BASTA: Choate’s Error Helps Giants Overcome Bochy’s Poor Managing

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Bruce Bochy is infatuated with his veteran players, and it almost spoiled an early four-spot from the Giants’ offense. Only an egregious throwing error from Randy Choate bailed out the Giants’ skipper and the offense, which sputtered after a hot start. The Giants won in their typical playoff fashion, relying on magic and what some would call luck in a tightly contested game to take the 2-1 series lead in a 5-4 win in ten innings over the Cardinals

The Giants’ offense backed Tim Hudson early, rallying after veteran righty John Lackey got two quick outs to start the game. Buster Posey laced a single to right, and Pablo Sandoval followed with a opposite field single of his own to put runners at first and second. Hunter Pence fell into an 0-2 hole and proceeded to slap a pitch at his shoulders down the line in right, good for a double that gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead. After falling behind 3-0 to Belt and clearly pitching around him, Lackey intentionally walked Belt, loading the bases for Travis Ishikawa. Lackey was able to execute, unlike Nationals’ reliever Aaron Barrett. On the first pitch, Lackey meated a 90 MPH fastball, and Ishikawa did not miss, launching it to deep right center, bouncing at the foot of the wall for a bases-clearing double. The right fielder Grichuck appeared to lose sight of the ball, and took a strange route that left him farther away from the ball than he should have been, preventing him from making a play on it.
((HT: MLB.com))


After the explosion in the first inning, the Giants got absolutely nothing for the next eight innings. Their only two base runners were on a single from starter Tim Hudson, and Pablo Sandoval, who reached after being hit by a pitch. In an interview on FS1 after the game, Hunter Pence explained that Lackey “beared down” and started “work[ing] it in on us,” when the Giants expected him to “work away.” The Giants should have been able to make this adjustment, but clearly didn’t, as Lackey went on to throw six innings in total, not allowing any runs after the first.

As Lackey settled in, Hudson fatigued, starting out well but slowly fading. He allowed just one hit in the first three innings, but started to run out of steam in the fourth. After giving up back to back singles to lead off the frame, Hudson gave up hard contact but got Holliday to line out, and struck out Jhonny Peralta. With runners on first and second for Kolten Wong, Hudson hung a curve that Wong launched, just a few feet short of leaving the yard in right center, cutting the Giants’ lead to 4-2. The Cardinals continued to chip away in the sixth, when Peralta drove in a run with two outs on an RBI single to left, just beyond the reach of Sandoval at third.

That should have been it for the 39-year old Hudson, who has struggled with hip problems as of late and hasn’t been able to go deep into games. With 86 pitches under his belt going into the seventh, Bochy should have recognized that going to his bullpen was the right option. Instead, he left Hudson in, even after giving up a scorcher to A.J. Pierzynski that Ishikawa was able to glove. With one out, Hudson hung a changeup to Randal Grichuck, and he launched it off the foul pole in left for a homer, tying the game and chasing Hudson from the game. Luckily for the Giants, they escaped with a win, largely due to 3 and 2/3 innings of dominant pitching from their bullpen.

Randy Choate was dominant against lefties in the regular season, yielding a stingy .171 wOBA in the regular season, but that didn’t matter against Brandon Crawford, who battled to lead off the tenth with a walk. Juan Perez failed to get the bunt down twice, leaving the count at 0-2. Perez worked the count to 2-2, and drove a pitch to left center, over the head of Peralta for a single, putting runners at first and second.

Gregor Blanco also failed to put down his first bunt attempt, but got the second one down. As Blanco put it on an FS1 interview, “the first one was a little rushed, then I told myself to just put it down.” Blanco’s bunt was not perfect in execution, a little too far away from the line, but it was perfect in effect. Randy Choate picked it up and rushed the throw, letting the ball sail into the Cardinals’ bullpen and the game sail away from St. Louis. Brandon Crawford came around to score easily from second, and the Giants took Game Three.
((HT: MLB.com))


Choate’s miscue may mask Bochy’s questionable managing, but it may still come back to haunt San Francisco later in the postseason. It cost the Giants a victory on Sunday, and could very well do so again. Veterans are not better at battling fatigue than younger players, despite what Bochy may think; it is actually the opposite. Experience may calm nerves, but it certainly isn’t a panacea.

BASTA: Giants Choke In Atrocious Fashion To Drop Series To Nationals

((HT: BASTA their own selves/Ben Leonard))

The Giants came to Washington hoping to take a series victory. They leave undeserving to play in our nation’s capital, more fit to play in Williamsport. Holding a 5-0 lead after three innings, they managed to lay an egg and fall 14-6, representing a 14-1 run for the Nationals after the third.

The Giants tagged the once overhyped Stephen Strasburg for five runs in four innings, forcing him to throw seventy-nine pitches. The five runs he allowed were the most runs he had allowed at home since his last game in 2012 before he was shut down for precautionary reasons. Gregor Blanco set the tone right off the bat, working Strasburg to a 3-2 count, and proceeding to launch a solo homer to right. The light-hitting Blanco’s shot traveled an estimated 399 feet. Travis Ishikawa added another solo shot of his own in the second, putting the score at 2-0. The Giants scored three runs in the third inning behind a Michael Morse RBI double, an Ishikawa sacrifice fly, and a Brandon Crawford RBI single, a rarity these days for the ice cold shortstop. He has posted a 50 wRC+ and a .177 average since the All-Star Break.

How could an atrocity like this happen to a team that lit up Washington’s ace? The game was setting up to be a laugher after three, with the Nationals still not mustering a hit off of Vogelsong. That certainly changed in the fourth, with three doubles off of Vogelsong that scored two runs, cutting the San Francisco lead to 5-2. A blip on the radar, but the Giants still appeared poised to win handily.

Jake Peavy was ejected in the third inning for arguing with the umpiring crew about balls and strikes, even though he wasn’t in the game. He was leaning over the dugout railing, and had been visibly jawing with the crew for the whole game, despite a 5-0 lead. Peavy was a stone’s throw from my position at the yard. Peavy’s passion for the game is appreciated, but he took it too far on Sunday.

It all came apart in the sixth. Hunter Pence added a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 6-2. That would be all the good news the Giants could conjure up the rest of the game. Jeremy Affeldt came in after Adam LaRoche struck out to start the frame and promptly served up a home run to Ian Desmond and the momentum to Washington. A combination of Affeldt and Jean Machi could not retire any of the next nine Washington hitters, giving up six runs in the process. Affeldt could not get an out, and was charged for four runs on five hits. His offspeed pitches were hanging, and he meated several fastballs, and even threw a “scud” with his heater, a wild pitch that scored a run. A 6-2 lead quickly became a 8-6 deficit.

The wheels came off in the bottom of the eight. Juan Gutierrez found way too much of the plate, making the game a 14-6 laugher. Gutierrez gave up five runs in the frame, including home runs to Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa. Bochy let the righty go thirty-seven pitches, conceding the game to Washington, as he wanted to rest the rest of his bullpen.

The bullpen’s implosion is a troubling sign for this ballclub. The unit gave up eleven runs in only four and two-thirds innings of work. In the month of August, they have posted a 4.04 ERA. (not including Sunday) Pitching and defense are supposedly the core of this team, and it certainly didn’t look like it today. Michael Morse continued his plodding defense in the outfield, making some bad runs on balls that would have been caught by Gregor Blanco. Part of the problem was Angel Pagan’s absence, who has sat out the last two games nursing a calf strain he sustained on Friday.

Duane and Mike discuss the loss
((HT: CSN Bay Area))


Notes:

Jake Peavy (2-3, 3.58) will look for his third straight victory Monday night against the Rockies, the first game of a seven-game homestand for the club. Peavy will toe the rubber against the young lefty Tyler Matzek. (2-9, 5.38) A pigeon stayed on the field for the latter part of the game, on the outfield grass just behind the shortstop. It made it on the big-screen, causing many Washington fans to dub it the “rally pigeon.”

Tim Hudson Carted Off In Flushing, Fractures Ankle Covering First- Done For 2013

((HT:_markberry on MobyPicture))

Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson was carted off the field in Queens after trying to beat Eric Young, Junior to the bag covering first on a ground ball in the bottom of the 8th inning...

This is not pretty and the squeamish really should think twice before hitting "Play..."
The Braves starters had not missed a start in the first half of the season, but have had two go down since the All-Star return... Here's the broadcast version... ((HT: FS Braves)) Dan Uggla was asked about Hudson postgame: "He was in disbelief on the ground. I know he was in a lot of pain. He's one of those guys you love. He's devastated."
As of 2040HRS, Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez did not have an injury update. He has not had the chance to speak to Braves trainer Jeff Porter to get his feedback... but it was disclosed that Hudson has fractured his right ankle.

When he returns to Atlanta, Hudson will have surgery to repair the damage. He is done for the 2013 season.