July 2014 Game Thread

[soxhop411]

7-2-4 triple play in the LAD game
 
Los Angeles Dodgers ‏@Dodgers  11m
Original call: Gonzalez out. Gordon out at home. Puig safe at 2nd. Final call: Gonzalez out. Gordon out at home. Puig out at 2nd.

 

[soxhop411]

http://m.mlb.com/video/v34217631/clelad-call-at-second-overturned-for-triple-play/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140702_27102946
 
Video

 

[stp130]

That first angle looks like Puig got his hand in before the tag. Tag looks late at home too.

 

[Al Zarilla]

The latest "Baby Pedro", Carlos Martinez is pitching today for the Cardinals if you want to look in. Cards - Giants is MLB.TVs free game o d day also. BTW, of all the Baby Pedros, have any panned out? But, this kid is smallish for a pitcher and gets it up there in the high 90s now and then.

 

[Lowrielicious]

Bedard having a bad day for the Rays so far. 
 
1st inning: Single, HR, walk, HR, flyout, HR, single....
 
That Detroit lineup has some firepower. 

 

[soxhop411]

Oakland Athletics @Athletics · 14m


The Blue Jays are challenging that Kawasaki was not tagged
Oakland Athletics ‏@Athletics  13m
Call overturned. Kawasaki was tagged, the run scores. Toronto takes a 1-0 lead in the 2nd.

 
yes, those tweets are real

 

[soxhop411]

Video
 
http://m.mlb.com/video/v34268385/toroak-call-overturned-in-the-top-of-the-2nd-inning/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140704_27268656
 
game is being played under protest

 

[Lowrielicious]

Video
 
http://m.mlb.com/video/v34268385/toroak-call-overturned-in-the-top-of-the-2nd-inning/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140704_27268656
 
game is being played under protest

Interesting play, but I don't see any protest being upheld there. 
 
That's just a catcher fuck-up assuming that it was a force play at home. He should have just applied the tag (as he had plenty of time to do so). Are they saying he decided not to tag because he saw a safe signal from the umpire? thats the only argument they would have I think. On the replays I couldn't see any safe signal (and don't think there was time for one to be made, let alone quick enough for the catcher to change his play on that). 

 

[jimc]

4:55 in the video there's a clear safe call from the 1st base umpire. Definitely plausible that the catcher saw it. It's easy to say he should have applied the tag at home anyway but I am very sympathetic to the Oakland side of this argument.

 

[Lowrielicious]

4:55 in the video there's a clear safe call from the 1st base umpire. Definitely plausible that the catcher saw it. It's easy to say he should have applied the tag at home anyway but I am very sympathetic to the Oakland side of this argument.

Good point, I didn't see that one. 
 
What can the umps (or whoever reviews the protest) realistically do on that? They can't very well call the runner out at home with no tag even attempted. Can't exactly put him back on 3rd either I wouldn't think. 
As get screwed a bit on it, but there aren't many viable alternatives. 

 

[jimc]

There seems to be some leeway in the replay rules about placement of runners:
 
From IV.A.3:
 

 
 
Factors to Consider. The Replay Official should consider several factors when placing the runners, including... (e) whether the incorrect call affected the subsequent behavior or conduct of the offensive or defensive players.

 

 
Any doubt regarding the placement of runners should be resolved in favor of the last base legally touched at the time of the challenged call.

 
I'd say the right call on review should have been runner out, Encarnacion back at 3rd, but I can appreciate that there are other ways to see it. Hope we don't see too much of this kind of thing in our new replay world. 

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Hell of a meltdown going on by Rosenthal et al in St. Louis.  Started the inning 3-0.  Now 3-1, bases loaded, no outs.
 
 
EDIT--strikeout for the first out.  Now Stanton....

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Stanton walks on a full count.  3-2 now.
 
 
EDIT--And McGehee grounds into a 5-4-3 DP, out by a half step at first.  Rosenthal with an insanely ugly 31 pitch save.

 

[Curll]

Kershaw twirls 8 scoreless, allows 2 hits at Coors. Just 93 pitches.
 
This kid is decent.

 

[MakMan44]

Mike Trout just destroyed a Tony Sipp pitch for a walk off HR.

 

[LesterFan]

Mike Trout just destroyed a Tony Sipp pitch for a walk off HR.

 
Look where the pitch was:
 

 
Guy is unreal.

 

[LogansDad]

Kershaw twirls 8 scoreless, allows 2 hits at Coors. Just 93 pitches.
 
This kid is decent.

36 innings straight.  Look out Orel.

 

[ngruz25]

Gregory Polanco is a freak. At 6'4" with great athleticism and super-long limbs, he reminds me of Jason Heyward with more speed. He's tracked down a couple of line drives in just a few long, easy strides that would have been improbable catches for the average right fielder. The Pirates' top of the order and outfield of Polanco, Starling Marte, and McCutchen is really, really fun to watch.
 
Unfortunately, the dropoff after those three, Neil Walker, and Russell Martin, is pretty severe. They have the prospects to bolster the corners and middle infield, and I hope they do it.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Hell of a meltdown going on by Rosenthal et al in St. Louis.  Started the inning 3-0.  Now 3-1, bases loaded, no outs.
 
 

And he follows it up today with 23 pitches, one out, one run, blown save.
 
I find myself enjoying this.

 

[Buffalo Head]

Looks like Edwin Encarnacion won't be playing for a while. Hamstring. Had to be carried off the field.

 

[soxhop411]

Looks like Edwin Encarnacion won't be playing for a while. Hamstring. Had to be carried off the field.

Blue jays seem to be bit by the injury bug every year.

 

[soxhop411]

“@gregorMLB: Encarnacion left with right quadriceps soreness. #BlueJays”


That seems like good news for them.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

“@gregorMLB: Encarnacion left with right quadriceps soreness. #BlueJays”


That seems like good news for them.

Did you watch the play?  He's fucked.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Puig.  Beast

 

[Luis Taint]

I am enjoying this Tigers game. I don't watch any out of market games.

 

[canderson]

2 outs in the 9th in Detroit, lightning all over very close and loud claps of thunder.

Play through!

 

[MakMan44]

 
Saw this on FG, had to share it. 

 

[soxhop411]

we may have our first protest OVERTURNED 
 
 
Joe Sheehan ‏@joe_sheehan  4m
The umps at Citi Field are reviewing, and have just reversed, a neighborhood play.

 

[singaporesoxfan]

The Tigers have scored 11 unanswered runs, or about 2.3 German goals at the current exchange rate.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Matt Adams' walkoff home run for St. Louis last night was the Cards' first since June 19, 2011.
 
 
Kolten Wong hit a walkoff home run for St. Louis tonight.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Puig.  Beast

 
Dodgers and the Tigers are on MLB Network right now (I'm in New York) and Puig just ripped a triple.  Hanley lined into a double play immediately after, but yeah... beast.

 

[VORP Speed]

Rays get a good start from Cobb and the garbage pen gives up 3 in the 9th to blow it. 5-4 KC.

 

[ngruz25]

Maybe this belongs in the "unusual plays" thread, but the Cardinals just pulled the ol' 5-8 forceout at second base.
 
Runners on 1st and 2nd for the Pirates. Pirates' batter squares to bunt, but pops it up. The third basemen lets it drop, then throws to second base to force out the runner there. However, nobody was covering second base, so the ball sailed into center field. But Jon Jay, the center fielder, was backing up the play, so he grabbed the ball and sprinted to second base to beat the tag the bag, beating the Pirates' guy running from first to second.
 
Baseball!

 

[Lowrielicious]

36 innings straight.  Look out Orel.

And Orel can relax again. 

 

[VORP Speed]

Rays get a good start from Cobb and the garbage pen gives up 3 in the 9th to blow it. 5-4 KC.

Oh, surprise, surprise....pen gives up 3 in the 9th again to blow another one. Balfour has been an abomination.

 

[soxhop411]

A's were just screwed on a strikeout of punto. Called k on pitch at the freaking elbow

 

[mpx42]

 

[Al Zarilla]

I saw the end of that game. He leaned out toward the plate and exaggerated his crouch trying to get the call. The pitch was on or near the corner and letter high or just lower, so he really had nothing to complain about. Rodney just made a great pitch.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Todd Frazier is sort of a monster

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I saw the end of that game. He leaned out toward the plate and exaggerated his crouch trying to get the call. The pitch was on or near the corner and letter high or just lower, so he really had nothing to complain about. Rodney just made a great pitch.

 
Here's the plot.  This is flipped so it's actually from the pitcher's point of view.  Most charts at brooksbaseball are from the catcher's POV.
 

 

[mabrowndog]

Holy shit. Collin Cowgill just took an inside fastball square on the nose after squaring around to bunt. It's pulverized.
 
An inch lower, and he's got no teeth left on his upper left jaw.  Two inches to the right, and he's Tony Conigliaro.
 
He remained conscious and left the field under his own power, but I'm not surprised. I got to know him a bit when he played in the Cape League for Yarmouth-Dennis (same team as Buster Posey, Jason Castro & Gordon Beckham) and he's one of the toughest kids and hardest players I've seen.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Story here.
 
http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/collin-cowgill-hit-in-face-blood-bunt/235717

 

[Hendu for Kutch]

Bob Davidson just tossed Brad Miller out of the game for smiling at him.  Ridiculous.  He should absolutely be suspended.
 
In case you didn't see it, Miller gets called out on strikes, says something and walks away.  Davidson follows after him yelling at him, Miller turns to look at him for a split second with a smile and Davidson tossed him.  They showed an angle on Miller's face and he didn't even say a word.

 

[LesterFan]

Andrew McCutchen is good at baseball. Game-tying homer in the 9th, go-ahead homer in the 11th. .994 OPS.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Bob Davidson just tossed Brad Miller out of the game for smiling at him.  Ridiculous.  He should absolutely be suspended.
 
In case you didn't see it, Miller gets called out on strikes, says something and walks away.  Davidson follows after him yelling at him, Miller turns to look at him for a split second with a smile and Davidson tossed him.  They showed an angle on Miller's face and he didn't even say a word.

The M's announcers say it's a hangover effect from the Punto K last night, in which Punto was ejected after the last out of the game. Melvin was also ejected after Davidson came running in from 1st to insert himself into the dispute.

I believe the umpire behind the plate last night was a AAA call up, and those guys sometimes have a short fuse. That explains Punto, but not Melvin last night and not Miller tonight.

Iwakuma is pitching a hell of a game, BTW. 88 pitches with one out in the 8th, and a shutout.

 

[Adrian's Dome]

Holy shit. Collin Cowgill just took an inside fastball square on the nose after squaring around to bunt. It's pulverized.
 
An inch lower, and he's got no teeth left on his upper left jaw.  Two inches to the right, and he's Tony Conigliaro.
 
He remained conscious and left the field under his own power, but I'm not surprised. I got to know him a bit when he played in the Cape League for Yarmouth-Dennis (same team as Buster Posey, Jason Castro & Gordon Beckham) and he's one of the toughest kids and hardest players I've seen.

 
I've taken a full-speed batted softball to the bridge of my nose to similar effect and I still cringed a bit looking at the pics.
 
I also remained conscious and walked off the field under my own power, but I was most definitely concussed, stumbling around, and without my wits. He handled it like a champ.

 

[mabrowndog]

 
This has vaulted to the top of my current favorite baseball GIFs list. Such a great confluence of baseball actions and reactions. The powerful release and follow-through by Rodney, Zunino framing the pitch perfectly, the authoritative strike three call by Hoye, Punto's expert bat flip followed by a quality helmet slam, Zunino looking back over his shoulder to see Punto stalking away as Hoye tosses him, and Rodney's demonstrative celebratory pose-down.
 
And yeah, that was an absolutely dead-nuts pitch to finish off a tremendous game.

 

[Al Zarilla]

 
Here's the plot.  This is flipped so it's actually from the pitcher's point of view.  Most charts at brooksbaseball are from the catcher's POV.
 

I was going to look that up to see if what I posted earlier about the pitch was accurate. Now I don't have to. Thanks. What a pitch.

 

[E5 Yaz]

If the Pirates want to make a second half run, they'll need a starter and a closer. Even on those days when they get a solid start, the back end of their pen has started to wear down to the point where they can't hold leads

 

[soxhop411]

San Francisco Giants ‏@SFGiants  9m
#SFGiants take an 8-1 lead over the #DBacks as Madison Bumgarner crushes HIS SECOND GRAND SLAM of the season!!!