Madison Bumgarner out-pitches Tommy Hunter as the Giants win game four 4-0. According to the broadcast, this is the first time a team was shutout twice in a World Series since 1966 when the Orioles shutout the Dodgers three times. Hunter didn’t pitch that poorly, but the Giants hitters worked him hard, and Tommy left […]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:46 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Bottom of the Ninth
The Rangers come up in the bottom of the ninth trailing 4-0. They’ll send up the top of the order, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Josh Hamilton to face the closer Brian Wilson. Update: Andrus hits a 1-1 pitch to the rightfielder for the first out. Update: Hamilton falls behind 0-2. Josh can’t check his […]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:27 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Holland Still Wild
Derek Holland comes into the game in the top of the ninth and walks the first batter he faces. That’s four walks in four batters for the Texas reliever in the series. Update: Holland strikes out Edgar Renteria looking to end Derek’s walk streak. Update: Holland gets the next two batters, and the Rangers go […]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:20 pm | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Fly Ball Eighth
Jeff Francoeur and Bengie Molina both fly out deep to leftfield, then Mitch Moreland strikes out to end the eighth. Madison Bumgarner has thrown 106 pitches, 69 for strikes and has not allowed a run as the Giants lead the Rangers 4-0 going to the ninth inning.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:16 pm | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Posey Pokes
Buster Posey hits a one-out home run to straight-away centerfield in the top of the eighth. The Giants extend their lead to 4-0. Update: Two foul pops end the inning. The Rangers have six outs to score four runs.
Posted by David Pinto at 11:01 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Uribe Err
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Juan Uribe boots a Josh Hamilton grounder to third. We’ll see if Texas can take advantage of the miscue trailing 3-0. Update: Vladimir Guerrero strikes out for the third time in three at bats. Two down. Update: Nelson Cruz singles to bring the tying run to […]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:44 pm | Defense, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Torres! Torres! Torres!
Edgar Renteria and Andres Torres each collect their third hits of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Renteria was running from first when Torres launched his second double of the game, this one into right-center. Renteria comes around to score and the Giants lead 3-0 at the stretch. Torres has scored one […]
Posted by David Pinto at 10:36 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Bumgarner Bumming Out Rangers
Through six innings, the Giants lead the Rangers 2-0. Madison Bumgarner allowed just two hits and two walks, but took out a pair of those runners with double plays, including one in the sixth. He’s only struck out three, but the high number of balls in play have not hurt him.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:26 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Ogando Outs
Alexi Ogando relieves Tommy Hunter in the top of the fifth and retires the Giants in order, striking out one. Hunter threw 83 pitches in his four innings of work, giving up five hits and a two run homer as the Giants lead 2-0 half way through a game. Update: Ogando retires the first two […]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:58 pm | Injuries, Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
First Hit
Michael Young leads off the bottom of the fourth with an infield single. That’s the first hit for the Texas Rangers. Update: Josh Hamilton forces Young, then gets thrown out at second on a steal to end the inning. The Giants still lead 2-0 at the end of four innings.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:47 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Pitch Count Battle
Madison Bumgarner retires the Rangers in order in the third. He’s thrown 42 pitches, while Tommy Hunter threw 72. The Giants maintain their 2-0 lead.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:34 pm | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
First Bag Two-Bagger
Andres Torres hits first base with his batted ball leading off the third. That causes the ball to bounce over Mitch Moreland‘s head for a double. Torres is two for two on the night. Update: For the second time in a row, Freddy Sanchez hits a ground ball to third, leaving Torres at second. Freddy […]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:17 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
I’m Into Leather
With two out and a man on first, Jeff Francoeur hits a 3-2 pitch hard on a line. It looks like it’s headed to right for a single, but Freddy Sanchez makes a great leaping catch to snag it. I thought the ball was going to take Freddy’s glove off. The top and bottom of […]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:11 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Ross Walks
Cody Ross takes four pitches for a walk leading off the top of the second. So far, the lead-off man reached in all three half innings, but none have scored yet. Update: The first base umpire blew a call on a double play ball. Travis Ishikawa was out, but his foot was over the bag. […]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:46 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Leadoff On
Elvis Andrus takes four pitches and walks to first leading off the bottom of the first inning for the Rangers. Both lead-off hitters reached in the opening frame. Update: Michael Young hits a potential double play ball, but the lack of speed on the roller allowed Andrus to break up the DP at second. One […]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:38 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
World Series Game Four Underway
Andres Torres beats out an infield hit as Ian Kinsler almost got him on a grounder up the middle leading off game four of the World Series. Update: Torres steals second on a 1-2 count. The ball was in the dirt for ball two. Update: Two ground balls can only move Torres to third for […]
Posted by David Pinto at 8:24 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Visual Starters
Beyond the Boxscore posted a very nice graph of the differences between Madison Bumgarner and Tommy Hunter I discussed in the Playoffs Today post.
Posted by David Pinto at 5:06 pm | Pitchers, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Burrell Benched
The Giants benched Pat Burrell for game four and move Aubrey Huff to designated hitter while Travis Ishikawa plays first base. Pat has struck out 19 times in 38 at bats. He also walked seven times and four of his six hits went for extra bases. Not that his replacement, Nate Schierholtz also has struck […]
Posted by David Pinto at 4:50 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Playoffs Today
Game four of the World Series gets underway at 8:20 PM EDT so that football doesn’t interfere with the broadcast. I see the game as the critical one in the series as Madison Bumgarner takes the hill for the Giants against Tommy Hunter and the Rangers. Game four is where the Giants have a clear […]
Posted by David Pinto at 1:56 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Marichal Teaching Jimenez
Juan Marichal noticed Ubaldo Jimenez‘s ability early, and the two talked this year about strategy: Marichal thought so much of Jimenez that he reached out to the 26-year-old before spring training. Jimenez referenced the talk periodically throughout his remarkable season. Turns out, this wasn’t an idle chat. It was much more strategic than Jimenez let […]
Posted by David Pinto at 1:39 pm | Pitchers | Permalink | No Comments
October 31, 2010
Pitcher Hitter
The Rangers tried to convert Mitch Moreland into a pitcher in the minor leagues.
Posted by David Pinto at 10:17 am | Players | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
Lewis Corrals Giants
Colby Lewis made his fourth good start for the Rangers in the post season, lasting 7 2/3 innings against the Giants as Texas prevents a sweep with a 4-2 victory over San Francisco. Lewis walked two an struck out six, and allowed just five hits. Jonathan Sanchez was a bit wild, walking three batters in […]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:44 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
Burrell’s Glove
Pat Burrell‘s defense gives Michael Young a single in the bottom of the first. Young hit a shallow, low fly ball to left, and Pat didn’t get a good jump on the ball. He ended up trapping it, but a better defender would have caught the ball. Of course, just as I finished writing the […]
Posted by David Pinto at 7:19 pm | Defense, World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
World Series Game Three Underway
Colby Lewis gets Andrew Torres to ground out to first to start game three of the 2010 World Series. Update: Freddy Sanchez follows with a single to rightfield. He’s 5 for 11 in the series so far. Update: Buster Posey walks with two out, after just missing an opposite field home run. The ball was […]
Posted by David Pinto at 7:02 pm | World Series | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
No Experience? No Problem!
Playoff experience hasn’t helped much this post season.
Posted by David Pinto at 5:30 pm | Post Season | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
Guillen Clarification
Bruce Bochy said this about leaving Jose Guillen off post-season roster: Speaking to reporters Saturday before Game 3 of the World Series, Bochy reiterated that Guillen was not put on the roster for the NL division series against Atlanta — or the rest of the postseason — because of his troublesome neck. Bochy didn’t believe […]
Posted by David Pinto at 5:14 pm | Cheating, Injuries, Players | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
Playoffs Today
Game three gets underway just a little before 7 PM EDT Saturday night with the Giants trying to go up 3-0 over Texas in the World Series. A 3-0 lead is almost certain victory for the leading team. Jonathan Sanchez takes on Colby Lewis in the first World Series game in the Rangers’ home park. […]
Posted by David Pinto at 3:47 pm | Games, Uncategorized, World Series | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 30, 2010
Power Ichiro
The Hardball Times examines if Ichiro Suzuki should try to hit more home runs. This is based on the assumption that Ichiro has the ability to hit more home runs, which Suzuki himself believes. I’m not so sure. Ichiro would need to learn some plate discipline. Maybe Vladimir Guerrero can swing at anything and hit […]
Posted by David Pinto at 11:14 am | Players | Permalink | 1 Comment
October 30, 2010
Sanchez’s Speed
At Baseball Analytics, my latest post looks at how judging the speed of Jonathan Sanchez’s pitches might save a batter from striking out.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:49 am | Pitchers | Permalink | No Comments
October 30, 2010
Younger and Better
Brian Cashman talks about a youth movement: “I would like to always get younger and better,” Cashman said. “That’s the double-edged sword. I don’t want to get younger and worse. I want to get younger, but while doing so, remain championship caliber. I think that’s what we’ve been trying to accomplish the last few year. […]
Posted by David Pinto at 9:26 am | Management, Team Evaluation | Permalink | 1 Comment