It's the flip side of all those home runs the Twins hit in Anaheim. Span's a fast runner, and Juan Pierre, the Chicago left fielder, has a rag arm. I think Span would have scored; I'm not even sure Pierre would have thrown home. Instead, Ullger took the more passive approach — bases loaded and Justin Morneau coming up, let's sit back and play for the crooked number.
And the Twins got nothing out of that inning.
Then there's the hyperaggressive approach Ozzie Guillen took in the bottom of the 11th. Trailing by a run, with one out already, he twice called for the hit-and-run with Omar Vizquel at the plate and Alex Rios on first. Vizquel fouled off the first one, swung and missed at the second, and Rios was an easy out.
Guillen ran them out of that inning.
And I understand, even applaud, the idea. It played to the strengths of the players involved. Vizquel is no power threat, he does make contact, Rios isn't slow. It could have worked, but it didn't, and I suppose Guillen's going to be pilloried in the Chicago papers for the move.
A Casey Stengel line comes to mind: Whadda want me to do, sit there and lose? Well, Guillen lost anyway, but at least he didn't lose asking Vizquel to be a slugger.
Another victory, but lots of questionable decisions: why the sac bunt in the 6th? Idiotic at that juncture. I'm "watching" the game by ESPN'S gamescast, so I have no idea where Morneau's single went, but if there's a reasonable chance to score, you must be aggressive in that spot, especially because (as Ed noted) the Twins were too passive the day before. And later in the same inning, where was Young to pinch hit for Casilia? I liked the decision to pinch run for Thome, but I never want to see Casilia in a situation where he needs to produce with a bat.
ReplyDeleteOf course, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a win is a win is a win.