Oy! Giants lose 3-2, and is now down 1-2 in the World Series. Worse, the bullpen gave up the winning run, with our LOOGY facing their top lefty, and allowing the inherited runner to score what proved to be the winning run. Moreover, our hitters was unable to hit a hitter who couldn't throw a strike three past anyone. He relied on his fielders and they did not let him down, catching all the batted balls the Giants hitters smashed.
ogc thoughts
Hudson was unable to get his nerves ready for the start of the game, and was immediately scored upon. But he calmed down by the second inning and was OK until the 6th inning. He pitched well enough but not dominantly. He ended with a 3 DOM. OK, but not good enough.
Guthrie wasn't better, he had a 2 DOM, so technically he pitched worse. But that's the way the baseball bounces sometimes. Then the new KC drug, HDH, shut down the Giants the rest of the way, though Herrera had a hiccup and like Lopez, gave up a run too, so they are not invulnerable.
Game 4 is a must win. Vogelsong is scheduled and probable. I wrote about him and Vargas in the first post for the World Series but I'm too depressed to go find it and paste it here. Basically, Vogelsong has been good but not great in the playoffs, DOM-wise, but as noted in the media, he tied some sort of record by allowing 1 or less runs in his first five playoff starts, until his last start. We need him to return to his prior goodness.
Especially since Vargas has been pitching like an ace, and throwing DOM at the opposing teams.
So Game 4 does not look good. Of course, maybe I'm more nervous because this is the first since since 2002 where the Giants were behind in the World Series, first time ever with Bochy. Hopefully Pence will have an inspiring speech to rally the troops again.
There is some talk about pitching Bumgarner on short rest but it's not happening unless the game is rained out and pushed to Sunday, I think. We are in a tight spot, but no tighter than we were in 2012. But we need some guys to step up.
This article captures a lot of the issues I've had with Bochy this post-season: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2014-mlb-playoffs-world-series-giants-royals-game-3-4-5-story-lines-to-watch/
ReplyDeleteBasically, going with our older starters (i.e. those not named Bumgarner) beyond 5 innings WHEN they don't got it, whether it's because the umpire don't call a pitch that 90% of the other umpires call strikes (like the one in Hudson's start, he wouldn't give the corners, he's and others of his kind are the reason why I'm leaning towards wanting technology to call balls and strikes, though that would eliminate the advantage Posey and other catchers have in framing pitches) or if they just plain can't seem to hack it (I love what Peavy can do in the regular season, but he's been a dud in the playoffs his whole career).
And the odd thing is that this was not an issue in prior playoffs, it's like Bochy is trying to mix it up this season and change his tactics a bit. I understand not trusting Machi and Strickland, for their individual reasons, but he could have gone to Lincecum sooner and try his 2012 magic. I'm hoping he goes to Timmy early and often the rest of the way, the moment the starter looks like he's going to lose it.
In addition, I agree that Petit should be used more. Why wasn't Petit or Lincecum used to start the 6th inning yesterday? Hudson did a great job containing things after the first inning, but he wasn't striking out guys like he normally do because this umpire wasn't having it, and Huddy, even if his pitch count wasn't high, was laboring to keep it going. The 6th would have been perfect to bring in either Petit or Lincecum to pitch 1-3 innings, depending on how it's going with them, but the need to pinch-hit for them. Instead, he puts 1+ innings on Affeldt's arm again, too little, too late, since the winning run was plated.
Having Petit is a huge advantage, having Petit and Lincecum, even more so, and yet both of them have not been used much. This has to change or I am afraid we are not going to be celebrating this off-season.