Recap: Well That Sucked

by R.J. Anderson on Sep 18, 2008 11:33 PM EDT

Evan Longoria hit three homeruns but the Rays closer of the night, Dan Wheeler, let his own longball tendencies hijack the outcome. It's disappointing to say the least that the Rays let a five homerun game go to waste.

But Evan!

Oh and Carlos Pena now has 30 homeruns.

James Shields has been better.

David Price is better than you.

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10 games now

Wheeler has come in with the lead or a tie and has ended up with a blown save or a loss.

So he blows up under pressure once every 6.7 games. Is it me, or is that a lot?

by Vin on Sep 19, 2008 12:14 AM EDT reply actions

so after 5 pressure situation appearances, we give him a lobotomy

and then he’s good to go another 5. if we do this throughout the playoffs, we win

by daveh33 on Sep 19, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions

balfour should be this team's closer

balfour feels no pressure since he is from the land down under! anyone else surprised when they saw percy pitching the 8th inning? also does he have a mohawk now?

"It felt good to be out there, I wasn't nervous anymore, and I felt like I belonged out there." -David Price after his ML debut.

by RaysOfHope on Sep 19, 2008 12:26 AM EDT reply actions

Balfour is just waiting until we put him in a high-leverage situation

Before he takes his revenge for what happened to Steve Irwin.

by kericr on Sep 19, 2008 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Cover the tank!!!

by steve-o1285 on Sep 19, 2008 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions

i was very encouraged by longo tonight

how in the hell does trevor miller allow worthless piece of sh!t adam everett do that to him?

"It felt good to be out there, I wasn't nervous anymore, and I felt like I belonged out there." -David Price after his ML debut.

by RaysOfHope on Sep 19, 2008 12:29 AM EDT reply actions

David Price

maybe should’ve pitched a extra inning so we didn’t have to burn Bradford tonight and I had that feeling that Wheeler was gonna throw a gopherball. He has been faltering a lot more lately.

by sofladude77 on Sep 19, 2008 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

I don't want Balfour as the designated closer because then he won't be putting out fires in the 6th 7th or 8th...but we can't let a guy prone to the long-ball pitch the 9th. Wheeler/Percival combo has given up 19 homeruns

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 10:12 AM EDT reply actions

Define CLOSER:

CLOSER: The most dominating pitcher in the bullpen. If you are manager and have to get one out who would you choose in the current Rays pen? Against a RH batter I would choose Balfour as he throws in the mid to upper 90’s and has proven to be unhittable when on. Against a LH batter I’d go with Price. As of right now there is no doubt Maddon has to make a choice. It can’t be Percival he’s lost confidence in himself, in Maddon, and in the fans. Wheeler just doesn’t have what it takes to get the outs.

In a 1-inning stint I tell Price to go out there for one inning and let the string out BABY! He’ll be throwing in the upper 90’s and his slider will corkscrew hitters. Beyond Balfour closing games something has to be done now!

by John 63 on Sep 19, 2008 10:33 AM EDT reply actions

Correctly defining CLOSER:

CLOSER: A pitcher who consistently gets the final 3 outs to end a game when a game is in by rulebook definition, a save situation.

All that stuff about domination and unhittability and confidence is just fan-talk nonsense, and most of it is downright wrong.

by kericr on Sep 19, 2008 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

rec'd

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd go with Howell against lefties

by rays1234 on Sep 19, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I love this site and spend so much time on it but the game recaps have gotten progressively worse and worse.

How does the game recap not have anything about how Maddon kept Miller in to pitch to a right-handed hitter when there are a gazillion pitchers in the pen?

(if i didn’t love this site, or care, i wouldn’t have said this)

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 11:01 AM EDT reply actions

Pitchers have to pitch to at least one batter once they're in the game

So Miller came in to face Kubel (lefty) who was promptly pinch hit for, and then there was nothing that could be done.

by antimatter on Sep 19, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

no they don't.

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Rule 3.05(a) and (b)

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/game_preliminaries_3.jsp

(a) The pitcher named in the batting order handed the umpire-inchief, as provided in Rules 4.01 (a) and 4.01 (b), shall pitch to the first batter or any substitute batter until such batter is put out or reaches first base, unless the pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the judgment of the umpire-in-chief, incapacitates him from pitching.
(b) If the pitcher is replaced, the substitute pitcher shall pitch to the batter then at bat, or any substitute batter, until such batter is put out or reaches first base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the substitute pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the umpire-in-chief’s judgment, incapacitates him for further play as a pitcher.

So the announced starter has to pitch to at least one batter, and any reliever has to as well, barring injury. There was once a case in the All-Star Game held at an NL park where the AL batted around in the first inning and the AL starter was forced to bat because he hadn’t yet pitched to a batter…

by antimatter on Sep 19, 2008 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

hrmm

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

good call.

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah

Pretty stupid move to bring in Miller what with the expanded benches and all. I would’ve thought Bradford would come in to get the groundball DP, even against a lefty.

by antimatter on Sep 19, 2008 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

huhhuhuhuh

You said put out.

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

by Sandy Kazmir on Sep 19, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Look, I asked the others to do the recap, they didn't, I was working on a BTB post and needed sleep.

I apologize but I just had to throw it together.

by R.J. Anderson on Sep 19, 2008 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Need Moar Editorz

by kericr on Sep 19, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

That work, yes.

by R.J. Anderson on Sep 19, 2008 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

it's okay RJ. really, this is my favorite site on the internet. That's the only reason i mentioned it. I know you work hard and it's very much appreciated by me and i'm sure everyone else.

9 = 8

by walkoffwalk on Sep 19, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I doubt he would've switched anyway

Adam Everett came in to sacrifice bunt. That was his job, and everybody knew it. Righty/lefty doesn’t really matter in that situation. He decided to swing away, which was stupid even though it worked out okay for the Twins.

Besides, Adam Everett may be right-handed, but calling him a hitter is a bit of a stretch.

by OldDutchPots on Sep 19, 2008 11:30 AM EDT reply actions