2023 Defense Thread

[Pickles]

1 hour ago, glenn__davis said:

Hays overruns yet another catchable game in the 1st inning of the game on 4/10. 

Was this in the first?  I missed the first.

[ChuckS]

It continues to be a clown show on defense as Mateo now completely overruns a blooper. 

At what point is all of this no longer flukish? 

[Hank Scorpio]

McKenna also boged one in right field tonight, allowing an extra base. And he’s K’d twice too. 

I just don’t get the love affair with the guy.

[waroriole]

Jorge with the Jeter special. 
 

Except it was actual range. Not just pretend range. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by waroriole

[Pickles]

27 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

It continues to be a clown show on defense as Mateo now completely overruns a blooper. 

At what point is all of this no longer flukish? 

That's a play he could have made, but I'm not going to hold it against him as only he in all the universe is even close to that thing.

[Pickles]

2 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Jorge with the Jeter special. 

Jeter couldn't have made that play in his dreams.

[Just Regular]

47 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Jeter couldn't have made that play in his dreams.

I'm not sure Gunnar could have, either.    It was a beautiful play.

[Frobby]

Game 10, 5-1 win over Oakland

i missed the 1st and 7th innings, when apparently there were some bad defensive plays by Hays, McKenna and Mateo according to some posters.  If so, please describe those plays in some detail.  Otherwise:

- Urias and Frazier combined on a nifty 5-4-3 DP with runners in 1st and 2nd and nobody out in the 3rd.  Quick releases by both players and they got the runner at 1st on a close play.  

- Mateo and Frazier teamed up on a really good DP in the 5th, with Mateo grabbing the ball behind 2B and flipping at an awkward angle to Frazier, who caught it barehanded and, with his momentum heading towards third, got off a throw that bounced on-line and was snagged by Mountcastle.  The ump called the runner safe but a replay showed he was out by a split-second and the call was overturned.  

- In the 8th, Mateo got to a chopper in the 3B hole on the OF grass, and with his momentum going entirely away from 1B, uncorked a quick, strong, accurate throw that beat the runner on a clean hop to Mountcastle.  



 

[Ohfan67]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Game 10, 5-1 win over Oakland

i missed the 1st and 7th innings, when apparently there were some bad defensive plays by Hays, McKenna and Mateo according to some posters.  If so, please describe those plays in some detail.  Otherwise:

- Urias and Frazier combined on a nifty 5-4-3 DP with runners in 1st and 2nd and nobody out in the 3rd.  Quick releases by both players and they got the runner at 1st on a close play.  

- Mateo and Frazier teamed up on a really good DP in the 5th, with Mateo grabbing the ball behind 2B and flipping at an awkward angle to Frazier, who caught it barehanded and, with his momentum heading towards third, got off a throw that bounced on-line and was snagged by Mountcastle.  The ump called the runner safe but a replay showed he was out by a split-second and the call was overturned.  

- In the 8th, Mateo got to a chopper in the 3B hole on the OF grass, and with his momentum going entirely away from 1B, uncorked a quick, strong, accurate throw that beat the runner on a clean hop to Mountcastle.  



 

You can see McKenna’s play in the video on the mlb app of the triple in the first inning.  Can’t seem to share the video from the app. 

[Mooreisbetter27]

In the first, Hays raced after a ball in left field foul ground. Ended up over running it and the ball fell foul. The batter eventually walked.

Gibson then picked off the runner. 

Shortly after, a ball was hit off the scoreboard that McKenna played horribly that resulted in a run scoring and a triple for the batter.

On Mateos ball, he also ran past the ball and it dropped in short left field. I believe it was the same play that Hays then threw to second and guy shoulda been out but they called him safe. 

[sportsfan8703]

Bad day for Mountcastle on digging. He’s gotta make one of those. 

[Frobby]

Game 14, 7-6 loss to the White Sox

A lot of notable defensive plays in this gsme, mostly bad with a little good sprinkled in. 

- First inning, Benintendi hit a squibber between the mound and 3B.  Gibson pounced on it whirled and threw to…nobody in particular.  The O’s were slow to retrieve it down the RF line, and it ended up as a single a two base error.  Miraculously, Gibson escaped the inning without a run scoring.  

- Third inning, one on and two out, Robert hit a sinking liner to LF and Hays made a nice diving catch headed in and towards the foul line.  

- Fourth inning, Vaughn hit a grounder behind the 3B bag and Urias threw across from foul territory and Mountcastle couldn’t handle the hop.  Scored a hit, properly so, but it was a ball some 1B handle.  Vaughn eventually scored.

- Fifth inning, runner on 2B and one out, a ball got under Mateo’s glove for an error.  Fortunately the runner at 2B had to hold up and only got up 3B.  The next hitter grounded into a DP and so no runs resulted from the error.   

- Seventh inning, Mateo makes a diving stop of an Andrus grounder up the middle and does a 270 degree spin and throws a one-hopper that Mountcastle can’t handle.  Rightly scored a hit but again it’s a play some 1B would have made.  Andrus eventually scored on a two out double by Vaughn.

- Before the Vaughn double, Robert hit a line drive deep down the RF line and Santander made a really nice running catch fully extended   Maybe the best defensive play I’ve seen from Santander in about a year.

- Still the seventh inning, Jimenez hit a chopper to 3B that Henderson charged, but one-hopped his throw to 1B and Mountcastle couldn’t hold it for the 3rd time in the game.  It was rightly scored as Gunnar’s error, but Mountcastle certainly didn’t help him out.  Fortunately, also for the third time in the game, the error didn’t cost the Orioles any runs, as Vaughn stopped at 3B and the next batter was retired for the third out.

- In the 10th, ghost runner on 2B and the O’s ahead 6-5, leadoff hitter Grandal hits a soft fly ball that lands near the foul line for a run tying double, and Grandal eventually scores the winning run.  It seemed to me that Hays got a late jump on the ball, though watching the replay, I doubt he could have caught it in any event.   

Overall, three errors that didn’t cost any runs, two non-scoops on tough plays that did cost us runs, one slow jump that probably didn’t affect anything, and and a couple of nice catches in the OF.  Busy day for the defense. 
 

[Fiver6565]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Game 14, 7-6 loss to the White Sox

A lot of notable defensive plays in this gsme, mostly bad with a little good sprinkled in. 

- First inning, Benintendi hit a squibber between the mound and 3B.  Gibson pounced on it whirled and threw to…nobody in particular.  The O’s were slow to retrieve it down the RF line, and it ended up as a single a two base error.  Miraculously, Gibson escaped the inning without a run scoring.  

- Third inning, one on and two out, Robert hit a sinking liner to LF and Hays made a nice diving catch headed in and towards the foul line.  

- Fourth inning, Vaughn hit a grounder behind the 3B bag and Urias threw across from foul territory and Mountcastle couldn’t handle the hop.  Scored a hit, properly so, but it was a ball some 1B handle.  Vaughn eventually scored.

- Fifth inning, runner on 2B and one out, a ball got under Mateo’s glove for an error.  Fortunately the runner at 2B had to hold up and only got up 3B.  The next hitter grounded into a DP and so no runs resulted from the error.   

- Seventh inning, Mateo makes a diving stop of an Andrus grounder up the middle and does a 270 degree spin and throws a one-hopper that Mountcastle can’t handle.  Rightly scored a hit but again it’s a play some 1B would have made.  Andrus eventually scored on a two out double by Vaughn.

- Before the Vaughn double, Robert hit a line drive deep down the RF line and Santander made a really nice running catch fully extended   Maybe the best defensive play I’ve seen from Santander in about a year.

- Still the seventh inning, Jimenez hit a chopper to 3B that Henderson charged, but one-hopped his throw to 1B and Mountcastle couldn’t hold it for the 3rd time in the game.  It was rightly scored as Gunnar’s error, but Mountcastle certainly didn’t help him out.  Fortunately, also for the third time in the game, the error didn’t cost the Orioles any runs, as Vaughn stopped at 3B and the next batter was retired for the third out.

- In the 10th, ghost runner on 2B and the O’s ahead 6-5, leadoff hitter Grandal hits a soft fly ball that lands near the foul line for a run tying double, and Grandal eventually scores the winning run.  It seemed to me that Hays got a late jump on the ball, though watching the replay, I doubt he could have caught it in any event.   

Overall, three errors that didn’t cost any runs, two non-scoops on tough plays that did cost us runs, one slow jump that probably didn’t affect anything, and and a couple of nice catches in the OF.  Busy day for the defense. 
 

there was zero chance for Hays on that tenth inning play, it doesn’t really belong on this list. Just a lucky bloop. It damn near hit the foul line and Hays would have been playing towards LC with the lefty Grandal up. 

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

there was zero chance for Hays on that tenth inning play, it doesn’t really belong on this list. Just a lucky bloop. It damn near hit the foul line and Hays would have been playing towards LC with the lefty Grandal up. 

I said I don’t think he could have caught it.  He still seemed slow out of the blocks to me. 

[Frobby]

Game 16, 8-4 win over the White Sox

I didn’t see the whole game, but for me the two most notable plays were consecutive balls hit to Gunnar in the 4th inning. 

On the first play, Seby Zavala hit a sharp grounder in the hole.  Gunnar made a great diving grab but mishandled the ball on the transfer and airmailed the throw well over Mountcastle’s head.  Fortunately, the play was backed up well and the runner didn’t advance.  Rightly scored as a single. 

The next play, Lenyn Sosa hit a grounder near the line.  Gunnar charged and grabbed it off the dirt backhand, and from a tough angle, whirled in the air and fired a strike to 2B to nail Zavala.  

I didn’t see any other plays of note, but I didn’t see the first three innings.