31 thoughts on “Game 79. Sano Day!”

  1. Ok, I understand that there's a big difference between a 1-run lead and 2-run lead, but seriously? Bunt Mauer to third with no outs? With your clean-up hitter?

      1. Le Sigh.

        those fancy advanced stats, Run Expectancy, says 2nd and no outs --> 1.06 runs; 3rd and one out --> 0.9 runs.

  2. Now Dazz is asserting that Plouffe was bunting for a hit rather than sacrificing. Really? In that situation? Why?

    1. It would make me feel a little better if it was Plouffe going rogue, actually.

      1. yes, barely. In which case, Molly should have been reaming him out for it. Dude, you have a runner in scoring position. A bunt single will not score him -- he ain't Buxton.

          1. With runners on second in the fifth and again in the sixth, Eduardo Escobar and Trevor Plouffe were respectively given the productive-out sign. That could mean hitting the ball to the right side or it could mean bunting, whatever suits the player.

            In each case, a bunt was the choice. Neither bunt was particularly good but both were effective, although Joe Mauer was stranded at third in the sixth when Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano followed with strikeouts.

            Kurt Suzuki bunted on his own in the ninth but popped a slider back toward the mound. Escobar followed with a key triple.

            FWIW, Gardy never had a cleanup hitter credited with a sac bunt. The last to do it was Koskie in 1999 when TK was managing. In this game, both cleanup hitters got a bunt down (one for a single).

  3. I don't know about eight brilliant innings with that last one, but definitely a good game by Gibson.

    1. The result was certainly brilliant. I guess it depends on your definition of brilliant. Wasn't dominant since I would think would need more than 1 K per inning. I didn't like the 4 walks. It looked like he was pitching scared in the late innings, afraid to let them hit the ball. The 7 Ks are certainly promising, especially against the Royals, who have one of the lowest K rates in the AL. Gibson now has 46 Ks in his last 52 1/3 innings pitched (7.9 K/9) after getting just 19 Ks in the first 48 1/3 IP (3.5 K/9) this season.

  4. Is it too early to hope that Joe is getting it going? Over the last two weeks*, he's 324/435/432 (12-37 with 7:8 K:BB, 1 HR and 1 double).

    *Not including today's 2-4. So 14-41, 341/440/439 with 8:8.

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