Friday, May 14, 2004
Ban The Bunt!
First and second, nobody out, down a run in the eighth against a lefty. Great speed on the basepaths, Randy Winn up with Edgar on deck. To me, that sounds like two chances at a game-tying single, or in Edgar's case, a game-winning double before we get have two outs.
To Bob Melvin, its a chance to waste an out having Randy Winn bunt, and Edgar get walked to load the bases with one out and put up lefty-flailers Raul Ibanez and John Olerud, who predictably, can't drive in a run.
David Cameron has turned Melvin's small-ball mismanagement and turned it into the great new game, Outsmart the Manager!
And the Mariners lose another game by one run, blowing a fantastic outing from Ryan Franklin. That's four straight losses, all by one run which have featured either a combination of a plethora of singles leading to 6 runs and a bullpen blowup or a plethora of singles leading to no runs.
If we are to be a singles-hitting team, then we can NOT afford to waste any outs with bunt attempts. At least the stolen base attempt has a 2 in 3 chance of not making an out and moving a runner into scoring position.
But when we already have a runner on 2nd and no outs, freakin swing! A single scores a run (unless its Spiezio vs Hunter of course), and Winn is unlikely to be doubled up (though the way the M's luck is going, Melvin may have been trying to avoid the lineout-6-3 triple play).
Our starting pitching is coming around. Our bats are at least hitting some singles, so now we need to mix in a double, a homer and a walk or two. And our bullpen needs to hold a lead if we ever get one again.
Well, at least we get to sweep the Yankees in the Bronx next...
Today's picks:
Mets (Trachsel) +200 over Astros (Oswalt)
Expos (Ohka) +135 over DBacks (Fossum)
Mariners (Meche) +175 over Yankees (Mussina)
Money to date: $-812 (picking dog/favorite = +432/-1371, 24-30, 19-20) - Vazquez was shelled, costing me $200, but got 3 of 4 upset picks right for +320
To Bob Melvin, its a chance to waste an out having Randy Winn bunt, and Edgar get walked to load the bases with one out and put up lefty-flailers Raul Ibanez and John Olerud, who predictably, can't drive in a run.
David Cameron has turned Melvin's small-ball mismanagement and turned it into the great new game, Outsmart the Manager!
And the Mariners lose another game by one run, blowing a fantastic outing from Ryan Franklin. That's four straight losses, all by one run which have featured either a combination of a plethora of singles leading to 6 runs and a bullpen blowup or a plethora of singles leading to no runs.
If we are to be a singles-hitting team, then we can NOT afford to waste any outs with bunt attempts. At least the stolen base attempt has a 2 in 3 chance of not making an out and moving a runner into scoring position.
But when we already have a runner on 2nd and no outs, freakin swing! A single scores a run (unless its Spiezio vs Hunter of course), and Winn is unlikely to be doubled up (though the way the M's luck is going, Melvin may have been trying to avoid the lineout-6-3 triple play).
Our starting pitching is coming around. Our bats are at least hitting some singles, so now we need to mix in a double, a homer and a walk or two. And our bullpen needs to hold a lead if we ever get one again.
Well, at least we get to sweep the Yankees in the Bronx next...
Today's picks:
Mets (Trachsel) +200 over Astros (Oswalt)
Expos (Ohka) +135 over DBacks (Fossum)
Mariners (Meche) +175 over Yankees (Mussina)
Money to date: $-812 (picking dog/favorite = +432/-1371, 24-30, 19-20) - Vazquez was shelled, costing me $200, but got 3 of 4 upset picks right for +320
