Pushed To The Brink
Well, look on the bright side: last night could have been the close out game. But it wasn’t and the Rays live to see another day. The problem is, will today be the final day they live to see?
At least they have the right guy on the mound.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Rays did have 4 no hit shutout innings of relief. But they also never scored after 4th, Glasnow having given up 4 by then. They still aren’t hitting–team BA of .228. Wendle Meadows Renfroe Lowe and Choi highest BA is .154, Adames .176. Team OPS .708, LA .860.
Their baserunning has been a major problem.
Unc is right. The inning where Opie started to unravel a bit, after Margot had stolen 2nd and a walk, from then on Kershaw retired last 7 batters he faced including groundout by Aroz, not counting Margot getting edged at plate. Then next inning Glass gives up insurance run bomb to Muncy.
The post season Opie meltdowns just haven’t happened, and he’s beaten Glasnow twice.
Other key inning was after Carrot Top left with runner on Gonzalez (surprise entry there with game on line) threw wild pitch then gave up walk. Aroz swung at first pitch and drove it to CF but not deep enough and they got out of inning.
Felt that one coming even before the game last night. Never tuned as Glasnow started for Rays. Opie seems to have broken his hex. Decent chance for Rays in game 6. Game 7 largely depends on who pitches. Just tuned into the Flap to get the expected bad news. Didn’t even access MLB site this morning. That may tell all how much I despise the Googenheimers and their purchase of Mooks from the hapless Sox.
Agreed, if you aren’t hitting or getting on base it’s critical to not run yourself out of innings or ruin scoring chances with base running blunders. Some of those outs at bases have just been by a hair! If they get there a split second earlier, who knows how it all works out. But, *game of inches* as they say.
The Rays just have to dig deep. It can be done. Go Rays
Rays actually got a break when they let Margot stay at third after the stupid, unintended use of the replay challenge rule. He was clearly off the base. Credit to Buck for hammering the dumbness of baseball’s implementation of the replay. It needs fixin’…
My wife is usually a calm observer whose enjoyment of the games is proportional to how well I contain my own emotions. But man did she get hacked off about that replay last night. I pointed out that runners could choose to slide feet first to reduce the chances of coming off the bag, but she wasn’t having any of it.
Roberts moves worked out last night too. He had predetermined number of batters Opie was going to face. Leading off 6th (and his next to last) was Aroz, who hit 105 mph rocket but right at Turner who threw him out. One batter later Opie was gone for previously ineffective Carrot Top–who proceeded to retire 4 in a row before allowing single. One of those was hit pretty hard to LF and Pederson made nice grab going back on it. The first he faced was Margot whom he k’d. So with dangerous part of order up and Kershaw about done they got out 2 hitters who had most amount of success for Rays.
I will say when Margot broke for home that was exciting shit….
I’m obviously not a fan of the SB, but that was a really cool play, especially with 2 outs. Kershaw was very quick, although his throw home was not ideal, ala Muncy the night before.
Have the Rays made outs on the bases other than their SB attempts?
Shit, Kiermeier is batting .375 with 2 big flies in the WS. No reason to take the bat out of his hands.
It was an *interesting* call. Kiermaier is a shitty hitter. Imagine if it had been another similarly mediocre Teuton like Nate Schierholz who had lucked into batting 375 during a Giants WS — how much faith would you have had in Nate at that point?
Enough not to try and steal home. Look at the hero the other night. Brett Phillips is no Babe Ruth, but he got the hit.
So, you think it was the right play? Surely you are joking. Haven’t you been poo-pooing steals for the last couple years?
The Rays had runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs the other day. Runner broke on a ball hit to 3rd (dumb) who was thrown out in a run-down, and the back runner was thrown out trying to get to 3rd. I think it was the game 3 loss.
Not your average DP.
Yeah these plays where a runners on 3rd no outs are 1 out with the infield in and they go on contact is suicide.There dead meat at the plate, just don’t understand the logic unless you’re Mookie Betts and the 3rd basemen is not holding him close and his lead is half way..
No outs no less. Speaking of our manager . . .
I think Kiermaier is Jewish. Makes all the difference, doesn’t it (if that’s right)?
Ha, yeah, another member of the Kevin “I seem a much better player than I am” Tribe. I haven’t seen a Kiermaier dive yet.
#24 on Bears that got burned for TD by Goff…that was number of All Pro safety Roosevelt Taylor, who played there for long time, was on their Champ team in 1963, then spent couple years with Niners. Played college ball at Grambling, died earlier this year in May.
Yeah, I remember him on the Niners, not the Bears. I do remember being pissed when Kermit Alexander (44) went from the Niners to the Rams. Alexander was a great punt returner. At least that’s how I remember him.
Today I looked at replays on espn and twitter. I know the ball got there 1st, but the catcher had the glove centally and Margot left hand looked to me like it hit the bag before the tag. Anyone besides me and Trevor Bauer who thought he was safe? And why on earth did the Rays not challenge????
All I remember about Alexander &Taylor we’re there uni numbers in the rear view mirror getting burned on pass plays.Of course when you have HOF Jimmy Johnson manning left corner no QB threw in his direction so those 2 took the brunt of the punishment with separate times with the club..
The right play? Probably not. In the abstract, there’s about a 1 in 4 chance at least one run scores by letting Keirmaier hit. OTOH, that play took the world by surprise, and they barely got Margot. After watching the ridiculous Arozarena redeemed the night before, Cash might’ve been feeling it.
As for stolen bases, what I’m against is the totally phony revolution Wills — a hated Doidger, right? — brought on. When Mays pointed out he could have stolen more bases, if he’d bothered to make the SB total a goal, he was taking the position most teams now follow. Steal a base when it makes strategic sense.
And Mickey Mantle: “Hell, if I’d known 40–40 was going to be a big deal, I’d have done it every year!”
Well, he only hit 40 homers 4 times and never stole more than 21 bases in a season.
Mickey might’ve said that just for effect…
Can’t prove it one way or the other, but I suspect one of the biggest crocks of shit is all the alleged doubles Mays could’ve had, but chose to stay at first so there wouldn’t be an open base for McCovey.
Any of the older guys here ever see him do that on any kind of regular basis?
Tim Flannery is apparently very sick with some kind of infection. That really stinks. It doesn’t sound very good.
What kind of medicine do they prescribe for sick Twitter handles?
I’m sure with some #antibiotics it’ll be fine…
No one wondring why no challange? I didn’t see it live so maybe there was an explanation, but seems crazy Rays didn’t challange…