Sure, it was an ugly scene there with the fans all throwing stuff, an ugly scene for sure. But I don't think the Blue Jays win without all that...the whole situation and how riled up everyone was unsettled the Rangers and they got the yips, got Hamels out of the game and that was the key.
OT: West Coast Blue Jays Discussion
- Thread starter RingWraith
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Eddy Punch Clock
Jack Adams 2028
The most sure handed 2nd baseman in the league botches a play he makes 99/100 and this is what happens. That's baseball for ya. Price was dealing too. Sucks.
EpochLink
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Tobi Wan Kenobi
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I still put it more on Goins. There would have been one out and no one on. Most likely that inning would have had no runs. Price has got to be more mentally tough though.
Me too. A lead-off hit with none out is almost always a guaranteed run.
I think the Sportsnet crew might have been on to something, I think the Royals batters were stealing signs. They showed one of the Royals batters in the 7th laying off of every breaking ball, not even moving to start a swing. It would explain why Price all the sudden had problems getting an out.
If Gibbons doesn't start playing some small ball out there, this is going to be as short series....losing track of the number of times the Jays get runners on first and second with nobody out, and refuse to move the runners up and end up without a run....the post-season is about the only time a manager can really influence the result of the game....and the Royals have a big edge imo.
PG Canuck
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Pitchers give up singles with no outs, they don't unravel. Pitchers hit a batter and put a guy on first with no outs, they don't unravel.
You don't just unravel because there is a guy on first with no outs. Sure, there should be one out and no one on, but that shouldn't mean a result of a 5 run inning. Price is a great pitcher and is an ace - I would expect my ace to not hand over 5 runs because of a botched play.
It's like Miller letting in a goal just because Horvat missed on a breakaway. One players mess up shouldn't lead to the other team manhandling you.
Or maybe that's just me. Or that's just baseball. I'm not as diehard for the game as I am hockey so I don't know every in and out. But a botched catching play shouldn't result to an inning blowing an entire game in the playoffs. Some just don't want to out any blame on Price, but there must be some sort of reason he hasn't won in the postseason. Mental toughness must play a part.
PG Canuck
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Then maybe they should've taken Price out. Stealing signs is fair. Gibbons really botched it by letting Price to go on and pitch.
The problem with that lead-off hit is that now the pitcher has to keep an eye on first base so he can't relax on the mound in between pitches. It also changes the shift of the infield depending on which base the runners are on. If you have someone on first with no one out, a pop fly and a stolen base and he's on third with one or none out. In baseball, it's easy to pile on when you smell blood in the water. If that catch is made, Price can relax and keep rolling there. Absolute game-changer, at least he owned up to it.
PG Canuck
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It's not like the Royals were stealing second. I don't recall a time them trying to steal at all. If a 200+ million pitcher can't handle a guy on first, then I have some pretty big worries. It's all hypothetical - your situations. Price could have just easily struck one guy out, and then had a ground ball for a DP. Boom, out of the inning. I'd expect an ace to not get rattled because a guy is on first...otherwise, that ace is going to be nervous for a majority of baseball games.
Like I said, maybe I just don't know all the ins and outs of baseball, but I think it's kind of ridiculous how it all just unraveled. Price has earned his postseason record.
PG Canuck
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Greg Zaun did a breakdown of I think Gordon's AB against Price, and showed he was clearly looking for a pitch Price was going to deal. He was sitting back on his other pitches, and all over one of his pitches that I can't remember which one it was. Gordon fouled off two or three hard hit balls, and Price eventually went back to that pitch and Gordon drilled it. That whole inning, they Royals knew what Price was dealing. Gibbons left him in there for far too long.
Exactly. It didn't just happen with a guy on second. Price got in trouble and they know he was going to throw low and outside. It's a lot easier to pick out pitches when you don't have to worry about location.
agree. Price just pumps the same spot over and over. he needs to go up in the zone with his great fastball more often. if he pitched like Estrada he'd be unhittable with his stuff.
EpochLink
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Red
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That was brutal, they could get nothing done with RISP. I wonder how this series would have been different if the Blue Jays had taken home field, or if they didn't choke game 2.
Pip
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Baby Pettersson
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