News & notes

 What we neglected to mention in reporting that Thursday's Tri-City Valleycats game vs. Ottawa was rained out is that the Titans will make one more trip into Troy on August 17-18. The teams have two options:

1. Use the extra off day on the 16th to make up the rainout, or:

2. They'll play two on either the 17th or the 18th.

Meantime, Tri-City walked off New Jersey in a back & forth game, 8-7, on Friday. Brad Zunica drove in the game winner in the bottom of the 9th.

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Prior to Friday's Mets-Braves game, ye scribe had to deal with some Mets fans on Reddit who have 0 respect for opposing teams. Noting the struggles of Ian Anderson (Shenendehowa), they thought the 3rd year starter would be easy pickings.

Thanks for jinxing your team at the wrong time, jabronies.

Anderson didn't get out of the 5th inning, only going 4 2/3 innings, as he & the Braves' bullpen frittered away an early 8-0 lead that knocked Mets starter Taijuan Walker out in the 2nd inning. The Mets' 'pen held the Braves off the board until William Contreras homered in the 9th, only for Jeff McNeil to answer in the home half. Kenley Jansen closed the door, and Atlanta evened the 5 game series with a 9-6 win.

There was a scare in the 5th when Anderson went up and in on Mets slugger Pete Alonso. So, the clever lads in the SNY production truck came up a gem as the camera closed on manager Buck Showalter, given all the times Mets batters have been hit this season. The background turned red, and the opening bars of Quincy Jones' iconic theme from Ironside played to illustrate Showalter's anger.

Enjoy the video highlights:

Anderson's final line: 4 2/3 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 4 walks, 3 K's. His ERA rises to 5.11.

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After Anderson had taped a commercial for Mohawk Chevrolet last year, fellow Shen alum Kevin Huerter, now with Sacramento, got in on the act, and his latest commercial, this one for Mohawk Honda, premiered this week. Look for it to be inserted in local ad blocks for the next few months.