I’m exhausted. I was holding out well until the Giants failed to score in the top of the 17th, at which point I suddenly felt sure they were going to lose. I could feel it in my bones. So of course the next inning was when they took the lead. By the bottom of the 18th every second was a knife… and if I am not mistaken, they played the bottom of the 18th in slow motion, minutes going by between pitches.
I feel bad for Matt Williams. Love that guy. But he was dead wrong taking out Zimmermann. My first thought was “does he not want him to have a chance of getting the loss?”, before instantly realizing that made no sense. But no other explanation makes sense either. His velocity was basically the same as at the beginning of the game, the one walk had very close pitches, and he was utterly and completely dominant.
I feel good for Hudson. The last time he pitched in an 18 inning postseason game, his team lost.
Agree!
FWIW, in game 1 I disagreed with Bochy leaving Strickland in, in the 7th inning. Fortunately, only two solo HRs and no more, and the Giants come away with the win.
And then tonight in game 2 I disagreed with Bochy bringing in Strickland for the 18th. I wanted him to leave Petit in. Fortunately that didn’t bite us but the Werth at bat was nerve wracking!
I think this will make everyone forgot Dave Jones decision to sit Strasburg the last time we were in the post season. Until last night that was the dumbest managing decision in Nats history.
Also like to add that it’d be nice if Harper and Werth started hitting the fucking ball.
Well, until the blown save, I could understand pulling Zimmerman. Sure, it sucks not to give him the chance to get the complete game shutout in the playoffs, but it’s the playoffs. Bring in your closer, get the last out, and go to San Fransisco at 1-1.
That’s what was supposed to happen anyway. Hindsight lets us now say that Williams screwed the pooch, and that if Zimmerman was left in he likely would’ve mowed down Pablo Sandoval, hitless to that point, in the 9th and sent the series to San Francisco tied, 1-1.
Epic fail, much like another that many a Giants fan painfully remembers :eek: from 2002, when Dusty Baker pulled Russ Ortiz in the 7th inning, up 3 games to 2, and leading 5-0 in that game. :smack:
Comment: Guilderland NY? That’s about 10 miles from my hometown of Latham. Another Doper is from Schenectady, but right now I don’t recall who that is.
Most definitely! What great baseball we’ve seen so far, and we’re only halfway through the LDS. The team that scares me right now is KC. I’m pulling for my Giants, of course, but if they falter I’d love to see KC win it all.
This is awesome - receovered footage of the 1924 World Series, one of the great ones, and the only one the Senators ever won:
Cool stat fact; the Bucky Harris home run was the second one he hi in the Series. Bucky Harris had hit one home run all year, and he never hit more than two homers in an entire season in his whole career.
The World Series was not decided in an extra inning again until 1991, when it was won by the Minnesota Twins, who, of course, are the same franchise.
In 1991 that 7th game was won in the bottom of the 10th by a score of 1-0. Former SF Giant Dan Gladden scored the winning run on Gene Larkin’s single. Pitcher Jack Morris was the first to meet Gladden as he scored.
Today Dan Gladden is a Twins radio broadcaster on WCCO AM 830.
Yeah, it’s the playoffs, and this was an absolute must-win game for the Nats. Now they face Bumgarner, in San Francisco, down 2-0 in a five-game series. Why not leave in the guy who had retired 54 of his 58 previous hitters?
As it all turned out, it would have been better for the Nats if Posey had been safe at the plate on that close call in the top of the 9th. At least then they wouldn’t have had to play another nine innings, and burn through their bullpen, only to come away with the same result.
For this Orioles fan, the idea of taking the first two of the series against the Tigers, who started Scherzer and Verlander, was barely conceivable a few days ago, and yet they managed to do it. Just need one of the next three to move on to the ALCS, and it would be great to do it today, because i mightn’t have a chance to watch the game tomorrow.
Buck Showalter has switched around his starters, and Bud Norris is going today, while Miguel Gonzalez, who was initially slated to start, will be held back until tomorrow, if a Game 4 is needed. According to Showalter, this is mainly about game start times, and having Norris available out of the bullpen in a potential Game 5.
Anyway, i’m not sure it matters too much. Norris and Gonzalez haven’t been that far apart all season. Gonzalez has a better ERA, but Norris’ WHIP is a little better. Norris gives up fewer homers, and has a slightly better K/BB ratio. He also had a pretty good September, giving up seven runs over 30 innings. As long as he can keep them close until the bullpens take over, the Orioles are in the game.
Of course, you have to get to the bullpen, and Detroit’s starter David Price has shown over the past couple of years that, if he’s having a good day, he’s a guy who can go the distance.
I agree about the bottom of the 18th. I think Strickland was literally taking at least 30 seconds between pitches. But that kid proved he has balls of steel, especially after giving up 2 dingers the day before.
As for Williams, I feel for the guy. Going by the numbers, that was almost certainly the right decision. If you replay that 9th inning 10 more times, the Nats probably win 9 of them…but this is playoff baseball, where strange things happen. I’m sure he’ll have plenty more opportunities, and in the meantime the worst thing that people are going to say about him is that he got out-managed my Bruce Bochy (if indeed that turns out to be the case)…and he’ll have some good company there.
I agree, although it looked like a tie at best, which should go to the runner.
Baltimore benefited from the fact that the initial ruling was Out, and they needed conclusive evidence to overturn. If the umpire had ruled Safe, i don’t think they would have overturned that either.