vs. Red Sox 4/20 (7:05 PM) On ESPN

[eddie83]

The throw was a beer league softball throw -- the type of thing you see a former player do to try and back pick a runner. It was ugly all around. Schoop didn't cut because he had no way of knowing Pedroia stopped running home.

Then why did he take blame for the play? Who cares if he was still going home, catch the ball and he is out by a country mile.

[Stotle]

Why would you run the risk if the throw getting by the catcher for? Usain Bolt would not of scored on that play. Just because a runner tags doesn't mean he is coming home. The fielders job is to throw through the cut off man, not fire the ball to home plate in the air.

Not when an outfielder is coming in on a ball, after already playing shallow, and the winning run is on third base. If it was obvious to Lough that there was no way there was going to be a play at the plate then he should have taken a nice comfortable hop and tossed it in to Schoop. He threw it as if he was trying to make a play, and that's how Schoop reacted.

[eddie83]

The throw was a beer league softball throw -- the type of thing you see a former player do to try and back pick a runner. It was ugly all around. Schoop didn't cut because he had no way of knowing Pedroia stopped running home.

Lough has to react right away, Schoop was not in proper position to take the throw. Lough is trying to throw through Schoop to home plate. Just because a pitcher is backing up doesn't mean you throw all the way home.

[Stotle]

Then why did he take blame for the play? Who cares if he was still going home, catch the ball and he is out by a country mile.

I don't know what you are arguing. An outfielder in shallow left throws home with the winning run tagging and you want the 3b to grab the ball if he thinks it's going off line? It's not ever going to happen at the major league level.

[oriolesmagic9]

That was truly a garbage loss. A horrible ruling by mlb cost the O's this one. Ruling the dude safe at second base changed everything. Common sense and the eye test tells you he is out. Complete garbage.

[Stotle]

Lough has to react right away, Schoop was not in proper position to take the throw. Lough is trying to throw through Schoop to home plate. Just because a pitcher is backing up doesn't mean you throw all the way home.

Because he isn't supposed to take a throw in that scenario. Okay, I'm done. This is just going in circles. Major league outfielders don't throw through cutoff men from shallow left with the winning run tagging at third base. Heck, decent college outfielders don't throw through cutoff men in that scenario!

[eddie83]

Not when an outfielder is coming in on a ball, after already playing shallow, and the winning run is on third base. If it was obvious to Lough that there was no way there was going to be a play at the plate then he should have taken a nice comfortable hop and tossed it in to Schoop. He threw it as if he was trying to make a play, and that's how Schoop reacted.

He can't assume the runner isn't coming home just because common sense says so. Why was Schoop so close to the bad? He wasn't in proper position to take the throw. He wasn't in line with home plate at all.

[eddie83]

Because he isn't supposed to take a throw in that scenario. Okay, I'm done. This is just going in circles. Major league outfielders don't throw through cutoff men from shallow left with the winning run tagging at third base. Heck, decent college outfielders don't throw through cutoff men in that scenario!

You are telling me you have never seen a ball cut off in that scenario before?

[Stotle]

He can't assume the runner isn't coming home just because common sense says so. Why was Schoop so close to the bad? He wasn't in proper position to take the throw. He wasn't in line with home plate at all.

I think the disconnect is that you are taking baseball 101 fundamentals applied in broad strokes and trying to lay them on top of a bottom of the ninth, two out, winning run on third with non-traditional positioning scenario at the major league level.

[Stotle]

You are telling me you have never seen a ball cut off in that scenario before?

In a high school game maybe. With less than two outs and the winning run on third, outfield shallow, either it's too shallow to tag and throw comes in to the plate or it's too deep to make a play and the game is over.

[eddie83]

In a high school game maybe. With less than two outs and the winning run on third, outfield shallow, either it's too shallow to tag and throw comes in to the plate or it's too deep to make a play and the game is over.

If it is too shallow to tag why would you fire the ball all the way home for? What if you air mail a throw off the screen.

[eddie83]

Here is some comments from Buck. Says it was a bad throw but was catchable. Schoop said he saw Pedroia tag up.

http://m.masn.mobi/school-of-roch/2014/04/hearing-from-showalter-schoop-flaherty-and-jimenez.html

[scOtt]

If it is too shallow to tag why would you fire the ball all the way home for? What if you air mail a throw off the screen.

First, he can't really be watching the runner while catching it. But he doesn't have to decide to throw home there. You fire to the cutoff man, and from that shallow it's a one-hop throw to the plate if he doesn't cut... It was just a really bad throw. (And Lough has a good arm. Just stuff happens.)

[scOtt]

Buck: "We just made a poor throw. Had nothing to do with Jonathan."

[scOtt]

Lough certainly hasn't helped this team very much this year. A couple of hits, a couple of good throws.

Not much else. Sure didn't help Sunday night.

He can steal bases too. If he can get on...