Why the game was lost, Part II.

[das]

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070403&content_id=1877731&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou
No need to tip the cap this time. According to Snell, he wasn't that dominant.  "Let's just say they just helped me out a lot, them swinging at bad pitches," he said. "When they got 0-2, or I'd throw a pitch in the dirt or throw a slider and got them out."

That's disturbing and oh so very familiar.

[ValpoCory]

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070403&content_id=1877731&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou
No need to tip the cap this time. According to Snell, he wasn't that dominant.  "Let's just say they just helped me out a lot, them swinging at bad pitches," he said. "When they got 0-2, or I'd throw a pitch in the dirt or throw a slider and got them out."

That's disturbing and oh so very familiar.

And oh so right.  Look at the Snell strikes out 11 video on MLB.com.

[homer]

And oh so right.  Look at the Snell strikes out 11 video on MLB.com.

I don't know how a slider can be called a 'bad pitch'. None of the strikeouts were on pitches in the dirt. 3 were by Biggio low and away (shocking), 2 were by Ensberg both on a backdoor up and in slider (one swinging, one not), and 2 were low to Lee who was overly aggressive.

[Phil_in_CS]

hopefully this doesn't become a series including "how the game was lost, Part XCII"

[Limey]

hopefully this doesn't become a series including "how the game was lost, Part XCII"

Perhaps it can be incorporated into the recaps.

[VirtualBob]

Forgive me if this was covered in another thread, but this thread looked like the most likely spot.  I missed the entire game and only saw a replay on the news.  The sportscaster was blaming "all the usual suspects" as he berated Wheeler for blowing the lead, but the video showed an entirely different story ...  he did not identify the batter, but what I saw was a weak, late swing, a high pop into shallow right center, and Burke, *much* too late, racing in to field it on the bounce as it landed well beyond Biggio's range.

So ... For those who are better informed than both me and the sportscaster in question, what really happened on that play?  Was it the run-scoring nail-in-the-coffin that the talking head implied?  And if so, was it really a failure of the bullpen or a failure of ourfield defense?  From the very limited view i had, it looked like it should have been an easy play for most CF's.

[homer]

Forgive me if this was covered in another thread, but this thread looked like the most likely spot.  I missed the entire game and only saw a replay on the news.  The sportscaster was blaming "all the usual suspects" as he berated Wheeler for blowing the lead, but the video showed an entirely different story ...  he did not identify the batter, but what I saw was a weak, late swing, a high pop into shallow right center, and Burke, *much* too late, racing in to field it on the bounce as it landed well beyond Biggio's range.

So ... For those who are better informed than both me and the sportscaster in question, what really happened on that play?  Was it the run-scoring nail-in-the-coffin that the talking head implied?  And if so, was it really a failure of the bullpen or a failure of ourfield defense?  From the very limited view i had, it looked like it should have been an easy play for most CF's.

Burke got a late jump and Biggio forgot Willy doesn't live there anymore.

[JimR]

as it landed well beyond Biggio's range.

not so. he did not try to get it, even if Burke should have caught it. mediocre effort by Biggio; Burke very likely misjudged it.

[VirtualBob]

not so. he did not try to get it, even if Burke should have caught it. mediocre effort by Biggio; Burke very likely misjudged it.

Thanks for the clarification ... the camera angle was less than helpful on that score, all I saw was Biggio pealing off after a run of indeterminant length ... sounds from your perspective that the run was 'too little, too late'.

[JimR]

just not enough. when he peeled off, Burke had no chance.

[Rammer33]

just not enough. when he peeled off, Burke had no chance.

it looked to me like both players didn't have much of a chance to get that ball ... but I might have had a bad angle