Going Pigeon: Nationals at Phillies - 8/20/10

Tonight's starting pitchers: Jason Marquis (0-5,14.33 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (15-8, 2.24 ERA)

GOING PIGEON BASEBALL CORROLARY # 1 - When a pitching matchp looks too good to be true, it probably is!

 

Although Marquis is having a dreadful season, the law of averages suggests he will pitch a strong game tonigut.  His career ERA is closer to 4.60, so he's due for some clean innings.

 

Business analysts on CNBC would call this a correction.

 

Top 1st: 0-0

 

To keep his pitch counts down, Roy Halladay sometimes must pitch to contact, but that can produce cheap hits like Nyjer Morgn's leadoff double to left.

 

The usually unflappable Hallady commits a rare balk  - his first since 2005 - before his next pitch, sending Morgan to 3rd with nobody out.

 

Home Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi seems to define the MLB strike zone differenltly than Roy Halladay.

 

The Phils ace runs a 3-0 count on Ian Desmond, as Halladay disputes both ball two and ball three.

 

When I make my 'bucket list' trip to Cooperstown in 2025, one of those men (Halladay, Cuzzi) will be enshrined as a Hall-of-Famer.

Care to guess which?

 

Desmond outduels both Desmond and Cuzzi, retiring the Washington shortstop on a fly to center.

 

Cuzzi squeezes Halladay again on his first pitch to Adam Dunn, setting the stage for a walk to put runners on the corners.

 

A young brunette fan adjusts her Phillies cap into 'rally mode', turning it backwards.

 

Tom McCarthy: "It's a little early for the rally caps".

 

Seems like a good idea to me!  The Phils had crummy luck last night and tonight isn't starting any better.

 

After getting ahead of Ryan Zimmerman, Halladay walks the third baseman on a pair of disputed pitches.

 

Noting that Halladay had already thrown eighteen pitches to four batters, Chris 'The Naked Emperor' Wheeler begins to worry aloud:

 

Wheleer: "This is like what happened to the Cole Hamels last night - he got right behind the eight ball and (Jonathan) Sanchez pitched a great game against (the Phils).."

Pigeon: "Sanchez had a 3.60 ERA before the game and pitched like a guy who should have given up 3.60 runs.  The Phils - especially Polanco - got themselves out on several hittable pitches."

 

Halladay shows why he's headed to Cooperstown by jamming Roger Bernadina into an inning-ending double play.

Bottom 1st: 0-0

Polanco remembers to bring his brain to CBP tonight and draws a leadoff walk from Marquis.

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: BRUTAL HONESTY

McCarthy mentions this comment from Nationals manager Jim Riggleman about Marquis:

" . . . we can't just leave him (in our rotation) to get his brains beat in"

Jim Riggleman just earned some respect from the Cave of Insanity.

With two outs, Jayson Werth hammers an 89-mph hanger into the left field corner for a double.

Despite running on the 3-2, 2-out pitch, Polanco somehow fails to reach third before Berandina's throw reaches the infield.

The Emperor points out that Bernadina got a friendly carom off the LF wall to hold Polanco at third.

He neglects to mention that Polanco was towing a VW Beetle.

Raul Ibanez looks at a 2-1 sinker and sees a ball low and outside.

Phil Cuzzi sees a strike.

Unable to confirmt that Cuzzi is correct - so he can commence UBK*  - the Emperor sprains his tounge searching for a response.
*Umpire Butt Kissing

Ibanez strikes out to end the inning.


Top 2nd : 0-0

Pudge Rodriguez send a one-out hopper that Jimmy Rollins sends wide of 1st baseman Mike Sweeney.

In knee-jerk fashion, the Emperor declares "That's a hit!"

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: BASEBALL SCORING 101

In ruling infield hits and errors, multiple factors must be taken into account:

1. How difficult was the fielding chance?
2. Who is the batter/runner?
3. Who is the fielder

1. Difficulty was moderate - Rollins had to range six steps to his right for a belt-high hopper
2. Pudge Rodriquez - a catcher who turns 39 in November - was the batter
3. Jimmy Rollins is a three-time reigning Gold Glove shortstop

ERROR

After viewing the replay, the Emperor sees the light and admits that Rollins clearly deserves an error.

Halladay retires Adam Kennedy (fly out) and Jason Marquis (ground out) to escape further danger.

Bottom 2nd: 0-0

Mike Sweeney sends a routine grounder to Ryan Zimmerman at third.  Zimmerman retires Sweeney, but makes the play much harder than in needs to be.

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: POETIC JUSTICE - PART I

Ryan Zimmerman became an Enemy of the Cave when he showed up Brad Lidge and the Phillies during a game in Washington on July 31.

It was Zimerman who laughed at Brad Lidge and winked at Adam Dunn before sending a 3-run walkoff home run into the DC sky to cap a 7-5 Nationals victory.

When Zimmerman posed like the Lincoln Memorial after his swing, the Cave noticed.

Funny thing, the punk hasn't been able to throw a baseball correctly ever since.

The next day, Zimmerman returned the win that he stole by bunny-hopping a inning-ending double play grounder, allowing the Phils to force extra innings and eventually win 6-4.

Botton 3rd: 0-0

Chase Utley returned the the Phils this week.  While Joe Morgan doesn't think so*, Utley's return helps the Phils in many ways.
*GOING PIGEON: 8/14/10

Having the patience to draw a 2-out walk off Jason Maruqis is one of those ways.

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: PHANATICAL DEVOTION

Duing Utley's at-bat, the folks at Comcast got bored.  They spent several minutes showing the Phanatic spurning a young girl to buff the bald head of a neighboring fan.

If the Emperor ever retires to join the common fans, he and the Phanatic will enjoy many moments like this.

Werth likes what he sees and decides to be patient with Marquis.  He also is rewarded with a walk.

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: POETIC JUSTICE - PART II

It was Adam Dunn who shared the laugh with Ryan Zimmerman back on July 31, laughing with reporters following the Nationals walk-off victory.

Fast-forward to present: With Utley on second and Werth on first, Raul Ibanez sends a sharply hit grounder toward Dunn, who the Nationals are trying to hide at first base these days.

Dunn has the bat of an All-Star but the glove and reflexes of a Designated Hitter.  For any true MLB first baseman, Ibanez hit would become the final out of a scoreless inning.

But with the Potomic Butcher playing the position, Ibanez grounder becomes a go-ahead RBI double.

Since Roy Halladay has solved the shape-shifting strike zone of Phil Cuzzi, that lone run might just be enough!

Bottom 9th:
PHI 1 - WSH 0

McCarthy notes that the Phillies bullpen - another factor that Joe Morgan thinks will nullify the return of Utley and Ryan Howard - has contributed to 10 Phillie shutouts this season.

After getting fly-ball outs from Willie Harris and Nyger Morgan, Brad Lidge surrenders a double to Ian Desmond.

The closer is lucky that Morgan sent that ball with enough top-spin to drop it against the fence in the left-field corner.

Adam Dunn, representing the go-ahead run, comes to the plate

GOING PIGEON PRESENTS: POETIC JUSTICE - PART III

Pitch one: 91-mph fastball.  Dunn is looking for a 82-mph slider.  Foul ball and strike one.

Pitch two: slider in the dirt.  Ball one.

Pitch three: High-outside fastball.  Ball two.

Pitch four: 83-mph hanging slider.  Dunn misses his chance to be a hero.  Too bad.  Strike two.

Carlos Ruiz visits the mound.  The Emperor dispenses baseball wisdom:

Emperor: "I wonder if they should go upstairs with Dunn right here; he's such a good low ball hitter"

Pigeon: "A closer should never get beat with his second-best pitch (the Emperor's high fastball).  If he beats you on a GOOD slider, tip you hat and shake Dunn's hand."

Pitch five: Slider at the plate.  Swing and a miss!  Game over!

Ryan Zimemrman is stranded in the National on-deck circle!

Hey, Ryan!  You don't get to hit this inning! 

Tool!

I am Don Pigeon and I AM OUT!!!!