Sunday summary: Games of 8/21
Posted by John Autin on August 22, 2011
-- Protecting a 4-3 lead, Antonio Bastardo fanned the first two men in the 9th, but Ian Desmond laced a 1-2 pitch 414 feet to LF. Washington won the game (and the series) on a bases-loaded HBP from Brad Lidge in the 10th. Roy Halladay left after 5 IP and a long rain delay.
- Batters behind in the count were hitting .067 off Bastardo before the HR -- 4 for 60, with 33 Ks.
- It was the 3rd game-ending HBP in the majors this year. All came in extra innings, and featured an IBB in the inning.
- But did the umpire blow a call on the HBP? Rule 6.08(b)(2) clearly states that the batter is not entitled to 1st base if he "makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball." Watch the video and tell me that Gomes made any attempt whatsoever to avoid being hit. There was no apparent argument from the Phillies.
- The Nats are still 3 games under .500, but they play tough at home, with a 36-25 record in Nationals Park.
-- In his first MLB start, Toronto's Luis Perez took a no-hitter into the 6th before Jemile Weeks hit a 1-out single. Perez is the 2nd rookie this week to throw 6 innings of 1-hit ball within his first 2 MLB starts; Randall Delgado left immediately after his no-hitter ended on a leadoff HR in the 7th.
- Casey Janssen went the last 3 frames to save the 1-0 win, on no hits with 5 Ks. It's the first 3-inning save of a 1-0 win in 25 years, since Ricky Horton did it for the Cards against the Dodgers on July 8, 1986.
- Jose Bautista's 36th HR saw to the scoring.
- The last 1-hit shutout by the Jays was a one-man affair last August.
-- The shrinking Giants dodged a sweep in Houston on Pablo Sandoval's 12th-inning HR. Brandon Belt had his first 4-hit game, including a HR and 3 RBI.
- The loss ended Houston's second 4-game win streak this year. In between the streaks, they went 15-50.
-- Detroit is still a long way from securing a playoff berth, but sweeping Cleveland gave them a 4.5-game lead. Raphy has the best angle on that game.
- Delmon Young had his first 4-RBI game of the year to pace his new club.
-- Derek Holland has made 4 starts since my remarks last month on his odd mixture of shutouts and duds: 2 quality starts, 2 "disasters," including Sunday's 3.1-IP, 5-run roasting by Chicago. Holland leads the majors with 4 shutouts, but his 6 Game Scores of 25 or less ties him for the lead in that department as well.
-- Hudson and Venters and Kimbrel, oh my! That trio of Bravos shut out the Snakes on 5 hits, while Alex Gonzalez's HR dealt Josh Collmenter a 1-0 loss and completed a 3-game sweep of the NL West leaders. It was ATL's 2nd 1-0 win this week, and Arizona's 5th straight loss, during which they've scored 6 runs; they now lead the Giants by 1.5 games.
- Gonzalez has homered in 2 of Atlanta's 3 wins by 1-0 wins this year. Chipper Jones homered in the other.
- The win was Hudson's 13th this year and the 178th of his career, tying him with Hippo Vaughn at #158 on the all-time Wins list. (Will I use any excuse to name-drop Hippo Vaughn? I haven't found one yet that didn't suffice!) Hudson's 86 wins since joining Atlanta in 2005 are 39 more than other Brave; and since reaching the majors in 1999, he's 2nd in Wins, 4th in IP and 3rd in Wins Above Replacement.
-- Jason Varitek hit his 1st triple since 2007. At 39 years, 4 months, he's the oldest catcher to triple since Benito Santiago in 2005, and just the 2nd catcher of his age to triple since 1992.
- Adrian Gonzalez collected his 4th RBI of August, but home run #19 eluded him as it has all month.
-- So the Wily Mo Pena Experience signed with the Mariners, and I was not informed? After a Tacoma tuneup, raking as he had in Reno, the Wily One was called up on the grounds of "How could it hurt?", and today he ripped another clutch HR -- a game-tying 2-run shot off James Shields with 2 gone in the 8th, his 1st AL HR since 2007. Of Pena's 6 HRs this year, 3 came in the 8th or later and tied or won the game.
- Pena has also tied Alejandro Sanchez for the coveted record of most HRs in a season of zero walks.
- Johnny Damon won it for the Rays with a HR in the last of the 9th. Damon has hit a modest 19 HRs over these past 2 years, but 4 have been walk-off jobs.
-- The beating goes on for Baltimore and Brian Matusz. The O's dropped their 5th straight, 7-1 to the Angels, allowing at least 6 runs each game, and have now lost 38 of their last 51. Matusz, who in last season's final months seemed close to the breakthrough that's been anticipated ever since he bull-rushed the rotation 2 years ago, is now 1-6 in 8 starts, and his 8.92 ERA (as well as his ERA+) would be among the 20 worst marks in modern pitching history with at least 8 starts.
- The win went to Jerome Williams, who was last seen reeling to a 7.20 ERA in 6 starts for the 2007 Nationals. It was his 1st big-league win in 6 years.
- The Angels have trimmed 3 games off the Texas lead with a 4-game win streak. They go into Arlington for 3 games next weekend.
-- The Padres tied a season high with their 4th straight win. Looking for a sleeper contender next year in what could be another wide-open NL West race? San Diego may be last in the standings, 11 games back, but they have the 2nd-best Pythagorean record in the division (65-64), just a game worse than the D-backs. They've won 12 of their last 18.
-- Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira homered back-to-back, Nos. 35 and 34, respectively, and moved closer to becoming the first pair of Yankee teammates in 50 years with 40+ HRs.
- Ivan Nova had been solid this year, with 12 quality starts in 21 outings, but today he notched the first scoreless start of his career, blanking the Twins over 7 innings before DavE. Robertson and Mariano Rivera finished up the 3-0 win.
- For the 6th straight day, the Yankees lead the AL East by half a game. It might have been a great race, if it meant something; but the Sawx are 7.5 games ahead in the wild card chase.
-- Who'd've thunk it?, James Loney went 4 for 4 with a HR and a double (just his 3rd multi-XBH game of the year) ... but Kevin Millwood still got his first NL win since 2004.
-- The Mets announced a welcome change in their family-friendly Sunday program for the rest of the season: Instead of running the bases after the game, kids age 10 and under can take part in a pre-game throwing contest. The winner gets to pitch the 8th inning.
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:06 am
Another note on the Twins/Yankees game today.
Thome and A-Rod appeared in the game, the first ever AL game featuring 2 guys in the 600 HR club, and the first time since Aaron/Mays in 1973 (the only other 600 HR combo in the same game).
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:17 am
Further on the Jays/As game (I also posted this on the prior blog earlier, not knowing if John would be posting a Sunday wrap-up).
As John noted, the Blue Jays beat the As 1-0, on a 1-hit team shutout, with Casey Janssen earning the save with 3 innings of no-hit ball. Janssen's save is one of only a handful of 3-inning saves since 2000 that were not recorded in blowout games. And, it's only the 2nd time in that period where the pitcher had to preserve a 1-run lead through his entire appearance (the prior game was Ramon Troncoso of the Dodgers against the Rockies, Apr 25, 2009).
Any pitcher looking to pick up an easy save, tomorrow (Monday) is probably your best chance. These are the 3-inning saves since 2000 where the final victory margin was 15+ runs.
- 2008-08-22, Cards over Braves, 18-3
- 2007-08-22, Rangers over Orioles, 30-3
- 2003-08-24, As over Jays, 17-2
- 2002-07-23, Red Sox over Devil Rays, 22-4
- 2000-08-22, Padres over Mets, 16-1
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:28 am
Re: Walk-Off HBP
John, I'm with you - should not have been given 1B. No attempt to avoid the pitch and even seemed like he deliberately froze to be sure he would be hit.
Made me think of the play in the '77 or '78 World Series, where Reggie Jackson broke up a double play be ensuring he would be hit by a thrown ball. Bases were loaded with 1 out and Jackson on 1st. Then, there's a room-service double-play ball on a hard-hit grounder right at short. Jackson doesn't move more than 15 or 20 feet off of first base and tries to position himself in the line of the throw coming from second. The throw is a low one and as it goes by, Jackson makes a sudden jerking move to stick out his butt, deflecting the ball into right field. 2 runs score. Yankees win.
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:35 am
Gomes took his elbow and he pressed it against his body while taking the hit. It was very subtle. I have no problems with the game ending that way. The announcers even said Chase Utley would have done the same thing. And I agree. (Far be it from me to compliment the announcing team of Tom McCarthey and Chris Wheeler).
/disclaimer: I am a Phillies fan
August 22nd, 2011 at 2:56 am
Antonio Bastardo is a bas(t)ard.
August 22nd, 2011 at 3:14 am
Talking about Johnny Damon...
He's holding up quite well, even hitting his 106th triple this week, and is now two competent seasons away from 3,000 hits. Can't imagine him being a HoF lock, though.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 am
Regarding the Phillies game, a while back there was a post about making a long relief appearance in your MLB debut. Michael Schwimer came in when Halladay left after a delay and pitched three innings, allowing a home run to the first batter he faced but recovered and pitched the 6th 7th and 8th.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:09 am
"...the first pair of Yankee teammates in 50 years with 40+ HRs...."
Hmm... two thousand eleven minus fifty is... umm... nineteen sixt.... oh.
I don't think we need bbref to tell us who those Yankee teammates were. Thanks, John, for not insulting our intelligence.
😉
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:12 am
@4, I agree Chase Utley would have done the exact same thing. I have no problem with the call.
But it raises another question: can anybody recall an umpire in a major league game ever refusing to award a base to a hit batter because of Rule 6.08(b)(2)?
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:45 am
Two tough losses for the Phillies' bullpen over the weekend. Three blown saves, two of them last night.
They're too strong a team to let a couple of little setbacks affect their confidence.
@2
Doug, Janssen's save was the opposite of cheap, pitching with only a one-run lead for three innings. I had realized how rare the 3+ IP save was until your post motivated me to create a list.
Only 5 five 3+ IP saves out of 238 since 2000 ended up in a one-run win!
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:58 am
That HBP pitch rule is one of the dumbest rules in baseball, besides the infield fly rule. If you dont want the batter to reach base on a HBP then dont throw the ball in the batters box. I never understood why the batter has to try to avoid the pitch, is this rule from way, way back from the underhand pitching days? Whenever I umped (just little league) I refused to enforce this rule, if the batter got hit he gets 1B.
Now leaning into one is a totally different story, but thats not what we are talking about here.
Also, this blog is becoming a little disappointing to me, previously I did not think this had the east coast ESPN bias very much, but lately it seems like several posts a week on NYY/BOS/PHIL and essentially nothing on the Brewers amazing hot streak. How many people in America right now know the Brewers are 22-3 in their last 25, and look at the standings between 1 month ago and today:
July 21, 2011:
1) PIT 51-44 --
2) MIL 52-46 0.5 GB
3) STL 50-46 1.5 GB
4) CIN 47-50 5.0 GB
August 21, 2011:
1) MIL 76-52 --
2) STL 67-60 8.5 GB
3) CIN 62-65 13.5 GB
4) PIT 59-66 15.5 GB
Over the last month the Brewers picked up 16 games on the Pirates
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:04 am
@11, Topper009 -- I'll accept that criticism for ignoring the Brewers. For this weekend, at least, my excuse is that I tend to skip over my Mets when they're getting whompered. 🙂
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:06 am
@3,
It wasn't really a "room service double play". It was a line drive to Bill Russell at short and he "dropped" it so he could turn the double play. Reggie Jackson theoretically was caught in between, not sure if it was a caught line drive or dropped. But everything else you state is true, with him sticking out his butt "in his confusion" to get hit. Garvey was pissed and didn't chase after the ball right away so Munson was able to score from second.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:07 am
@12, that's understandable, I don't even like reading your daily summaries when the Brewers lose
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:09 am
I also agree that the rule requiring a batter to try to avoid being hit by the pitch ought to be done away with, especially since it's rarely enforced. I hate rules that are ignored, and everyone knows they're ignored and expects them to be ignored, and then you get a huge flap on the rare occasion when they're enforced -- like the foot-fault call that provoked Serena's nasty outburst a year or two back.
BTW, I've defnitely heard of several instances where this HBP rule was enforced, but I can't point to specific games.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:09 am
@11 - my thoughts exactly on the HBP rule. Why does the batter have to get out of the way?
@9 - 5/31/68 Don Drysdale hits Dick Dietz with the bases loaded, nobody out in the 9th. Harry Wendelstedt doesn't award him first, Drysdale retires the side and extends his scoreless streak, which eventually reaches a then-record 58 IP.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:13 am
More to the HBP rule -- I would be happy with this trade-off: Batter has no obligation to avoid the pitch; but the ump should be ultra-aggressive in enforcing the rule that a pitch that hits the batter in the strike zone is a strike, not a HBP -- in fact, I'd like them to use a "Maddux strike zone" in that regard.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:18 am
Earlier this year Nyjer Morgan was not awarded 1B on a HBP, but Im not sure if it was officially due to this not getting out of the way rule or for leaning into the pitch.
Here is the video, still not sure what the exact reason for calling Morgan back, but it seems to be more of the leaning into it variety.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16111651
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:59 am
HBP Rule: To me the simplest, and most reasonable HBP rule would be: "If the pitch is in the batter's box, the batter does not need to make an effort to avoid the pitch; If the pitch is merely inside, but not in the batter's box there is no HBP under any circumstance."
August 22nd, 2011 at 12:30 pm
@19, I like the proposal, although if Bob Gibson had this rule at his disposal he probably would have thrown ~200 no-hitters and killed ~20 hitters
August 22nd, 2011 at 12:52 pm
A few years ago at Citi Field, Chase Utley leaned into a pitch and was not awarded first base. I think the bases were loaded and it was called a strike.
August 22nd, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Did anybody else catch the end to the Padres-Marlins game? The #7 hitter leads off with a triple, so you walk 8 and 9 to get a shot at 1? Isn't 1's strength that he gets on base without getting outs? Were they hoping that Venable would ground into his first double play all year?
August 22nd, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Has anyone seen Willy Mo play recently? Is he really so bad in the field that he's truly just a DH guy? I know he never was real great, but I thought he was at least serviceable, though that was a few years ago.
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Brett did some follow-up on applications (or lack thereof) of Rule 10.17(c), which JA brought up in his Nick Masset post a few weeks ago. This concerns relief "pitchers of record" who should not be credited with wins due to ineffectiveness. Unfortunately he posted it where no one will ever find it. See here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/14141/comment-page-1#comment-139707
This was the original thread: http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/13780
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:39 am
@24, JT, thanks for linking to Brett's findings. I meant to do it but got sidetracked.
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:42 am
@22, Jeremy -- Good point. Someone should compile all the results of late-inning walk-the-bases-loaded "stratagems"; it might open some managers' eyes.
August 23rd, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Speaking of triples by catchers...
Nick Hundley hit his 4th triple in his last 6 games on Sunday. This sounds like it could be a record of sorts for catchers.
Speaking of the Tigers sweep of the Indians...
This was Ubaldo Jimenez's 4th start for the Indians. In those game, the Indians are 1-3 with all three losses by the score of 8-7.
Johnny Twisto: Thanks for linking to my posts regarding rule 10.17(c) - see post #'s 71-76. Also thanks for telling me about John Autin's recap posts.
August 23rd, 2011 at 5:26 pm
By the way, I started researching rule 10.17 (c) because I thought and still think there is a mistake in the way the save rule is written. In trying to rewrite the rule the way I think it is intended to be written, I came across 10.17(c). I've since been searching for examples of when 10.17(c) has negated a save, which we have found a few. (I have yet to find an example of when 10.17(b) or 10.17(e) has negated a save, but I can come up with realistic hypothetical cases.)
So, what is possibly inaccurate about the save rule? In this hypothetical situation (below), the current rule would credit Kevin Gregg with a save, but in all likelihood, this was not intended by the original creators of the save rule.
- Brian Matusz pitches 7 2/3 innings and leaves after his 101st pitch. The bases are empty and the Orioles lead 8-5. Koji Uehara has already been traded and Jim Johnson is unavailable (2 innings the game before), so Buck turns to Kevin Gregg to get the last out of the 8th inning. Baltimore scores 9 runs in the top of the 9th inning (or bottom of the 8th) to pull ahead 17-5. Not wanting to burn another pitcher, Buck lets Gregg pitch the 9th inning. Greg finishes the game (giving up anywhere from 0 to 11 runs) and is awarded the save.-
So, why do I believe this should not be a save? Because... if instead Gregg entered the game with two outs in the 9th, bases empty, and a 3-run lead, by rule, Greg could not get a save. However, since he entered the game in the 8th inning, he does get a save!?!? Although he Gregg entered in the 8th and got 4 outs, only 1 out was with a 3-run lead and the bases empty. - which to my understanding, is never sufficient.
August 23rd, 2011 at 6:04 pm
@28, Brett -- That is interesting. I see your point. That pitcher didn't directly fit any of the 3 scenarios we commonly think of as constituting the save requirements.
But even though excluding the situation you describe would seem to meet the spirit of the rule, I sort of doubt that the "framers" intended to exclude it. I suspect that, just for the sake of simplicity, they deliberately wrote the rule so that only the base/out/score situation when the reliever enters is relevant.
Just my hunch.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:01 am
Instead of "enters with a three run lead and pitches at least one full inning", I would have it be "enters with a three run lead and 0 outs in the inning". This change would actually make the definition such that only the base/out/score situation when the reliever enters is relevant, and in my mind, more simple. It also makes it so that the set of save situations is the same for every inning of entry; something that I think should be considered.
As for the original intention of the Official Scoring Rules Committee, I've researched the origin and evolution of the save statistic. Here is what I've found:
Famous sportswriter, Jerome Holtzman (1926-2008), invented the save while writing for the Sporting News in 1960. The statistic remained unofficial though until the Baseball Writers Association of America, in a committee headed by Holtzman, convinced the Official Scoring Rules Committee to adopt it prior to the 1969 season.
1960: The only situation deemed a "save situation" was if the pitcher entered the game with the potential tying run on base or at-bat.
1961: All 2-run leads were deemed sufficient.
I do not know when or how it evolved into the current definition, but I did find 2 differences between the definition as published in 2002 and the current one. This shows me that it has either evolved several times over the years or has been updated several times to include previously un-adressed situations.
In 2002...
1) The word "effectively" was included in the "3 or more innings" situation. It no longer is.
2) The 1/3 inning requirement was not included. It now is.
By adding the criterion that the pitcher must pitch at least 1/3 of an inning indicates to me that this was always intended, just that no one previously had realized it was necessary.
Actually, right now I am struggling to understand why it is necessary!
I have digressed, but in regards to the hypothetical save situation (described in my previous post #28)...
My stance now is that, like the 1/3 inning requirement, if brought to the Official Scoring Rules Committee, the full save definition would likely be amended so that Kevin Gregg would not earn a save in that situation. I also posit that this specific scenario was never discussed by the committee prior to them adopting the statistic, meaning they never consciously allow for it to be an acceptable save situation.
August 24th, 2011 at 4:28 am
I like to read your blog a couple times a week for new readings. I was wondering if you have any other subjects you write about?
August 24th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
The two small changes to the save rule, as well as many other changes to rule 10 went into affect for the 2007 season. Although the save rule changes are not specifically mentioned, they must have occurred at this time (or later) because this was the first time since 1999 that rule 10 was ammended. Interestingly though, changes are made to the rules nearly every year, and it's even happened twice in the same year. The first page of the rulebook, lists the date every time changes were made.
Several "comments" were also added to rule 10 in 2007. So this could be when the suggestion/comment was added: that 0.2 innings or less and 2 or more runs is "brief and ineffective". If not, then it was added in 1999 or earlier.
This article about the changes for 2007 is the best one I could find.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070216&content_id=1804407&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
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