2027 JULY 1st - JULY 16th

[7.1.27] – Montes Scalfaro wins Batter of the Month with 437/500/874 11hr 29rbi 20r in just 22 games. It is his 5^th Batter of the Month and the first time since April 2026.



[7.1.27] – Mets 7, Samba 6 – Neither starter makes it past the fourth inning and the Mets blow a 6-1 lead in the third inning and the Samba tie the game in the top of the 6^th. A Caraballo singles home the go ahead run in the bottom of the inning to put the Mets back up.
LeBlanc (5-1) pitches 2 innings for the win and Rushton (24) gets the save and Mets pull into first place by themselves for the first time this season.



[7.2.27] – Samba 8, Mets 2 – Fulton (9-3) also fails at his first chance at 10 wins. Jared 'Tacky Tom' Wells pitches a complete game and hold the Mets to just 2 runs.
The Braves pulled back into a tie with the Mets, the Phillies a game back.

Here is an example of the sim giving a guy an inappropriate nickname. His name is Jared, but his nickname is 'Tacky Tom'. I like it, so he'll keep it.

'Tacky Tom' Parrott

There was a real player with that nickname, who played for some really bad teams 130 years ago, 'Tacky Tom' Parrott. Including the ninth place 1893 Chicago Colts (soon to become the Chicago Orphans [1898-1902], then the Cubs in 1903.)

He wasn't bad even though you may think he was just looking at his numbers, 39-48 5.33era 795ip 1.713whip as a pitcher and 303/331/442 15hr 163rbi in 1048pa over four years. His lifetime ERA+ is 96 [average is 100], as a batter his OPS+ is 98 [average is 100]. 

The ERA+ and OPS+ stats are one of the ways that baseball is able to compare eras across its history. The + signifies his average against the leagues' average. This is why baseball history destroys the history of every other sport combined.


[7.3.27] – Samba 4, Mets 0 – Candido Botequim (9-8) pitches a gem 9ip 3h 2bb 9k. Valdes (2-4) takes the loss.



[7.5.27] – Kings 7, Mets 6 – Caraballo (12) completed a 4-run first inning with a three run shot, but then the Mets fall behind 6-4 after the sixth. The Mets tie it in the 8^th with a Finley single to center that drove home the runs when center fielder boots it.
In the bottom of the 9^th Rushton (0-4) allows a walk off home run to Ismael Lopez (11).



[7.6.27] – Kings 4, Mets 3 – Williamson 8ip 11h 3er 3bb 6k 1hr is not around for the decision as Rushton (0-5) blows it again. This time he walks the lead off hitter, then makes an ill advised attempt at a ground ball allowing both runners to reach base. An intentional walk loaded the bases, but a single ended the game.



[7.7.27] – Kings 7, Mets 2 – The Kings complete the sweep by knocking starter Fulton from the game in the third when it was 7-0.
The Mets (50-40) and the Phillies fall two behind the Braves.



[7.8.27] – Nationals 6, Mets 2 – Nats starter Leonard Stark (10-4) throws a complete game allowing two solo home runs, Smith (28) and Dickerson (1). The losing streak reaches six games.



[7.9.27] – Mets 9, Nationals 3 – The Mets are out hit 9 to 6, but receive 8 walks. Scalfaro (24) and Short (10) each hit 3-run home runs. Marquez (7-2) 8.1ip 9h 3er 1bb 15k 2hr strikes out a career high 15 batters and turns it over to Sheppard to get the final two outs.


The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians 23-6. They score all their runs over 5 innings, never scoring less than 3. Manny Moran, 32-yo Cuban 2b, drives in six. A 3-run home run (21) in the third to get things started and a bases-clearing double in the 6^th to make it 18-5.



[7.10.27] – Mets 3, Nationals 2 – Gardner (10-6) becomes the first Met with 10 wins as he throws 3-hit ball for 8 innings, striking out 9. Rushton (25) picks up the save.
The Mets (52-41) remain a game behind the Braves and 1 in front of the Phillies. They have a 4 game lead in the wild card as they head to Atlanta to battle the Braves.


Qian-gui 'Jedi' Shuang, the Cleveland Indian superstar third baseman hit his 400^th home run today. At the age of 32, he's got some time to put up bigger numbers. His career split is 321/376/554 and has led the AL in rbis the past three seasons, last year driving in a career high 158.

Sometimes the sim gives guys nicknames, other times I give the guy a nickname. In this case, I gave him the 'Jedi' nickname. It fits, his first name looks like Qui-Gon Jinn and the guys is a master with the bat.
I don't give many nicknames out, but when I do its to stars and future HOFers, like this guy.
The sim doesn't make up new nicknames, they recycle old ones. [See: Jared/Tacky Tom above]



[7.11.27] – Mets 12, Braves 9 (11 innings) – Williamson put the Mets in an 4-0 hole in the first. In the sixth the Mets score four times to go up 7-5, led by two doubles, one from Caraballo and one from Smith who had homered in the fourth. The Mets extend the lead in the 8^th to 9-6 on a single and fielders choice.
Spence comes in to start the 9^th and allows a single and is lifted for Sheppard who walks the first man he faces. On the first pitch to Ryan Hill (22) he deposits it in the seats to tie the game at 9. In the 11^th the Mets go back-to-back, Pruitt (8) and Smith (29,30) with his second. Fisher (5-8) gets the win in relief.
The Mets climb back into a tie with the Braves.



[7.12.27] – Mets 6, Braves 3 – Fulton (10-4) 8ip 3h 3er 6bb 7k, gets his 10^th win of the season. The Mets break the tie in the 6^th by scoring on a passed ball, ground out and single to up the lead to 5-2. Monje (3) strikes out a pair for the save.
The Mets take a one game lead on the Braves, three on the Phillies.


The Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the Washington Nationals 5-1 in 18 innings. Four Arizona pitchers allow just 8 hits over the 18 innings. Reliever Vicente Franco, 32-yo Chilean, who throws six innings of hitless relief, striking out 9 and facing the minimum. The one base runner he did allow (a walk) was erased on a double play.


The Milwaukee Brewers defeat the San Francisco Giants 8-7 in 17 innings. The Giants tie the game at five in the top of the 9^th and then each team scores a run in the 13^th. The Giants score one in the top of the 17^th to go up 7-6, but Curt Cook, 40-yo reliever is starting his 8^th inning of relief and walks the first batter on four pitches. Brewers ss Will Sawyer then hits a walk off home run.
The win goes to former Mets closer Gerardo Lopez, the Mets franchise saves leader (390), he's only picked up 36 saves since leaving NY 4 ½ seasons ago. 8 time All Star and Walter Johnson Winner (2022). He league the NL in saves four times and won a WS in 2022 with the Mets.

Gerardo Lopez stats

That's right, I did not re-sign my closer (who had just won the Walter Johnson award) to a contract in 2023. I had Rushton waiting in my pen and Lopez wanted too much money.
It looks like he's not quite a HOFer, although an argument could be made because of his first 11 seasons, particularly the 10 he was my closer. 388 saves in 10 seasons as a closer and is the Mets franchise leader in WHIP (1.07) and OAVG (198).
For whatever reason, the Phillies only used him as closer for one season and he's never returned to the closer role. The sim will do that to players, move perfectly good closers to a support role. Had he stayed a closer, he would probably be over 500 saves and a lock for the HOF.



[7.13.27] – Mets 4, Braves 2 – Valdes (3-5) goes 8 innings allowing 5 hits to complete the sweep for the Mets, over the Braves. Scalfaro (25) and Finley (16) each homer. Rushton (26) got the save and the Mets winning streak reaches 5 games.
The Mets (55-41) are two games up on the Braves and four up on the Phillies.


The Vancouver A's defeat the Cleveland Indians 20-5. Its 4-3 A's going into the top of the 6^th and they score 16 runs over the last four innings. Eight starters score at least twice, all of them get hits and four guys drive in three or more runs each.



[7.14.27] – Mets 4, Cardinals 1 – Marquez (8-2) 8ip 2h 1er 1bb 8k 1hr doesn't allow a hit until there are two out in the 7^th and its a home run. Finley (17) and Rea (1) each homer and drive in two for the Mets. Rushton (27) gets the save.



Detroit Tigers 1b/dh Charles Bonner hits three home runs in a game. The first pick of the 2012 draft, the 2-time All Star was the AL ROY in 2016 and has spent his entire career in a Tigers uniform. At 33-yo he has been relegated to platoon work the last two seasons. A free agent after the season, expect him to end up in a different uniform.

Charles Bonner stats

His stats in the sim fell sharply after the 2025 season which is why his playing time drops. Again, the sim has no heart and instead of letting a guy slide into mediocrity, it rips the band-aid off all at once and turns him into a bench player overnight.


Houston Astros left fielder Shiki Yoshinaga has 6 hits in a 13-9 victory over the Venezuela Lobos. He hits singles in the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd & 5^th innings, then homers in the 7^th and 9^th, he scores four times and drives in 6 runs.


[7.15.27] – Cardinals 5, Mets 3 – Gardner (10-7) puts the Mets in a 4-0 hole in the third inning and they can't climb all the way out despite home runs from Scalfaro (26) and Gonzalez (6).


[7.16.27] – Mets 4, Cardinals 3 (15 innings) – Caraballo (14) hits a walk off home run in the bottom of the 15^th ending the longest game of the year for the Mets. After Caraballo drove home Scalfaro in the third to knot the game at three, no one scored until the 15^th.
Williamson and two relievers kept the Cardinals scoreless for the final 13 innings. Monje (2-3) pitched four innings of 1-hit ball while striking out 8 for the win.
The Mets (57-42) extend their lead in the NL East to 4 games over the Braves, 5 over the Phillies.