Blown Save of the Day

[Frayed Knot]

Welcome to the BSOTD awards (it needs a better acronym), a new feature here at CPF which hopes to track some of the really messy late-game blown saves around MLB. No real purpose here, except that I find them interesting and that maybe it'll help us appreciate our guy while he's in the midst of a perfect saves/opps season with a sub-1.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WhiP (although Billy-boy is certainly eligible to "win" the award on any given day).


The initial winner is Detroit's Todd Jones

Jones enters the game (Fri June 1) against Central-leading rival Cleveland to try and clean up a mess in the 8th inning.
Tigers are up 9-5, there are 2-outs and runners on 1st & 3rd:
- RBI single (1st & 2nd)
- Single + an error - run scores (2nd & 3rd)
- Line-out to LF

So 2 inherited runs score and the Tigers lead is cut to 9-7 ... but they immediately come back with 2 of their own in top 9 make it a 4-run game again (11-7)

Jones still pitching in Bottom 9:
* Sizemore - Ground out
* Blake - Single
* Hafner - Walk
* Martinez - 3R HR
* Peralta - Double
* Garko - K
* Nixon - IW
* Barfield - RBI single - tie game
* Delucci - RBI single - game over


Oooh, that one's gotta hurt.
Tigers now trail the Div-leading seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" by 4-1/2 games after losing 5 straight to them over the last 10 days (plus 2 of 3 to TB in between - once of which also involved Jones)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Honor the initial winner and call it the TODD. The Three Out Daily Deviation.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Blow Job works, too.

[soupcan]

I know which name I like better.

[Frayed Knot]

Oriole's closer Chris Ray is Sunday's winner.

The assist, however, should go to skipper Sam Perlozzo since it was he who fell to the knee-jerk closer situation reaction and got burned by it.

O's up 3-2 after 8-1/2 in Anaheim and starter Jeremy Guthrie is cruising on just 3 hits, no walks, and only 88 pitches.
But it's the 9th inning so he brings in the closer and 7 pitches later the Angels are doing the jump-dance at home plate.
- Figgins single
- Vlad walk-off HR

[DocTee]

The Benitez-less Giants pen surely deserves some mention.

Jack Taschner surrenders a three run game tying jack to Ryan Howard in the seventh, and in the ninth Shane Victorrino hits a walk off against the closer du jour Kevin Correia.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Gorgeous.

I'm a little perplexed why the Phils and Braves didn't get into the bargain-basement Armando market, since they each lost their closers in the same series, and they might take the perspective to be wowed by Benitez's overall numbers against the Mets.

[Frayed Knot]

The Giant pen can't win the award since neither HR actually consituted, by strict definition, a blown save, but the reaction of catcher Molina a split second after Ryan Howard made contact with the pitch which eventually wound up around the CF batter's eye was worth the price of admission all by itself.

[DocTee]

Then why is Taschner credited with a blown save in the box score?

[Frayed Knot]

Not a save situation when the inning started, but this flameout turned into a stunning group effort for today's entry in the Spectacular Failed Ninth Inning Close-Out (SFNICO ??) award
(Gotta keep working on that acronym)


Jays trail the Rays 11 - 6 entering the 9th - Chad Corvello hurling:

BATTER	RESULT	RUNNERS	RUNS	SCORE
Aaron Hill	Walk	1st	0	11-6
Adam Lind	Double	2nd	1	11-7
Jason Phillips	Double	2nd	1	11-8

Shawn Camp replaces Chad Corvello

BATTER	RESULT	RUNNERS	RUNS	SCORE
H. Clark	Walk	1st & 2nd	0	11-8
Alex Rios	FC 4-6	1st & 3rd	0	11-8
Vernon Wells	Double	2nd	2	11-10

Casey Fossum replaces Shawn Camp

BATTER	RESULT	RUNNERS	RUNS	SCORE
Matt Stairs	Double	2nd	1	11-11
Frank Thomas	IW	1st & 2nd	0	11-11
Troy Glaus	Wild Pitch	2nd & 3rd	0	11-11
Troy Glaus	IW	Loaded	0	11-11
Aaron Hill	Walk	---	1	11-12

[Guest Edgy DC]

Stupaculor!

Armando, meanwhile, has yielded one run in four appearances as a Marlin.

[DocTee]

]Armando, meanwhile, has yielded one run in four appearances as a Marlin.

Meanwhile, Armando's heir apparent in SF, Kevin Correia, gave up his second walk-off homer in three days-- this time to Arizona's Chris Young.

You call that relief pitching??

[Farmer Ted]

I'm surprised Sabean hasn't taken a poll with the fans and decided to trade Correia, too.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: Gorgeous. I'm a little perplexed why the Phils and Braves didn't get into the bargain-basement Armando market, since they each lost their closers in the same series, and they might take the perspective to be wowed by Benitez's overall numbers against the Mets.

With the Cardinals struggling I would think Isringhausen might be a prime candidate for the Braves or Phillies,he has a club option for 08 at $8M,has a full no trade clause though.

[Guest Edgy DC]

DocTee wrote: Meanwhile, Armando's heir apparent in SF, Kevin Correia, gave up his second walk-off homer in three days-- this time to Arizona's Chris Young.

Totally copulating awesome.

[Centerfield]

Farmer Ted wrote: I'm surprised Sabean hasn't taken a poll with the fans and decided to trade Correia, too.

Fantastic.

[Frayed Knot]

Not that this is going make us all feel any better this morning ... but we weren't even the worst botched 9th inning yesterday.


Astros leading 6-4, (ex-Met) Dan Wheeler in for the 9th:

Kaz Matsui Doubles
Matt Holliday Singles (RBI) 6-5
Todd Helton Singles (1st & 3rd)
Garrett Atkins Walks (Loaded)
Brad Hawpe - Sac Fly (1st & 3rd) Tie Game
Troy Tulowitski Singles ... Rockies Win

[Centerfield]

You have a typo in there.

You wrote "Kaz Matsui Doubles".

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That Astros one wasn't the worst either as tDodgers fans could tell you this moning:

Bottom 9th: Dodgers 5, Padres 1, Jonathan Broxton pitching
- G. Blum singled to second
- T. Sledge safe at first on first baseman N. Garciaparra's fielding error, G. Blum to second
- M. Giles singled to left center, G. Blum to third, T. Sledge to second
- P. McAnulty hit for J. Hampson
- P. McAnulty singled to first, G. Blum scored, T. Sledge to third, M. Giles to second
- A. Gonzalez ground rule double to deep center, T. Sledge and M. Giles scored, P. McAnulty to third
- J. Bard intentionally walked
- M. Cameron singled to center, P. McAnulty scored, A. Gonzalez to third, J. Bard to second
- K. Kouzmanoff struck out swinging
- R. Branyan walked, A. Gonzalez scored, J. Bard to third, M. Cameron to second

5 runs, 5 hits, 1 errors, Padres win 6-5 (and complete a humiliating sweep)

[Frayed Knot]

Dodgers get to be on the other end of the BSOTD award following their Thursday meltdown:

Trailing 3-2 after giving up a run in both the top of the 9th and the top of the 10th

Jeremy Accardo pitching for Toronto (in the absence of BJ Ryan):
- Tony Abreu walks
- Olmedo Saenz 2R HR

Thanks for coming and please arrive home safely.

[Frayed Knot]

We can now add Francisco Cordero's name to the ranks of those who [mad-dog]can't be trusted in a big spot[/mad-dog].
The Brewers - losers of 18 of their last 24 now - obviously can't count on this guy to save them. Even though it was his first blown save of year, it certainly came at the worst possible moment.


Texas batting, bottom 9, down 3-0
* Frank Catalanatto Ks
* Ian Kinsler grounds out

TWO OUT, NOBODY ON AND A 3 RUN LEAD

* Brad Wilkerson singles
* R. Vazquez walks (1st & 2nd)
* Greg Laird Singles (1st & 3rd) -- 3-1
* Kenny Lofton Singles (1st & 2nd) -- 3-2
* Marlon Byrd Singles (1st & 2nd) -- 3-3
* Michael Young Singles -- Rangers Win !!

[metirish]

Lost 18 of the last 24 and still leading the Central Division by 5 games,different thread I know but that's crazy.

[Frayed Knot]

Some days this job is just so much fun ...




- Braves lead Twinkies 2-0 heading to the 9th, thanks mainly to 7.1 strong (3 hits) innings from Tim Hudson
- Bob Wickman starts the 9th, relieving Rafael Soriano who got the last two outs in the 8th (no pinch-hit, just a straight pitching switch)
- Luis Castillo singles
- Joe Mauer GOs, runner moves to 2nd
- Michael Cuddyer hits an RBI triple
- Justin Morneau reaches on infield single, Cuddyer holds (tying run on 3rd, winner on 1st)
- Torii Hunter grounds to 3rd ... but a throwing error allows the run to score and Hunter & Morneau move to 2nd & 3rd
- Mark Redmond singles .... BALLGAME!!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Who was that thirdbaseman?

[Gwreck]

First Twins walkoff vs. the Braves since Gene Larkin (remember him?)

[DocTee]

Gene Larkin! May he be well! May peace be upon him!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Larkin broke a lot of Lou Gehrig's records at Columbia, if I recall correctly.

[Gwreck]

Quite possible. Gehrig doesn't appear much on the career records, but check out his 1923:

6-4 with 77 Ks, and .444 AVG.

Larkin still holds the Columbia season and all-time HR records.

[Frayed Knot]

Rockies, owners of MLB's best record in June and having closed to within a couple games of the NL West lead, get 2 in the top of the 10th to take an 8-6 edge over Toronto.
In comes closer Brian Fuentes to close it out:

Frank Thomas pops out
Matt Stairs singles
Aaron Hill singles
Curtis Thigpen singles - bases are loaded
John McDonald singles:
- Thomas scores;
- the throw home to get Stairs is late and he score the tying run;
- then the return throw to get Hill going to 3rd goes into the OF and he scores the winning run


Wonder if that was a BIG game?

[Guest Edgy DC]

They should have brought in Matsui.