RMJ 112 June 6

Team Batting

Rk	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI
1	28	130	478	425	45	113	25	1	4	44
2	29	162	717	566	109	162	40	2	43	135
3	31	162	744	619	146	191	37	8	22	81
4	30	97	275	241	30	60	14	4	4	30
5	31	96	339	301	37	77	24	1	8	43
6	29	152	631	550	78	142	31	2	10	68
7	29	63	216	192	34	53	11	2	4	17
8	28	129	547	493	67	136	29	3	15	71

 

I look at individual matchups: our hitters against their starting pitcher. I look at their pitcher vs left- and right-handed hitters. I consider whether he is a fly-ball or ground-ball pitcher. Whether we can steal on him. Then I think about our pitcher. If he is a fly-ball pitcher, I want my best defensive outfield. If he is a sinker/slider guy, I want to support him with a good defensive infield.

Some of our pitchers prefer one catcher to another. I felt this way at times when I was pitching, and I believe that the pitcher is the most important player on the field, so I take this into account as well. Still, it doesn’t take more than half an hour to make out a lineup.

           

Tonight, I was none too confident. We only had two or three guys who had hit well against Joey Hamilton. The running game was a possibility, but among the few guys we have who can steal, none have hit Hamilton — or anyone else, lately.

One thing about it: he is a ground-ball pitcher, and I felt pretty good about Thomas Howard and Luis González. I also felt good about Mike Hampton, who pitched a marvelous game against the Padres but did not win in his last start. I feel like he is about to turn the corner.

Still, and all, I did not feel like we would be the favorite in this game. This didn’t bother me much, as I have learned not to try to predict baseball games. As much as I know, I would never risk any of my dollars on the muscle.

 

The game started out well for us. Bagwell singled with two outs, stole second, then scored on a single by Luis González. I couldn’t believe Hamilton threw Gonzo a fastball with a 3-1 count and first base open, with Ray Montgomery on deck.

In the second inning, we had runners on second and third when Hamilton hit Biggio in the elbow with a 94 MPH fastball.  Sean Berry was nearby on the bench. He wondered out loud if the pitch was intentional, because of a needlessly hard slide that Bidge made into Archi Cianfrocco last time we were here. With a base open, it did seem possible. But then, Hamilton had several shots at Bidge on the last homestand.

Either way, we got all the retribution I was looking for when Tank Howard followed with a single to give us a 3-0 lead. We scored two more in the third, and Mike Hampton was pitching like a master, using sinkers and riders, curves, sliders, and changeups in baffling sequences.

We scored two more in the fourth, and Hampton shut them down again, striking out Cianfrocco with a 3-2 changeup to end the inning. The way he was pitching, it looked like we would waltz to victory.

We failed to score for the first time in the fifth, and the Padres erupted. Hampton got one out quickly. He never got another, though the was close on five occasions. Five times he had two strikes on a hitter, made a bad pitch, and paid a price. In all, they got six consecutive hits. Caminiti delivered the knockout punch: a three-run homer on a 1-2 pitch. José Lima came in and got the last two outs.

It never seems easy these days, and this one would get harder by the inning.

           

In the top of the sixth, Bagwell started what would be one of the greatest one-man shows I have ever seen, by hitting a solo homer to give us a little cushion. We were back on the hot seat almost immediately because with two outs, Lima completely forgot about the best base-stealer in history, Rickey Henderson.

José had two strikes on Tony Gwynn. I guess he was focusing on getting the out, but in that situation, he has to make the runner stop. Instead, Henderson stole second without a throw. Naturally, Gwynn singled him home.

Lima ran into more trouble in the seventh; Blas Minor came in and got the last out on pinch-hitter Wally Joyner. I thought about double-switching when I made the move, but my bench is pretty thin these days. The only player available who has been hitting at all is Ausmus. I could have made a good batting-order move to keep Minor in there. But I really wanted Russ Springer for the eighth inning, anyway.  

Ken Ramos pinch-hit for Minor and made an out. I sure hope I can get him a hit before he gets sent down. The clock is ticking on him now, as Derek Bell is starting his rehab assignment in New Orleans.

We didn’t score in the eighth. They mounted another rally. Quilvio Veras has lost his starting role at second base because of weak hitting, but against us he has been one tough out. He worked the count 3-2 and then fouled off seven pitches before drawing a walk.

Henderson got a broken-bat hit, bringing Gwynn to the plate. The count went full, and with the runners breaking, Tony hit a topspin liner to the right of Bagwell. Bagwell made a great pickup, but only had one play: the out at first.

Now it was second-and-third, with only one out, and Finley was the hitter.  Ordinarily, I would leave Springer in to face the next batter, but Finley is such a good fastball hitter, I went with Mike Magnante, a screwballing lefty.

When I got to the mound, the infielders came in and asked how I wanted them to play.

I said, “How do you want to play?” 

Biggio said, “play in. Put the pressure on him.”

I said, “Do it.”

When I got back to the dugout, Bill said, “We’ve got to move the infielders back.” I said, “They want to play in.”

“Well, I know, but we can’t let them decide. The winning run is on second base.”

“It’s a tough call,” Cubby said. “They will be running on contact. Henderson will be sure to score on a hit. But if we let them tie it, it may be tough to stop them.”

That’s the way I felt. With the momentum building against us, I thought they would win for sure if we let them tie it. We kept the infield in, and Finley hit a sizzling liner to the right of Bagwell. Bagwell dove and caught the ball, two feet above the ground and parallel to it.  We walked Caminiti, and Magnante struck out Carlos Hernandez.

It was another Houdini escape. Then came the ninth.

 

With Billy Wagner on to pitch, and the end of the lineup due, it should have been easy. Billy was throwing 95-98 MPH as usual, but the Padres had beaten him in Houston, and they were not intimidated.

The first batter, 6’5” Archi Cianfrocco, drew a walk on four pitches. Chris Gomez singled to right. I figured we might get a force with the wheel play, but pinch-hitter Trey Beamon fouled the ball off. I didn’t want him slashing with infielders moving, so we went back to the regular defense. He bunted foul again, and then fair in front of the mound. Wagner tried to catch it in the air but could not, and he peeled away to let Bagwell field it. Jeff surprised everyone by throwing to second for the force play. I don’t think I have ever seen this done impromptu.

There is a bunt play where you charge and go for the double play second-to-first, but we do not use this risky play. Bagwell did it on his own, and it was brilliant because it gave us the chance to escape with a double play.

That’s exactly what we did, but not in the normal manner.

Quilvio Veras hit a smash to Bagwell. Jeff was in close, and he knocked it down but did not catch it. Instead, he picked it up and stepped on the bag. Now Veras was out and Gomez, who was next to Bagwell, took off for second. Bagwell started to chase, but immediately realized that Cianfrocco was heading for home.  Bagwell’s throw to the plate was perfect. We executed the rundown perfectly and pulled the win — like a rabbit — out of a hat.