This is where batters need to learn to bunt again. You need a baserunner and the Jays are basically giving one up for free. Thanks for the strikeout instead Atlanta!
Or at least partially. Require 2 infielders on each side of 2nd base and no further back than the back edge of the infield dirt when the ball is released. It certainly doesn't solve all the problems, but at least it looks better.
One of the things that doesn't seem to get much mention right now is that bats are apparently much denser than they were in the past as well, and that's leading to significantly increased exit velocities in addition to the changes to the ball. Perhaps it's time to move beyond wood bats to some sort of synthetic material with fixed properties.
It's pretty early in the season. Usually the bats pick up over the summer as the weather heats up and the air becomes less dense. The increasing strikeout trend is interesting though, particularly given little change in most other areas.
That was a great matchup! I was starting to think that one move I left on the table was going to bite me. It's so much more fun when things come down to the wire.
I just noticed Joe Jimenez's stats from his first two games this year. 1 IP, 5 ER, 0 Hits, 7 Walks, 2 Ks. I'm not sure I've ever seen a reliever give up 5 runs on no hits before.
I would assume some combination of walks, stolen bases, and/or errors. I haven't looked the games up though, so I suppose some weird tie rules could be possible.
A third of Texans (adults only) are apparently fully vaccinated. It's possible they only let fully vaccinated people into the park though. It's more likely they just don't care.