Well that sucked
We were in section 328. Got my first bad feelings after Tuckerās second HR and the āwe want Houstonā chant started making the rounds.
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My reaction to that chant exactly.
Yes, starting with JV not converting the come backer into 2 outs. There were also balls that fell for hits to Tucker, McCormick, and Alvarez that were not caught for either their defensive alignment and/or their not going all out and leaving their feet to make the play. Castellanos made a game saving catch for the Phillies on PeƱaās flare into right.
Yep, and Tucker did not. That ball Harper hit, while it was smoked, has to be caught. Catching that ball kills that rally and the disaster never gets a chance to unfold.
Having said that, what was Verlander and/or Maldonado thinking with that pitch to Harper? He had thrown fastballs by him the prior at bat where he struck him out. He had throw two fastballs by him in this at bat to get ahead. He had shown NOTHING in any of those swings to make you believe he was about to catch up with the fastball. Why slow it down with the off speed pitch that he hammered? And then why in the hell, when you saw what happened there, did you do the exact same thing to the next batter Castellanos? This decision making kind of shines a light on why Verlander is 0-5 with an ERA around 6 in World Series games.
I feel much worse this morning than I thought I would.
I feel good physically but mentally worn down by the futile effort of my favorite team.
Hey, shit happens. Lots of baseball left.
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Castellanosās catch was a do or die play. He had no other option but to sell out and go for it or he knew the game was over. I would like to think that Tucker or Alvarez, rather than playing it safe, would have made the same effort under the same circumstances.
That was not a tough play if he runs through the ball. The dive/fall was for show. Needed more of a bloop; the ball hung up too long.
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To me, every play in these games should be played that way.
The Astros gave that game away and the Phillies has no problem taking it.
And like HH, Iām still mad.
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There are times to go balls out to make a play and times you need to play smart. Playing no doubles on the track with a runner on, two out, and a five run lead aināt one of the latter.
And Iām more sick to my stomach than mad.
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1 in 100:
ā I asked my friends from STATS Perform to look into every other game in Verlanderās Cooperstown-bound career, regular season and postseason, in which his team handed him a lead of five runs or more. Guess how those games went:
ā¢ His personal record in games like that? How about 99-and-0!
ā¢ His teamās record in games like that? How about 101-and-2!
ā¢ And in the two losses, heās not the guy who gave up those leads. In both of them ā July 10, 2015, and May 14, 2009 (both against the Twins) ā it was late bullpen meltdowns that inflicted the damage.
ā¢ Since that 2015 game, he was 26-0 in games where he was up five or more. And his teams had won 27 in a row ā¦ until the Phillies happened.ā
- From Jayson Starkās Athletic article on last nights game
We were spoiled w/ a 7-0 postseason run, beating the Yankees (again), and all the hype.
Wild cards no more, the Phillies have become their 2022 version of the 2017 Astros & put our guys on their heels last night, by quickly overcoming a 0-5 deficit to win.
Can our guys reawaken the 2017 energy and enthusiasm as they seek to win a 2nd WS?
Hope so. Not planning to miss any of this dogfight.
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While this is true, the Phillies lineup basically top to bottom was tagging Verlander for some very hard contact starting in the 4th. A double play on the comebacker may have gotten him out of the 4th, but Verlander still wouldāve likely had a sloppy 5th and 6th.
At least, this is how Iām justifying it to myself.
Mrs. MM noted this in the 4th and begged Dusty to get someone up. As usual, sheās smarter than me.
7-0 pay attention
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But the botched play was the beginning of their barrage on his poor pitch selection/execution. He completely lost it a la Gerritt Cole, allowed the 3 runs in the 4th and never recovered. I agree he never should have started the 5th and certainly should have been pulled immediately following the lead off double by Marsh. He truly struck out Schwarber, but missed calls by the ump resulted in the walk. Completely unconscionable for Dusty to leave him in after that to allow the tying runs.
The loss is on Verlander and Dusty for sure, but I still think one or more of those hits should have been caught. Not to mention the offense being shut down after the 3rd and Dusty sending Mancini out there his last at bat to strike swinging out on 3 straight pitches and his inexplicable choice of Garcia instead of Stanek. Iām going to the game tonight and I swear I want to slap that toothpick out of Dustyās mouth.
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I have not seen a replay of what TV showed, but from where we were sitting, I did not think Tucker botched the play.
Verlanderās botched play dropping that ball - thatās where he really went downhill
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