Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
July 10, 2007
Bottom of the Ninth

The NL comes up in the bottom of the ninth trailing 5-2, and they'll face J.J. Putz.

Update: Putz strikes out Holliday to start the ninth.

Update: McCann pops out to shortstop. Dmitri Young pinch hits.

Update: Roberts can't handle a Dmitri Young grounder to the outfield and Young reaches with a single to keep the game alive.

Update: Soriano gets ahead in the count 3-1 and drives a pitch down the rightfield line for a two-run homer. The AL lead is down to one run, 5-4.

Update: Putz falls behind Hardy 3-1, then walks him to put the tying run on base. That's it for Putz as K-Rod comes on to try for the save.

Update: Rodriguez faces Derrek Lee.

Update: Lee works the count to 3-2, fouls off a pitch, then checks his swing on a pitch in the dirt. Men on first and second with two out for Orlando Hudson. Pujols is on the bench.

Update: Hudson walks on five pitches. The AL is turning into the 1986 Red Sox here. AL pitchers only issued one walk in the first eight innings, three here in the ninth. Rowand is up.

Update: Rowand flies out to Rios to end the game. The AL wins for the tenth time in eleven tries (one tie) and the World Series will start in the American League park once again.


Posted by David Pinto at 11:33 PM | All-Star Game | TrackBack (0)
Comments

So, was La Russa saving Pujols for extra innings, or what? Not that Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand are chopped liver, but I just have to wonder.

Posted by: Adam Villani at July 11, 2007 12:03 AM

Well they are chopped liver when compared to Pujols. Not sure what Tony was thinking there. Must have been a situation where he was thinking extra innings or what kind of defensive substitution he would have to make if using Pujols.

Posted by: emains at July 11, 2007 12:20 AM

I think this may have been a job for Bill Simmons' VP of Common Sense. I mean, sure, I guess he wouldn't have wanted to bat a pitcher with the game on the line in the 11th, but come on, it's Pujols! If you don't get at least one run in that situation, you never get that 11th-inning conundrum, and if Pujols gets you two runs, then you don't have to worry about it, either.

Posted by: Adam Villani at July 11, 2007 12:36 AM

It struck me as a case of LaRussa not caring about winning because he know he doesn't have to worry about his team so much as making the post season.

Posted by: Richard at July 11, 2007 01:28 AM

As someone who was fortunate enough to be at the game, I, and my two sons especially, were stunned that Pujols did not bat in the 9th. It was a great game, but I feel we were a little robbed of what could have been a classic confrontation to end it. (No disrespect to Rowand, who's a fine player, but still . . .)

Posted by: Craig Tyle at July 11, 2007 01:47 AM
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