He's pitching in Game 3! If he were pitching in Game 2, he'd be available in Game 5. Here, he won't be, unless they want to pull a Randy Johnson type deal of him being available to come out of the bullpen, which they obviously won't because there would be another series coming up if they win.
Three major blown calls yesterday, one for each game Game 1, bad call helps Texas, next pitch, 3 run homerun, Texas wins (strike 3 to Michael Young called a ball, Young hits 3 run bomb to blow game wide open) Game 2, bad call helps Yankees, next pitch, RBI double, Yankees win (strike 3 to Lance Berkman called a ball, Berkman then hits a double to drive in the go ahead run) Game 3, bad call helps Giants, runner comes around to score only run of the game (see below) Safe stolen base? So to recap, in two of the three games, the winning run scored as a result of a bad call. I think this is a case of umpires wanting to one up to the 2009 postseason.
From Doug Kern of ESPN Stats & Information: Lincecum generated 31 missed swings, easily a career high and the most for ANY pitcher in ANY game this season. The Braves missed with 56.4 percent of their swings (31 out of 55), the best of Lincecum's career. That included 80 percent against changeups. Most swings and misses in a game in 2010: Tim Lincecum, Oct 7 vs ATL: 31 Brandon Morrow, May 5 at CLE: 26 Josh Johnson, Jul 22 vs COL: 25 Clay Buchholz, Apr 22 vs TEX: 25 Jered Weaver, May 12 vs TB: 24 Cole Hamels, Sep 14 at FLA: 24 Lincecum had pretty good command of his fastball; the Braves were only 1-for-12 against it, and the lone hit (Infante's double to lead off the game) came on a fastball up and away. That's typically the corner where Lincecum is most vulnerable (.293 opp BA). His performance ties for the third-most strikeouts in a shutout in postseason history. As you can see, Lincecum has used his slider a whole lot more, too -- the finishing pitches on his strikeouts, from PitchFX: Finish Him! The finishing pitch in Lincecum's strikeouts. The number under "out pitch" indicates velocity: Batter Inn Type Out pitch Lee 1 S Slider 86.8 McCann 1 S Change 87.4 Gonzalez 2 S Slider 85.8 Diaz 2 S Slider 87.4 Conrad 2 S Change 84.9 Lowe 3 C Slider 85.4 Conrad 5 S Slider 84.0 Lowe 6 S Slider 84.6 Heyward 6 S Fastball 92.3 Lee 7 S Fastball 91.1 Ankiel 8 S Fastball 90.8 Hinske 8 S Change 84.9 Heyward 9 S Change 85.3 Lee 9 C Fastball 92.1 Then there was the historic side to Lincecum's success. Here are the most strikeouts in a shutout in MLB postseason history: 1968 Bob Gibson: 17 2000 Roger Clemens: 15 2010 Tim Lincecum: 14 1986 Mike Scott: 14 1983 Mike Boddicker: 14 1972 Joe Coleman: 14 http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=5661539 7. What Andy Pettitte went through as he recovered from his groin injury was basically a second spring training, with the left-hander trying to rebuild his stamina and restore his command to where it was earlier in the season, when he was so good. His performance in Game 2 had to have been heartening for the Yankees, then; it's a completely different-looking Yankees rotation if Pettitte continues to throw that well. Pettitte also took over in the category of most quality starts in postseason history: Andy Pettitte: 25 Tom Glavine: 24 John Smoltz: 22 Greg Maddux: 21 Roger Clemens: 18
Giants up early, 4-0 in the 3rd thanks to a Burrell 3 run shot and a Cain single, scoring Ross. Cain making sure the Giants score for him, this time! Bobby Cox gets ejected in the 2nd, as well.
Cool write up Yis. Thanks for the historic info. Even as a Yankee fan, I was pissed about the blown 3rd strike and the subsequent go ahead run. I want the Yanks to win "fair". I don't want to hear about how the Yankees get all the calls.
It's not like the umpire was inconsistent though. All night long with lefty batters he would call the inside part of the plate a ball and the outside a strike. How come no one mentions the fact that the first pitch of the at bat was 5 inchs off the plate and called a strike, which forced berkman to swing at the 2nd pitch that was fouled off... that was 4-5 inchs outside also. I understand peoples arguements but get real here, it's not like he changed his call location for each team.
In SF, they actually sell very well. It can get muggy as shit in the Early Fall. Giants with a monumental choke job last night. Way to lose the Lincecum momentum you fucks.
Heyward 0/9 with 4 Ks in the playoffs road teams have won every game of the TB/TEX series. road teams 6-1 overall in ALDS
Hudson and Sanchez locked in a pitching duel. Braves using a 3 man rotation, which means Hudson could've gone in Game 2 and been in line to pitch Game 5, but of course Cox pitches him in Game 3 to assure him of only one start in the NLDS. Hudson was one of the top five starters in the NL. Just amazing. This is even worse than when Ron Gardenhire batted Jason Kubel cleanup instead of Delmon Young (downgrade in quality of hitter, as well as making it back to back lefties with Mauer).
with 1 out in the 6th, Tim Hudson singled off of Jonathan Sanchez to break up a no hit bid. Jason Heyward 0/10, fellow rookie Buster Posey is 5/10.
