rusty2 wrote:
In a park as big as Detroit, this might be a good opportunity to showcase some "small" ball. Except for a couple of players, we have decent speed throughout the lineup. I don't know if this is a good time to show a force of strength. I don't know if this is the right time for slugfest. I'd just like to see everyone put some good swings and at-bats together. I'm thinking that speed might trump power in this series.
Someone forgot to tell Detroit that tonight was speed night and not slug fest night.
When you are down 8-2 it might be time for a little slug fest.
LOL of course Joe wants small ball. If he had his way everyone would bunt every at bat. Forget the fact that we were tied (or close to it after today) with Atlanta for the most HR's in the league, play small ball. Last I checked no one ever got a 3 RBI HR from a bunt. Small ball has it's place, in close games, but when you get deep in a hole you gotta hope for some big bombs as well.
Guess what ?!?!?!
We take the final two games with ?!?!?!?!!?
Some small ball
That first game was a little disconcerting though. I never dreamed the Tigers would cash in on that many doubles but they did a great job of finding the right holes in the outfield at the right time.
Why is it that no one seems to understand that small ball is NOT all about bunting !?!?! Small ball is making pitchers work into high pitch counts, walking, quality at bats by grounding out or flying out in effect advancing runners a base or two, making good contact when with two strikes by fouling off pitches and putting the ball in play where anything can happen. There's more to small ball than just bunting fellas. Make fun all you want, but I thought the Indians followed Francona's game plan to a "T".
The Indians (19-15) jumped on Verlander early when the hard-throwing right-hander struggled to command his fastball, scoring three runs in the first two innings and driving his pitch count up to force him out of the contest by the fifth. Facing one of the best pitchers in the game, Cleveland wanted to make things as difficult for him as possible. "He's so good. He's so strong. He's so durable," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He has a lot of weapons. But, to our credit, we made him work for everything.
