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Bard nailed a 2-2 pitch and hit it against the wall for a double.
When Bard hit the first pitch he saw with the bases loaded in a previous inning, and hit it hard but to the first basemen for the final out of that inning, he set up this at bat for success. By simply making good contact in his previous at bat, Bard increased the odds of a hit in his next at bat, that's why first pitch swinging is acceptable.
Bard again creamed the ball in the 8th and got a double. Then Blake was called in to run for Bard. This is exactly what I had said should happen in a previous game, sub Bard for a faster runner. In that game, against Seattle, Bard was left in, and did in fact score from second. But baseball strategy says you should put a faster runner at second to try and get the tying run home from second on a single.
Unfortunately, Johnny Mac hit the first pitch he saw, hard, too hard, for a single to left, and Blake could not score from second and had to stay at third.
Good call to keep Blake at third. Blake initially hesitated and even took a half step back to second when Johnny Mac hit the line drive ball through the infield.
Instinctively, Blake could have gone as far as the shortstop, and he was well short of that, so he clearly was easily two to three steps behind where he should have been when the ball cleared the infield.
However, even if Blake had reacted perfectly to the pitch and the hit by McDonald, he still would not have made it home, that's how hard Johnny Mac hit the ball.
Then Wedge made a questionable move. Why pinch hit Bill Selby for Brandon Phillips? Phillips won't be doubled up, so I think it would have been better to let Phillips hit in that situation.
With runners on first and third and one out, I wonder if a safety squeeze could have been tried.
Anyway, I'm glad to see they tried to increase their speed option at second by replacing Bard with Blake, but reducing the speed option at home plate by pinching Phillips with Selby somewhat negates the speed approach and did increase the chance of an inning ending double-play.
Selby fouled out to the third baseman Troy Glaus, and then Matt Lawton hit it pretty far to center, but the center fielder caught up with the bell in deep center.
Johnny Mac homered tonight also. He looks likes he's ready to be a .270-300 hitter, maybe he should get his chance as an everday player?
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Roger Brown Comments
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor=""><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Forum-405:
Anyway, I'm glad to see they tried to increase their speed option at second by replacing Bard with Blake, but reducing the speed option at home plate by pinching Phillips with Selby somewhat negates the speed approach and did increase the chance of an inning ending double-play.
Selby fouled out to the third baseman Troy Glaus, and then Matt Lawton hit it pretty far to center, but the center fielder caught up with the bell in deep center.
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Look what Roger Brown said!
Indians officials say
fans must tolerate this horrible season because it's allowing the team's young prospects to learn how to develop into future stars. So, what exactly did struggling rookie second baseman Brandon Phillips learn when manager Eric Wedge yanked him for journeyman pinch-hitter Bill Selby - batting, oh, .0000003 - with the Indians trailing by one run in the eighth inning with runners on first and third and one out? (Selby meekly fouled out.) It sure would be nice if the Indians' propaganda matched what actually takes place on the field.
-Roger Brown
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Then Brown mentioned he thought Baez should be starting! (as has been previously mentioned on this forum)
"Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro scolds those who suggest the team move mediocre bullpen closer Danys Baez back to his proper role as a starting pitcher, saying the critics aren't taking a long-term view of things. Hmmm, would that be the same "long-term view" Shapiro said critics weren't taking last year around this time when they raised questions about struggling outfielder Russell Branyan? And, gosh, would that be the same Branyan who was abruptly dumped by Shapiro - just days after the GM's "You've got to have a long-term view" lecture? It baffles the mind why Baez, who has one of the best arms in the entire Indians organization, isn't being used to full advantage - as a starting pitcher."
-Roger Brown
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The answer is because it will be easier to justify a trade because they can't afford Baez and his salary as a young closer!
-Alex
