Thoughts on the Game!!!! (5/12)

[Frayed Knot]

- Oy the baserunning! Yeah Wright was probably out on that steal attempt, but you never see that call. Doesn't help that Tatis swung at ball 4.
On the other hand nothing Cora could do on Muffy's blooper. If he strays any further and Anderson comes up with that one then he's doubled off which is even worse.

- I didn't mind the call to send Wright on the Sac Fly though. I bet that one works at least as often as not.

- I don't understand the reasoning behind pulling Pelfrey, particularly when the decision was obviously made ahead of time. He did get hit hard in the 6th but cruised thru the 7th.

- At least once Pelfrey was out Jerry saw fit to go with his top two guys despite being behind. I'd be willing to bet that using your studs down a run or two steals you more wins using them when ahead by 3.

- Reyes going to 3rd ... Grrrrrrrrr. Play's right in front of you dude!
I remember the stat Fran Healy used to trot out all the time (so it may not have been true) where he would claim that Lance Johnson [u:a901f23b46]never[/u:a901f23b46] got thrown out at 3rd on a triple attempt despite all the 3-baggers he racked up.

- We caught a break on the Beltran steal of 3rd but at least he can't be accused of playing it safe there.

- Nice AB by Castillo

[Elster88]

Great game baby!!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Do you walk Cora there?

[metirish]

I thought it was a real throwback Mets Braves game , full of tension. Some great plays and some bad ones.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: Do you walk Cora there?

It wasn't a straight four fingers up walk was it? , I'm trying to remember if the count had gone in Cora's favor and Cox then walked him. Either way Bennett could throw strikes .

[Guest Edgy DC]

It was 2-0, then Reyes stole as Cora took strike one right down the pipe. With a 2-1 count on Cora (who still hasn't gotten the memo), they put him on.

[Frayed Knot]

The count on Cora was 2-1 (Reyes stole on a called strike after a 2-0 count) when they decided to issue the IBB.

I wasn't surprised they walked Cora. Yeah Castro is the better overall hitter, but I think Cox saw Cora as the more likely to get the bat on the ball for a single type and it did set up all kinds of force plays. Plus it's not likely that your pitcher is going to walk the next two guys and bring in the winning run (oops).

I also think Bobby probably wanted to make Jerry spend his last bench player.

[Frayed Knot]

P.S. -- between Wright's caught stealing, Reyes's triple attempt, and the unsuccessful Sac Fly (plus the usual ground outs) we had runners thrown out for the cycle last night.

Former ump Ron Luciano claimed in his book that he once saw Lou Piniella get thrown out for the cycle in one game.
I suspect that might not be entirely true but Lou was exactly the kind of guy who could combine his good hitting, fierce determination, and bad wheels to do exactly that.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Frayed Knot wrote: I also think Bobby probably wanted to make Jerry spend his last bench player.

I thought that also, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder. What's the advantage to that? Rodriguez has already pitched two innings, so he's coming out whether his turn comes around or not. Forcing the last hitter off the bench gives Cox an advantage two or three innings down the road, but the game is on the line right then and there. You've got to manage for the moment.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Frayed Knot wrote: P.S. -- between Wright's caught stealing, Reyes's triple attempt, and the unsuccessful Sac Fly (plus the usual ground outs) we had runners thrown out for the cycle last night. Former ump Ron Luciano claimed in his book that he once saw Lou Piniella get thrown out for the cycle in one game. I suspect that might not be entirely true but Lou was exactly the kind of guy who could combine his good hitting, fierce determination, and bad wheels to do exactly that.

I once heard a story about Dave Parker throwing guys out for the cycle in a game --- which I also suspect is just talk.

[Frayed Knot]

]You've got to manage for the moment.

Yeah, except that I don't think walking Cora put the Braves in much more danger of losing the game that inning. I thought it was pretty much a toss-up move myself.
But if the game goes on another inning or more it would have forced Jerry to either let his pitcher hit or use the hobbled Delgado.

[metirish]

I think it was Ron that said Cox probably would rather face the cold guy off the bench , make him beat you.

It was a fascinating game .

[Guest Edgy DC]

In put them one step closer to Beltran, though. Red hot Beltran with the bases loaded, winning, run on third, and no place to put him.

Cox has studied. And in studying, he must have learned that man is mortal, so he should have put the poison as far from himself as possible.

[soupcan]

New York Post wrote: Beltran was ruled safe, and later scored the tying run on Luis Castillo's sacrifice fly, leaving Chipper Jones dumbfounded. "The baseball gods owe us," Jones said. "That game came down to one play, and the umpire got it wrong. I never had a guy slide into my glove and be safe. That's the whole game right there. We played a perfect game tonight and had it taken from us."

Paraphrasing Bob Ojeda last night on the post-game - "Bad calls happen to everyone, you know its going to happen, get over it, move on."

[Fman99]

According to somebody (I get 10-12 Mets and baseball feeds via RSS), this was the first time since 5/17/07 that the Mets won a game they were trailing by at least 3 runs going into the 8th inning or later.

May 17 2007 was the matinee at Shea, where the Mets beat the Cubs with 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th, capped by a pinch hit two RBI single by Delgado off then-closer Ryan Dempster.

[Frayed Knot]

soupcan wrote: ="New York Post"]Beltran was ruled safe, and later scored the tying run on Luis Castillo's sacrifice fly, leaving Chipper Jones dumbfounded. "The baseball gods owe us," Jones said. "That game came down to one play, and the umpire got it wrong. I never had a guy slide into my glove and be safe. That's the whole game right there. We played a perfect game tonight and had it taken from us." Paraphrasing Bob Ojeda last night on the post-game - "Bad calls happen to everyone, you know its going to happen, get over it, move on."

Chipper's exaggerating just a bit there.
Yes it was the wrong call and yes it changed the game -- but by just a hair and it basically took several slo-mo replays with that blow-up feature they now use to confirm that. He swiped the side of Beltran's hand while his finger tips were inches from the pillow. He didn't exactly "slide into your glove" and we've all seen much worse.


btw, that was a GREAT throw from McCann, not normally noted for his defense.

[nymr83]

what was wrong with the IGT?

When was the last walk-off walk in a mets win?

[RealityChuck]

Nymr83 wrote: what was wrong with the IGT? When was the last walk-off walk in a mets win?

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Chipper needs to shut up! bad calls happen all the time -- like against us when Victorino rammed into Reyes on the rundown.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I kind of like it. I think Chipper's been watching from the sidelines as the Phils and Mets rivalry heats up and he's more than ready to re-start the old Mets-Braves thing.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: I kind of like it. I think Chipper's been watching from the sidelines as the Phils and Mets rivalry heats up and he's more than ready to re-start the old Mets-Braves thing.

Agreed. Meow-meow from Chipper equals more much more bang for the buck out of the Braves rivalry. Who else are you going to hate? Kawakami? Schaefer?