Frayed Knot

So I'm looking back on how that top-7th went when Matt Williams was mixing and matching with all those relievers: - it all starts with Williams pulling Scherzer [6 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K] in favor of (RHP) Blake Treinan: Flores singles, Tejada (now batting 9th due to earlier double-switch) bunts into force play - out comes Treinan, in comes the lefty Felipe Rivero to face Granderson: Walk - doesn't want to allow the LHP to face David so out goes Rivero and in comes Casey Janssen: Wright = RBI Single - out goes Janssen, in comes the lefty Thornton to face Murph: Sac Fly it's at this point where Williams is kind of stuck having already gone through 3 pitchers in 2/3 of an inning and not wanting to go to his big guns in the 7th inning of a game they're now losing. Plus both Storen & Papelbon worked Sunday (even with a four-run lead over Atlanta) so with Cespedes having worse numbers vs LHPs he sticks with Thorton. The result is the Cespedes RBI Double and finally a Conforto line-out So I think it's safe to say that things didn't exactly work out according to plan for Mr. Williams. And then you can really look back to the final out of the 6th when Terry brought in Dario Alvarez, in what would be his first ML appearance of the season, to face, and strike out, Harper to end the inning. It was the only batter he'd face but it would also make him the winning pitcher. Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug.

Centerfield wrote: This is late, but I just wanted to chime in here and give a big old FUCK YOU to the Braves. HOLY CRAP YOU FUCKING SUCK ATLANTA. Just hope they continue to suck this bad. We have 7 games left with them, Nats have just 3

I'm also not getting how Gee is able to declare himself a FA right after the WS (as the article claims) seeing as how he had just 4+ years of service coming into this season and added considerably less than a full year since so would be well short of the six full seasons that one normally needs. I suppose it has to do with him being waived and then re-signed but I don't know the specifics of how that works. Not that it really matters as the two parties seem to want to part with the other about as quickly as is possible, it's just confusing to me is all (as are so many things in this world).

That was a shitty month but a great thread.

TransMonk wrote: There's no way the Mets would or could have come back to win this game during April, May, June and most of July. And not just the comeback, but the Nats were shut out for 8 of the 9 innings including 5.2 scoreless by various penners who were pressed into service, some in less than ideal situations. 5.2 IP, 0 Runs, 3 hits (all singles), 1 BB, 9 Ks by the pen in all. Scherzer + 1 disaster inning by your staff almost always = Loss Not today.

The IGT had it right, this certainly was a laborious game.

... [bigpurple:29ahag1o]HUGE[/bigpurple:29ahag1o] win! With the series ending in a 1 - 3 - 5 or 7 game lead, 1 has just been taken out of the equation.

Nats have a ton of 2-strike hits today, including the biggie by Ramos.

Do NOT let the tying run come to the plate!!

Zvon wrote: Robles for 3! Saying it makes me nervous. I'd be tempted. Leave him in until someone gets on. Not gonna happen though. And this just in: The Orioles suck.

If the Republicans nominated Robles on their ticket I'd vote for him.

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Oooh, with Robles coming in on a double-switch and having just thrown a 1-2-3 / 10-pitch inning, you gotta come back with him to at least start the bottom 8th. I'd agree with you, but I ain't managing the Mets. They're going to the eighth-inning-guyTM. NOPE!!! Thing is, the REAL 8th inning guy isn't available and Robles is at least as good a bet as Reed. Had Clip-art been available then it almost certainly would have been by the book.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Zimmerman looks pissed at getting quick-pitched ... but tough shit dude! I don't love it. Seems a little un-sporting, but outs are outs with this bully. Zim was in the box and shoula been more prepared to go. If you're in the box and the pitcher is on the rubber, you've got no beef IMO on being quick-pitched. The time in Philly was a bit different in that their complaint was that Darrin Ruf had his head down at the time. Zimmerman has no such complaint.

Oooh, with Robles coming in on a double-switch and having just thrown a 1-2-3 / 10-pitch inning, you gotta come back with him to at least start the bottom 8th.

Zimmerman looks pissed at getting quick-pitched ... but tough shit dude!

This just in: Conforto can hit. I know he didn't just there but it was also a line drive off a LOOGY specialist (redundancy alert!!) to go along with all the other stuff he's done lately including first-pitch jumping Scherzer and taking him out to the opposite field.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Elster88 wrote: He was going to be dead at the plate wasn't he?Sure looked like it. This is a very good baseball game, yall. Exciting and frustrating and fun and maddening. OF Michael Taylor just seemed to throw the ball to no one as the hit itself took SS Desmond out of position. He then ran to cover 3rd as Taylor threw it to where Desmond was. Not sure if Timmy read all that in advance or just got lucky.

Zvon wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: WOW! Did Ruben run through a stop sign or did Tuefel send him? I believe Tuff sent him and that was one ballsy move. Yes it was (whosoever idea it was) but this is also no time to sit back and hope. Gotta push the envelope now and then.

WOW! Did Ruben run through a stop sign or did Tuefel send him?

And we STILL can't bunt!!!!

Lefty Specialist wrote: Robles 7th, Reed 8th and Familia 9th if they have a lead? Terry also needs to be prepared to go to Familia for more than one inning if circumstances dictate -- and I don't just mean a 4-out stint, I mean a full two.

Lefty Specialist wrote: I would have left Goeddel in to pitch to Harper. Need length from the bullpen. I was thinking the same thing as he looked like he was in the process of pitching around him. Hell, Goeddel could have done that. But Harper is hot as hell and is much less likely to HR while facing a LHP so I can't argue with the logic. And, anyway, nice comeback by Dario. P.S. -- and with Zimmerman nearly as hot there's no way you can simply put Harper on there with a tie score this late in the game.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Balk play HUGE. Sho' was, but if I were on the other end of that call I'd be screaming bloody murder. Seeing the replay three times I still couldn't see what caused it.

On their bullpen front, despite having a semi-walkover yesterday (won 8-4 but had a 8-1 lead early) they used five relievers including most of their big guys but not went all that long. Janssen: 2/3 inning but just 7 pitches Storen: 1 IP, 17 pitches Papelbon: 1 IP, but just 7 pitches

Frayed Knot wrote: That's our first non-HR RBI in like the last 10-15 runs scored. 12 of the previous 13 runs scored had come in via HRs. Other than those very few hits with runners on base much less in scoring position. So it was nice to see one here even if we did have the opportunity for several more.