The crazy play last night

[JimR]

When I first saw the first and third play on which the fourth run scored, my first thought was “WTF is the SS doing?” Why did he throw home instead of turning two to end the inning?” TK said this on his pbp. Perhaps some or many of you thought the same thing. But after watching the replay several times, I changed my mind, and Stanton voiced my current opinion in the postgame show.

The catcher was the one at fault. With a runner at third and one out, he cannot assume a double play attempt and leave the plate uncovered. Think Bregman and McCann in Game Seven against NYY. The Seattle SS had to charge the ball slightly to his right and was moving diagonally away from second base. Right or wrong, he made the judgment he did not have time to stop, plant, turn, and get the DP to end the inning and to keep the run from scoring. Like Bregman in the ALCS, he threw home to cut off the run which he thought would score if he tried for a DP. The catcher had no business vacating the plate in that situation, and the runner coming from third would have been out. The SS looked foolish throwing to an uncovered base, but the error in judgment was the catcher’s.

[Mr. Happy]

When I first saw the first and third play on which the fourth run scored, my first thought was “WTF is the SS doing?” Why did he throw home instead of turning two to end the inning?” TK said this on his pbp. Perhaps some or many of you thought the same thing. But after watching the replay several times, I changed my mind, and Stanton voiced my current opinion in the postgame show.

The catcher was the one at fault. With a runner at third and one out, he cannot assume a double play attempt and leave the plate uncovered. Think Bregman and McCann in Game Seven against NYY. The Seattle SS had to charge the ball slightly to his right and was moving diagonally away from second base. Right or wrong, he made the judgment he did not have time to stop, plant, turn, and get the DP to end the inning and to keep the run from scoring. Like Bregman in the ALCS, he threw home to cut off the run which he thought would score if he tried for a DP. The catcher had no business vacating to plate in that situation, and the runner coming from third would have been out. The SS looked foolish throwing to an uncovered base, but the error in judgment was the catcher’s.

That catcher was boneheaded.

[VirtualBob]

When I first saw the first and third play on which the fourth run scored, my first thought was “WTF is the SS doing?” Why did he throw home instead of turning two to end the inning?” TK said this on his pbp. Perhaps some or many of you thought the same thing. But after watching the replay several times, I changed my mind, and Stanton voiced my current opinion in the postgame show.

The catcher was the one at fault. With a runner at third and one out, he cannot assume a double play attempt and leave the plate uncovered. Think Bregman and McCann in Game Seven against NYY. The Seattle SS had to charge the ball slightly to his right and was moving diagonally away from second base. Right or wrong, he made the judgment he did not have time to stop, plant, turn, and get the DP to end the inning and to keep the run from scoring. Like Bregman in the ALCS, he threw home to cut off the run which he thought would score if he tried for a DP. The catcher had no business vacating the plate in that situation, and the runner coming from third would have been out. The SS looked foolish throwing to an uncovered base, but the error in judgment was the catcher’s.

That was my take live too. Then I let the pbp guy talk me out of it.

[HudsonHawk]

I didn't see the play, I'll have to look for a video.  But the catcher should NEVER leave the plate uncovered with a runner in scoring position, especially at 3B. 

[Jacksonian]

I didn't see the play, I'll have to look for a video.  But the catcher should NEVER leave the plate uncovered with a runner in scoring position, especially at 3B.

He was half way up the line when the throw crossed the plate.  https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-score-with-plate-unoccupied

[HudsonHawk]

He was half way up the line when the throw crossed the plate.  https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-score-with-plate-unoccupied

Yeah, just looked it up.  Narvaez fucked that up.  He should never leave the plate uncovered with a runner at 3B.  That's 100% on the catcher.

[juliogotay]

I didn't see the play, I'll have to look for a video.  But the catcher should NEVER leave the plate uncovered with a runner in scoring position, especially at 3B.

Exactly.

[MRaup]

Bregman was out by 10+ feet if there is anyone to catch the throw, and it was right over the plate.

[JimR]

Bregman was out by 10+ feet if there is anyone to catch the throw, and it was right over the plate.

This. Whether the SS was correct in his judgment about where to throw is irrelevant. The judgment is his to make, not the catcher’s.

[das]

Scott Service said as much in his post game interview.  He said the catcher should not have vacated.  He also said he had done this himself in his playing career so he knew it was wrong.  In a classy move, he also said his catcher had a great game except for this one move and that he would never make the same mistake again, just as he (Service) never did.

[hostros7]

Scott Service said as much in his post game interview.  He said the catcher should not have vacated.  He also said he had done this himself in his playing career so he knew it was wrong.  In a classy move, he also said his catcher had a great game except for this one move and that he would never make the same mistake again, just as he (Service) never did.

(Servais)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HudsonHawk]

Scott Service said as much in his post game interview.  He said the catcher should not have vacated.  He also said he had done this himself in his playing career so he knew it was wrong.  In a classy move, he also said his catcher had a great game except for this one move and that he would never make the same mistake again, just as he (Service) never did.

If Servais said this, he was just trying to avoid addressing. A catcher learns to not leave the plate uncovered in little league.  It was a t-ball mistake.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

It was like the catcher completely forgot there was a man on third.

[HudsonHawk]

It was like the catcher completely forgot there was a man on third.

That, to me, is far more likely than him thinking he was supposed to back up 1B.  He may have just lost track of the base runners.

[Noe]

On MLB today, GM in residence Dan O'Dowd said it was the catcher's fault for vacating a base he has no business vacating in that situation. Then he added a dig in case anyone thinks "well, he should get an A for hustle since he was going to back up a play at first in case they try to get a double play!". O'Dowd quickly said after he said it was the wrong play to go for two and the catcher had no business taking that option away from the shortstop "And he hasn't backed up first base all season long, why start now!!!" The added emphasis was O'Dowd not mine.

[juliogotay]

On MLB today, GM in residence Dan O'Dowd said it was the catcher's fault for vacating a base he has no business vacating in that situation. Then he added a dig in case anyone thinks "well, he should get an A for hustle since he was going to back up a play at first in case they try to get a double play!". O'Dowd quickly said after he said it was the wrong play to go for two and the catcher had no business taking that option away from the shortstop "And he hasn't backed up first base all season long, why start now!!!" The added emphasis was O'Dowd not mine.

O'Dowd is pretty good on that network.