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★★★
One of baseball’s most gifted young talents delivered an absolute gem of a performance on Thursday night, as Chris Archer proved why he’s considered one of the elite pitchers in the game right now by tossing a 98-pitch, 11-strikeout, one-hit complete game shutout in a 1-0 victory over the Astros. It was the second “Maddux” of Archer’s career, and his game score of 95 put this performance up there as one of the best “Maddux” games ever pitched.
The thing about Archer’s complete and utter dominance is that it wasn’t even all that spectacular. Our friends over at D Rays Bay could do nothing but describe it with such words as “understated” and just “really, really good.” That’s not to say that what Archer did last night was boring. It’s just that sometimes you reach a point where your dominance looks so good that it looks easy, and that’s the case with Archer and his pitching style.
There may not be anything stylish or flashy about the way Archer goes about his business on the mound, but there’s no denying that when he’s on his game, he’s one of the best in all of baseball. Despite being a game under .500, the Rays are still only three games out of the second Wild Card spot in the AL, so having a methodical ace such as Archer to lean on is a necessity in these tight times. He probably won’t single-handedly bring Tampa into the postseason, but you can bet that Chris Archer is ready to be the incredibly inexpensive rock for the Rays. Even if his style has all of the flash and pizzazz of a rock.
- New Dodgers acquisition Chase Utley has a resume that’s worthy of the Hall of Fame, but knowing how Hall of Fame voters operate, that still might not be good enough for him to get inducted.
- Archer’s shutout wasn’t the only one of the night. Alfredo Simon became the second-oldest Tigers starter to toss his first shutout, at 34 years and 104 days.
- If you were just happening to play a game of baseball HORSE against Marcell Ozuna last night, then you’d probably just take the letter after Ozuna’s home run bounced off the very top of the left field foul pole.
- While Chris Archer may have gone about his business against the Astros in a methodical in unspectacular fashion, Houston pitcher Colin McHugh decided to spice things up a little during his time on the mound.
- The Giants are going to get Mike Leake back in their rotation, which leaves manager Bruce Bochy with a bit of a good problem: What is he going to do with his rotation now?
- Speaking of the Giants, Madison Bumgarner is part of that rotation and you don’t need me to tell you that he’s very good at this whole “pitching” thing. He’s also pretty good at that whole “hitting” thing.
- After seeing two of their pitchers go on the disabled list, the Tigers made a trade with the Blue Jays to acquire the nearly 39-year-old Randy Wolf.
- In news that will probably enrage every Cardinals fan who catches wind of this, umpire Don Denkinger showed up at a reunion for the 1985 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals, and was signing autographs.
- Meanwhile, Royals star outfielder Alex Gordon will be starting a rehab assignment this Sunday. That’s definitely great news for the Royals.
- 30-year-old Cuban prospect Hector Olivera could be making his MLB debut with the Braves very soon. Maybe as soon as next week.
- Remember those wacky uniforms with the shorts that the White Sox wore back in the mid-‘70s? The Sox are bringing them back on August 27. They won’t be rocking the shorts, though. Thank goodness.
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