Tag: ek hornbeck sports

So you think the Royals have home field advantage?  Think again.  Trailing as they do 3 – 2 they have to sweep both home games or they are done for the season whereas the Giants are only have to win once.

Nothing has changed at all and I still think Bochy is an idiot for not pitching Bumgarner 3 times (yet).

Now shallow commentators grasping at straws and trying to spark up some of that 1985 magic (though why you would want to is beyond me) will point out that 8 of the last 10 times a team has trailed 3 – 2 with 2 at home to play they’ve gone on to win.  And I say- past history is no indicator of future performance.

If you want to root Blue put your hope in the fact that Ventura is just about the hardest throwing pitcher in Baseball and Peavy is entirely ordinary.  If Bochy leaves him in to get in trouble he’s just an even bigger idiot than I already think.

Sunday was another enjoyable blowout if you favor orange.

Bottom 2nd, Leadoff Single, Single, Sacrifice, RBI Sacrifice.  Giants 1 – 0.

Bottom 4th, Leadoff Single, Single, RBI Single.  Giants 2 – 0.

Bottom 8th, Leadoff Single, Single, 2 RBI Double, Error, Runner Advances, RBI Single.  Giants 5 – 0 Final.  They lead the Series 3 – 2.

Starting tonight for the Royals is Yordano Ventura (R, 14 – 10, ERA 3.20).  Post Season he is without a decision with an ERA of 4.42 based on 18.1 Innings Pitched with 20 Hits, 3 Home Runs, and 9 Runs scored.

He will be matched for the Giants by Jake Peavy (R, 7 – 13, ERA 3.73) who is also without a Post Season decision with an ERA of 3.68 based on 14.2 Innings Pitched with 12 Hits, 1 Home Run and 6 Runs scored.

It looks like a pick ’em on paper but Peavy was totally outclassed in Game 2 and this is a re-match.  The Royals won 7 – 2.

So we shall see if we extend to tomorrow.

Bumgarner and Shields.  Well, I think we all know how this one plays out, don’t we?  I’m not unsympathetic to the Royals, they are victims of an organization and set of rules that disadvantages them.  And I’ve got waaay more respect for Yost than Bochy who is terrible.

So the Giants are will leave San Francisco up 3 – 2 and the Royals will have to sweep in Kansas City and that’s just the way it is.

Last night was an enjoyable blow out if you’re a Giants fan, an ordeal if you root for Blue.

Bottom 1st, Leadoff Walk, Wild Pitch, Steal, RBI Force.  Giants 1 – 0.

Top 3rd, 1 Out Single, Force, 2 Down, Steal, RBI Single, Walk, RBI Single, 2 RBI Single.  Royals 4 – 1.

Bottom 3rd, Leadoff Single, Sacrifice, RBI Single.  Royals 4 – 2

Bottom 5th, Leadoff Double, Sacrifice, RBI Single, Single, At The Corners, Walk, RBI Sacrifice, KO.  Tied at 4.

Bottom 6th, Leadoff Single, Single, Sacrifice, 2nd and 3rd, Walk, Force at the Plate, 2 RBI Single, RBI Single.  Giants 7 – 4.

Bottom 7th, Leadoff Single, Walk, Double Switch, RBI Single with Error, 2 RBI Double, RBI Double.  Giants 11 – 4.

Game Over Dude.

Starting tonight for the Giants is Madison Bumgarner (L, 18 – 10, ERA 2.98).  Post Season he is 3 – 1, ERA 1.40 based on 38.2 Innings Pitched with 22 hits, 3 Home Runs, 7 Runs Scored.

He will be matched for the Royals by James Shields (R, 14 – 8, ERA 3.21).  Post Season he is 1 – 1, ERA 7.11 based on 19 Innings Pitched with 28 Hits, 4 Home Runs, 15 Runs Scored.

I would have pitched Bumgarner last night so he would have been available in Game 6 and I sure as hell would have benched Vogelsong sooner.  As it is we shall leave Baghdad by the Bay with the Giant’s requiring but 1 victory.

What happened last night?  Umm… not as much as some people might think, though the Giants are under a certain incentive to win tonight.

First of all it was a tight game, 3 – 2 is not a convincing victory.  Strategically Ned Yost is an idiot for not starting Vogelsong because he’ll only be available for Game 7 which you theoretically also have a Bumgarden on short rest to handle.

Stupid.

And assuming of course that the Royals won’t sweep out but I don’t see that happening.  They’ll face Bumgarden at least once more and their bats were nothing special.

Top 1st, Leadoff Double, Sacrifice, RBI Sacrifice, Royals 1 – 0.

Top 6th, Single, RBI Double, RBI Single, Royals 3 – 0.

Bottom 6th, Leadoff Single, RBI Double, Walk, Sacrifice, RBI Sacrifice, Royals 3 – 2.

Game Over Dude.

Starting tonight for the Giants is Ryan Vogelsong (R, 8 – 13, ERA 4.00).  He’s made 2 appearences but has no decisions Post Season and an ERA of 5.19 based on 8.2 Innings Pitched with 9 Hits, 1 Home Run, and 5 Runs Scored.

He will be matched for the Royals by Jason Vargas (L, 11 – 10, ERA 3.71).  Post Season he has made 2 appearences with 1 Win and an ERA of 2.38 based on 11.1 Innings Pitched with 5 hits, and 3 Runs Scored.

So on paper Vargas is superior.  If he were facing Bumgarden it would be no contest.  As it is a nailbiter if you’re a Giants fan.  I can’t believe they’ll get closed out at home and that will mean another trip to visit the Royals which totally screws with my TDS/TCR vibe.

Not that you should care.

So, what happened Wednesday?  The Royals won a game that they pretty much had to for a split at their home field the advantage of which they have lost.  How so?  The Series is even and the majority of the remaining games will be played at the Giants’ are home field where the inherent superiority of the Senior League rules will be on display.

Have a big bat who can’t move at all any more because they’re old and fat?  Sorry, accept the defensive penalty of putting them in the field where they haven’t been for so long they can hardly recognize a Baseball let alone catch one, or park ’em on the bench where they can show the rookies how to wear a rally cap or simply be too cool to indulge in such silly team building exercises.

Oh, and your aging armed pitcher who hasn’t seen one all year?  Too bad there isn’t a mercy rule where you just accept the out and shorten up the game.

Bitter about the DH?  Moi?  Non, non, non.

In the top of the 1st Leadoff Solo Shot.  Giants 1 – 0.

In the bottom of the 1st Leadoff Single, Pop Out, Caught Stealing, Double, Walk, RBI Single.  Tied at 1.

In the bottom of the 2nd Double, RBI Double.  Royals 2 – 1.

In the top of the 4th Leadoff Double, RBI Double, Out Advancing.  Tied at 2.

In the bottom of the 6th Leadoff Single, Walk, RBI Single, Wild Pitch, Runners at 2nd and 3rd, 2 RBI Double, 2 RBI Home Run, Pitching Change, Single, Double Play.  Royals 7 – 2.

Game Over Dude.

Starting tonight for the Giants is Tim Hudson (R, 9 – 13, ERA 3.57).  He’s made 2 appearances but no decisions Post Season and an ERA of 3.29 based on 13.2 Innings Pitched with 14 Hits, 1 Home Run, and 5 Runs Scored.

He will be matched for the Royals by Jeremy Guthrie (R, 13 – 11, ERA 4.13).  Post Season he has made 1 appearance with an ERA of 1.80 based on 5 Innings Pitched with 3 hits, and 1 Run Scored.

So on paper Guthrie has the edge though he’s not been really tested.  The thing is, even if the Giants lose tonight (unless they do so embarrassingly which was not the case Wednesday), they still have home field advantage until the Royals take 2 because they’ll only have to win 1 game of 2 away.

Funny how a leadoff victory shakes things up.

8 pm Fox.

So, what happened last night?  Madison Bumgarner dominated and James Shields not so much.  Now everyone may be right about the extraordinary quality of the Royal’s Bullpen but by the time they got the call in the 4th Inning the game was already 5 – 0 and there was no saving to be done.

In the top of the 1st, Leadoff Single, Sacrifice, Single, Runners at the Corners, Double, Caught advancing, 2 RBI HR, Giants 3 – 0.

In the top of the 4th, Leadoff Double, Wild Pitch, Runner at 3rd, Walk, RBI Single, Shields pulled for Duffy, Sacrifice, 2nd and 3rd, Walk, RBI Walk, Giants 5 – 0.

In the top of the 7th, Leadoff Walk, RBI Triple, Pitching Change, Line Out, RBI Single, Giants 7 – 0.

In the bottom of the 7th a 2 Out Solo Shot, 7 – 1 Giants.

Game Over Dude.

Now I heard the announcers make some kind of remark about how it’s not so bad, that in Series where the Home team got blown out (and it was a blowout, make no mistake) the last 4 out of 5 times that team came back to win it.  I wish I could be more encouraging.

With this loss (and it was Ace against Ace on full rest) the Royals surrender Home Field Advantage and will have to win at least one game at the Giants to prevail whereas the Giants could sweep at Home and never have to visit the Royals again after tonight, win or lose.  Also Bumgarner is a rubber arm who threw only slightly more than 100 pitches and could easily make 3 appearences in this Series.

So either the Royals come up with a solution or the Giants only need 1 more game from somebody.

Now lest you think I’m just a heartless bastard who hates the Royals (and I am a heartless bastard, but I don’t necessarily hate the Royals any more than every team that’s not the Mets) I have a smidge of sympathy since it’s been so long for them.

But it’s Chicago Cubs sympathy.

Starting tonight for the Royals is Yordano Ventura (R, 14 – 10, ERA 3.20).  He’s a rookie with 3 appearences but no decisions Post Season and an ERA of 4.61 based on 13 Innings Pitched with 12 Hits, 2 Home Runs, and 7 Runs Scored.

He will be matched for the Giants by Jake Peavy (R, 7 – 13, ERA 3.73).  Post Season he is 1 – 0 in 2 appearences with an ERA of 1.86 based on 9.2 Innings Pitched with 6 hits, 1 Home Runs, and 2 Runs Scored.

This is really a pick ’em.  Peavy’s had a better Post Season but has played fewer innings and he sucked during the regular season.  It all depends on if the Royals bring their bats to the park tonight.

8 pm Fox.