Eric Thames, who hit 31 home runs and had a .518 slugging percentage in 2017, his first year in the majors since 2012.

By the All-Star break, the Brewers found themselves in a good position -- they were 55-43 after a 19-8 May. Yelich was also finding success, hitting .292/.364/.459 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI, and being named to his first All-Star team.

But during the second half, the Brewers came back down to earth. They played .500 ball from June to August (12-13, 15-13, 13-13) and were trailing the division-leading Cubs, who had sat in first place since the middle of July.

The team had made several moves at the trade deadline in a hope to bolster the team’s hitting -- they acquired Mike Moustakas, a power-hitting, free-agent-to-be from Kansas City, and Jonathan Schoop from Baltimore, a second baseman having an impressive year.

Yelich’s surge really began in August, when he hit 10 homers with 27 RBI, .307/.363/.557, which had the people in Milwaukee talking. However, by the beginning of September, the Brewers were still five games behind the Cubs for the division lead.

It was at that point Yelich spring-boarded himself into the national conversation as the Brewers surged. He hit .352/.500/.807.  And thanks to his late-season outburst, not only did many consider Yelich the favorite for the National League MVP, but he was suddenly in a race with history. After game 162, Yelich led the league in hitting at .323, he was second in home runs with 36 (Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado had 37), and second in RBI with 108 (Cubs infielder Javy Baez had 110).

Thanks in large part to Yelich’s hot hitting, the Brewers went 19-7 in the season’s final month, ending the season in a tie for first place with the Cubs, which meant only one thing -- a game 163.

Game 163, a tie-breaker for the division, would be held Oct. 1 in Chicago. It would also give Yelich one last shot at hitting for the triple crown.

Facing Cubs lefty Jose Quintana, Yelich started the game red-hot, going 3-3 with an RBI, cutting Baez’s RBI lead down to only one.

With the score 1-1 in the top of the 8th inning, the Brewers began to rally. With runners on second and third and no one out, Cain singled off Cubs side-arming reliever Steve Cishek to drive in the runner from third, making the score 2-1, Brewers.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon immediately went to the bullpen as the crowd started to murmur and cheers got louder. Left-hander Randy Rosario strolled out of the Cubs bullpen as the crowd rose to their feet. Into the left-handed batter’s box strode Yelich, and what was at stake in the moment for the Brewers, and Yelich himself, was lost on very few.

“If he homers here, I’m going to get up, walk out of this broadcast booth, and never come back,” said ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian, “because nothing will ever top that.”

Yelich proceeds to swing and foul off the first three fastballs from Rosario, all around 93 MPH.

The fourth pitch comes in at 88 MPH, high over the black. Ball one. 1-2 to Yelich.

The fifth pitch, another cutter, comes in at 88 MPH, but is in the right-handed batter’s box. Yelich lays off easy. 2-2.

With the goal of keeping the game close, and holding off history for Yelich, Rosario dealt the sixth pitch.

Yelich took a big swing.

Cutter, 87 MPH on the outer half.

But alas, the mighty Yelich had struck out.

He put his head down and headed back to the dugout. There was a mixture of cheers and boos; cheers from the home Cubs fans, and boos from the Brewers fans, many of whom had made the three-plus hour drive from Wisconsin. They weren’t mad at Yelich for striking out, they were more disappointed that he didn’t get to achieve immortality.

Yelich wouldn’t get another at bat. But the trajectory of history would not change with his strike out.

Braun came up next and hit a single to right-center at the vacated second base position, as Cain had been running on the pitch, scoring the runner from third.

Left-handed fireballer Josh Hader came on in the bottom of the 8th, and would retire the next six hitters to record the save, and seal the win for the Brewers.

The Brewers had climbed all the way back and won the NL Central, had the best record in the league, and Yelich being named the 2018 MVP seemed all but a cinch.

But on this day, his name wouldn’t join the likes of Joe Medwick, Chuck Klein, Rogers Horsby, Heinie Zimmerman, or Paul Hines, as National League hitters to achieve the triple crown.

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While the Pirates’ Trevor Williams has been impressive in the second half, indicators point to a September downturn

By Stephen Gugliociello

The Pirates’ 26-year-old right-hander, Trevor Williams, has found sustained success since the All-Star Break in mid-July. 

In his six second-half starts, Williams has twirled a 0.97 ERA, not allowing more than two earned runs in any start, and compiling a 3-2 record (the team is 3-3 in his starts). He’s thrown for 37 innings,facing 147 batters, and given up four earned runs (three home runs) during that stretch. 

However, that’s where the positive ends for Williams. Despite an 0.97 ERA in his last six starts, the advanced metrics tell a different story. Williams’ FIP is at 3.99, and his xFIP is 5.04. This means that if his defense was playing “league average” defense, his ERA would be nearly three runs higher per game (FIP), and if he gave up closer to the league average of home run to fly ball ratio, his ERA would be over 5.00.

For a more tangible stat, it’s as easy at looking at the strikeout-to-walk ratio is 1.9:1 (19 strikeouts, 10 walks). His strikeout average is 4.62 per nine innings. This low strikeout total means teams are putting more balls in play. While his defense has had his back to the tune of a .226 batting average on balls in play, he’s allowed a near-equal ratio of ground balls to fly balls. 

With more balls in play, 91.2% of contact has been against balls in the zone. Williams’ fastball velocity has decreased every season through his brief career -- it’s now down to a 90.4 MPH, and he’s throwing it at an extremely-high frequency -- 70.5%. This has contributed to the lowering percentage of swing and miss percentage, which is down to 7.3%. So while he’s in the zone frequently (1,366 strikes to 798 balls), Williams is showing he doesn’t have the gas to put it past hitters. 

Here’s a question for you: Can a good number actually be a bad number? During the second-half, Williams’ WHIP is just over 1.00 (39 baserunners in 37 innings). At a microcosm, if you remove the three solo home runs Williams has given up during this stretch, he’s allowed one earned run to 36 baserunners. As you saw with the FIP and xFIP numbers, an ERA with that many baserunners to runs allowed is not sustainable long-term.

Finally, let’s look ahead to tonight. Williams takes on the St. Louis Cardinals for the second time during this stretch. His first start against them on Aug. 5, resulted in a 2-1 loss for the Pirates and Williams. Williams only lasted 5 innings, giving up 9 hits, 2 earned runs, and strike out 3 on 90 pitches, including a home run to Matt Carpenter, who is having an MVP-caliber season. Again, stranded baserunners good, low strikeout bad, low inning total bad.

The Cardinals have been a team Williams has struggled against in his career. Of those who faced him, batters are hitting .368 with a .977 OPS. Williams’ biggest bugaboo has been Carpenter, who is 7-16 with 3 homers, 6 RBI, and 4 walks. Carpenter has  produced an other-worldly OPS against Williams of 1.613.