Game Six Rehash

[Guest Edgy DC]

Billy Wagner, on pounding righties inside with the slider:

In the ninth inning, I threw the ball well except when I got ahead in the count. Then I threw breaking pitches that I just might have thrown in the gap for them. I started off trying to go after Juan Encarnacion, and I was behind in the count 2-0. He singled and tScott Rolen came up. I got ahead of him in the count 0-2. It seems like it was beginning to be the same story as the last time against these guys. I get ahead in the count and then I just wasn't able to put them away.

I wasn't scared that the game would get away from me. I was pitching all right. I just was trying to throw too many breaking balls and bounce them, and I couldn't bounce them. They hung up there and they hit them. My plan of attack with runners on second and third was to make them get themselves out.

The score was still 4-0, and so the runs meant nothing. I wanted them to try and get themselves out. There was no reason for me to do anything else. I didn't want to get picky and start putting guys on base. I wanted to go right after them. I wanted to make them hit my pitch if they could. I put myself in the hole late in the count with hanging breaking balls.

So Taguchi - there he goes again. I hung another breaking ball to him and he hit it for a double. Some guys are snake-bitten against certain people, but I never thought of me being snake-bitten against him. The history didn't flash back in my mind.

Much as it's hard to believe, I wasn't thinking about Friday night. I was thinking about Game 6. As for Rolen's double in an 0-2 count, again, I've faced him before and I've gotten him out mostly. David Eckstein ended the game, and again, on great defense behind me.

[Guest cooby]

Hopefully, it won't occur to LaRussa to start Taguchi

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

And how stupid did LaRussa look arguing that ball three should have been ball four.

Pay attention, Tony! This was a game that could have put you in the World Series!

[Guest Hillbilly]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2631514
http://

I like this piece by Stark. It's funny that there's a debate on how many different words are in the Jose song - one or two!

[MFS62]

="cooby"]Hopefully, it won't occur to LaRussa to start Taguchi

Against a lefty starter, he probably will.

rats!

Later

[Guest Iubitul]

Let him - Taguchi gets the collar tonight if he starts.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That post-game interview with Lo Duca was maddening. I wanted to grab the mic and ask "Paul, why is it clear to everybody except you and Billy Wagner that he's not getting the slider past righthanded batters?"

Wagner provides a partial explanation above: he meant to throw them out of the strike zone, and left them both in the strike zone and flat. Well, you think that the problem of not being able to bounce a pitch when you want to is correctable, but how about throwning the heater away with two strikes and batter protecting and a four-run lead? Get the fly ball the other way.

[Frayed Knot]

In the post-game stuff I heard, no one asked Willie why Mota over Feliciano to face Duncan.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I'm gonna pat myself on the back for these two IGT posts (the only such I made all night):

]Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:33 pm Post subject: Big turn for Greenie here.

]Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:38 pm Post subject: BIG PA for Dookie here.

[Theoldmole]

Interesting tidbit from the Stark piece:

]Eight months ago, he began spring training at No. 12 (yeah, 12) on this team's starting-pitcher depth chart, behind Jose Lima and the long-lost Yasaku Iriki.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: Get the fly ball the other way.

Out to where several fly balls have been an adventure this series?

Oh well, the fans deserve yet another thrill.

But maybe a fastball low and outside could enduce a grounder to second. I agree on your pitch location, though. He's been getting around on the inside pitch.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think you're in trouble whenever you pitch to your defenses strengths and weaknesses. Let's not be silly, a fly to right is better than a liner to left no matter who is out there.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: I think you're in trouble whenever you pitch to your defenses strengths and weaknesses. Let's not be silly, a fly to right is better than a liner to left no matter who is out there.

Agreed.

Later

[HahnSolo]

Whatever happened to getting 2 strikes on a guy and throwing 97MPH cheese up in the zone to get him to chase?

Whatever, I think the stat I saw is that batters are 7 for 12 off Wagner in his last two appearances. Something's not right.

[RealityChuck]

Most interesting tidbit in the Stark piece:

]By winning, Maine also kept alive one of the most astounding trends ever dug up by the Elias Sports Bureau. He was the seventh rookie starter in history to start a postseason game with his team trailing, 3-2, in a best-of-seven series. Those rookies' teams now have won all seven of those games. Who knew?

As Fred Gailey said, "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all."

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The Mets have played four winner-take-all, do-or-die games in their history. They've won two of them (1973 NLCS at Shea and 1986 World Series at Shea) and lost two (1973 World Series in Oakland and 1988 NLCS in LA.)

Since tonight's game is at Shea, let's have the pattern continue at least one more time. (We may be hoping to break the trend on October 29 in Detroit.)

[soupcan]

OKay - last night.

Reyes - can enough be said about the leadoff homerun?

I was at the Game 4 of the 2000 WS at Shea and when Jetah led off with the HR against Bobby Jones you could feel an impending loss in the air. Last night, JOSE, Jose, Jose, Jose! gave us the complete opposite.

Maine - this guy was just balls to the walls. "It will be all right." I love this guy.

Celeb sightings - I heard that Jerry Seinfeld and Matthew Broderick were at the game but I didn't see them. Mayor Mike was sitting behind the plate with his lady friend. She left after maybe 4 innings but hizzoner stayed for the whole game by hizzelf.

Matt Dillon wearing a Mets cap but not pulling it down far enough (so he wouldn't mess his 'do?) so he looked like a complete doofus. sitting next to Fisher Stevens (who I believe, believe it or not, was at one time married to Michele Pfeiffer), Tim Robbins and his sons - one of whom was wearing a vintage #4 Swoboda jersey and had a very attractive girlfriend.

Dillon, Stevens and Robbins were very much into the game.

[HahnSolo]

If my count is right, the Mets have played 8 postseason games at Shea in which a win would clinch the series for them. They're 7-1 in such games, the only loss being the 12-inning loss in game 4 of the 73 LCS.

1969 NLCS game 3 - Win
1969 WS game 5 - Win
1973 NLCS game 4 - Loss
1973 NLCS game 5 - Win
1986 WS game 7 - Win
1999 NLDS game 4 - Win
2000 NLDS game 4 - Win
2000 NLCS game 5 - Win