Braves Marlins Game 3
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I hope you guys are getting to see the game tonight. Tim Hudson is throwing what may be the most dominant game I've seen a Braves pitcher throw in a decade. I hope Bobby lets him go back out in the 9th to go for the shutout.
Edit: okay, so bringing him back out in the 9th might not have been that great an idea...
Edit: okay, so bringing him back out in the 9th might not have been that great an idea...
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All right, second-guessing time. Obviously I was in favor of sending Hudson back out there in the 9th, and I still don't think it was a bad move. You've got to go get him after the second guy gets on, though. Once the tying run is up to the plate, we don't care about your shutout anymore.
Two. They went ahead and brought Wickman into a game last night even though the Braves put a bunch of runs on the board. Rather than bring him back into the game tonight on the second night in a row, when he's probably not going to be as sharp, they should have gone to Soriano, who's more of a strikeout pitcher to begin with. ESPECIALLY with the bases loaded.
Three. The intentional walk is, as always, a big mistake. I don't know how many times Bobby is going to have to get burned by that to understand what a huge mistake it almost always is.
Two. They went ahead and brought Wickman into a game last night even though the Braves put a bunch of runs on the board. Rather than bring him back into the game tonight on the second night in a row, when he's probably not going to be as sharp, they should have gone to Soriano, who's more of a strikeout pitcher to begin with. ESPECIALLY with the bases loaded.
Three. The intentional walk is, as always, a big mistake. I don't know how many times Bobby is going to have to get burned by that to understand what a huge mistake it almost always is.
IMO - Intentional Walk was the right move in that situation. After Wickman got the K for the first out, a double play would have won the game. And besides . . . 2nd and 3rd with nobody out, the same turn of events could have occurred. The infield - or at least the corners - still would have been in and given up that last hit.
The only second guess that I have is that I think Cox should have gone to get Hudson with 2 on rather than waiting to see what happened to the next hitter. Hudson was getting the ball up and got away with a couple of backup sliders that could have been nailed. Bases loaded with nobody out is a terrible jam for any pitcher to walk into.
The only second guess that I have is that I think Cox should have gone to get Hudson with 2 on rather than waiting to see what happened to the next hitter. Hudson was getting the ball up and got away with a couple of backup sliders that could have been nailed. Bases loaded with nobody out is a terrible jam for any pitcher to walk into.
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I am almost never a fan of the IBB to load the bases, mostly based on the numbers I've seen about how much the batter's OBP jumps when the bases are loaded vs. 2nd and 3rd. I'll have to see if I can dig them up. You take a terrible hitter and make him a good hitter, you take a good hitter and make him into Wade Boggs, and you take Wade Boggs and turn him into, well, Game 4. Bobby does it EVERY SINGLE TIME, and it drives me crazy.
I can MAYBE see an IBB in that situation if you've got a groundball pitcher on the mound (which Wickman is), a not-very-good hitter at the plate and there's already one out. But Cox had Wickman walk the bases loaded when there were still no outs, so the run still scores even if you turn the double play. I'm not going to argue that the IBB was what ended up costing the Braves the game this time, but IMO it was a bad move.
Agreed about going out and getting Hudson after the first two guys. When the tying run gets to the plate, you've got to punt the shutout and go to the pen.
I can MAYBE see an IBB in that situation if you've got a groundball pitcher on the mound (which Wickman is), a not-very-good hitter at the plate and there's already one out. But Cox had Wickman walk the bases loaded when there were still no outs, so the run still scores even if you turn the double play. I'm not going to argue that the IBB was what ended up costing the Braves the game this time, but IMO it was a bad move.
Agreed about going out and getting Hudson after the first two guys. When the tying run gets to the plate, you've got to punt the shutout and go to the pen.
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I guess they went ahead and put Wickman in the game because they'd already warmed him up, not knowing they were going to score a bunch more runs. I'm fine with that, I guess. I forgot that Soriano went last night, too, so I don't guess bringing him in tonight was quite the boneheaded move I originally thought. But I think I would've gone with him tonight anyway. Bases loaded and no outs, you need strikeouts, and Soriano's a strikeout pitcher. Wickman is not.
