Friday, June 27, 2014

Game Scorecard - June 27th: White Sox at Jays - Gm 2

Scored the game:
Internet Baseball Scorecard | June 27th: White Sox at Jays - Gm 2 | http://internetbaseballscorecard2013.blogspot.ca/2014/06/june-27th-white-sox-at-jays-gm-2.html

Watch me pull a win outta my hat

Lots of notes in the at-bat boxes about batter approaches, pitching  strategies, and shifts - how they were pitched and how the batter dealt with them.

Jays floated a line-up designed to hit a lefty - very weak at the bottom I thought.  With Lind hot as a hot potato, I don't see the reason to create this weak right-lefty line-up unless Lind needed the day off as his injury continues to heal.

Jays almost pulled a win out of their hat* with some adroit PH-ing in the ninth - and a lot of mistakes on the field by the Sox - and one I thought, in the dugout by Chicago Manger Robin Ventura in the 8th (see Chicago 8th, batter #4).

With slugger phenom  Jose Abreu coming up next the Chicagos hit and run - which leads to a stike out and a stolen base - the Jays immediately signal 4 balls for the slugger. Could have blown the game wide open if it hadn't gone down that way.

Don't know if it was a play from the dugout or not.

* Watch me pull a win outta my hat:






mh

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Game Scorecard - June 25th: Yankees at Jays - Gm 3

Scored the game:
Internet Baseball Scorecard | June 25th: Yankees at Jays - Gm 3 | http://internetbaseballscorecard2013.blogspot.ca/2014/06/june-25th-yankees-at-jays-gm-3.html

Game Notes


Summary

Yankees prevent a sweep with great pitching - and fine management of their pitching in the middle to late innings - plus a 5-out Save from Yankees' closer, David Robertson - who's pitches were more perfect than I have ever seen. Rivera incarnate.


Notes from within the at-bat boxes:

E Encarnacion at-bat in the 8th against Adam Warren:
6-3
Yankees are sifted left with Jeter behind 3B in shallow left (deepest short) - pitching away - the hit ball was a slider in - sharply hit ground ball right at Jeter - long throw beats Encarnacion

M Kawasaki in the ninth against David Robertson:
Ks
Kawasaki is talking to himself, zoning in on pitches that are strikes, he seems to be saying to himself (after the ball 1 waste pitch - that was in the dirt), don't swing at that one - don't swing at that one - in the zone in - the zone...
Out pitch is a 6-12 slider that drops off the dish with Kawasaki swinging over it.



mh

Monday, June 23, 2014

Game Scorecard - June 23rd: Yankees at Jays - Gm 1

Scored the game.

Internet Baseball Scorecard | June 23rd: Yankees at Jays - Gm 1 | http://internetbaseballscorecard2013.blogspot.ca/2014/06/june-23rd-yankees-at-jays-gm-1.html

Game Notes

Jays bat-around in the 2nd - Marcus Stroman has scintillating night - shuts down the Yankee order for 8 Innings on 114 pitches.

Despite losing Bautista and Lawrie this line-up is HOT ... for now. Cabrera remains Hot; Lind remains Hot. "Double E" has been Hot for a week; D Navarro is Hot right now. (Rasmus was hot in his first games back. Tonight: 0 for 4 with a walk.)

In this observers opinion, more good pitching is key to this order's long term success.

Toronto Blue Jays
Pitchers                  IP   H  R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC-ST   ERA
Marcus Stroman (W, 4-2)   8.0  3  1  1   1   7   1   114-73  4.25

I like Gibbons' managing with the parts he has this year.

With Lawrie on the DL and Bautista out of the line-up indefinitely (for now) with a right hamstring issue, the Jays sent down Erik Kratz (C) and brought up Kevin Pillar (LF, RF, CF) and Anthony Gose (RF, CF, LF). Steve Tolleson (2B, 3B, RF, CF, SS, P) remains on the team's active roster off the bench.


mh

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Game Scorecard - June 22nd: Jays at Reds - Gm 3

Internet Baseball Scorecard |  June 22nd: Jays at Reds - Gm 3 | http://internetbaseballscorecard2013.blogspot.ca/2014/06/june-22nd-jays-at-reds-gm-3.html

Jays lose Lawrie and Bautista.

Jays lose another series - back home against NYY Monday.

Game Notes


Reds are wearing desert camouflage tops, and a group of volunteers was initiated into the US army in a ritual ceremony before the game.

Baseball is like war; but war is nothing like baseball - except in the paying public's mind after this game today perhaps.

Is it patriotic to the Republic to celebrate signing up volunteers for the Imperial Army?

I think not.


When folks say getting rid of the DH would make the game boring, I've always taken a negative approach in my retorts ... like,

'HR's are boring! Besides that, their fascist.' *

But today while watching this National League game I think I've come up with a better retort than that: ...

"The game is interesting enough without it." (actually much more interesting)

The DH only remains because American League fans don't know that, because they never see it. Could inter league play change that?

To DH or not to DH is the question. A resolution is coming - one way of the other. MLB will become all one thing; or all the other thing. The two games cannot stand in one house for very long.

* Crash Davis - 'Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist." - Bull Durham (1988)


Bottom 6th Inning:
Announced that Lawrie has a broken index finger - on the 15 day DL (for now).
Baustista has right hamstring tightness - will evaluate back in Toronto.


mh

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Friday, June 13, 2014