Tigers silenced the hitting juggernaut they could not hope to keep up with. Shertzer who just doesn’t have enough playoff experience to match up, shut them down with 2 weak hits. Garcia just overpowered the Tigers weak hitters, like Cabrera.
Home field advantage …gone.
Seriously. For the first inning or two last night, I was just absent-mindedly watching it, and thinking “Man, the ump is really making some bad calls.” But then I started to watch the actual pitch and realized it was definitely not the ump that was off.
Today was better. Yesterdays ump was way off.
However inaccurate, I hate the ESPN one plastered right over home plate worse.
I can’t remember the last time I saw LaRussa visit the mound when he wasn’t carrying a hook.
Quick question about the on-deck circle that Avila slipped on in the ninth inning of the Detroit, New York game: are those always a hard surface, or did they make them more “fancy” for the play-offs?
I don’t know if that’s standard in New York, but generally the on-deck circle is just plain grass or dirt.
What a comeback for the Cards and their oft-criticized bullpen. Carpenter was awful on short rest, hopefully he’ll be ok for Game 5 if they need one. But the Redbirds have the series tied and head to St. Louis to play two starting Tuesday.
Heh. The article at Hardball Talk called it “maybe the most Tony La Russa game ever.”
If the StL bullpen is “oft-criticized,” it’s underrated, although it did have serious, serious issues earlier in the season.
Not that I expect you to admit it or even acknowledge my post, but you are wrong.
The average number of runs per game per team for the regular season generally varies between 4 and 5 (so you’d expect the average number of total runs per game to be between 9 and 10).
Cumulative average number of runs per game, last 10 years: 9.2
Average number of runs per game, last 10 All-Star Games: 9.0
So yes, the average number of runs per game in All-Star games IS technically less than average… by two tenths of a run. Total, for both teams combined.
That was the worst umpiring behind the plate I’ve seen in a long time. Scherzer would have given up 8 walks by the fifth inning without that gigantic strike zone.
Did the Yankees have the same ump?
Last 6 All Star Games, after Steroids were gone,
1-5
1-3
4-3
4-3
5-4
3-2
Not exactly slug fests.
Average of 6 a game
Verlander’s throwing 100+ in the 8th inning. It’s amazing the Yankees are in this game.
And Papa Grande continues his unbroken streak… of turning every appearance into heart attack time.
But once again he pulls it off somehow.
That Jeter guy sure isn’t clutch.
But the Yankees are the greatest team in baseball. A team with a huge hitting advantage over the Tigers and even better pitching. Even their closer is better and Valverde has not blown a safe all year. So how good must theirs be.
This is what he does. His no-no? He was throwing triple digits into the last at-bat.
Valverde gives me the bubbles, but I should know better. 50-50 in 2011. Amazing. All he needs is a save situation and he is absolutely remarkable. Non-saves, not so much.
The plate ump was really stinking it up with his calls tonight. Especially with the second-to-last pitch Valverde threw to Jeter. Perfect pitch…called a ball? Open your eyes, dufus.
I’m liking Detroit’s chances to finish this tomorrow. The only thing sweeter than seeing the Tigers move on is seeing the Yankees sent home for the winter.
I couldn’t agree any more with the last sentence.
Theirs is merely the greatest closer of all time. And your right, the Yankees do have a huge hitting advantage, which is how they were able to score 4 runs off of the best pitcher in baseball with his A-game, the same number of runs the Tigers were only able to score off of a clearly struggling CC.
I’m glad to see you’ve recognized the flaws in your logic and have finally realized the team with the best pitching staff (the Yankees) aren’t necessarily shoe ins to win a post season series, what with the game being as stochastic as it is.
What? You were being facetious? Oh, I’m sorry. Your sarcasm had the unintended consequence of making it appear you had made a cogent and logical argument about baseball. I should have known better.