Fan Interference

Scouts: I’m going to try something a little different with today’s musical selection.  Now, I’ve never been the biggest anime fan.  I’ve sure tried, but nothing I’ve watched has really been able to grip me.  Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball Z, Ghost in the Shell, Attack on Titan, One Punch Man, Death Note, I’ve tried all the ones that have come highly recommended.  There is one sole exception however, Fullmetal Alchemist.  FMA is often regarded as one of the best, if not the best Anime, and it’s one that even most non-anime lovers can really get behind.  It doesn’t hurt that the English dubbing of it was incredibly well done, and the show had a long run on Cartoon Network back in their big heyday.  There are actually two series of FMA, one that was loosely based on the source material, and one that almost strictly followed it.  One of the things that helped my love for the show was the fantastic music behind it.  I’ve found it’s quite an interesting exercise to listen to music that’s entirely in a foreign language, as you get to really focus on more than just the lyrics and it’s a very interesting experience.  You get a special appreciation to the flow of the music, the way the vocalist uses their voice, the ebbs and flow of the tones.  So today, I’m going to invite you to sit back, and give something different a try and let me know what you think!  And if you want to check out FMA, it’s streaming on Netflix.  I would recommend you start with FMA proper, and then if you like it move on to Brotherhood.

Braves 3, Nationals 6 – Prof: Curly Dubs struck first, then the Braves got on the board thanks to an Anthony Rendon error. However, Rendon made up for his mistake by blasting a grand slam in the sixth and breaking the tie. Atlanta could never quite catch up, even with Charlie Clutch hitting a solo dinger in the ninth. Patrick Corbin got his ninth win of the season.

Diamondbacks 6, Marlins 11 – Prof: The Feesh are on a hot streak and the Gritty Snakes are falling further and further behind. Not that there was any doubt who would win the NL West, but it’s pretty much a slam dunk now. The second and seventh innings were the big ones for Miami. Wanna know something fun? The winning pitcher, Caleb Smith, went 2-3 with a solo home run to boot.

Pirates 6, Reds 11 – Prof: Second verse, same as the first! This time it’s Cincinnati going double digits. You thought the Marlins’ second inning was big. Honey, you don’t even know! The Reds had ten in their second inning. Now, of course, the Pittsburgh starter wasn’t supposed to be the starter – the Bucs traded Jordan Lyles to Milwaukee earlier in the day. Pittsburgh didn’t stand a chance, I guess. The second inning began with a Scooter Gennett double and ended with a Jose Iglesias grand slam.

Blue Jays 7, Royals 3 – Scouts: Did Toronto just fill their entire roster with the offspring of former MLB stars or what?  Toronto’s drafting requirements seem to be a simple yes/no check box.  “Did your dad play in the show?  Yes/No”  Bo Bichette, son of Dante Bichette joins Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero on the Blue Jay roster, and participated in his first MLB win.

Dodgers 1, Rockies 9 – Scouts: Colorado’s been fading fast for a while now and really needed a win against LA to help right the ship.  Jon Gray did his part, holding the potent LA offense to just 3 hits and 1 run over 8 very strong innings.  Kenta Maeda continues his recent struggles.  Maeda is now 0-4 with a 4.97 ERA in his last 7 starts.

Tigers 7, Angels 4 – Scouts: Look at that, the Tigers actually won a game!  Way to go boys!  Not only that, but Jordan Zimmermann won his first game of the season (Yes, really), breaking a 0-8 streak.

Orioles 1, Padres 8 – Scouts: Now this is the Baltimore squad I’ve come to know so well.  David Hess reached the 10 loss mark by allowing 4 homers in 4.2 innings pitched, and Dillon Tate came in to close out a blow out loss by allowing one more for good measure.  Eric Hosmer picked up a pair of homers, and Fernando Tatis, Franmil Reyes, and Luis Urias each picked up solos of their own, with Urias picking up his first on the season.  Just for good Measure, Chris Davis came in to pitch hit in the 9th with the bases loaded and struck out, because of course he did.