Baseball Musings: NL Rules Cost Pedro a Win

May 03, 2006

NL Rules Cost Pedro a Win

Pedro Martinez failed to win his sixth game tonight due to pitchers batting in the National League. Having thrown just seventy-seven pitches through six innings, the Mets took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Chavez just doubled to drive in Floyd with the go-ahead run when it was Pedro's turn to bat. Randolph pinch hit for Martinez, and although Valentin struck out, Reyes tripled home the insurance run.

In the ninth, Billy Wagner blew the save, sending the game into extra innings where Carlos Delgado won the contest with a home run in the bottom of the 12th.

In an AL game, Martinez would have continued, and with that pitch count could easily finish the game. Randolph made the right move. The insurance run was more important than Pedro continuing in the game. But that's the price a starter pays in the when he can't hit. Pedro's a career .092 hitter.

Posted by David Pinto at 11:13 PM | Games | TrackBack (0)

Comments

he knew that when he took the NL job

Posted by: Mike at May 3, 2006 11:24 PM

AL Rules? Hate to break it to you but only the NL plays baseball. I have no idea what the hell the AL does, but it sure isn't baseball.

FIRST rule of baseball

1.01
Baseball is a game between two teams of nine players each, under direction of a manager, played on an enclosed field in accordance with these rules, under jurisdiction of one or more umpires.

Posted by: dave at May 4, 2006 12:08 AM

Pedro didn't fail to get his sixth win tonight for any other reason than Billy Wagner. Even if Randolph left Pedro in and he pitched two perfect innings like Heilman did, Wagner would have gotten the ball in the ninth.

Posted by: Ryan at May 4, 2006 12:42 AM

If he was pitching an AL game his pitch count would have been higher at the same point because he would be facing a DH.

Posted by: Britt at May 4, 2006 07:58 AM

There was a steady rain coming down for most of the game, and it seemed questionable at times whether or not play would continue. Conditions were pretty poor. Willie may have wanted to get Pedro out of there and avoid the further risk of injury to Pedro.

Posted by: Chris at May 4, 2006 09:42 AM

Saw the game. It was raining hard in Shea, they were going to take out Pedro either way. When Endy Chavez knocked in the run before Pedro batted to go ahead 2-1, they could have left Pedro in if they needed to. Particularly since everything that was being bunted on the wet infield was moving runners along without any trouble. Heilman was ready for the 7th and as the other commenter noted, Pedro should have won, had Willie Randolph lifted Wagner with Sanchez ready when Wagner obviously couldn't find the plate.

Posted by: Tom Thornton at May 4, 2006 09:43 AM

It rained for most of the game and it seemed questionable at times whether play would continue. Conditions were pretty poor. Willie may have wanted to get Pedro out of there to avoid a further chance of injury to him.

Posted by: Chris at May 4, 2006 09:44 AM

AL rules?

BAH

the DH make a mockery of the game - looks like one of those little kids games where all the kids get to play and the scores are 15 -12

AND the games take an hour longer

Posted by: lisa gray at May 4, 2006 09:49 AM

When you have Billy Wagner, he's gonna pitch the ninth. And sometimes, he blows one.

Posted by: Crank at May 4, 2006 11:08 AM

Regardless of whether Pedro was coming out of the game as a pitcher, I'd have rather seen him and his .092 average up there hitting instead of Jose Valentin.

Posted by: joe at May 4, 2006 11:19 AM

Dave,

Good point. I guess the rule book needs to be amended to inlcude the so-called vowel rule: "Baseball is a game between two teams of nine players each, *and sometimes ten*, under direction of a manager, played on an enclosed field in accordance with these rules, under jurisdiction of one or more umpires." ;-)

Posted by: Jon at May 4, 2006 06:08 PM