More winning! 7/20/16 IGT Mets@Cubs

[Chad ochoseis]

I'd like to share a few of my thoughts on yesterday's game:

I think it's safe to say that replay saved our collective asses last night -- first the play at home, then Walker's negated GiDP -- and, as much quarrel as I've had with the rule since expanded beyond HRs, it was nice to see it work as designed:
- the two calls in question were simply horrible and not some 'Oooooh I think maybe possibly his spikes lost contact with the base for 1/4 second' type of call for which the rule was never intended
- quick calls by the team to ask for the review rather than going into a game stall while the bench coach waits on the phone for their review specialist to examine the evidence from nine angles looking for possible loopholes
- reasonably quick decisions from the Chelsea headquarters although you still wonder why it wasn't even quicker. Would have been fun to see the umps put on the headphones and then take them off like 5 seconds later because their colleagues in NY already knew that they so obviously blew it
- and no rules were spontaneously ignored allowing additional reviews for a team after their supposed quota was spent


Today, it's our hero Bartolo Colon up against Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks was supposed to be the weak link in the rotation, but currently has the best ERA among Cub starters and has not given up an earned run since June.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Last night felt like a Big Game going in. The win made this one an even Bigger Game, as the SHaMs have to win serieses. I'm a little scared for Colon and the HR today so let's put some points on the board.

[Edgy MD]

Good to see commentary at the top of an IGT.

I imagine if an ump who just made a bad call and his chief put on the headphones, and Jeff Kellogg immediately appears on the other end, saying, "Nice call, bonehead! He was safe and everybody in America but you knew it." � they're going to stall for at least 30-45 seconds, focused and concentrated looks on their faces, and let on that are subtleties in existence that just aren't there, just to save face.

[Centerfield]

"Check out the hottie in row 6"

"Which section?"

"114. In the pink tank top. Wow."

"Wow is right. Holy crap."

"Amazing right? Ok. Call overturned."

"Thanks Jeff."

[Guest d'Kong76]

Zobrist RF
Bryant 3B
Rizzo 1B
Contreras LF
Heyward CF
Russell SS
Montero C
Baez 2B
Hendricks P

[Guest d'Kong76]

Reyes SS
Granderson RF
Flores 3B
Loney 1B
d�Arnaud C
Johnson 2B
Lagares CF
Conforto LF
Colon P

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Cabrera and Walker both looking like they need an extra day of ASB. Good job, Terry.

Yikes, no Cespedes neither.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, Yoenis looke Yoawful in the the outfield last night, and I think they're going to give him dgaangs off until his leg is healthy.

It's a good day for Flores, d'Arnaud, and Lagares to show the second half star form we'll be coming to expect from them. Rare starts against righties for WF and JG.

I realize it's a super-ground-ball pitcher, but Conforto in the eight hole has got to sting. Got to.

[Ceetar]

I'd like to say good move by Collins shifting d'Arnaud's off day to yesterday, but probably had more to do with bogus Rene Rivera-Thor batteries than getting an extra real bat into the getaway game.

[Guest d'Kong76]

It's not bogus if it's a real thing? It's become a real thing. Travis better
start playing better or there may more un-bogus things d'coming.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Thor typically needs more help wrt the running game, that part of it is not bogus.

I think Travis will be one of the SHaMs best performers.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Sure, why not... so long as he can stay off the d'isabled list.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Guest

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Thor typically needs more help wrt the running game, that part of it is not bogus. I think Travis will be one of the SHaMs best performers.

Yes, but the difference between Rivera and d'Arnaud in terms of holding/throwing out runners is not really super significant (most of it's on Thor himself) and I don't believe comes close to making up for the offensive difference. And if it did, it'd be because there were a lot of baserunners which doesn't bode well anyway.

I agree on d'Arnaud. My, perhaps ancedotal, belief is he's been a pretty slow starter and really thrives once he's gotten into a rhythm. Would be nice to see him start to find that now.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah but you need a backup catcher to play once every 5-6 days anyway so if there's a beneficial matchup between him and one pitcher then it makes sense to take advantage of it, even if the edge turns out to be merely a psychological one and not necessarily something that can be proven through metrics.

Now if d'Arnaud could actually stay on the field for more than two weeks in a row and/or if Plawecki hadn't hit a soft .200 over 400 ML PAs then Rivera wouldn't even be here, but Td'A hasn't yet and KP did and so RR is.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Curtis!! bifl

[Frayed Knot]

Note to NYM pitchers
1) stop walking guys
2) stop giving up 50 foot singles

Follow those rules and the rest will likely take care of itself.

[Frayed Knot]

And now even a rare hit w/RiSP doesn't actually score a run.
Had to send him though, just the lack of team speed showing its head.

[Edgy MD]

Five hits in four innings, but no runs?

Let's end that nonsense.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Five hits in four innings, but no runs?

Now six hits in five innings and still no runs.
And they've managed that despite going a stunning 2-for-5 w/RiSP (REGRESSION TO THE MEAN!!!) but of course neither of those hits scored runs and one of the three non-hits was a GiDP

[Frayed Knot]

And this game just got out of hand.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'm a little scared for Colon and the HR today so let's put some points on the board.

well

[ashie62]

We are mediocre at best, and undermanned.

[Zvon]

TC threw in the towel when he put Bastardo on the mound. And Collins should have had that play at the plate reviewed, not that it would have mattered much if we don't plate some runs.

[Zvon]

via TWITTER-GusTheMetsFan^

[Frayed Knot]

Who do you want Terry to put on the mound down six runs? And, after an outing where he gets five outs w/2 Ks and an infield single as the only blemish ... Really?

Look, I understand that neither Bastardo nor De Aza are going to be fan favorites around here, but we're starting to turn those two into all-purpose punching bags anytime they're not chained to the bench whether they were the problem that day or not.

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Who do you want Terry to put on the mound down six runs? And, after an outing where he gets five outs w/2 Ks and an infield single as the only blemish ... Really? Look, I understand that neither Bastardo nor De Aza are going to be fan favorites around here, but we're starting to turn those two into all-purpose punching bags anytime they're not chained to the bench whether they were the problem that day or not.

I'm not opposed to chaining De Aza to the bench.

[Zvon]

Wilmer Flores is hitting a home run every 5.86 at bats in the month of July, tops in the majors.

[Edgy MD]

Stupid rubber game.

Way to go, Bastardo. Looking for a big second half from you.

[Zvon]

[Frayed Knot]

Kelly Johnson: Four for four, none of those hits drove in a run and he never scored a run, and only the wild pitch that followed his 9th inning single allowed him to get as far as 2B
Not blaming KJ, just saying that that's what kind of a game it was.