What I see…What I think at this hour.

PADRES…Send a thank you note to the ‘Nickle & Dime’ bottom of the batting order which has bailed out the (224M) top of the batting order, who have had disappointing seasons so far.  Samad Taylor, Jace Bowen, Rod Duran, Freddie Fermin and Will Wagner, have helped the Padres win 5-games in the last two plus weeks.  They would be buried in the standings without them.  Give credit to AJ Preller for having his scouts dig and dig to find prospects they think have upside.

PADRES..A bit hard to buy into the idea that Ron Marinaccio, who has no history of throwing at batters, gets a 3-game suspension for plunking the Orioles Gunnar Henderson with a pitch.  This comes after the accidental beaning of Xavier Bogaerts by a wild armed Baltimore rookie pitcher.

PADRES…Manny Machado seems like a shell of the star he has been at least at home plate.  His batting average continues to hover in the 178-to-180 range, and despite some home runs, there is no consistency at home plate.  He looks like he has lost his bat speed.

PADRES..El Nino is back, though it is a different Fernando Tatis right now.  But he is on a heater, hitting (.397) in a 3 week span, eventhough he has just 2-homers this season.  His work at 2B has been special.

DODGERS…They may be in first place, but they have issues, and it’s just not the pitching injuries.  Mookie Betts is hitting (.204) with little power, coming off the oblique injury.  Last year it was the digestive sickness.  We are not talking about a young player now.  He does not look like himself, at all, all this season.

DODGERS…Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Diaz on the 60-day DL.  Do you really think a rotation that includes Just Wrobleski and Eric Lauer, and a weakened bullpen that is unreliable, can survive the summer?  The bunch of arms still on the DL are not close to coming back.

DODGERS..Everyone around baseball is talking one thing, not Ohtani, but rather the potential of a Tarik Skubal trade.  The Dodgers are loaded at AA, with outfielders and infielders, and have pitching at AAA, plus young guys on their current roster.  They have lots of chips to go get the top free agent on the market.  Stay tuned.

ANGELS..Talk about where they are, or what they could be in the future if they decide to trade Mike Trout.  Rumors are everywhere the Phillies and Red Sox want-need a big righthanded bat.  Trout at Fenway, Troute at Citizens Bank Ballpark, means home runs.  Languishing with the Halos, he has 12-homers and a (.220) batting average.  Why would he choose to stay with a 100-loss team when he could go be in a pennant race.  The Angels could get a haul from the Bosox or pitching.

ANGELS…They tried, and nothing has worked to solve the pitching issues in Anaheim.  The signing of ex Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez has seen the righthander go on the DL twice already.  Ex-Blue Jay phenom is already gone-back to Salt Lake City.  Young promising starter Jack Kochanowicz is headed to 18-months rehab once he has elbow surgery.  The bullpen has 21-blown saves, leads or losses.  They just DFA’d Drew Pomeranz. Kirby Yates cannot get anyone out.  Ben Joyce is not ready to comeback.  It’s as bad on the mound as it has ever been.

ANGELS…Ever wonder what it’s like to be GM-Perry Manasian or owner Arte Moreno.  The player deals the GM has tried, with his limited budget, have failed.  Moreno has stopped coming to his team’s home games because of the fans abuse ‘Sell the Team’ from the fans.  It’s an awful environment right now in Orange County.

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