I am at my parents' place in Illinois. I don't have the Roku here so I am not watching MLB.TV but there has been some game or another somewhere on the cable ever since I arrived, starting with Cardinals at Giants. Lance Lynn allowed one hit through eight innings and struck out the side in the eighth. But Tyler Lyons allowed a Hunter Pence single to begin the bottom of the ninth. Joe Panik then bunted Pence over. Matheny yanked Lyons. Buster Posey poked a Seung Hwan Oh pitch just over Wong's head and into right field. The game was tied.
Fowler singled off Sam Dyson to lead off the ninth but Fowler was gimpy by the time he got to third. Bader pinch-ran for him, inexplicably breaking for home on a Piscotty grounder to third. Cardinal threat over.
Then a guy I had never heard of—Ryan Sherriff—allowed a home run to Nick Hundley in the bottom of the tenth. Ballgame.
Indeed, these teams played a very long game yesterday—the game lasted four hours and thirty-three minutes and it didn't even go nine innings let alone extras (the Rangers did not need to bat in the ninth). That is 5.35 minutes per out—yow. The two teams used a combined fifteen pitchers. Scioscia alone used a staggering nine different pitches to get 24 outs! Andrus, 8, after a Choo strikeout and a DeShields flyout to right. To the tenth.
A favorite for a short stint in these pages, Austin Bibens-Dirx, will try to extricate Texas from this bases-loaded, no-outs mess. Nope. Cowboy Kole Calhoun singes to left, Trout and Upton both score, it's 6-4 Anaheim, who lead this game now for the first time.
I don't know if he's hurt or saving himself but going out and throwing 88 inefficient pitches doesn't seem to serve him or his team. He's a strange guy. I had started thinking about him as an American League Stephen Strasburg but considering what Strasburg has done since returning from his DL stint; and after watching that complacency fit from Darvish, I realize this comparison slights Strasburg unfairly. Whoever gives Darvish a bunch of money in free agency this offseason will be setting a pile of dollars on fire.
Fowler singled off Sam Dyson to lead off the ninth but Fowler was gimpy by the time he got to third. Bader pinch-ran for him, inexplicably breaking for home on a Piscotty grounder to third. Cardinal threat over.
Then a guy I had never heard of—Ryan Sherriff—allowed a home run to Nick Hundley in the bottom of the tenth. Ballgame.
Who Are Those Guys?
C J Cron ties this game at four, top 9, someone named Ricardo Rodriguez on the mound. The broadcast mentioned Rangers manager Jeff Banister saying he wanted to stay away from closer Alex Claudio tonight. Valbuena had doubled deep into right center before the Cron homer. This is the zany aspect of September baseball. Fresh arms, yeah, but as Butch and Sundance wondered a few times in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, "Who are those guys?" As it happens, Rodriguez has been up since August 14th so maybe he isn't the greatest example but some managers start to get a very itchy bullpen finger when the rosters are enlarged.Indeed, these teams played a very long game yesterday—the game lasted four hours and thirty-three minutes and it didn't even go nine innings let alone extras (the Rangers did not need to bat in the ninth). That is 5.35 minutes per out—yow. The two teams used a combined fifteen pitchers. Scioscia alone used a staggering nine different pitches to get 24 outs! Andrus, 8, after a Choo strikeout and a DeShields flyout to right. To the tenth.
The Clock
The grandfather clock here is chiming ten times. But it's a little ahead, it's only 21:52. The clock has spent some time in the shop. If only John B McLemore were still around. I'd have him take a look at it for sure.Trout Limit? Never.
I was worried we weren't going to have enough baseball on the cable and now I'm watching Trout bat for a third time. He walks. Justin Upton digs in. Leclerc is a righty, high socks, 97 mph fastball. He throws over to keep Trout close at first. Upton fouls 97 straight back. Leclerc throws over to first again but the fish ain't leaning. Catcalls resound in Arlington. Passed ball. Leclerc has a lot of run and bite, armside, on that heater. Trout down to second. It's 3-and-1 after heat at 96 misses. Low and away with 96, Leclerc has walked Upton. This is Albert Pujols. Doug Brocail visits the mound. Screams and hijinks in the slaphappy stands. Whistles right before the pitch, a ball low. A ball high before Chirinos guns down to first but Upton gets back. Leclerc almost hits Albert, the counts swells to 3-and-1. A walk on 97 high.A favorite for a short stint in these pages, Austin Bibens-Dirx, will try to extricate Texas from this bases-loaded, no-outs mess. Nope. Cowboy Kole Calhoun singes to left, Trout and Upton both score, it's 6-4 Anaheim, who lead this game now for the first time.
Darvish Went Three
The Angels won that game. When it ended I flipped through the guide and found Dodgers at Padres in the MLB Network. It's 5-2 San Diego, the fourth inning has just ended. Most notably Yu Darvish started this game for LAD. His line: 3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. He threw 88 pitches. Yuck! He allowed a home run to second baseman Carlos Asuaje. I didn't see many of his 88 pitches but what I saw was a pitcher who was not attacking—not dropping and driving. Yeah, his slider was moving but he wasn't getting calls on it and he seemed to be on slider auto-pilot nonetheless. In short, he looked indifferent.I don't know if he's hurt or saving himself but going out and throwing 88 inefficient pitches doesn't seem to serve him or his team. He's a strange guy. I had started thinking about him as an American League Stephen Strasburg but considering what Strasburg has done since returning from his DL stint; and after watching that complacency fit from Darvish, I realize this comparison slights Strasburg unfairly. Whoever gives Darvish a bunch of money in free agency this offseason will be setting a pile of dollars on fire.
Comments
Post a Comment