Snake Bytes 9/28: Nothing to Report

Around the League

[Bleacher Report] Out of Nowhere the Cardinals Are Suddenly MLB’s Most Dangerous Playoff Team - Before the St. Louis Cardinals went on this historic run rattling off 16 straight wins, their chances of reaching the postseason were projected to be less than 3 percent. FanGraphs’ playoff odds gave the Cardinals just a 2.8 percent chance to make the playoffs on Sept. 7. Now, they’re a game away from clinching the National League’s final wild-card spot. It would mean they face whoever loses the NL West slugfest between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. Neither team should be looking forward to this. Not even home-field advantage seems to factor much against this Cardinals team that’s won 11 straight road games within their overall 16-game streak.

[Yahoo Sports] Giants unofficial captain Brandon Belt has fractured thumb - One of the most important players on MLB’s top team could be out for a while. San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt sustained a fractured thumb after getting in the hand by a pitch on Sunday, the team announced per MLB.com. Belt will reportedly meet with doctors over the next two days to determine a timetable for his return.

[CBS Sports] Cleveland’s Bradley Zimmer becomes first MLB hitter to homer against brother since 1975 - Sibling rivalries are very real. Siblings get competitive about a lot of things, but especially sports. This is brought to a whole new level when it is happening at a sport’s highest level. On Monday, Cleveland Indians center fielder Bradley Zimmer hit a home run off his brother, Kansas City Royals pitcher Kyle Zimmer. Bradley now has the bragging right between the two. Hitting a home run in a professional baseball game must feel incredible, but to do it against your brother must make it extra special. At least in games when they play each other no matter what their family members will be able to celebrate the outcome. Cleveland went on to defeat the Royals, 8-5. Bradley was the fourth hitter in MLB history to homer against his brother, and the first to do so since 1975

[USA Today] MLB power rankings: Here’s something positive about baseball’s four worst teams - Heading into the final week of the season, the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks have already reached 100 losses (both are 50-106), while the Texas Rangers (57-99) and Pittsburgh Pirates (58-97) are likely to join them in the coming days. If the Rangers and Pirates also hit triple digits, it will be the second consecutive full season that four MLB teams finished with 100 losses. Prior to 2019, it hadn’t happened since 2002. Things have been mostly ugly for these four teams in 2021, but it hasn’t been all bad. Here’s something positive to take away from each club’s season: Arizona Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen proved he wasn’t a fluke. After making three trips to the IL by the All-Star break, Gallen found his footing late in the summer. In his last seven starts, Gallen has a 3.21 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 42 innings, limiting hitters to a .210 average and four home runs.

[Sports Logos News] What if MLB’s Interlocking Logos weren’t Interlocking? - Interlocked logos are a popular design trend throughout the history of baseball teams at all levels of play, especially when worn on the front of the team’s cap. But what if Major League Baseball teams unlocked and separated their interlocked logos? It’s the question we didn’t know we needed to ask until Twitter artist @renzonesanchez went ahead and answered it completely unprompted.