[ayaghmour2]

July 26th, 2019: A pair of deals were made before games kicked back off. A player I targeted, Jorge Polanco, was sent from the Twins to the Brewers for Zach Davies. Pretty even trade, just a swap of strengths and weaknesses. The Blue Jays sent Devon Travis to the Mets for Matt Harvey. Again, same thing here.

Colin McHugh (6-7, 4.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) welcomed the visiting Phillies and JoJo Romero (@-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.21 WHIP).

It was a well fought game, as we headed to extras tied 4-4. The Phillies put up 2 in the top of the 10th, and we managed 1 in the bottom, but ultimately fell 6-5.

McHugh barely pitched, allowing 3 in 3 innings off 5 hits, a walk, and 2 strike outs. Brad Brach, our All-Star, got the loss, allowing 2 runs in 1.2 innings.

We only had 7 hits, 2 of them from Charlie Tilson who just finished his rehab assignment. Brian Anderson doubled and Anthony Alford homered in the extra frame. Anderson drove in 2, Alford 1. It wasn't the start I wanted, but it could have been much worse.

July 27th, 2019: The AI asked me if I wanted Marcell Ozuna and I knid of laughed a bit. The game doesn't know the Marlins dumped him on the Cardinals a few years ago.

Zack Wheeler (5-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was on the mound against Vince Velasquez (7-5, 6.73 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) as we looked to even the series back up. Instead, we were shut out 5-0...

Wheeler coughed up 3 in .1, and John Curtiss, who would be optioned, 2 in 0.2 innings. We also had just 5 hits, headlined by a Luis Torrnes double.

As mentioned, Curtiss was headed down, and Nick Rumbelow brought back up.

July 28th, 2019: Miguel Rojas was sent to AAA New Orleans on rehab assignment.

The series Finale took place between Tom Eshelman (0-1, 3.86 ERA, 0.71 WHIP) and Ranger Suarez (1-0, 3.66 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). If we lost this game, I'd probably sell a little bit.

Luckily Eshelman was solid, going 6 while allowing 3 runs. He walked 1, allowed 6 hits, and struck out 5. Kyle Barraclough, who the Mariners made a poor offer on earlier today, struck out the side in the 7th and earned the win, his 3rd on the year. Brad Brach got save 22 as we took the finale 7-3. Suarez left the game with an injury after finishing the 6th. It's just DTD, so the Phillies need not worry.

We managed 13 hits, including and Anthony Alford homere and a myriad of doubles (Mauer, Bandy, Peters (2), and Kinsler). Bandy had 3 hits while Alford and Kinsler 2. Bandy, Alford and Tilson drove in 2 runs, while Kinsler picked up the last one. All position players who started recorded a hit, as well as pinch hitter Tyler Saladino who also added a stolen base.

We were on to Pittsburgh for three before the deadline. We'd see Charlie Morton (3-7, 6.41 ERA), Brandon Waddell (7-8, 5.04 ERA), and Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.55 ERA). We needed the sweep to pass Arizona for the 2nd Wild Card spot.

I tried to swing a few deals before heading to Pittsburgh. I needed to upgrade the team, but it's a lot harder then tearing it down. Again, nothing came of it...

Teoscar Hernandez was healthy and joined the club, which sent the struggling rookie D.J. Peters back down to AAA.

And we fell down to 13 in this week's Power Rankings.

We opened the series against the 1st place, yet 51-50 Pittsbirgh Pirates with Adalberto Mejia (3-6, 3.64 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). His opponent, Charlie Morton (3-7, 6.41 ERA, 1.84 WHIP) who's return to the Pirates hasn't been pretty.

Mejia was near perfect, just 2 hits and 2 walks in 8.1 shutout innings that included 6 strike outs. Yonny Chirinos got the final two outs, and he's really adapted well to a bullpen role. They combined for the 2-hit, 5-0 shutout. Morton was injured after the first batter, and we tagged the Bucs' pen for 5.

Mejia himself doubled and scored, while Ian Kinsler and Brian Anderson hit homers. Kinsler drove in 3, including the 2 run homer, while Ryon Healy got the final RBI. I wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win none the less.

July 30th, 2019: A pair of lefties dueled in game two, with Brent Suter (3-2, 2.65 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) taking on Brandon Waddell (7-8, 5.04 ERA, 1.61 WHIP).

We scored 5 in the 2nd, and that's all Suter and the pen needed for the 5-3 win. Suter allowed all 3 in 6 innings off 5 hits and a walk. He struck out a pair as well. Kyle Barraclough and Drew Steckerider picked up holds, while Brach picked up his 23rd save.

In his first game back in the lineup, Hernadnez went 1-for-4 and stole a base, while also being caught. Alford lead the charge with 2 hits and Joe Mauer drove in 3 off a double. Adeiny Hechavarria doubled and scored, while Suter himself scored and drove in a run. Guess how? He was hit by a pitch with 2 outs and the bases loaded.

Mauer left the game with an undisclosed injury...

We're now 1 up on the D'Backs for the 2nd wild cars pot, but 5 behind Atlanta for the 1st.

Minor league C Edgardo Rodriguez went 5-for-5 as the Miami GCL Marlins beat the GCL Blue Jays 18-7. He scored 4 times and drove in 3 runs.

I made a minor trade, sending A.J. Cole to the Twins for Tyler Jay. Jay is really good, but tore his flexor tendon. Cole is a guy I picked up as a minor league free agent, so it's a no risk deal.

Jay, 25, is a lefty who's potential rank as 100/54/57. If he heals up, it's going to be a steal for us. He has closer potential and a four pitch arsenal out of the pen. I'm hoping that's not my big July deal, but the deadline is tommorow...

July 31st, 2019: A few deadline deals, as the Nationals traded C Taylor Gushue and LHP Dakota Bennett to the Rockies for Tyler Anderson. This deal just doesn't make any sense... The Yankees then traded RHP Giovanny Gallegos to the Tigers for 3B eimer Candelario. This was a pretty even trade, Gallegos is a really good RP, while Candelario a solid 3B.

I made a deal of my own, sending Luis D. Perdomo and C Chris Hoo to the Orioles for C Austin Wynns and RP Michael Givens. Not quite sure why my assistant GM doesn't like it, Perdomo is just a 1.5 and Hoo a 0.5, while Wynns a 1 and Givens a 2.5. I guess it's since I'm supposed to be "rebuilding" this year. Wynns will head to AA, Givens the big league club. Rumbelow will head back down to AAA.

Givens will solidify the pen a little more, as he comes with a 3.56 ERA and 77 strike outs in 65.2 innings. His WHIP is a little high, but he's a great additio nto the clubhouse and has loads of talent. Small bonus, he's from Florida.

I wasn't done for the day, swapping Ryan Borucki, Isan Diaz, and Zach Gallen to the White Sox for 1B/3B Nicky Delmonico. Delmonico has nice pop, 14 HR's and 48 RBI's, along with a .252/.334/.432 triple slash. He's insurance if Mauer gets hurt, can help in the future, and has nice versatility. It cost a few decent prospects, but freed up a 40-man roster spot. I'd leave him DFA'd for now before finishing the Pittsburgh series.

Colin McHugh (6-7, 4.56 ERA, 1.39 WHIP)was on the mound as we look to finish off the sweep. The first thing in our way, Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP). Mauer was out of the lineup, with Healy at 1B and hitting second instead.

Sadly, McHugh gave up 5, and we gave up 3 more from the pen, and fell 8-5. The pitching wasn't good, buct luckily Jeff Hoffman should be able to start rehab soon. Givens made his Marlins debut, allowing just a hit with 2 strike outs in the 8th.

Anthony Alford hit another homer, now with 11 on the year. Hernandez and Anderson both doubled. Back to Alford, he was 3-for-4 with a walk, while scoring and driving in two runs. Tyler Saladino was the only other Malrin with more then 1 hit. All 8 starting hitters, however, did reach base.

We still hung on to a 1 game lead over the D'backs, and would face the team 1.5 games behind us, the Mets, in New York for 4, then have a day off before returning homer for 2 against Atlanta. This is a huge set of games, as these are divisional foes who are above and behind us in the standings. Below, I attached screenshots of our stats on the year thusfar: