Frazier, Mateo, Hicks, O'Hearn: Little Things that Helped Make the Magic

[LA2]

1. Frazier PERFECTLY pool-cued that double down the LF line, just as Ben McDonald strategized it. Pinchrunner Mateo, running on the pitch, was halfway to 2nd on bat contact and already rounding 3rd at full speed when Arozarena finally got to the ball:

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/rays-vs-orioles/2023/09/17/716553/final/video

2. Hicks correctly reads Rutschman's ground ball and comes home from second on the seeing-eye single.

3. O'Hearn, inspired by McCann's sac bunt a few games ago, crouches his whole body down with the bat, incl. his face as he joked in the post-game interview, to lay down flawlessly his first major league sac bunt, moving Rutschman to third for Mullins' game-winning sac fly.

Not to mention a rag-tag bullpen minus Bautista picking up for Jorge Lopez's two gopher balls.

Yes, the stars--Rutschman's homer and single, Henderson's great defensive play--were indispensable, but to rephrase John Lowenstein, Frazier et al may not be stars, but sometimes they sparkle. And now it's Hyde, not Weaver who knows how to place them and when so that they have the chance to do so.

 

[Moshagge3]

There were two outs on the Rutschman single, so Hicks should have been going on contact.

But Austin Hays deserves a lot of credit, too. The O's aren't in a position to win if he doesn't hit a clutch RBI single with two outs in the fourth, and then in the ninth, representing the last out, he goes down and gets the bat on a tough breaking ball.

[Tony-OH]

When some people were calling for Mateo to be released around the all-star break and after, that running ability is exactly why I was against it at that point. In the playoffs, and yesterday's game was a playoff like experience for sure, having a guy you can put on first base late in a one run game is invaluable. 

I was only surprised he didn't run earlier, but as soon as I saw him take off for second then saw Frazier loop that ball into LF, I was the first person to jump up and yell in the sports bar I was out in OC, because I knew Mateo was going to score. 

I've been saying for some time while I don't want Mateo or Frazier starting all that much, they do have some abilities that will help a well rounded playoff caliber team win games late. Yesterday was a perfect example.

Also, I think we all have to give it up for O'Hearn for that perfect sacrifice bunt. He hasn't had a sacrifice since 2018 in AAA and only had 6 in 4014 professional PAs in his career. 

That's called doing something you've really never been asked to do and doing it well in at a clutch time. 

O'Hearn was a guy I literally was scratching my head wondering why you would claim a guy on DFA that was making $1.4 million to be depth in AAA. Well, once again, I must tip the cap to Elias for seeing something in a guy because he's clearly been money all year after being recalled from AAA. 

[Frobby]

The bunt was unbelievably good.  Just a lot of great little moments in that game. 

By the way, kudos to Adley for his tag on that play at the plate.  O’Hearn’s throw was higher than you’d like it to be, but Adley made a perfect grab and tag to beat the runner by an inch.  A bang-bang play like that, you have to be perfect.  
 

[Mooreisbetter27]

Great point above about Hays.  He hasn't been mentioned yet, but totally accurate that he got us on the board and he started the tying rally.

O'Hearn is usually very intense and stoic looking.  When he dropped that bunt down and was coming back to the dugout he had this huge grin on his face the entire way.  I think it's the longest I've ever seen him smile.  

Such a great win. 

[InsideCoroner]

O'Hearn is a guy I didn't understand adding to the club, and I kept waiting for him to (quickly) regress back to norm. We have helped some pitchers turn the corner in their careers, but by and large never had the same success turning around struggling hitters. But he didn't regress, he has remained a guy that consistently barrels up the ball, has made some pretty good plays at first, and really seems like a vital cog in the team chemistry. And that bunt was huge.

[glenn__davis]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The bunt was unbelievably good.  Just a lot of great little moments in that game. 

By the way, kudos to Adley for his tag on that play at the plate.  O’Hearn’s throw was higher than you’d like it to be, but Adley made a perfect grab and tag to beat the runner by an inch.  A bang-bang play like that, you have to be perfect.  
 

I was pretty surprised that was overturned.  It looked to me like he maybe tagged him on the elbow before that big oven mitt got to the plate, but nothing looked indisputable to me unless NY had a different angle.  I would not have been happy on that one if I was TB.

[Fiver6565]

Just here to add another post remembering Hays’ contribution. Understandably a little lost in all the excitement, his hit in the ninth to keep things going was huge. Not trying to hit one out there, just trying to get on, and it seemed he was expecting Jorge to come in for him as soon as he got to first base. That’s the kind of unselfish passing of the baton that this team constantly talks about. 

[Too Tall]

Every now and then games come along that underscore just how great a sport baseball is and why it use to be America's Pastime and still is for some. For the average fan or the baseball purist, yeterday's game is a perfect one to analyze. Our team won but both teams played their hearts out. Two teams of team players with highlights spread all around. I'm sure Tampa fans won't feel this way but I'm going to replay this game for a long time. 

[Aristotelian]

10 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The bunt was unbelievably good.  Just a lot of great little moments in that game. 

By the way, kudos to Adley for his tag on that play at the plate.  O’Hearn’s throw was higher than you’d like it to be, but Adley made a perfect grab and tag to beat the runner by an inch.  A bang-bang play like that, you have to be perfect.  
 

Adley also helped Hall with several key blocks in the 11th that could have allowed the runner advance to third with < 2 out.

Some others: Hyde's mound visit to Hall (and his choice to use Hall in the 11th, for that matter). Whatever he said, it worked. 

Gunnar's great play to beat Arozarena by a half step on the next play. 

Tons of little things in that sequence leading up to that win.

[Sports Guy]

This is another weakly hit, well placed ball by Frazier and the weakness of the hit was ideal there because of the placement and Mateo being able to score.

But the speed of Mateo is insane. Arozarena gets to that ball and Mateo is already hitting the third base bag and he doesn’t even remotely try to throw it home.

That speed is game changing…just hopefully they get a chance to use it in the postseason.

[AlbNYfan]

13 minutes ago, glenn__davis said:

I was pretty surprised that was overturned.  It looked to me like he maybe tagged him on the elbow before that big oven mitt got to the plate, but nothing looked indisputable to me unless NY had a different angle.  I would not have been happy on that one if I was TB.

Safe by an oven mitt? I have some issues with the "mitt". How regulated are they? One size fits all? Visually, to me, it seems like it adds at least an inch to a player's hand. A player would be stupid not to use one. Yesterday's play at the plate, if he wasn't wearing a mitt would have been a more obvious out.

I also have some other issues with added equipment, especially elbow pads. A batter gets a base if the ball just ticks the pad? Some seem pretty big. That's an offensive weapon if a player uses it. Lastly, I have a beard question...ball hits a beard of a long bearded player...Does he get HBP?? I suppose he does, but, to me it seems crazy. I know ticking a uniform is a HBP, but I've seen umps tell a player to tuck in jersey if it's too obviously hanging.

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, LA2 said:

Yes, the stars--Rutschman's homer and single, Henderson's great defensive play--were indispensable, but to rephrase John Lowenstein, Frazier et al may not be stars, but sometimes they sparkle. And now it's Hyde, not Weaver who knows how to place them and when so that they have the chance to do so.

 

This comment perfectly describes this team.  We have big steel pieces like Adley, Gunnar, Grayson, and Bradish.  But those pieces are forged together with a ton of contributors brought in to fill certain roles.  

[Frobby]

29 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

This is another weakly hit, well placed ball by Frazier and the weakness of the hit was ideal there because of the placement and Mateo being able to score.

It wasn’t as weakly hit as I thought when I saw it live — 94.4 mph off the bat.  But on the ground, and right down the line.  As someone here said, as if he was playing snooker.  

As to the “Delmon Young” comment, it’s pretty apt in terms of how loud the stadium was at that moment.  OPACY can definitely get loud when the fans are riled up.  And the combination of the clutch hit and the thrill of watching Mateo at full throttle definitely riled us up!
 

 

[Can_of_corn]

O'Hearn quote

Bit nsfw.