Jim French Stepstool
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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool
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Not sure when we see him, but I think Miz pitches at some point & should go for as long as he can be effective. I'd have a LH open as well. And I'd like it to be Quintana so Ashby can be available for the mid-portion. And I'd agree that Patrick is almost certain to work. Not sure about Uribe for only one inning. If ever there was a game to ride him hard this is it, and he's extremely well-rested.
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I'm not in the medical profession. But a longtime friend who now is a Red Cross director did one of his clinicals years ago relating to afflictions of the mind. I get the despondency, but sports fans can be interesting test cases, to say the least. Many take the leap of actually believing that they 'knew' something bad was going to happen beforehand, which is obviously nonsense. I'd say it's a defense mechanism. Maybe not textbook, but........ But back to baseball. Like in 2011, they're returning home tied after going up 2-0 & need to play better than they played in Chicago. No momentum. Chicago also had none, but found a way to turn things around at home. We need to do the same.
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He adjusted the batting order in game three vs a RHP after facing lefties in the first two. He's done that numerous times during a season in which they won 97 games, and it was often successful. The red lights were including Lockridge in that game, and not reverting to the games 1 & 2 BO in game four. He spread out the LHH. I understand the idea behind that, but it didn't work. So that can certainly be criticized.
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It looked obvious from late in the season that Lockridge would be added, due in large part to the ? regarding Chourio & the hammy and probably fueled by Collins turning in some downright horrible defensive play late in the season, along with the ability to PR. Definitely, he hasn't contributed. But there weren't many other options. They didn't put much effort into getting Hoskins more ABs late in the year, so I don't think they ever considered him much of an option. His #s were OK in Nashville. That might prove to be a mistake. After that, they took a look at Urias in AAA, and Tyler Black was probably considered. Siegler would've been an INF version of Lockridge. Slim pickings.
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In situations like that you're right, it isn't as consequential if he doesn't reach. I just have a hard time lumping a twelve-pitch AB someone puts up, with one where you're totally overmatched or chase three pitches & sit down or whatever. I thought what he did was impressive despite the result.
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Ortiz was 'kept in' because at that time Murphy would've been happy with making it a one-run game, and Ortiz was more than capable of advancing the runners into scoring position w/one out & two of the better hitters on the team looming. No one is 'in over his head', except apparently Yelich in the following AB. Check around. You seldom if ever see a manager make moves like that in the fifth inning, when you have the same spots in the order coming around again in a couple innings & you only have four or five position players, and only one of them a MINF. It may have been part of the reason Vaughn was held back until the 9th inning in game 3. The A's did that in the 70s. they had three or four guys who could play 2B, none of them particularly good hitters, and would often PH for them. But that was when you had seven position players on your bench. Usually the only early moves these days are when you more-or-less script it, like Counsell the other day when he waited for a RHP so he could then insert Busch.
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Actually, that was a very good AB by Lockridge that unfortunately ended badly. If several guys put up 7, 8. 9 pitch ABs like that on a consistent basis it can turn games. It's bitten Peralta on the backside many times over the years. It hurt him today, to an extent. I'm not defending him starting game two, though.
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I didn't mind leaving him in to sacrifice. Bank on Yelich or Chourio to drive in a pair & make it a one-run game. Had Murphy pulled out a crystal ball & saw us giving up three more runs then he probably hits for him.
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Not if we can work from ahead in the count. The problem will be length, unless Patrick or Miz can be effective. If they go with one of the lefties early, a scoreless first would be refreshing. Might even be invigorating.
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Lather, rinse, repeat---the similarity between Peralta & Priester in the opening inning was stunning. One out, and a 'no big deal' ground ball single by Hoerner. I guess that means we have to lose our water & walk Tucker on four straight. The 1st inning HRs sucked the last two days, but what preceded & followed them was just as bad IMO. Set a horrible tone. I couldn't help but compare it to when Palencia entered the game to face Chourio. Here's a guy who turned around 101MPH for a HR in game two. But Palencia went right after him. First pitch pop up. I don't have numbers in front of me, but in the latter stages of the season it seemed like our pitchers nibbled more than previously. Saturday, be more aggressive in the zone early in the ABs.
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I can only say what I'd do: Ashby or Quintana for a start & a couple innings. I know Ashby worked some today, but he's worked back-to-back several times so I think he easily could do it. Both probably get used either way. I think a bigger issue is how they parse out the rest. Best case scenario, Patrick & Misiorowski could cover fifteen outs, more if Miz is locating & getting ahead in the count like he did in Pittsburgh. Patrick might be a darkhorse for the start. I'm not so sure we don't see Priester for an inning. Another thing to keep in mind: Uribe has mostly been in mothballs for a long time. He could go two. Anderson, Koenig, Mears---despite the uncertainty there's more than enough to cover nine effectively.
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I believe it boils down to getting Yelich back up to the plate (as well as Chourio, who I assume is hitting 2nd) ASAP in a close game. That's not to say I'm in favor of it, but that's the mindset. I guess it's the offensive equivalent of using a closer early, or asking him to get five or six outs, in a playoff game. If 8 & 9 in the order can get on base like in the first two games it'll look a lot smarter.
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He's splitting the LHHs as far apart as he can. It's more about that than declaring "Turang is a cleanup hitter". I might argue for Frelick leading off though, with Yelich 4th.
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I think they wanted 3 LHP in the BP and thought Quintana might've been starting a game, hence Gasser. But even then you could make a case for Zastryzny over Gasser. It looks like it wound up being an either/or with Myers & Patrick, and Patrick is throwing the ball really well right now.
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It was posted by someone earlier that Lockridge being in the lineup didn't make a difference in them losing the game. I agreed at the time, but analyzing it further Perkins would've most likely been the hitter when you had the runners at the corners w/one out, instead of Lockridge. And Perkins had collected three hits in the first couple games. My gut tells me we might've seen the same safety squeeze, but maybe Perkins puts it in a better spot.
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Boyd hasn't been great. But "He's left-handed, and Colin Rea isn't" might've been the determiner. I too, am fine with it.
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Yeah, Turang has had ABs where he's bunted--even when it was semi-expected--and beaten it out or forced a bobble. Having Collins still available definitely might've changed the dynamic. But the 2nd PH in the 7th was for Ortiz, and it's going to be pretty automatic that he'll be hit for if they're trailing late.
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Got it. I will say that I wouldn't be surprised if Uribe has an outing of more than one inning this series. But the others, you're right.
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You make a good argument. But Frelick is hitting around .300 for the year vs LHP. I doubt it was ever considered to pull him back for Vaughn there & I have no problem with it. And if the eighth doesn't go well, the ninth certainly does matter. Maybe if he had another bench bat for the 9th........but even then I think he stays with Sal.
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Of the three LHH mentioned, I like Frelick at the top of the order. But in a relatively short post-season I think managers can get caught up in the idea of getting your better hitters more PAs. I'd say Yelich has been swinging it OK. But yeah, you have to question how often he'll see baserunners when he comes to the plate if leading off.
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In the eighth inning Murphy was thinking ahead to the ninth w/Monasterio & Perkins due up. I suspect that's where he was already slotting Vaughn (personally I would've used Vaughn for Perkins, not Monasterio). He liked the idea of Frelick vs Thielbar more than Mona & Perkins vs Keller. And I don't see him using Jansen as a PH in the 9th vs a RHP. I agree re the bunt. It's not necessarily giving up an out & you're pressuring the INF. But after strike one, I felt any chance of seeing it went out the window.
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Good stuff. But as for Miz, game five or not I feel much better about him pitching at home, especially after his game two performance. You aren't going to second-guess either way? I'm sorry, I'm afraid we're going to have to revoke your message board license.
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I agree Peralta should start, but I don't know where you're going with the second sentence. People who have followed the starting pitcher in this series have given up one run in three games & allowed one inherited runner to score.
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I originally liked the idea of Peralta being held back for a possible 5th game, but I've wavered on that in favor of him starting on his regular day. I wouldn't hate starting out w/Ashby for an inning or two but man, I'd love going into the back half of the game w/a lead & both Ashby and Koenig available if needed. Then if you DO go five games you'd probably have at least one of them available, plus Quintana for an inning if needed and most likely all the one-inning RHPs after a day off (not that Uribe couldn't go more than one). And Misiorowski & Patrick most likely don't pitch tonite. They're covered Saturday if needed.
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Very true. It's really about the LRLR thing & not wanting him next to Contreras when opponents go to the BP. Me, I'd be fine with Frelick, Chourio, Yelich & Contreras 1-4 & be done with it.
