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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2010 > September > 05 > Entry
How a game can turn on one pitch
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, which now has a fantastic sign hanging on the wall (thanks for hanging it for me, Jeff Gordon) which says, “The Man Cave,” made for me by my Ask Hal leadoff batter every Sunday, Dave from Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek:
The score Sunday was St. Louis 4, Cincinnati 2 - the Cardinals taking two of three in the last series of the season between the two NL Central contender. Even though the Cardinals won 12 of the 18 games against the Reds this season, the Reds left town with a dominant seven-game lead with games melting away like ice in a hot cup of coffee.
It never, never, ever ceases to cause me to shake my head how one pitch in baseball game decides everything, one pitch among more than 300 thrown in a game.
And if ever there was an example, it was Sunday in Busch Stadium - one pitch, one decisions, by pitcher Homer Bailey.
The situation: The Cincinnati Reds led by St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1, in the bottom of the sixth and Bailey was easily outpitching Chris Carpenter.
Bailey had two outs with nobody on, cruising like Royal Caribbean, when Jon Jay pushed an opposite field ground ball down the third base line. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen dove, but the ball nicked his glove and rolled into short left field and Jay ended up at second with a double.
Albert Pujols was next and despite the fact Pujos was 1 for his last 20, manager Dusty Baker did the right thing. Intentional walk. No sense tempting disaster.
That brought up Matt Holliday, a guy the Cardinals signed for $120 million to bat behind Pujols and give him protection. As Baker often says, “With those two guys it is pick your poison.” This was turned out to be arsenick.
Bailey jumped ahead of Holliday 1-and-2 and stood looking for his sign from catcher Ryan Hanigan. He stepped off the rubber shaking his head. Hanigan ran to the mound for a chit-chat.
Bailey was like that gosh-awful Ford commercial where Vanessa is trying to make up her mind which SUV to buy.
When Hanigan returned behind the plate, Bailey threw a high-and-tight fastball. Ball two. Two-and-two.
His next pitch was another high fastball and Holliday ripped it over the left field fence, a three-run homer.
Game over.
That one pitch, when Bailey was one pitch away from getting out of it, was that one decisive moment that happens so often in a baseball game.
BY THAT TIME Carpenter was on his game and well on his way to beating the Reds for the 10th straight time - and he is fast becoming the next Roy Oswalt as a pitcher who is The Big Boss Hoss against the Reds.
Carpenter pitched 7 1/3 innings and gave up two runs and six hits, striking out 11.
BAILEY AND CARPENTER battled at 0-0 through four innings until the Reds got lucky. Drew Stubbs led the fifth with a single, then the Reds struck with their signature modus operandi - a two-out rally.
With two outs, one of them when Bailey struck out trying to bunt (poor execution), Brandon Phillips flared a broken bat double to right field, sending Stubbs to third. Orlando Cabrera broke his bat, too, but dribbled one past the third baseman and it stopped in the grass in shallow left as two runs scored for a 2-0 Reds lead.
At this point in the light-hitting life of the Cardinals, 2-0 looked solid because the Cardinals had scored three or less runs in eight of their last 11 games.
The Cardinals got one back in the bottom of the on a Colby Rasmus double, a deep fly and a ground ball.
THAT’S WHERE it stoo until the decisive - or in Bailey’s case - the indecisive moment in the sixth.
Cabrera singled with one out in the eighth and Joey Votto walked, but Scott Rolen hit into an inning-ending double play. St. Louis closer Ryan Franklin pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
SO THE SEPTEMBER audition for spots in the postseason rotation is on. Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto seem like locks. Travis Wood made a strong statement Saturday. Bailey remains in the mix. Also under consideration are Aaron Harang, not good in his first start after a long stay on the DL, and Edinson Volquex, who makes his second start on rehab Monday night at Clas A Dayton.
FORTUNATELY there were no aftershocks from the fight when St. Louis was in Cincinnati. No fights. No beanballs. The fans booed Brandon Phillips every time he batted, but even boos seem to lose steam and decibels with each Phillips at-bat.
Now it is on to Denver for four games with the on-rushing Colorado Rockies, still trying to catch the San Diego Padres in the NL West - or grab the wild card position.
JUST PRIOR to his start in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series, John Tudor - a guy with a nasty dispostion - was asked a question by a writer (not me) a question he considered stupid.
Tudor stared at the guy and said, “What does it take to get a press pass these days, a Sears charge card?”
Then he went out and got butchered by the Kansas City Royals, 11-0. As he left the game and reached the dugout, he punched an overhead fan and sliced open his hand.
Served him right.
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By Brilliant post
September 9, 2010 8:05 AM | Link to this
@bobb: no one gives a take sign to a batter who has a 3-2 count on him-DUH! Where did you play this game? Oh, you didn’t…?
By bobb
September 8, 2010 11:17 PM | Link to this
how in the 7 th ining wednesday night do you not have valaika taking with 1 out the bases loaded and joe votto up next esp when the count gets to 3-2
By piano man
September 6, 2010 7:12 PM | Link to this
A few comments on today’s awful loss at Colorado. First, why they keep running Harang out there is beyond me. It is clear he is not ready to return. After getting 4 against Jimenez, (which should have been more had Stubbs not struck out as usual), he gives it right back. Harang’s awful performance took the air right out of the team. They needed a big pitching job today after losing two of three at St. Louis. Don’t count your chickens yet. The next three games will spell the Reds season while St. Louis feasts in Milwaukee. Second, we really miss Jay Bruce in the lineup. It is tought watching Heisey and Stubbs and most of the time, Gomes strike out two times each game. You don’t have a chance if you don’t put a ball in play. When will Stubbs quit swinging at balls out of the zone. Let’s hope Cueto steps up tomorrow night.
By bob
September 6, 2010 11:35 AM | Link to this
The Reds hire many professional personnel to help managers and coaches make decisions. Those need to be used by the players. Bailey is too smart, too arrogant and hardheaded to listen to instruction. I would let him practice his brilliance somewhere else. He could be a star now if he was as mature and coachable as Leake and Wood.
By J
September 6, 2010 11:03 AM | Link to this
It was right to walk Albert. Bailey could have gotten Holliday had he not been so arrogant and ignored all of Hanigan’s signs. They haven’t clinched the division yet, and the Cards could make a comeback. I won’t feel safe until we clinch. We shouldn’t be counting our chickens yet.
By just a fan
September 6, 2010 10:37 AM | Link to this
“Baker did the right thing”? Hal, you’re smarter than that. Pujols was 1 for 23, Holliday was the only Cards player who was hitting. You dont walk Pujols. Of course Holliday hit a 3 run homer because stupidity is not rewarded. Just another of Bakers strategic blunders, of which there have been many. Dont be surprised if the collapse many have been expecting started with that awful decision…..
By steve
September 6, 2010 8:51 AM | Link to this
I am going to be the one disenter on the decision for the 4 ball pass. One, the physical act of throwing the ball breaks the rhythm of the pitcher. Two, in a game of such proportions I would rather be beaten by Albert. The way he was swinging the bat the worst that could have happened would be 3-2, bloop and blast from victory. This one stung because we had played him so well and had him on the ropes. Moral of the day…take the risk.
By Gary Maloy
September 6, 2010 1:10 AM | Link to this
Tough at bat, Homer vs. Holliday. 1-2, followed by a couple-three foul balls, one of which was barely nicked, going straight down between Hannigan’s legs and up into his cup. THAT pitch was strike 3 - and the game. But Holliday nicked it and stayed alive. …. Like I wrote last night after the game, it’s good to see that the Cardinals haven’t rolled over. Now, if they could just beat teams with losing records, too, then I might fear them.