A review of some bold(ish) predictions I made at the end of August.
1. Mike Trout will not win the AL MVP award: CORRECT (probably)
Trout and his 10.7 bWAR deserve it, but I think Miguel Cabrera will take home the trophy after becoming the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown.
2. Houston wins fewer than 50 games this year: WRONG
The Astros finished the season strong, playing .500 ball in September/October to end up with 55 victories. Have fun in the American League next year, Houston!
3. Baltimore is finally going to hit the skids: WRONG
Not only did the Orioles make the playoffs for the first time since 1997, but they nearly stole the division from the Yankees down the stretch and gave New York's offense fits during the ALDS. I'd be shocked if they finish above .500 next year, though.
4. Hanley Ramirez reaches 30 home runs for the first time since 2008: WRONG
HanRam launched his 24th and final long ball of the season on September 3rd, failing to go deep in the month of games that followed.
5. Justin Verlander repeats as AL Cy Young champion: CORRECT (probably)
I'm pretty confident that Verlander will win after posting near identical numbers to the ones he put up in 2011. David Price, Jered Weaver, Chris Sale, and Felix Hernandez all have strong cases, but Verlander is the guy.
6. The Red Sox avoid their first losing season since 1997: WRONG
Next question.
7. Josh Beckett (5-12, 5.21 ERA at the time) is going to turn his season around with the Dodgers: CORRECT
This one was a no-brainer. In his seven starts with the Dodgers, Beckett posted a nifty 2.93 ERA and fanned 38 batters in 43 innings of work. Expect that success to continue in 2013.
8. Bryce Harper goes 20/20: WRONG
The 19 year-old phenom just missed, finishing his sensational rookie year with 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases.
9. Josh Hamilton bats .300: WRONG
The 2010 AL MVP batted a career low .285.
10. Buster Posey knocks in 100 runs: CORRECT
The likely NL MVP amassed 103 RBI in 2012.
11. Nobody on the Houston Astros finishes with 15 home runs: WRONG
Justin Maxwell slugged 18 and Jed Lowrie blasted 16.
12. Joe Mauer gets traded: WRONG
Didn't happen.
13. Adam Dunn won't break Mark Reynolds' single season strikeout record: CORRECT
Dunn's 222 whiffs paced the majors, but fell three short of the Reynolds' record of futility. The Big Donkey also managed to keep his batting average above the Mendoza line by finishing the year at .204.
14. David Ortiz will not play again in 2012: CORRECT
Why bother?
15. Nobody in the NL will strike out more than 200 times: CORRECT
Dunn was the only player to pile up more than 200 K's, though Curtis Granderson came dangerously close with 195. Danny Espinosa "led" the Senior Circuit with 189.
16. Both Los Angeles teams make the playoffs: WRONG
Neither LA baseball team made the playoffs, which blows my mind given how stacked both of those rosters are. The Halos have the best rotation in baseball with Zack Greinke, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson, and Ervin Santana, plus Trout, Albert Pujols, and Mark Trumbo. The Dodgers added HanRam, Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Shane Victorino, and Carl Crawford to a team that already had Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Clayton Kershaw. It's fair to call both clubs underachievers after the Angels finished third in their division and the second place Dodgers wound up eight games behind the Giants.
17. Detroit will catch Chicago in the AL Central: CORRECT
The Tigers ended the season on a tear by winning eight of their final ten games, passing the White Sox and winning the division by three games. Chicago collapsed, dropping eleven of fifteen to close the season.
18. Eric Hosmer (.240/.310/.369) will get hot: WRONG
Seeing as how Hosmer's three rate stats only got worse (ended up at .232/.304/.359), he clearly did not catch fire in September.
19. The Reds will win 100 games and have the best record in baseball: WRONG
Cincinatti won 97 games and Washington had the best record in baseball. Neither made it beyond the first round.
20. The Braves blow their postseason birth, again: WRONG
Atlanta cruised to the NL Wild Card by winning 94 games. Unfortunately, a blown infield fly call in the play-in game against St. Louis brought a premature end to the Chipper Jones era.
For reasons unknown, I did not make a 21st or 22nd prediction.
23. Ichiro Suzuki leads AL position players in games played for the third year in a row: CORRECT
Suzuki played in all 162 games this season, a feat he's achieved four times in his illustrious career.
24. 23 year-old Madison Bumgarner finishes higher than rotation-mate Matt Cain on the NL Cy Young ballot: WRONG
Cain posted a superior winning percentage, ERA and WHIP while completing more innings. Most of their stats are indistinguishable, but Cain clearly had the better season.
25. Chipper Jones will draw a walk in the last at-bat of his career: WRONG
The Cooperstown-bound third baseman legged out an infield single in his final plate appearance.
Overall: 9-for-23 (.391). I'll take it.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
12 Predictions for 2012; Review
A review of the dozen bold predictions I made at the end of March for the 2012 baseball season.
1. Prince Fielder will hit fewer than 30 home runs: WRONG
Cecil Fielder's son finished with 30 dingers on the nose. For much of the season it looked like he would fall short of the benchmark for the first time since his rookie year in 2006, but he powered up with seven bombs in September to make my prediction incorrect.
2. The Red Sox will make the playoffs: WRONG
Not only did they miss the postseason, but they also lost 93 games and were out of contention by the middle of August. As a Sox fan, I'm still recovering. At least Bobby Valentine is gone.
3. Andrew Bailey will save more games than Jonathan Papelbon: WRONG
Bailey got hurt (surprise surprise), needed thumb surgery and didn't return until August 14th. He replaced Alfredo Aceves as Boston's closer shortly thereafter, but saved just six games. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Pap lived up to his new contract by making the All-Star team and totaling 38 saves.
4. Evan Longoria will win the American League MVP award: WRONG
The award will go to either Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera. Longoria probably won't appear on any ballots after missing more than three months with a torn hamstring, though he did play well in limited action (career high .896 OPS).
5. Ichiro Suzuki will eclipse ten home runs and a .310 batting average: WRONG
I had two predictions here, and was wrong on both counts. The 38 year-old Suzuki batted .283 and hit nine home runs while splitting time between Seattle and New York. Perhaps if he had spent the entire year in Pinstripes this prediction would have been correct, as Ichiro batted .322 with five homers after joining the Yankees on July 23rd.
6. Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Francisco Liriano all return to form and bring the Twins back up over .500. WRONG
Minnesota lost 96 games to retain their title as the worst team in the American League. Mauer rebounded from his dismal 2011 season by batting .319 and leading the league in OBP with a stellar .416 mark. Morneau was decent, but nowhere near the MVP level he displayed from 2006-'10. And Francisco Liriano was, um, not good. 3-10 with a 5.31 ERA and 1.44 WHIP before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox for Eduardo Escobar and Pedro Hernandez three days before the deadline.
7. Josh Johnson will win the NL Cy Young award: WRONG
Not gonna happen. The trophy will go to R.A. Dickey, Clayton Kershaw or Johnny Cueto. Johnson's overall numbers weren't impressive, but at least he stayed healthy. Plus, a rough start inflated his stats. Starting on May 9th, he posted a 3.26 ERA over his final 25 starts while limiting opponents to a .229 batting average. Expect similar figures in 2013.
8. The Reds will win the NL Central: CORRECT
Cincinatti cruised to their second division title in three years by winning 97 games, nine more than the second place Cardinals. And then they blew a 2-0 lead in the NLDS...(cut to Buster Posey launching a back-breaking grand slam off Mat Latos).
9. Someone other than Michael Bourn will lead the Senior Circuit in stolen bases: CORRECT
Bourn swiped 42 bags, his lowest total since 2008 and two fewer than Everth Cabrera, the NL's top basestealer.
10. Ryan Braun wins the MVP award, again, in 2012: WRONG
There's no way he wins this year. He probably deserves it, but Posey will win it. Or Andrew McCutchen.
11. Huston Street will lead the league in saves: WRONG
Street got injured and finished with 23 saves, well short of the 42 saves notched by league leaders Jason Motte and Craig Kimbrel.
12. The Diamondbacks finish third in the NL West: CORRECT
Arizona fell to 81-81 after winning the division last year, slipping behind the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Red Sox (whoops, I mean Dodgers). Always good to end a high note.
Overall: 3-for-12 (.250)
1. Prince Fielder will hit fewer than 30 home runs: WRONG
Cecil Fielder's son finished with 30 dingers on the nose. For much of the season it looked like he would fall short of the benchmark for the first time since his rookie year in 2006, but he powered up with seven bombs in September to make my prediction incorrect.
2. The Red Sox will make the playoffs: WRONG
Not only did they miss the postseason, but they also lost 93 games and were out of contention by the middle of August. As a Sox fan, I'm still recovering. At least Bobby Valentine is gone.
3. Andrew Bailey will save more games than Jonathan Papelbon: WRONG
Bailey got hurt (surprise surprise), needed thumb surgery and didn't return until August 14th. He replaced Alfredo Aceves as Boston's closer shortly thereafter, but saved just six games. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Pap lived up to his new contract by making the All-Star team and totaling 38 saves.
4. Evan Longoria will win the American League MVP award: WRONG
The award will go to either Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera. Longoria probably won't appear on any ballots after missing more than three months with a torn hamstring, though he did play well in limited action (career high .896 OPS).
5. Ichiro Suzuki will eclipse ten home runs and a .310 batting average: WRONG
I had two predictions here, and was wrong on both counts. The 38 year-old Suzuki batted .283 and hit nine home runs while splitting time between Seattle and New York. Perhaps if he had spent the entire year in Pinstripes this prediction would have been correct, as Ichiro batted .322 with five homers after joining the Yankees on July 23rd.
6. Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Francisco Liriano all return to form and bring the Twins back up over .500. WRONG
Minnesota lost 96 games to retain their title as the worst team in the American League. Mauer rebounded from his dismal 2011 season by batting .319 and leading the league in OBP with a stellar .416 mark. Morneau was decent, but nowhere near the MVP level he displayed from 2006-'10. And Francisco Liriano was, um, not good. 3-10 with a 5.31 ERA and 1.44 WHIP before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox for Eduardo Escobar and Pedro Hernandez three days before the deadline.
7. Josh Johnson will win the NL Cy Young award: WRONG
Not gonna happen. The trophy will go to R.A. Dickey, Clayton Kershaw or Johnny Cueto. Johnson's overall numbers weren't impressive, but at least he stayed healthy. Plus, a rough start inflated his stats. Starting on May 9th, he posted a 3.26 ERA over his final 25 starts while limiting opponents to a .229 batting average. Expect similar figures in 2013.
8. The Reds will win the NL Central: CORRECT
Cincinatti cruised to their second division title in three years by winning 97 games, nine more than the second place Cardinals. And then they blew a 2-0 lead in the NLDS...(cut to Buster Posey launching a back-breaking grand slam off Mat Latos).
9. Someone other than Michael Bourn will lead the Senior Circuit in stolen bases: CORRECT
Bourn swiped 42 bags, his lowest total since 2008 and two fewer than Everth Cabrera, the NL's top basestealer.
10. Ryan Braun wins the MVP award, again, in 2012: WRONG
There's no way he wins this year. He probably deserves it, but Posey will win it. Or Andrew McCutchen.
11. Huston Street will lead the league in saves: WRONG
Street got injured and finished with 23 saves, well short of the 42 saves notched by league leaders Jason Motte and Craig Kimbrel.
12. The Diamondbacks finish third in the NL West: CORRECT
Arizona fell to 81-81 after winning the division last year, slipping behind the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Red Sox (whoops, I mean Dodgers). Always good to end a high note.
Overall: 3-for-12 (.250)
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
A-Rod Due for Big Game
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| Rodriguez needs to come up big tonight, or else (FoxSports) |
No surprise there. Girardi is a veteran's manager who likes to maintain the status quo and he doesn't want to ruffle the feathers of his highest paid player. Unlike Joe Maddon and Bobby Valentine, he doesn't shake things up just for the sake of shaking things up. He prefers the Terry Francona approach; just pencil the names in and let the players do their thing. However, many fans were calling for him to take action and drop his struggling third baseman in the batting order. Rodriguez frustrated the Yankee faithful by going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts in Baltimore during the first two games. Even a longtime Rodriguez defender/apologist like myself can see that he looks overmatched right now, that he can't catch up to the fastball or make consistent contact on breaking pitches. Girardi said he was open to the idea of rearranging his the lineup for Game 3, but decided to hold his ground.
I think he made the right call. A good manager has confidence in his players and sticks with them through thick and thin. He does what he thinks is best for the team without caving in to the pressure from fans and media. I think Girardi also understands the implications of making a move like that at this stage in the season. Dropping Rodriguez in the order, or even benching him in favor of Eric Chavez, would feel like a panic move when the series is merely tied at one game apiece. It would incite a media firestorm and signal desperation. When Joe Torre dropped Rodriguez to sixth, then eighth during the '06 Division Series versus Detroit, it backfired. A-Rod went 1-for-15, New York lost in four games and Rodriguez never forgave his skipper for humiliating him. Girardi knows the Yankees won 95 games during the regular season with A-Rod hitting third in many of them. The strategy worked for 162 games, so why wouldn't it work now? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
It certainly looks like Rodriguez's swing is broke though, doesn't it? He's mired in one of his patented postseason funks, much like the one that dogged him in 2005, '06, and '07. He hasn't gone yard in the playoffs since Halloween night, 2009, a span of 87 plate appearances. Since helping the Bombers win the title that fall, he's 10-for-59 with 17 strikeouts in 16 games while batting .169/.282/.203. Granted, Rodriguez is not the superstar he once was, but that level of production from a middle-of-the-order bat is simply unacceptable, even for a 37 year-old with diminishing power. Needless to say, A-Rod has been long overdue, and he needs to find a way to contribute something from the batter's box tonight. A sac fly, a timely base hit, a walk to start a rally. Something. Anything. Because if he comes up empty again, and the Yankees lose, then Girardi will have no choice but to make a change for Game 4.
Rodriguez is still an above average player. Now is the time to prove it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
My All 2012 Team
C-Buster Posey
Tough call between him and Yadier Molina, but I'll go with the likely NL MVP and his superior offensive numbers. The 2010 Rookie of the Year led both leagues in batting with his .336 mark, becoming the first National League backstop in 70 years (shout out to Ernie Lombardi) to win a batting title. He also posted the best OPS+ in the majors, drove in 103 runs and accumulated 7.2 bWAR. 2012 was a surprisingly good year for catchers across the board with Joe Mauer, A.J. Pierzynski, Miguel Montero, Carlos Ruiz, Wilin Rosario, Matt Wieters, Jonathan Lucroy, and Salvador Perez all producing big numbers, among others.
Honorable Mention; Molina
1B Prince Fielder
The hefty slugger did not appear phased by his new giant contract nor his transition to the American League. As expected, his power numbers sagged somewhat, but at the end of the day Fielder still put together an incredible all-around season. He batted a robust .313/.412/.528, walked more than he struck out, and reached the 30 home run benchmark for the sixth consecutive season. And ohbytheway, Cecil Fielder's son played all 162 games, something he's accomplished in three of the past four years. Look out, Cal Ripken Jr.
Honorable Mention; Albert Pujols
2B Robinson Cano
Another MVP caliber season from Cano, who piled up 8.2 bWAR while setting career highs in runs scored, homers, walks, total bases, slugging, OPS, OPS+, and extra base hits. The Yankees keystone ended the season on fire by rattling off nine straight multi-hit games to close out the year, helping New York secure another division title.
Honorable Mention; Aaron Hill
3B Miguel Cabrera
Triple Crown. 'Nuff said.
Honorable Mention; Adrian Beltre
SS Ian Desmond
After a pair of disappointing seasons in 2010 and 2011 (.261/.303/.374 combined), Washington's shortstop busted out this year. His power--25 circuit drives and a .511 SLG--developed to supplement his already solid defense and baserunning. Was one of three shortstops to go 20/20 this season, along with Jimmy Rollins and Hanley Ramirez. Expect another strong performance in 2013, his age 27 season.
Honorable Mention; Derek Jeter
LF Ryan Braun
The 2011 NL MVP deserves to win it again, for he has the best numbers of this year's candidates and nearly dragged the Brewers back to the playoffs. Braun topped the Senior Circuit in runs scored, home runs, extra base hits, slugging, and total bases. He and Mike Trout were the only players to go 30/30 this year.
Honorable Mention; Matt Holliday
CF Mike Trout
Unquestionably the most valuable player in baseball this year, Trout compiled 10.7 bWAR to join Barry Bonds and Adrian Beltre as the only players in this millennium to have a season worth at least 10 bWAR. The Millville Meteor launched 30 moon shots and led the majors with 129 runs and 49 steals despite spending most of April in the minor leagues. The next Mickey Mantle should become the third player, along with Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki, to take home Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season.
Honorable Mention; Andrew McCutchen
RF Giancarlo Stanton
Despite missing 39 games this year and finishing April with one long ball, the 22 year-old All-Star still hammered 37 home runs and posted the best slugging percentage and HR/AB ratio in the major leagues. A lot went wrong for the Marlins this year, but Stanton's continued improvement was one of the few things that went right. If anybody has a 50 home run season in the near future, it's going to be this guy.
Honorable Mention; Carlos Beltran
DH Edwin Encarnacion
The 29 year-old finally broke out--Jose Bautista style--after teasing the baseball world with his power stroke for years. E-5 posted the best AB/HR rate in the American League , finished third in slugging (.557) and RBI (110) while his 42 big flies placed him fourth. On an injury-riddled Blue Jays squad, Encarnacion was one of the few bright spots.
Honorable Mention; Billy Butler
RHP Justin Verlander
Virtually the same stats as last year, only with seven fewer wins. He's still the best pitcher on the planet.
Honorable Mention: R.A. Dickey
LHP Clayton Kershaw
Like Verlander, Kershaw essentially replicated last year's masterpiece, albeit with seven fewer wins. Looks like the Dodgers have another Sandy Koufax in the making.
Honorable Mention; David Price
CL Fernando Rodney
Impossible to choose between Rodney, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, but it appears Rodney was just a touch better than both of his NL counterparts; his 3.7 bWAR barely edge out Chapman's 3.6 and Kimbrel's 3.2. The first time All-Star broke Dennis Eckersley's record for lowest ERA, minimum 50 innings, with his microscopic 0.60 ERA. He also converted 48 saves, second only to Jim Johnson, posted a 0.77 WHIP and struck out more than five batters for every walk.
Honorable Mention; Craig Kimbrel
Tough call between him and Yadier Molina, but I'll go with the likely NL MVP and his superior offensive numbers. The 2010 Rookie of the Year led both leagues in batting with his .336 mark, becoming the first National League backstop in 70 years (shout out to Ernie Lombardi) to win a batting title. He also posted the best OPS+ in the majors, drove in 103 runs and accumulated 7.2 bWAR. 2012 was a surprisingly good year for catchers across the board with Joe Mauer, A.J. Pierzynski, Miguel Montero, Carlos Ruiz, Wilin Rosario, Matt Wieters, Jonathan Lucroy, and Salvador Perez all producing big numbers, among others.
Honorable Mention; Molina
1B Prince Fielder
The hefty slugger did not appear phased by his new giant contract nor his transition to the American League. As expected, his power numbers sagged somewhat, but at the end of the day Fielder still put together an incredible all-around season. He batted a robust .313/.412/.528, walked more than he struck out, and reached the 30 home run benchmark for the sixth consecutive season. And ohbytheway, Cecil Fielder's son played all 162 games, something he's accomplished in three of the past four years. Look out, Cal Ripken Jr.
Honorable Mention; Albert Pujols
2B Robinson Cano
Another MVP caliber season from Cano, who piled up 8.2 bWAR while setting career highs in runs scored, homers, walks, total bases, slugging, OPS, OPS+, and extra base hits. The Yankees keystone ended the season on fire by rattling off nine straight multi-hit games to close out the year, helping New York secure another division title.
Honorable Mention; Aaron Hill
3B Miguel Cabrera
Triple Crown. 'Nuff said.
Honorable Mention; Adrian Beltre
SS Ian Desmond
After a pair of disappointing seasons in 2010 and 2011 (.261/.303/.374 combined), Washington's shortstop busted out this year. His power--25 circuit drives and a .511 SLG--developed to supplement his already solid defense and baserunning. Was one of three shortstops to go 20/20 this season, along with Jimmy Rollins and Hanley Ramirez. Expect another strong performance in 2013, his age 27 season.
Honorable Mention; Derek Jeter
LF Ryan Braun
The 2011 NL MVP deserves to win it again, for he has the best numbers of this year's candidates and nearly dragged the Brewers back to the playoffs. Braun topped the Senior Circuit in runs scored, home runs, extra base hits, slugging, and total bases. He and Mike Trout were the only players to go 30/30 this year.
Honorable Mention; Matt Holliday
CF Mike Trout
Unquestionably the most valuable player in baseball this year, Trout compiled 10.7 bWAR to join Barry Bonds and Adrian Beltre as the only players in this millennium to have a season worth at least 10 bWAR. The Millville Meteor launched 30 moon shots and led the majors with 129 runs and 49 steals despite spending most of April in the minor leagues. The next Mickey Mantle should become the third player, along with Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki, to take home Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season.
Honorable Mention; Andrew McCutchen
RF Giancarlo Stanton
Despite missing 39 games this year and finishing April with one long ball, the 22 year-old All-Star still hammered 37 home runs and posted the best slugging percentage and HR/AB ratio in the major leagues. A lot went wrong for the Marlins this year, but Stanton's continued improvement was one of the few things that went right. If anybody has a 50 home run season in the near future, it's going to be this guy.
Honorable Mention; Carlos Beltran
DH Edwin Encarnacion
The 29 year-old finally broke out--Jose Bautista style--after teasing the baseball world with his power stroke for years. E-5 posted the best AB/HR rate in the American League , finished third in slugging (.557) and RBI (110) while his 42 big flies placed him fourth. On an injury-riddled Blue Jays squad, Encarnacion was one of the few bright spots.
Honorable Mention; Billy Butler
RHP Justin Verlander
Virtually the same stats as last year, only with seven fewer wins. He's still the best pitcher on the planet.
Honorable Mention: R.A. Dickey
LHP Clayton Kershaw
Like Verlander, Kershaw essentially replicated last year's masterpiece, albeit with seven fewer wins. Looks like the Dodgers have another Sandy Koufax in the making.
Honorable Mention; David Price
CL Fernando Rodney
Impossible to choose between Rodney, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, but it appears Rodney was just a touch better than both of his NL counterparts; his 3.7 bWAR barely edge out Chapman's 3.6 and Kimbrel's 3.2. The first time All-Star broke Dennis Eckersley's record for lowest ERA, minimum 50 innings, with his microscopic 0.60 ERA. He also converted 48 saves, second only to Jim Johnson, posted a 0.77 WHIP and struck out more than five batters for every walk.
Honorable Mention; Craig Kimbrel
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Cards, O's Advance to LDS
The MLB postseason began yesterday with a pair of exciting, do-or-die Wild Card playoff games
In Atlanta, the Braves took the early lead on a two-run jack by catcher David Ross, filling in for a banged up/slumping Brian McCann. It didn't last for long, though. The defending World Series champs broke through against Kris Medlen in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs following Chipper Jones' throwing error. The Braves threatened in the bottom of the frame when they had runners on the corners with one out, but allowed Lohse to escape the jam unscathed. Matt Holliday belted a solo shot to double the Redbirds' lead, which the Cards re-doubled the following inning after Fredi Gonzalez pulled Medlen from the game. The Braves got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Michael Bourn's RBI groundout, and looked poised for a big inning after putting runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Mitchell Boggs coaxed Andrelton Simmons into blooping a pop fly into shallow left field...
Shortstop Pete Kozma backpedaled. Matt Holliday charged. Kozma waved his arms, calling off Holliday, who hit the breaks. Then, at the last second, right before the ball landed safely in between them, left field umpire Sam Holbrook called the infield fly rule.
You know what happened next. Fredi Gonzalez went ballistic. Braves fans rained bottles and trash down onto the field, and there was a lengthy delay. Not only did Holbrook make the wrong call, but he made it much too late. And because of his mistake, he may have snuffed out Atlanta's rally. Jason Motte replaced Boggs and walked McCann on five pitches to load the bases/turn the lineup over. Bourn worked the count full, but strikeout to end the inning. Craig Kimbrel took care of the Cards in the top of the ninth, and Atlanta's bats made some noise in the bottom of the ninth. With two out, Chipper Jones reached on an infield single in the last at-bat of his major league career when Daniel Descalo's throw pulled Allen Craig off the bag. Freddie Freeman, who made the last out of Atlanta's 2011 season to punctuate their epic collapse, socked a ground-rule double into the left-center gap. Dan Uggla stepped in as the potential tying run with a chance to redeem himself after enduring the worst season of his career. Instead, he grounded out. Game over.
Once again, St. Louis advanced into the playoffs, and Atlanta went home empty-handed
Nearly 1,000 miles to the southwest, a similar scenario played out in the AL Wild Card playoff game as the Baltimore Orioles took on the Texas Rangers.
Both teams scored in the first inning, Baltimore on a J.J. Hardy RBI single and Texas on a Josh Hamilton double-play. But that was the only run the Rangers were going to get. After rocky starts, Joe Saunders and Yu Darvish settled down and traded zeros over the next four innings. Adam Jones plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Darvish departed with two outs (and Robert Andino on second) in the seventh, only to watch as his teammates in the bullpen turned a one-run deficit into a four run disadvantage.
Derek Holland entered the game and promptly uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Andino to advance to third, then yielded a single to Nate McLouth. Koji Uehara struck out the side (Chris Davis, Jones and Matt Wieters) in the top of the eighth to keep the score at 3-1. Joe Nathan suffered a meltdown in the ninth when he walked Jim Thome to begin the frame, and things snowballed from there. He fanned Mark Reynolds, but then Andino doubled, Manny Machado singled in a run and McLouth lifted a sacrifice fly. Hardy lined out to end the inning, but when the dust cleared Baltimore had tacked on a pair of insurance runs. Rangers fans scurried to the exits, heads bowed in defeat.
But those who stayed received one final tease when the Rangers rallied. Jim Johnson, the major league saves leader with 51, loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of David Murphy, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter for Craig Gentry the previous inning. With Rangers fans everywhere praying for a grand slam, Murphy lofted an easy fly ball to left field. McLouth drifted to his left, settled under it and squeezed his glove with two hands.
The Rangers had their chances, but went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Hamilton all bounced into double plays (the Orioles didn't have any). I thought they were going all the way this year, and can't believe their season is already over. They shouldn't have been playing this game at all. A week before they held a four game lead with six games to play, but went 1-5 and allowed the Oakland A's to leapfrog them in the standings on the season's final day after being in first place everyday since April 9th. They got cold at the wrong time, and paid the price for it.
In Atlanta, the Braves took the early lead on a two-run jack by catcher David Ross, filling in for a banged up/slumping Brian McCann. It didn't last for long, though. The defending World Series champs broke through against Kris Medlen in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs following Chipper Jones' throwing error. The Braves threatened in the bottom of the frame when they had runners on the corners with one out, but allowed Lohse to escape the jam unscathed. Matt Holliday belted a solo shot to double the Redbirds' lead, which the Cards re-doubled the following inning after Fredi Gonzalez pulled Medlen from the game. The Braves got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Michael Bourn's RBI groundout, and looked poised for a big inning after putting runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Mitchell Boggs coaxed Andrelton Simmons into blooping a pop fly into shallow left field...
Shortstop Pete Kozma backpedaled. Matt Holliday charged. Kozma waved his arms, calling off Holliday, who hit the breaks. Then, at the last second, right before the ball landed safely in between them, left field umpire Sam Holbrook called the infield fly rule.
You know what happened next. Fredi Gonzalez went ballistic. Braves fans rained bottles and trash down onto the field, and there was a lengthy delay. Not only did Holbrook make the wrong call, but he made it much too late. And because of his mistake, he may have snuffed out Atlanta's rally. Jason Motte replaced Boggs and walked McCann on five pitches to load the bases/turn the lineup over. Bourn worked the count full, but strikeout to end the inning. Craig Kimbrel took care of the Cards in the top of the ninth, and Atlanta's bats made some noise in the bottom of the ninth. With two out, Chipper Jones reached on an infield single in the last at-bat of his major league career when Daniel Descalo's throw pulled Allen Craig off the bag. Freddie Freeman, who made the last out of Atlanta's 2011 season to punctuate their epic collapse, socked a ground-rule double into the left-center gap. Dan Uggla stepped in as the potential tying run with a chance to redeem himself after enduring the worst season of his career. Instead, he grounded out. Game over.
Once again, St. Louis advanced into the playoffs, and Atlanta went home empty-handed
Nearly 1,000 miles to the southwest, a similar scenario played out in the AL Wild Card playoff game as the Baltimore Orioles took on the Texas Rangers.
Both teams scored in the first inning, Baltimore on a J.J. Hardy RBI single and Texas on a Josh Hamilton double-play. But that was the only run the Rangers were going to get. After rocky starts, Joe Saunders and Yu Darvish settled down and traded zeros over the next four innings. Adam Jones plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Darvish departed with two outs (and Robert Andino on second) in the seventh, only to watch as his teammates in the bullpen turned a one-run deficit into a four run disadvantage.
Derek Holland entered the game and promptly uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Andino to advance to third, then yielded a single to Nate McLouth. Koji Uehara struck out the side (Chris Davis, Jones and Matt Wieters) in the top of the eighth to keep the score at 3-1. Joe Nathan suffered a meltdown in the ninth when he walked Jim Thome to begin the frame, and things snowballed from there. He fanned Mark Reynolds, but then Andino doubled, Manny Machado singled in a run and McLouth lifted a sacrifice fly. Hardy lined out to end the inning, but when the dust cleared Baltimore had tacked on a pair of insurance runs. Rangers fans scurried to the exits, heads bowed in defeat.
But those who stayed received one final tease when the Rangers rallied. Jim Johnson, the major league saves leader with 51, loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of David Murphy, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter for Craig Gentry the previous inning. With Rangers fans everywhere praying for a grand slam, Murphy lofted an easy fly ball to left field. McLouth drifted to his left, settled under it and squeezed his glove with two hands.
The Rangers had their chances, but went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Hamilton all bounced into double plays (the Orioles didn't have any). I thought they were going all the way this year, and can't believe their season is already over. They shouldn't have been playing this game at all. A week before they held a four game lead with six games to play, but went 1-5 and allowed the Oakland A's to leapfrog them in the standings on the season's final day after being in first place everyday since April 9th. They got cold at the wrong time, and paid the price for it.
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