Joe Nathan slipped. And the Rangers fell.
Weird night at the Ballpark.
Seeing the Rangers' almost-automatic closer (31 of 32 save opportunities entering the game) fall and fail was as rare as Dirk Nowitzki missing consecutive free throws (87% career) or Dan Bailey missing an extra point (76 of 76 in career).
Just doesn't happen.
But it did.
And, because of it, the Rangers lost a 5-4 game to an underwhelming, unrecognizable New York Yankees' lineup featuring guys named Melky Mesa, Eduardo Nunez, Brent Lillibridge and Austin Romine. You expect to see them wearing numbers in the 60s during Spring Training exhibitions, not producing key at-bats against an All-Star reliever in late July.
Problems started in the 9th when Nathan got squeezed by home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley.
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A couple of close pitches walked Vernon Wells, but then Nathan threw consecutive sliders that - according to the computerized Fox Box - nipped the bottom of the strike zone. Nope, not good enough for Danley. Nathan dug out of 2-0 back to 2-2 when, inexplicably, his plant foot landed awkwardly and he slipped.
While he fell on the mound, the ball bounced about 50 feet for a wild pitch. Nunez ripped the ensuing 3-2 fastball for a triple, and Lillibridge - hitting a robust .088 - then served a single to left for the game-winning RBI.
Instead of Nathan's 32nd save, Mariano Rivera closed out the 9th for
his 32nd. And he did it, by the way, by striking out Leonys Martin on three called strikes that - again, according to the computer - weren't in the strike zone.
Nathan got squeezed, slipped and, let's face it, sucked. But when your closer goes two months between blown saves - his other came May 26 against the Mariners - you can't really complain.
The Rangers were 51-0 when leading after 8 innings. I said
were.
Said Rangers'
manager Ron Washington after the game, "That was weird the way it happened."
You can blame Danley all you want. I still think there'll be a day when a computer calls balls and strikes and we don't have to suffer through arrogant umpires' personally customized strike zones.
But before you bitch and moan too loud or long, remember that time in April when the umps awarded Nathan his 300th career save on (low) silver platter?
Call it even?
I will not be a baseball apologist. I love the game, but there are too many ways to manipulate it, so having some kind of order would be nice. 3 straight balls to Leonys Martin, 3!!!! A couple of Yankees fans on my FB said hey, you still have to swing the bat....come on. I enjoy the pitch tracker, as it gives you a pretty good idea where the ump's zone is. I didn't watch the entire game, so I'm not sure what his consistency was.
ReplyDeleteThe Joe Nathan 300th save was a gimme.
Mariano is greatness and even this year, 32 saves isn't shabby. His and Nathan's stats mirror each other and he could probably keep it up(Rivera) for at least a couple more years.
Closers mess up, hopefully this will be Nathan's last fuckup of the year.
I just wished baseball would take the time and enact the science to get its calls right. Seems simple.
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