2014 April (and a tiny bit of March) Game Thread

Jaylach

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Watching the SF @ Arizona, Bochy challenged a play at first and it was upheld, so he lost his second challenge. A couple plays later, there's a play at home that was wrong and would have been overturned on replay. Kind of got screwed there, haha.
 
Anyways, a question -
 
I see the umpire can make 3 calls on a reply "Confirmed. Stands. Overturned." What's the difference between Confirmed and Stands?
 

nvalvo

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This replay thing is going badly in Arizona. First, Cain picks off AJ Pollack, but he's called safe. Bochy challenges, but the play is upheld, even though he was out by three or four frames slowed down.
 
A few pitches and a double later, Pollack comes home on a wild pitch, Cain takes Posey's throw and dives across the plate to tag Pollack on his lead foot. Again, called safe. This time it's *really* clear on replay that Pollack was out. Now Bochy can't challenge. 
 
Frustrating. Pollack led a charmed life. 
 

MakMan44

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Jaylach said:
Watching the SF @ Arizona, Bochy challenged a play at first and it was upheld, so he lost his second challenge. A couple plays later, there's a play at home that was wrong and would have been overturned on replay. Kind of got screwed there, haha.
 
Anyways, a question -
 
I see the umpire can make 3 calls on a reply "Confirmed. Stands. Overturned." What's the difference between Confirmed and Stands?
Confirmed means there's evidence that supports the call, Stands means there's not enough to overturn it. 
 

Jaylach

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MakMan44 said:
Confirmed means there's evidence that supports the call, Stands means there's not enough to overturn it. 
 
Still doesn't make sense to me, lol. I mean, I understand the difference but I don't understand why both. If there is evidence to support the call, or no evidence to overturn it, isn't the outcome the same exact thing -- the call stands? 
 

nvalvo

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Jaylach said:
 
Still doesn't make sense to me, lol. I mean, I understand the difference but I don't understand why both. If there is evidence to support the call, or no evidence to overturn it, isn't the outcome the same exact thing -- the call stands? 
 
It might be meaningful statistically in the long run, e.g. as a way of measuring the progress of the program. If they can get enough data (more and better cameras, the new motion tracking stuff, etc.) it may be possible over the years to eliminate more and more of the "stands" calls. 
 

ForceAtHome

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terrynever said:
Maybe they'll stop walking Cano if Smoak keeps burning them.
 
Angels walked Cano again in his next AB, only to strike out Smoak this time. Cano will be walking a lot this year, I think.
 

Al Zarilla

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nvalvo said:
Did we find out what the call was on the Pollack pickoff?
Safe, but you mean confirmed vs. stands, right?
Aaron Hill stuck up his glove with Giants on second and third and muffed it, but saved the catch with his meat hand. Use 2 hands, grrr.
 

Jnai

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Jaylach said:
 
Still doesn't make sense to me, lol. I mean, I understand the difference but I don't understand why both. If there is evidence to support the call, or no evidence to overturn it, isn't the outcome the same exact thing -- the call stands? 
 
One is the confirmation that the call was correct.
 
The other is acknowledgement that it was an incredibly close play and could have gone either way, or they don't have a good enough angle to make a different judgment, so they're staying with the original call.
 
Both result in the original call being used, but they have different reasons and different explanations.
 

54thMA

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Rough Carrigan said:
Jesus, watch Kelly Johnson, the yankees' third baseman.   He's like an overcompetitive husband in a mixed doubles tennis match poaching every shot from his wife.  He just ran right in front of Jeter to try and get a ball and deflected it away.
 
I know it's one game and all, but that said, the Yankees remind me of one of those over 30 softball teams.  I remember when I played in the park league in Boston and at Ross Field in Hyde Park down in the corner there was a softball diamond and I'd be in the outfield between pitches looking at them waddling around, flailing away on ground balls, dropping easy fly balls, blowing out hamstrings running the bases, shoehorned into their cheeseball softball uniforms with Soko's Pizza and Joey's Auto Body stitched on the front as their sponsors, all the while pounding beers from a keg near the benches.
 
As I think back to me standing there LMFAO, I think 2014 MFY;s; that said, watch them go 161-1.
 

DJnVa

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Jaylach said:
 
Still doesn't make sense to me, lol. I mean, I understand the difference but I don't understand why both. If there is evidence to support the call, or no evidence to overturn it, isn't the outcome the same exact thing -- the call stands? 
 
The NFL does it like this way as well.
 

BoredViewer

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Interesting challenge in DET/KC:
 
Kinsler on 1st.  Collins hits a grounder to second and KC turns the double play.
 
Detroit challenges the call at first and Collins is ruled safe.
 
 
My question:  It looked clear to me on the replay that Kinsler was pretty far to the outfield side of 2nd (unable to reach the base) on his breakup slide  -- could KC have appealed that?
 

ypioca

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Remagellan said:
Trying to watch the Cleveland-Oakland game but mlb.tv is really sputtery.  It was like this on Monday, but I'm surprised they haven't fixed this by now as they are usually pretty good at addressing problems.  
 
The old player is working much better for me - most importantly, you get to choose the picture quality. I'm astounded they replaced it with a shittier version that can fail for so many people (in my case, I share the connection with three other people, so I can't just say "hey guys, don't download anything in the next three hours, because I want to watch the Royals game in HD).
 

InsideTheParker

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Some really bad closing performances today: Glen Perkins blown save for Minnesota, Joe Nathan for Detroit. (Detroit won in the tenth on a Kinsler walk-off after the KC pitcher Collins walked two.)
 

ForceAtHome

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The Nationals are rolling out a very interesting line up tonight...
 
1. CF Span
2. 2B Rendon
3. RF Werth
4. 1B LaRoche
5. 3B Zimmerman
6. LF Harper
7. SS Desmond
8. C Lobaton
9. P
 
It starts normally with Span and Werth at 1 and 3. In fact, they're the only two batters in the same spot as they were on Opening Day. Rendon in the 2-hole isn't a shocker, though he batted 8th on Monday. But then it gets weird. LaRoche is batting 4th while Zimmerman-Harper-Desmond form the most formidable 5-6-7 I've seen in a long time. And they are obviously without Ramos due to his injury. Very strange lineup from Matt Williams. LaRoche is much better against RHP than LHP, but so is Harper... doesn't make sense to move one up and the other down, especially when the latter may be your best hitter.
 

ForceAtHome

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Danny_Darwin said:
 
Seems pretty safe to assume he's destined for 1B at some point this year.
 
I think he'll spend the majority of the year at 3B, at least against RHP. LaRoche will be a FA next offseason, opening up an obvious spot for Zimmerman while shifting Rendon to 3B. Unless Espinosa really comes on and LaRoche really struggles, I can't see them shifting the defense for that difference in bats. I suspect we'll see some of that arrangement against LHP (1B Zimmerman, 2B Espinosa, 3B Rendon), but not often against RHP.
 

ForceAtHome

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Melancon and Grilli, who were so good last year for the Pirates, each gave up a run in the 8th and 9th respectively as the Pirates just blew a 2-0 lead.
 

smastroyin

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Pirates were first victims of replay on the first run. Double play ball where the shortstop gets pulled off the base but instead of making the step to the base and then the throw he just makes the throw. He was nowhere near the base but I guarantee every time in his pro life it's been called an out. Replay called it safe. Right call by the rule book, but if they are getting rid of things like the "neighborhood" call there may be an adjustment period for the players.
 

smastroyin

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I'm at the game, but they overturned it. No replay shown in the park. Maybe they thought he bobbled the transfer? It was called an inning ending double play live. It turned into a run scoring force out.
 

ScubaSteveAvery

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Interesting.  I'll have to pull up the reply.  From the replay thread there was a tweet by Morosi saying that the MLBPA requested the neighborhood play not be reviewable, but nothing official was announced.  Maybe they it slipped in there. 
 
Edit; Watched the reply.  The announcers even mentioned that the neighborhood play was not reviewable.  I'll say that is close.  The throw was offline and pulled the SS off the bag, but it wasn't Chuck Knoblauch phantom tag bad. I'll be interesting to see if the MLBPA says anything.  
 

ForceAtHome

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According to MLB Tonight, apparently because the throw pulled Mercer off the bag, it wasn't a neighborhood play (which isn't reviewable).
 

MakMan44

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How was it not mentioned that Bartolo Colon gave up a HR to Gio Gonzalez? It was hilarious. 
 

ForceAtHome

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MakMan44 said:
How was it not mentioned that Bartolo Colon gave up a HR to Gio Gonzalez? It was hilarious. 
 
Gio isn't a great hitter, but he knows how to go for it. He has 12 career hits and 3 are homers (127 AB).
 
Watching Bartolo try to bunt was more amusing.
 

ForceAtHome

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Papelbon just blew a 2-run save in Arlington.
 
-Beltre went up and destroyed a single on a ball at the letters
-Rios struck out
-Moreland doubled down the line
-Adduci reached on an IF single to make it 3-2.
-Martin hit another single up the middle ti make it 3-3.
-Murphy walked to load the bases. (1 out)
-Choo up, Andrus on deck as the only other potential spot to come up this inning.
 
Edit: Full count on Choo with 2 outs, bases loaded, tie game in the bottom of the 9th... and Papelbon walks in the winning run. That's the most Choo walk off ever.
 

beezer

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Papelbon on his way to blowing a 3-1 lead in the 9th. He's throwing 91 and they're hitting ropes off him. Tied 3-3, bases loaded, 1 out
 

MakMan44

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M's up 2-0 on the Angels. People who are calling for them to actually make some noise in the West may actually be right.
 

ForceAtHome

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MakMan44 said:
M's up 2-0 on the Angels. People who are calling for them to actually make some noise in the West may actually be right.
 
Paxton is pitching well. 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 8 K, 2 BB. Trout has accounted for half of those four base runners (hit, walk). Paxton struck out the side in both the 4th and 5th innings and seven of his eight Ks have been swinging.
 
If the Mariners want to contender, Ramirez, Paxton, and Walker need to be good. So far, so good.
 

ForceAtHome

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Closers are struggling all over the place today as Jose Veras is the second closer in the Cubs-Pirates game alone to falter... Starling Marte just had a 2-out single in the bottom of the 12th to tie it at 3-3.
 
One closer who didn't struggle is Josh Fields who sent the Yankees down 1-2-3 in the 9th to seal another Astros victory.
 

ScubaSteveAvery

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Rizzo went deep in the top of the 12th to put the Cubs ahead, but Marte singles in a runner a 3-2 count with 2 outs to keep the Pirates alive. 
 

ForceAtHome

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Cubs and Pirates are tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 12th. The bases are loaded with two outs and McCutchen is at the plate.
 
Despite getting ahead 2-0, Veras has evened the count at 2-2. And now the count is full... Is this Choo 2.0?
 
Ooof. McCutchen strikes out on a big curve.
 

54thMA

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j-man said:
yeah the Angels are bad but the yankess are giving them a run for their money   
 
Back to  back losses to the AAAstros; the Jeter farewell tour is off to a flying start.
 
 

ScubaSteveAvery

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Big challenge in Pittsburgh. Neil Walker bunts with men on 1st and 2nd and no outs, and the pitcher Wright goes to third instead of getting the out at first.  Super close play at third on the force. So we will have bases loaded no outs, or men on 1st and 2nd with 1 out and a double play option. 
 
Challenge confirms that Alvarez was safe.  
 

nattysez

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I understand that Bruce Bochy generally eschews worrying about pitch counts, but 103 pitches for Tim Hudson in his first start of the year seems ill-advised.
 

ForceAtHome

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James Paxton's night should be over with 99 pitches through 7 innings pitched. He's allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, 0 runs, and struck out 9. Again, two of those four base runners allowed were Trout.