Are you kidding me?

[Enjoy Terror]

McFarland never had a place on this team. I said the outcome of the game to my wife when I saw him warming.

Dude pitched his butt off for us last year. Certainly one of our better pitchers then. He's lost a step, sure. Your comment is outrageous.

[Can_of_corn]

There is never a good reason to put the winning run on base intentionally.

To the folks that are saying Reynolds could hit a HR? Well when you put Reynolds on base then all of a sudden a double can beat you.

Someone send Buck a copy of Weaver On Strategy, he appears to have lost his copy.

[Lester Freamon]

Strongly disagree. Manny makes that throw all of the time. The throw beats the runner by a half step if it's to the bag. No need to barehand it and take that chance. He had time to make the play. He throws from that angle all of the time. It's natural for him. He just made a bad throw. There's a reason why we expect him to make that play. Because he usually makes it. He didn't this time. There's a reason he has a reputation. Tonight, on that play, he didn't live up to it.

Manny is the reigning Platinum Glove Winner, meaning he is supposedly THE best defender in the game. Yeah, I 100% expect him to make that play, especially with the game literally on the line.

McFarland's sins are what they are, but even if he gets the pitcher out, our odds are still slightly less than 50/50 to win that game (home team having a pretty big advantage in extras). But if Manny makes that play, everyone goes to bed happy...

It is certainly possible that the poor throw made by Manny clouded my judgement of the difficulty of the play. I can admit that's a possibility, and I haven't seen a replay since last night. But, in all honesty, as soon as I saw the ball come off Lucroy's bat I knew it was trouble and I, personally, didn't expect the play to be made once I saw how much ground Manny had to make up to get to the ball in the first place. I should probably watch the replay again though.

There is never a good reason to put the winning run on base intentionally.

To the folks that are saying Reynolds could hit a HR? Well when you put Reynolds on base then all of a sudden a double can beat you.

Someone send Buck a copy of Weaver On Strategy, he appears to have lost his copy.

Remember when Buck was with AZ and he intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded so as not face him? That move did end up working out for him in the end as the DBacks got the next batter. I know this is going to sound like hindsight but when the move was made I questioned it only because it was Gallardo and I knew he had some pretty good power. I was heartened a little when I saw that he was just 1 for 14 this season but immediately disheartened once again when TJ went 2-0 on him. In hindsight, as others have mentioned, I would have been better to go after Reynolds, hopefully get him, then you've got the pitcher leading off next inning.

[Can_of_corn]

Remember when Buck was with AZ and he intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded so as not face him? That move did end up working out for him in the end as the DBacks got the next batter. I know this is going to sound like hindsight but when the move was made I questioned it only because it was Gallardo and I knew he had some pretty good power. I was heartened a little when I saw that he was just 1 for 14 this season but immediately disheartened once again when TJ went 2-0 on him. In hindsight, as others have mentioned, I would have been better to go after Reynolds, hopefully get him, then you've got the pitcher leading off next inning.

Yes I do remember. That was a good result that came of a poor process.

I'm not playing hindsight here, I would have said the same thing if I has been awake when it happened.

[Lester Freamon]

Yes I do remember. That was a good result that came of a poor process.

I'm not playing hindsight here, I would have said the same thing if I has been awake when it happened.

I agree, wasn't trying to defend Buck just trying to add in that this type of move isn't necessarily out of the ordinary for Buck. Although, at that time Bonds was the best hitter in the history of the game. Just guessing here, but the difference between Bonds and the next position player up in the order, presumably a #4 hitter, is STILL probably greater than the difference between Reynolds and the pitcher (especially a good hitting pitcher like Gallardo) coming up after him.

Also, just for the record, I knew you weren't playing hindsight, just outing myself.

[Lester Freamon]

Okay. Just watched the replay again, bunch of times. Definitely not a play where a bare handed pick up and throw was necessary, so I was wrong there. And while, after further review, the play didn't look quite as difficult as I thought it looked last night, I still can't say with any certainty that a good throw by Machado even gets Lucroy. Bottom line, IMO, it was a tough play. A play Manny could make but still, IMO, not a play you can expect to be made. I just can't personally draw any anger at Manny for that play. Disappointment, sure. Definitely. But I don't put the whole outcome of the game on him and I find myself, right or wrong, quite a bit more upset with Britton for not being able to handle left hand hitting and feeble Lyle Overbay to start off the inning. I have no idea if the shift played a role or not but Overbay hit that ball hard, there were two strikes and Britton made a real bad pitch to Overbay.

[Ori-Al]

It was a smart move man. Mark can beat you with 1 swing. You face the pitcher everyday of the week and twice on Sunday

No, it was a bad move, because the intentional walk took McFarland out of his rhythm on the mound, which is always a risk when a pitcher is asked to throw four intentionally wide pitches. I didn't like the idea from the start. Buck should have come out for a meeting, and told McFarland and Hundley that Reynolds is a dead pull hitter. You're going to pitch him low and away, even off the plate. If he walks, so be it. Maybe get a swing at one of those low and away pitches, and get a grounder to short.

I also don't know why Webb, after about a seven pitch seventh inning, did not come out to pitch the eighth. O'Day had pitched in the previous game - he did not have to pitch in that situation. It's not like Webb had been struggling recently, and was lucky to come away with a scoreless inning. Oh, yeah, the eighth inning rule. How could I forget that? As it was, that turned out to be a six batter inning, which meant that the top of the order would get to bat in the ninth.

And using Norris as a pinch-hitter in the ninth to give away an out with one out. Had there been two on and nobody out, okay, but that was not the case. So let Flaherty hit there, and maybe something good happens.

Buck outfinessed himself.

[Ori-Al]

game would have been over had Manny not made an errant throw while Britton was trying to close it.

Manny didn't give up the leadoff hit to a left-handed hitter.

Runner might've been safe on an accurate throw. Would've been close.

[Guest]

Manny didn't give up the leadoff hit to a left-handed hitter.

Runner might've been safe on an accurate throw. Would've been close.

That leadoff single you can blame the shift.

[Il BuonO]

There is never a good reason to put the winning run on base intentionally.

To the folks that are saying Reynolds could hit a HR? Well when you put Reynolds on base then all of a sudden a double can beat you.

Someone send Buck a copy of Weaver On Strategy, he appears to have lost his copy.

I haven't lost my copy, but I wonder if Earl would alter this strategy after facing a DH for the better part of his career (including up to the point of when the book was written) only to amend it when facing a weak hitting pitcher.

You can say no, but remember he didn't like to bunt or steal and did that occasion.

[Three Run Homer]

Manny didn't give up the leadoff hit to a left-handed hitter.

Runner might've been safe on an accurate throw. Would've been close.

I can't believe anyone would be down on Britton over last night's game. Even the best pitchers in the world give up hits from time to time. Britton gave up one clean hit, the Brewers did a good job moving him over with two productive outs, and then they got lucky on a poorly hit ball. Britton gets tagged with the blown save, but he made only one bad pitch all inning (which only resulted in a single).

The baseball gods giveth, the baseball gods taketh away. We never would have won on Monday night or made it to the bottom of the 9th inning last night if Mark Reynolds' laser shots hadn't gone straight into someone's glove.

[Can_of_corn]

I haven't lost my copy, but I wonder if Earl would alter this strategy after facing a DH for the better part of his career (including up to the point of when the book was written) only to amend it when facing a weak hitting pitcher.

You can say no, but remember he didn't like to bunt or steal and did that occasion.

He has a 595 career OPS that isn't weak hitting for a pitcher. That's better then Flaherty (and Lough) is hitting ATM. Now if someone like Daniel Cabrera was coming up (103 OPS 0 hits) then we can talk.

[Tx Oriole]

Not just that, but a pitcher who was hitting .071. McFarland needs to get sent down after that abomination. After going 2-0 to him also.

Maybe he will. I believe Buck is more loyal than that though. IMO

[Tx Oriole]

Swinging bunt. You mean error? Manny blew the game on a play he should have made. The game was lost in the 9th. McFarland has stunk this year and the game was lost in the 9th. Manny was great last year but this is this year. He's making errors, some good plays, but he's been average overall. We expect better.

Would have been a great win, coming back from 5-0. It's on Manny. If you are going to hit like a wet noodle at least get it done with the glove.

A little bit too strong.

[CA-ORIOLE]

No, it was a bad move, because the intentional walk took McFarland out of his rhythm on the mound, which is always a risk when a pitcher is asked to throw four intentionally wide pitches. I didn't like the idea from the start.

It's still TJ's fault, but I agree with this analysis. TJ was in the bottom of the zone with his release point on those first two hitters with his 2 seamer. Then the IBB and then I'm pretty sure (after they came out to talk with him about Gallardo) those first two pitches were 4 seam fastballs off the outside corner. Then the hanging 2 seamer.