3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

[Blzer]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

Oi, vey. Let's put it this way, as this is also a real stat of the night:

Zack Greinke is the first pitcher since Madison Bumgarner to hit two home runs and strike out ten batters in his outing against the Padres.

Now, when I said that, I was not insinuating that Bumgarner also did it against the Padres (in fact, he did it against the Diamondbacks on Opening Day of 2017, with eleven strikeouts). I'm just throwing extra information into the mix when I'm bringing up the actual stat. I know that's what makes linguistics a tough go, which is why I was trying to get clarification.

It's okay, my question was answered.

[XtremeDunkz]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I know its early, but this Phillies lineup has the "potential" they could easily not reach it, but they have the potential to be stronger 1 through 9 than any of the Rollins, Utley, Howard teams and that is saying something. We'll see what happens when the season opening adrenaline wears off.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

Oi, vey. Let's put it this way, as this is also a real stat of the night:

Zack Greinke is the first pitcher since Madison Bumgarner to hit two home runs and strike out ten batters in his outing against the Padres.

Now, when I said that, I was not insinuating that Bumgarner also did it against the Padres (in fact, he did it against the Diamondbacks on Opening Day of 2017, with eleven strikeouts). I'm just throwing extra information into the mix when I'm bringing up the actual stat. I know that's what makes linguistics a tough go, which is why I was trying to get clarification.

It's okay, my question was answered.

Lol whatever, man. You made it way more complicated than it ever had to be.

I wasn't presenting extra information. The stat was there, cut and dried. I wasn't trying to be misleading or anything, so there shouldn't have been a need for clarification.

"Zack Greinke is the first pitcher since Madison Bumgarner in 2017 to hit two home runs and strike out ten batters."

Boom. The who, the previous who/when, the milestone.

[XtremeDunkz]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

The Angels already sitting at 1-5. Man I wish Trout waited. I understand why he didn't, but man I don't wanna see him waste his entire career on a loser.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

The Red Sox are 1-5 too.

[Godgers12]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

7-1? [emoji848][emoji848][emoji848] I didn't expect the M's to win 7 games all season. But then again once Beckham and Santana (who I do expect to hit 30+ HR) come back to Earth a bit the losses will soon follow. Hell the Mets started like 12-1 last season and will be picking in the top 5 come July. I'll believe when we lead the West in August.

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[BigOscar]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I personally am looking forward to the Rays/Mariners ALCS (if we can hold off Baltimore)

[PhilliesFan13]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

Bryce Harper had those salty tears from Nats "fans" FLOWING last night. Well done.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Nats pitchers throw at Harper today.

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[Godgers12]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I personally am looking forward to the Rays/Mariners ALCS (if we can hold off Baltimore)

As am I bro, as am I.

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[DieHardYankee26]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

Laureano's arm is wild. Hicks throws bullets, but the accuracy this guy gets is unreal. And he can chuck it from one end of the stadium to the other.

The 8th hitter being intentionally walked 3 times, I don't know what to make of that, it sounds terrible to me. I was against changing the intentional walk rule but if I was at risk of watching it 3 times per game, I probably would be in favor of it. I'm gonna have to try to watch more NL ball...

I turned it to the Nationals game for a few minutes and thought it was at CBP. Nationals crowd let themselves get drowned out by the visitors lol.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I love midday baseball. Which, of course, means the Indians have to go back to playing a damn 30 degree night game tomorrow.

[Blzer]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I love midday baseball. Which, of course, means the Indians have to go back to playing a damn 30 degree night game tomorrow.

I love all-day baseball! The perk of living on the West coast is I get to wake up to it at 10:00 AM, and it doesn't stop until 10:00 PM.

I don't know how people on the East coast there can bother waiting until like 6:40 PM or whenever the first night games started. Outside of those who work all day and don't have access to any games beforehand, of course.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

I love all-day baseball! The perk of living on the West coast is I get to wake up to it at 10:00 AM, and it doesn't stop until 10:00 PM.

I don't know how people on the East coast there can bother waiting until like 6:40 PM or whenever the first night games started. Outside of those who work all day and don't have access to any games beforehand, of course.

West Coast baseball may as well be an entirely different league, to me at least. Which sucks, because that means I barely ever get to see Trout play any games.

Being an east coast sports fan isn't good for anything but the NFL and EPL/any Euro soccer.

[Blzer]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

The 8th hitter being intentionally walked 3 times, I don't know what to make of that, it sounds terrible to me. I was against changing the intentional walk rule but if I was at risk of watching it 3 times per game, I probably would be in favor of it. I'm gonna have to try to watch more NL ball...

Well, keep in mind a few things here:

1) Pitchers are not guaranteed outs. Even if so, anything can happen in that at-bat, such as the wild pitch that we saw last night, a walk, an error, a balk, etc. Pitchers can make other teams pay offensively, too.

2) Here's where the strategy on the offensive side is involved. When do you go to the pinch-hitter? Starters are not as hot of a commodity these days as they used to be, and relievers are the new thing. Who's to say they don't pull him in the top of the sixth for the sake of those runners on base? At the very least, you bluff and bring another hitter out on deck. Oh wait, because of automatic walks this bluff effort doesn't do anything anymore. Opposing managers don't even have time to look in that direction. Boo hiss. The point though is they may be intentionally walking themselves into a pinch-hit situation, which although is something that the opposing manager might try and force on the other team is also something that can work immediately against them.

3) The Phillies don't just have any #8 hitter. They have Maikel Franco, aka "The Sandbag Killer." The Phillies purposely put him there knowing exactly that would be a cost/gain. They get the pitcher's spot up that inning, they add a baserunner, and when they don't the guy often gets good pitches to hit. Not enough NL teams employ this because "herp derp analytics say frontload your lineup for more AB's per game."

4) Believe me when I say that there is a slight, slight ease of convenience by signaling to first base as opposed to throwing twelve wide ones, to the effect that some teams would actually rather reconsider throwing those balls and actually pitch to him instead. If you don't think so, then there is my suggestion of eliminating the intentional walk altogether in favor of displaying pitches "with enough clear and visible effort so that evading the batter's ability to competitively work against said pitches is not being employed as a means to work toward an out." If they want to throw twelve straight 88 MPH pitchouts, they may. But the catcher would have to start in that crouch as normal, and the pitcher would have to provide effort to those pitches. Trust me again when I say that this for sure would get many managers to reconsider doing that, especially when Franco is a righty (pitchouts go to the lefty box, opposite of third base). If you want to see the #8 hitter be placed on first base three times in a game, having the automatic walk in the game is the worst way of trying to resolve that.

[Marino]

Re: 3/28 - 4/14 Game Discussion Thread

West Coast baseball may as well be an entirely different league, to me at least. Which sucks, because that means I barely ever get to see Trout play any games.

Being an east coast sports fan isn't good for anything but the NFL and EPL/any Euro soccer.

Imagine being an East Coast guy that roots for a West Coast team.