 |
| Photo by USA Today |
Johnson has Bryce Harper batting leadoff for the first time in his career and Anthony Rendon hitting second. Denard Span is still in the lineup and in center field, but he slides all the way back to seventh after hitting .208 through his first 12 games in July. He hit .235 in the month of June and now holds a season average of .255. It makes you wonder why Span wasn't pulled from the leadoff spot earlier, but here you go.
The Nats' new-look lineup will go up against Marlins' right-hander Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 5.73 ERA). The 23-year-old is making just his third start of the 2013 season and his first against a team other than the Atlanta Braves.
Pitching for the Nats is rookie Taylor Jordan (0-2, 3.45) who is making his fourth career start. He will face the Marlins for the first time after growing up in Merritt Island, Florida.
Enjoy the game...
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Marlins Park
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 869
Weather: Indoors
NATIONALS (47-47)
LF Bryce Harper
2B Anthony Rendon
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
SS Ian Desmond
CF Denard Span
C Wilson Ramos
RHP Taylor Jordan
MARLINS (35-57)
LF Juan Pierre
3B Placido Polanco
RF Giancarlo Stanton
CF Marcell Ozuna
2B Derek Dietrich
SS Adeiny Hechavarria
1B Greg Dobbs
C Jeff Mathis
RHP Henderson Alvarez
UMPIRES
HP Al Porter
1B Mike Estabrook
2B Jerry Layne
3B Hunter Wendelstedt (cc)
385 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 385 of 385 Newer› Newest»As hitting coach one would bunting is a subset of hitting. I guess some cant coach it just like he cant.
Do you think some else cant coach it?
do not give Stanton anything good to hit...let someone else beat you.
Been getting one hit in an inning.
4Th inning 4 hits 0 runs
Agrred.
Clip looks tired.
Great job K-lip on Stanton!
Pitch 3 to Stanton - wasnt that a K for Werth his last at bat????
Clip pick it up in faur snd tag him
Wow, nice movement, I never thought that was a strike!
thank goodness Stanton pulled that one...good golly, that is one strong individual.
Clip is the man.
Clip ,3 k
Three strikeouts~~~~~>>>>>>> That's my man!!!!
you see Harper talking to the heavens? we need all the help we can get!!
KKKKKKKlip
You want to get rid of Davey? Trade Clip. Remember what he said, last year? "Clip goes, I go." LOL, mick, they ain't trading Clippard.
Adam Dunn with a double. I didn't know he could do that.
Back to Stammen, Davey?
Is Tracy at third?
right on FP...he is so right...finally, no more BS or spin. He is correct a loss here would be very bad
reading some of the posts here about what Span said...so if I am reading it right, a veteran player is blaming his feeble hitting on his coaches....simply amazing!
I'm tired of the whining about guys not being selected for the ASG. If the Nats were a better team, a whole bunch of guys would be going. It's as simple as that. Look at the Pirates, Cardinals, and Reds.
He is finally joining me.
I have been on Eck too.
mick, yep, I think this is a must win...if we get swept by the Fish after losing 3 of 4 to the Phillies...well, enough said, hide the sharp objects.
I mean the last 2 games, the starting pitching and BP have done their jobs...I will give Soriano and Stammen a pass last night... a so called WS team should scoring more than 1-2 freaking runs in a game verse a team over 20 under 500...
Section 222 agreed
paul, I hear you
needed that in the 7th Jayson...but at least he is battling
love Werth, don't care what anyone else says, dude is a gamer.
Papelbon blew the save in Philly. Game tied 3-3.
would be a real nice time for Span to hit his first darn HR!!
Span, the RBI MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr span...well done
ha! ok, i'll take it!!!
Best hit of the year by Span! Don't bunt!
Spannnnnnnnnnnnn.
I thought he had his first homer
Good hit Span....
Davey knew best.
Love me some Ramos. Please pinch run for him Davey.
yes sireeeee!!!!
nice job Buffalo...2 out rally!!
All right!!!! Insurance for Soriano.
I can actually relax and watch Tracy be the third out now, lol
NatsLady, are you surprised Davey isn't pinch running for the Ramoose?
This why we are all frustrated here. There have been signs of good baseball. Just no consistency.
Denard Span has 25 RBIs.
Michael Morse has 23.
No way, Ghost, would I PR for Ramos.who would you use?
wasian... well said
No, but I would pinch run for Tracy if he gets on.
Clone drew don't start with Morse span. Cant we just try to enjoy things
See, didn't need to pinch run for Ramos..... LOL.
Chad Tracey...who would have thunk it.... I think we may have this one
mick said...
I can actually relax and watch Tracy be the third out now, lol
mick, ok, we can thank you for that, right?! haha.
" I can actually relax and watch Tracy be the third out now, lol"
Sorry mick, not this time.
Span and now Tracy. Dang this team. Every time I think I'm out they pull me back in. Paciano.
Who would you have used to pinch run for either of them?
Did Tracy just get a stand up double too.... Lol, well I'll be damned...
knoxville, pay up! i am thirsty!!
all right paul and knox...very funny, lol
I'm still tucked from yesterday, boss.
I forgot Bernadina was still available to PR. I still wouldn't have had him run for Ramos after we got the lead.
What a sweet and unexpected inning. Looks like these guys aren't giving up yet. I'm glad Soriano has a cushion too. Just throw strikes and let this park get the Marlins out.
Someone called for Span to hit his first homer. That would have been a very tall order. But he tried!! Good game for Span. Hopefully Davey doesn't take that as a reason to put him at the top of the order again.
Come on, Rafi. No drama.
NatsLady said...
See, didn't need to pinch run for Ramos..... LOL.
July 14, 2013 4:37 PM
That's the only place to hit that and score him! ;)
Rafi, I said, NO DRAMA. Stop right now.
Stanton can't tie it.
Come on kid with the knee brace. Give that old guy the ball. Sheeeeesh kids today.
Sori vs Stanton redeaux....
HUGE!!!!
Well... We won the game... Which I will take... Just disappointed we didnt win this series...
nice win and don't ever throw Stanton a FB ever again.
Untuck baby. 48-47 going into the break. Don't look know Braves, we are coming for YOU!
Enjoy the week everybody
hey can you get playoff ticks online
note to Denard, you will never lead-off again...maybe its less pressure? not sure, but give the old codger Davey some credit for mixing it up and once again, hanging Chad on the brink of disaster comes up with a big hit...nice, nice win going into the break.
Cincy broke it open in the 9th in Atlanta 8-3 Cincy.
Also, Revere broke his foot yesterday. Not sure how bad yet. Rough week for NL East outfielders.
They did not quit, they battled.... this win was so huge!!
I know we have a very long way to go but this was a much needed win. Will need to go 40-27 to get to 90 wins which I don't see happening. Hope they prove me wrong.....go Nats!
First place by September 15.
Span untucked. 7Th his now his spots.
Sec 222. Hahaha. Have another for me.
New batting order with Rendon at 2nd and Desi back at the back end with Span is better. Who else can lead0ff?
Don't think of it that way, Obsessed. We win 8, Barves lose 6 coming out of the Break. Then we go from there.
Span had a very good game... Glad to see Anthony in the 2 spot... Desi is okay there but he is too aggressive....
Paul give Davey credit? We've all been screaming tor thy move for a month.
Cubs have DFA'd HRod....
Nothing special FP? It's called solid and improving as to Taylor Jordan. I think when I check his movement on his slider will show his best movement.
It was a day game... Davey stayed awake for it. LOL.
Span in his interview with old town..."didn't like hitting 7th but happy I could come through for my team today..."
dude, shut up, you did fine there.
from bottom of division to playoff tickets and what not? what fans!
Taylor Jordan -- Impressive
Bustin' out going into the break - I like it! Atta way, Nats. (Yeah, I untucked.)
Looks like the Cubs DFA'd Henry! Congrats for thinking Theo!
Secret wasian man said...
Paul give Davey credit? We've all been screaming tor thy move for a month.
Well that was my backend of the lineup against a LHP. Did Davey know that was a righty\? ;)
hmmm, ATL score looking interesting.
On another note, hadn't heard about Timmy's no-no until the broadcast today. Congrats to him.
Jordan has been solid and should be 5th pitcher, if Det can get healthy fine, but they do not have to rush him back now, unless Haren falls apart, then you need Det. I hope in the post game a reporter asks Davey about all the injuries and where they are in terms of playing
My comment since the change of lineups was moving Desi to 2nd and Rendon back in the lineup. With Ramos you have protection at the backend of the lineup.
You owe me a drink Ghost!
We are better vs teams above .500 for some reason. I've been very optimistic all year and will never give up on them. Just been a very tough first half with repeated mistakes that has me very frustrated.
$64,000 question...if Espi comes back after break...when does he play and where?
Wait, that's a final in ATL. Niiice.
The change up in the batting order worked out today.
To me, the bigger story of this week was Dan Haren's two good starts. He pitched good enough to have won both of them, with any help from his friends.
I hope Jayson didn't break anything in his foot.
Every time I want to kick Chad Tracy out of the club he comes through with a key hit.
Phil Wood now bashing Span. Way to talk in hindsight wind bag. I've heard you on NatsTalk on the radio for weeks telling everyone he will get back to where he was.
Its the LHP numbers that have regressed. The RHP numbers are near the same.
I want someone to get Bryce a helmet that fits...
Ghost Of Steve M. said...
Looks like the Cubs DFA'd Henry! Congrats for thinking Theo!
does that mean e can get him back?
just kiddin lol
like others have said Davey knows more baseball than most of us combined but at least he mixed it up today even though it took 10 innings to beat this team but good point SWM/Ghost.
but is Harper really a good lead-off guy...not sure.
nice job by Storen & Clip too.
Phillies walked off in the 10th. They are at .500 now for the first time since June 10. Buyers? Sellers? Stand pat?
No Paul - Harper isn't... I would put Span back...
Joe is right, haren is a big story, if he maintains what he has done the last 2 games, that is huge...
the other story is Stras, please let us hope it was just one of those games and not a collapse happening.
mick, yep!
Tim Dierkes @mlbtrtrans 3m Cubs Designate Henry Rodriguez For Assignment http://bit.ly/13hOKNj #mlbExpand Collapse Reply Retweet Retweeted
Phillies scare me...if they are back...this will be tough
Assuming (hoping) Werth didn't fracture his foot, we will come out of the break HEALTHY (well, Detwiler is a question, but Detwiler is always a question). That is big.
Werth is fine
I am going next Sunday and Monday
Braves lost. Nats end up 6 back at the break. Could've been tied if they took care of bizness.
Don't rush on Danny E. 0 of 4 so far today with 2 strikeouts. Left three on base, including a runner on 3rd.
Looks like Rosenbaum pitched good.
http://www.milb.com/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_07_14_lhvaaa_syraaa_1&mode=gameday
We have next Sunday.
$64,000 question...if Espi comes back after break...when does he play and where?
Unless there's an injury I don't expect he'll be back until September. But if he does come back, there's a nice spot on the bench for him.
Sure sounds like Davey would like to use the new lineup after the break. Says the guys like it. I guess he hasn't talked to Span recently.
The gap should definitely be closer... We have got to take care of business after the break... Hopefully everyone will regroup and recharge and come back ready....
NL - you really don't like Det, do you... *snickers* I actually hope we continue to see T Jordan... Not sure at whose expense...
But I do wonder, does Matheus come back, who goes down?
Friday, Sunday, and maybe Saturday if there is a rain delay :) No chance of getting there in time for the bobble head, I never get them.
One thing about it... Davey supports his coaches/guys... Man, is he loyal...
Sec222, did Span say something?
I have tix to next Saturday and Sunday.... I will be doing the no-rain dance...
Now 37-2 with 5 or.more.
mick said...
$64,000 question...if Espi comes back after break...when does he play and where?
let Espi change into the Teddy costume for the President's race to keep his legs in shape, would be way cool and would keep his confidence up.
Someone called for Span to hit his first homer. That would have been a very tall order. But he tried!!
Charlie and Dave said it would have been a HR in Nats Stadium. (Anybody else see it?)
They also mentioned that the Nats had a streak of 86 consecutive series where they hit a HR, which was broken today.
Mrs B, not a big Detwiler fan, true, but I hope he does well. He has great stuff, maybe it is just a matter of a slow-developing lefty.
Well, I was on the move today from Niagara Falls to a campground outside Pittsburg. Very nice to set up camper, plug in computer, and find out the Nats won while I was on the road. Go Nats, go!!!
Traveling today- something happen to Jayson's foot?
swami, yep...foul ball off the top of his left foot, he was really hurting.
I missed this, but a few days ago a Mariners blogger assessed the possibility of a Morse trade. The poll results and fan comments are interesting.
Morse
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2013/7/9/4507658/mlb-trade-rumors-seattle-mariners-trade-candidate-michael-morse
Haren's recent outings make it less likely Nats will bid for Garza, who according to Heyman was told by the Cubs he will likely be traded.
With regard to Cuban defectors, this is the report on one of them in the Futures Game as a "disappointment." Not every one is Puig, Chapman, or Cespedes.
Henry Urrutia (OF Orioles): Some think the 26-year-old Urrutia, a Cuban defector in his first year in the minors, could come up and help the Orioles down the stretch, but he didn’t show much today. He grounded out in each of his first three at-bats, with the third going for a double play, before drawing a four-pitch walk from a wild Kyle Crick his last time up. Maybe that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he’s hit .365/.427/.531 in the minors this year, but his tools aren’t all that impressive.
Today we also had the positives that Storen did pretty good, Clippard did great, and Stammen vultured a win.
Werth really slammed the top of his foot with that foul ball. That's what Revere did, also Jordan Schafer of the Braves did the same. Schafer's has become pretty serious, and that's a blow to Atlanta because he had played well when filling in/platooning with BJ Upton. Revere sees a specialist tomorrow to access where he stands.
NL - I didnt read 1 post that wanted to keep him....
Some Nats fans would go crazy if Mikey Mo came back....
No hitter alert on in Oakland, through 6.
Our boy Cole pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout, stranded two inherited runners, and got the save. No report on how he looked,
Here is the box score.
Futures Game
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_07_14_wftmin_uftmin_1&mode=box#gid=2013_07_14_wftmin_uftmin_1&mode=box
Great win and lineup....love seeing Harper and Rendon togethr. Everyone except for harper who maybe a better number 2 is hitting in the right spot.
Werth 5th, Desmond in RBI position 6th, Span down in the order. nice moves Davey, now stay alert for the night games too.
Nats Now 37-2 with 5 or.more.
Pretty meaningless. The Braves are 47-3. Much more descriptive of the Nats' season so far is that we are only 14-18 when we gave up either 2 or 3 runs in the game. The Braves? 18-11.
NatsLady, thanks for the Morse link. Boy, their fans can't wait to get rid of him judging from the comments..
I don't know that Harper will be much better than Span leading off against LHP. His BA vs LH: .190
Granted it's better than Span's .144, and his OPS against lefty pitching is much better than Denard's, but still not very good.
I don't see Hairston as being in the equation very often.
Oh, and the Phillies are 41-3 when they score 5 or more. And also 18-11 when they give up 2 or 3. And they're a .500 team like us. Let's look at a good team. The Cards are 45-4 when they score 5 or more. They 20-4 when they give up 2 or 3.
So can we get off this, if only we could score 5 (or 4.7) runs a game kick? How about if we could just score 3 or 4 when we have a good pitching performance?
Sam Miller @SamMillerBP 1m
It's been 23 days since the Padres had a save situation
Yes, I learned a new word. :-)
Joe Seamhead said...
NatsLady, thanks for the Morse link.
MrsB loves the Nats said...
Some Nats fans would go crazy if Mikey Mo came back....
July 14, 2013 5:58 PM
Bet that would change in a hurry if he does as he's done in Seattle ;)
Apologies if already noted:
Cubs DFA Henry.
That didn't take long. Five games and Epstein had seen enough.
Where will he land next?
Poor H-Rod. Couldn't they have figured out some way that he could be H-Rodded (see line 37) for the rest of the season?
Drew said...
Apologies if already noted:
Cubs DFA Henry.
That didn't take long. Five games and Epstein had seen enough.
Where will he land next?
July 14, 2013 6:56 PM
Yah, I got that after it happened. Got it before MLBTR. LOL
Section 222 said...
Oh, and the Phillies are 41-3 when they score 5 or more. And also 18-11 when they give up 2 or 3. And they're a .500 team like us. Let's look at a good team. The Cards are 45-4 when they score 5 or more. They 20-4 when they give up 2 or 3.
So can we get off this, if only we could score 5 (or 4.7) runs a game kick? How about if we could just score 3 or 4 when we have a good pitching performance?
July 14, 2013 6:21 PM
The key to the 4.70 is averaging it as that's how you get to 98-64. With a team with 3.40 pitching ERA it's easy to see how you win that many with the run differential. When you're scoring about what your ERA is and with all the errors you can see how you end up 48-47.
Nats finish the All Star break with a 3.53 Earned Runs per game and .38 Unearned runs per game vs. 3.76 runs scored per game by the offense.
The Nats have actually given up by the pitching and defense .27 more runs per game than the offense has scored and you can come to many conclusions as to how good the pitching has been even with Haren's struggles and clearly point to the offense and analyze what isn't working and the bench and leadoff are near the bottom of the Majors.
The Nats leadoff batter ranks 3rd to last in the Majors in OBP and the bench pinch-hitting is last in the NL at a .227 OBP and overall what we call "clutch" with hits w/ RISP the Nats rank 23rd in the Majors with a .243 BA.
The Nats from the leadoff are 3rd to last in runs scored with only 41 compared to the league average at 56. It starts there. Poor table-setting. The other area due to Espinosa is how poor the Nats are in the 7th hole scoring runs as the 27th team in the Majors.
Make your own assessments but Span and Espinosa cost this team and Davey/Rizzo sat on their hands for how long?
Well, I guess we would not have been better off to keep Morse based on his first half statistics. At least we got Krol for him which is better than what Seattle can get for him probably.
Sonny, Nats got Krol and AJ Cole and can still sign Morse as a 4th OF as a Free Agent. Morse's problem is staying healthy and most of it was not taking the proper precautions to protect his hands and wrist as he had that thumb injury which set his season in a tailspin and it was 2 injuries last year to the hand and wrist. There's Evo protection pads for players with those issues but Morse probably thought he didn't need it. JDub is all padded up and today he took one off the top of his foot-OUCH.
No telling though if Morse gets injured in a Nats uni. Who knows but he started the season en fuego and ALR started cold as ice. Now Morse can't stay healthy.
The Nats could save Haren's salary next season and go with Morse as the big RH bat but then what do you do with Hairston? I guess those questions will be answered soon enough and be debated.
Ghost
Some eye opening stats there - thanks.
One caveat about the runs scored by the #1 hitter--some blame also goes to the guys behind them, who fail to drive them in. The Nats #1 hitters rank 23rd in OBP (pretty lousy) but 28th in runs scored (even lousier).
hiram, unless you are a HR hitter you don't score unless batters behind you are knocking you in BUT Span wasn't helping the situation with his low OBP (3rd last in the Majors for leadoff batters with 200 plate appearances or more) and to worsen the situation is all the times Span has taken himself off the basepaths due to pickoffs, caught stealing and getting doubled off the bases on balls in the air (9 times this season).
Much of the blame is on Davey who claims to be a Math guy. Span's stats vs LHPs are awful. I can see playing him but how long did it take Davey to move Span down in the order? 94 games
*(3rd to last in the Majors for leadoff batters with 200 plate appearances or more)
Ghost, yes, you're right. I knew we got someone besides Krol, but I didn't remember who. Was there a third player also, or was it just Krol and Cole? Good trade for us. If Morse would be willing to be a bench player, maybe we could use him there; but like you say, what would we do with Hairston? I can't see getting rid of Bernadina (speed and defense), or Lombardozi (utility infield/outfield). Maybe I would give up Tracy, even though he's left-handed, but I doubt Davey or Rizzo would do that. Food for thought.
Sonny, there was a 3rd player named Blake Treinin but I believe it was Ian Krol who was the PTBNL in the trade.
Morse won't be a bench player but the Nats need to look at a 4th outfielder who is right-handed. Maybe Hairston will get better but his Cubs stats cast a big doubt on that.
How much will Morse demand in Free Agency. Have to think $8 to $12 million.
I dont see Morse accepting any Free Agent deal without a clear path to a starting role. Still not sure what the Hairston deal was all about as his numbers in Chicago were bad.
Nats 128, according to the article NatsLady linked for us earlier, Morse has lost a lot of leverage because of his injuries and his performance. However, if the Yankees are really interested in him for DH, corner outfields, and first base, then that's probably the best deal Michael could make for himself.
May be Morse does a 1 year deal to get his value up. Sounds like his own stuborness to protect his hand/wrist cost him in the pocket.
I think like many athletes they have some sense of being infallible. A friend of mine in sports marketing said he had a deal in place with a batting glove company that want to use Morse in a prototype Kevlar batting glove and Morse wasn't interested. Maybe that would have worked to protect Morse but from what I heard he didn't pursue it because of his deal with Nike. That one injury has cost him millions.
That's interesting, Ghost. Its amazing what the consequences can be because of the choices we make. I wonder how much the Nike deal made him.
2nd half is in Nats' favor with the Braves falling apart due to injuries.
Let's see if they can take advantage of it. They have the pieces to the puzzle, but can they fit them together???
SonnyG10, Nike had a nice Caribbean vacation for all of their baseball players over the winter ;) I think most of the players get free gear and the opportunity to design custom gear. Unless you are Jeter or an All Star, I doubt it pays much. I guess those cool Beast Mode custom cleats that Mikey was getting better be worth a lot on eBay ;)
Players like Morse that throws their hands like he does are always going to be susceptible on pitches in. Just very shortstighted if you ask me. I really thought he was going to have a MVP type of season IF he stayed healthy. He hasn't proven to be able to do it. He started with a big chip on his shoulder and ended up with a chip out of his hand........
Doc said...
2nd half is in Nats' favor with the Braves falling apart due to injuries.
Let's see if they can take advantage of it. They have the pieces to the puzzle, but can they fit them together???
Let's hope Strasburg is okay and the Nats have to get those RISP BA's up. Remember, RISP BA's has nothing to do with OBP, it is what you do when you happen to have those runners in scoring position.
The Nats just haven't been good this year. There are 22 teams better than the Nats and 7 worse. The only reason the Nats are over .500 has been the exceptional pitching!
Looking forward to your posts in the 2nd half, Ghost!!
RISP: Batter has to focus on his pitch, and probably try and do less, rather than more. Of all the current Nats batters, I'm thinking that Zim, Werth, and ALR have the better RISP skills.
ARen is probably coming along in that area.
Am I right????
Ghost, I'm amazed at the amount of information and in-the-know contacts you have. Thanks for sharing.
Are you watching this Cardinals game? They were trained by McGwire. You take what the situation dictates and the Cardinals have no problem taking singles and contact plays with runners on base and even with Beltran. They have 5 guys that are contact guys.
Doc, that's a good point you make re RISP. I never thought much about it, but I think their approach has to be different. Try for a base knock instead of a home run.
Gotta be impressed with the Cards. Not only did McGuire give them good advice, but some of the players actually listened.
Not sure that the Nats have as many listeners!
SonnyG10 said...
Ghost, I'm amazed at the amount of information and in-the-know contacts you have. Thanks for sharing.
Very kind of you to say. It's people like you and Doc and others that appreciate it which is why I post.
Doc, you are right on RISP. ARen has the perfect approach all the time. Put balls in play and hit it where it's thrown.
He is better than advertised and how Davey didn't bring him in for Hairston on Saturday is mind-boggling.
RZim has to evolve. The all or nothing approach and being the hero is not working any more. He hasn't had a walk-off in almost 2 years. Time to look at what makes Harper and ARen so successful which is taking what the pitcher gives you and if that is a driveable ball then great but in 2 strike counts you have to shorten up. His K's in key spots is becoming more the rule instead of the exception.
The Nats are still in it but certainly have their work cut out for them. Today's lineup is so overdue it just amazes me that the guys who get paid to make the decisions took weeks too long for the change.
When they swapped Desi and Rendon a few weeks ago I wrote here that was the wrong move even though Desi kept hitting as people were telling me. Desi was hitting fine in the #6 also and driving in runs but the big problem is the leadoff. While some don't believe in lineup formation, I think it's essential as to OBP and run producers and continuity.
The Cubs playing like a AAA team on defense. They dont show up as errors in the boxes just are mental errors.
I am a huge fan of baseball in general, and I love watching the cardinals hit. The way they spproach their AB's is an organizational philosophy, implemented by McGwire. The Nats have an organizational philosophy that is directed by Davey- it's no secret- be aggressive. What does that mean? Swing at the first pitch and every pitch and try to hit home runs. Our hitters are listening very well-- they are doing exactly what they have been told to do. Davey repeats it constantly. I just don't see it as very effective for our roster most of the time. Maybe with a strike thrower like Lee, but with a youngun who is having trouble finding the strike zone, we give away way too many at bats.
swami, right on point and here's the difference, McGwire doesn't tell the same thing to every player on strategy only thing that is the same is the mental approach and constantly beating into their heads that they can hit that pitcher.
He tailors to the individual like a football team on offense where every player has a different position just like baseball players do on defense. Every player has their strength and some have specialties like bunting or can execute a hit & run. Kozma and Descalso are strictly contact guys and Beltran and Pujols were his boppers.
When McGwire tells Yadier before he faced Storen what pitches to look for he knew what was coming. The players listen when they believe the batting coach is worth listening to and that's the world we live in with today's players. Most players feel they know more than the coaches.
McGwire is the Dodgers coach now. They will be in DC on Friday.
Cubs, line drive double and there's the blown save and no win for Wainwright.
Nats killer Jordan Valdespin sent to AAA and had a meltdown on his way out the door.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/14/jordany-valdespin-wasnt-happy-about-his-demotion/
Cardinals do it again with RISP and retake the lead in the 9th. Unreal.
Kevin Gregg looking like the Kevin Gregg we all knew. 4 runs given up so far. Those STL's are so good.
Last two teams standing. And you just know how much they all want this game to end. Seems like quite a few extras today on the ultimate getaway day. That Vskdespin story is just wild. I guess we were the only team he ever hit.
Wainwright now announced as out of the All Star game after his outing this evening. Not sure why his decision wasn't made earlier. I wonder who takes his place in the ASG.
swami, Scott Hairston and Jordany Valdespin and BJ Upton.
span has same number of doubles as mcab, i.e. he is on track to win NL mvp while mcab wins AL mvp.
Faraz, that's funny. Span 0 HRs and Miguel Cabrera has 30 with a .458 OBP!
As I said earlier, I thought the break on TJord's slider was much better and the vertical break in his first game was almost straigh at 0.05 vs today at 1.35. In his 1st start he threw only 5 sliders and today he threw 21 sliders of which 14 were strikes and 3 were for swing and miss and 10 were fouled and only 1 was put in play.
That's progress. The HR was on a fastball up in the zone.
What troubled me most about Span's bunt was the fact that he stood in the batter's box to look it. This is the second time he has done that in the past week. He should be fined and benched for this. I know that not running out ground balls is a "no no" wihth some managers. I guess that it is okay with us.
This team's collective head is not in the game - period.
I am pleased we won but .......
Post a Comment