Reds @ Braves...Game 1

• mhs95_06

  Ironman92;1609364 wrote:So why did they take Billy out?

  I really liked the way Price managed the line-up tonight, with the injuries and double switches. The Pena Hoover move wasn't a double switch(ump notified of the 2 new players at the same time). I think it was just a straight PH by Pena, then Hoover was going to come into the 9th spot, until Meso came up lame. And Price is different than Dusty in a good way in that he likes to use certain pitchers against certain hitters rather than Dusty using certain pitchers for certain innings. He started with Hoover in Mesoroco's 7th spot because he had to put someone there, and he only needed a new pitcher in the game. He knew he wanted Marshall to face the 1,2,3 spots for the Braves, plus the #9 spot if they put up a LH PH, which they did, and he knew that if Marshall did his job well the would cover parts of two different innings, and he didn't want him in the 7th spot which would be due to be 4th up in the 8th. So when he put Marshall in he figured the Reds 7,8,9,1 spots might likely face Kimbrell and Cozart, Hamilton, and Heisey would all 3 have a harder time hitting him than Bernadina. So he put Bernadina in the 7th spot to hit 4th in the 8th or lead-off against Kimbrell in the 9th, and Marshall in for Hamilton, whose #1 spot probably wouldn't come up until the 9th inning.
  
  It worked out that Marshall pitched in 2 innings and Bernadina was going to lead-off the 9th, so when he took out Marshall, and needed to double switch for the pitchers #1 spot in the order, his choices for the hitter to go into the #1 spot were not good - and he choose Heisey, the only outfielder left and the best choice.
  
  So going into the 9th against Kimbrell, you have to figure the best chances for success off Kimbrell would be Pena(3rd up), Bernadina(1st up), and Votto(5th up). And the worst chances would be Cozart(2nd up), Heisey(4th up), and Phillips(6th up) -- these three you have to hope for some kind of productive out and not a killer double play.
  
  So it starts good with a single by Bernadina. Then they got lucky with Kimbrell's control and Cozart walked, so the plot really thickened, and this is where I think Price didn't do too well. Pena is up who stung the ball when he pinch hit earlier. He is one of the 3 you need two of to get a hit. Even if he is a successful bunter, then it goes to a poor prospect, Heisey, and you figure Kimbrell will handle him even keeping him from getting the run in from 3rd with one out. So I would let him hit, but worried about a double play. We've seen before Pena in a big game winning situation, over-swing. So to help both of those, I'd have put my eggs in the hit and run basket from the get-go. I think Bernadina and Cozart have a good chance to pull off a double steal if Pena whiffs the swing and you get it to where you would be if you sacrificed and probably wouldn't have the out and have at least the 3rd strike left for Pena with the double play not in order. But what I'm looking for is a hit on the play knocking in the tying run and putting the lead run in scoring position. I would even want to do it with two strikes, like they still could have done after Pena gave up 2 strikes trying to bunt, especially there to stay out of the double play. If you do get the bunt or double steal and Heisey comes up with one out, its probably coming to Votto with two out, just like it did, except it'll be a little better with two in scoring position instead of one like it was. If you've got two in scoring position and 2 out, then they'd strongly consider walking Votto and have a very good chance of getting BP to end the game. So I don't think you should try to give them an out on Pena's AB!
  
  So, I think that Prices line-up changes were right on the money and the bullpen allowed no more runs after Homer's poor outing again, and the offensive line-up set up about as good as could be expected in light of the two unexpected injury substitutions, and it put them right where they needed to be to pull it out, but the strategy with Pena at bat was flawed.
  
  It is nice to see the umps get it right with the replay. But what I have always thought has been the biggest injustice in the game, balls and strike calls, still remains, and was illustrated in the Heisey AB. This is easily corrected with telemetry called balls and strikes, and saves a lot of time by not having all the many times of justified griping, and many times unjustified griping over those ball/strike calls. And with the new emphasis on home plate collisions, isn't it nice to see the catchers now playing most of the throws and the runners like they should have been all along like they would have if the umps would have enforced the long existing rule to not block the base without the ball.
• Ironman92

  

  mhs95_06;1609445 wrote:I really liked the way Price managed the line-up tonight, with the injuries and double switches. The Pena Hoover move wasn't a double switch(ump notified of the 2 new players at the same time). I think it was just a straight PH by Pena, then Hoover was going to come into the 9th spot, until Meso came up lame. And Price is different than Dusty in a good way in that he likes to use certain pitchers against certain hitters rather than Dusty using certain pitchers for certain innings. He started with Hoover in Mesoroco's 7th spot because he had to put someone there, and he only needed a new pitcher in the game. He knew he wanted Marshall to face the 1,2,3 spots for the Braves, plus the #9 spot if they put up a LH PH, which they did, and he knew that if Marshall did his job well the would cover parts of two different innings, and he didn't want him in the 7th spot which would be due to be 4th up in the 8th. So when he put Marshall in he figured the Reds 7,8,9,1 spots might likely face Kimbrell and Cozart, Hamilton, and Heisey would all 3 have a harder time hitting him than Bernadina. So he put Bernadina in the 7th spot to hit 4th in the 8th or lead-off against Kimbrell in the 9th, and Marshall in for Hamilton, whose #1 spot probably wouldn't come up until the 9th inning.
  
  It worked out that Marshall pitched in 2 innings and Bernadina was going to lead-off the 9th, so when he took out Marshall, and needed to double switch for the pitchers #1 spot in the order, his choices for the hitter to go into the #1 spot were not good - and he choose Heisey, the only outfielder left and the best choice.
  
  So going into the 9th against Kimbrell, you have to figure the best chances for success off Kimbrell would be Pena(3rd up), Bernadina(1st up), and Votto(5th up). And the worst chances would be Cozart(2nd up), Heisey(4th up), and Phillips(6th up) -- these three you have to hope for some kind of productive out and not a killer double play.
  
  So it starts good with a single by Bernadina. Then they got lucky with Kimbrell's control and Cozart walked, so the plot really thickened, and this is where I think Price didn't do too well. Pena is up who stung the ball when he pinch hit earlier. He is one of the 3 you need two of to get a hit. Even if he is a successful bunter, then it goes to a poor prospect, Heisey, and you figure Kimbrell will handle him even keeping him from getting the run in from 3rd with one out. So I would let him hit, but worried about a double play. We've seen before Pena in a big game winning situation, over-swing. So to help both of those, I'd have put my eggs in the hit and run basket from the get-go. I think Bernadina and Cozart have a good chance to pull off a double steal if Pena whiffs the swing and you get it to where you would be if you sacrificed and probably wouldn't have the out and have at least the 3rd strike left for Pena with the double play not in order. But what I'm looking for is a hit on the play knocking in the tying run and putting the lead run in scoring position. I would even want to do it with two strikes, like they still could have done after Pena gave up 2 strikes trying to bunt, especially there to stay out of the double play. If you do get the bunt or double steal and Heisey comes up with one out, its probably coming to Votto with two out, just like it did, except it'll be a little better with two in scoring position instead of one like it was. If you've got two in scoring position and 2 out, then they'd strongly consider walking Votto and have a very good chance of getting BP to end the game. So I don't think you should try to give them an out on Pena's AB!
  
  So, I think that Prices line-up changes were right on the money and the bullpen allowed no more runs after Homer's poor outing again, and the offensive line-up set up about as good as could be expected in light of the two unexpected injury substitutions, and it put them right where they needed to be to pull it out, but the strategy with Pena at bat was flawed.
  
  It is nice to see the umps get it right with the replay. But what I have always thought has been the biggest injustice in the game, balls and strike calls, still remains, and was illustrated in the Heisey AB. This is easily corrected with telemetry called balls and strikes, and saves a lot of time by not having all the many times of justified griping, and many times unjustified griping over those ball/strike calls. And with the new emphasis on home plate collisions, isn't it nice to see the catchers now playing most of the throws and the runners like they should have been all along like they would have if the umps would have enforced the long existing rule to not block the base without the ball.

  S&L won't be reading that lol
• SportsAndLady

  

  Ironman92;1609453 wrote:S&L won't be reading that lol

  Jesus
• Ironman92

  

  SportsAndLady;1609473 wrote:Jesus

  Lol