Chapman comes back after a BB and single to go 103 on some poor soul and complete the sweep.

He certainly kept things close. Take the W any way we can get it.

I'm starting to really buy into Dusty's philosophy of playing guys in or near their hometown. Bruce and Hamilton were the men last night.

Hamilton needs to be on our playoff roster. I don't care what they need to do to make it happen. Get rid of one of your utility infielders if your worried about pitchers.

 

Bruce is raking.

Defending Dusty has to be getting more difficult by the day....That was a clinic in bad baseball decisions last night.

Hamilton needs to be on our playoff roster. I don't care what they need to do to make it happen. Get rid of one of your utility infielders if your worried about pitchers.

 

Bruce is raking.

 

With the inability to score runs, I agree. If they raked and averaged 5 per game, maybe not. Knowing that late in a game if Meso, Hanigan, Ludwick or the pitcher spot gets on you can pretty much be at second base without giving up an out is huge for this team.

With the inability to score runs, I agree. If they raked and averaged 5 per game, maybe not. Knowing that late in a game if Meso, Hanigan, Ludwick or the pitcher spot gets on you can pretty much be at second base without giving up an out is huge for this team.

 

I completely agree. I know you have to worry about what happens if Frazier or Phillips goes down, but I think I almost roll the dice, leave Hannahan or Izturius off the playoff roster. Keep Hamilton and all the pitching you are worried about.

 

Hamilton needs to be there.

I completely agree. I know you have to worry about what happens if Frazier or Phillips goes down, but I think I almost roll the dice, leave Hannahan or Izturius off the playoff roster. Keep Hamilton and all the pitching you are worried about.

 

Hamilton needs to be there.

 

If they go down, you can add them as a replacement. I'd lean towards leaving Hannahan off. Cozart or Izturis, in a pinch, could play third. You leave Izturis off, and if Phillips or Cozart go down, they're in a lot of trouble.

If they go down, you can add them as a replacement. I'd lean towards leaving Hannahan off. Cozart or Izturis, in a pinch, could play third. You leave Izturis off, and if Phillips or Cozart go down, they're in a lot of trouble.

 

Agree

Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to going a man short on the staff.

 

Latos, Bailey, Arroyo, Leake, Cueto, Cingrani (if healthy), Marshall, Parra, Chapman, Hoover, LeCure. I'd take those 11 arms. Simon in place of Cingrani if he's not healthy. Leave Ondrusek off.

 

That gives you an extra spot on the bench for Hamilton.

Defending Dusty has to be getting more difficult by the day....That was a clinic in bad baseball decisions last night.

 

Computer was down last night when it happened, so I couldn't post then. But, am I the only who was completely shocked that they didn't have Hamilton steal 3rd when Phillips was batting in the top of the 9th?

 

I mean, why bunt a guy over to 3rd, who's already proved he's capable of stealing? It seemed like it was a perfect scenario for them with a right handed batter up. I know Phillips is getting hammered for running in the baseline, and Votto the same for swinging at the first pitch...but why wasn't Hamilton running earlier? For the life of me, I just don't understand.

 

You could've gone with a double steal (sending both Hamilton and Choo)...they can't throw out both of them. Or send Hamilton by himself. And then on a subsequent pitch, send Choo. Dare them to throw it to 2nd, without having Hamilton steal home. Astros probably walk Phillips then to load the bases. Brings Votto up with the bags juiced and no outs. I like my chances of scoring.

 

Reds fortunate to come back and win this. If they're playing any other team in the league, it probably results in an "L".

What do the stats tell us about percentage of the time a runner scores after being sac bunted to 2nd with no outs ... versus not bunting? I would like to see that stat.

 

And the wonderful world of google has an answer for my question above:

 

From 1993-2010, if a team had a runner on first base with no outs, on average it would score .941 runs from that point until the end of the inning.

 

If a team had a runner on second base with one out, the average was .721 runs from that point forward.

 

So, let's say a batter walks to lead off an inning. If the team hits away, on average it will score almost one run in the inning. If it successfully bunts and now has a runner on second with one out, it has just decreased the run expectancy by 23 percent.

 

The decline is similar for a runner on first base with one out. It's similar for a runner on second base, and it's similar for runners on first and second. For every conceivable base/out situation, a sacrifice bunt reduces a team's expected number of runs in that inning.

 

The reason is that outs are a commodity. They are the currency by which the game is governed, and willfully giving up an out is never worth the extra base that a bunt can provide. It's trading a piece of gold for a piece of silver.

 

This likely has always been true, or at least since the Deadball Era ended in 1920.

 

From 1950-68, much of which was a pitching-dominated period, bunting a runner from first to second with nobody out reduced a team's run expectancy by 19 percent.

 

Full article: By the Numbers: Bunting in baseball can be downright medieval | The Columbian

 

Don't know if anybody else caught this last night or not, but "Moneyball" was playing on Fx. Thought immediately of Dusty when they were talking about bunting. Never do it on offense. Always take the out at first on defense.

Defending Dusty has to be getting more difficult by the day....That was a clinic in bad baseball decisions last night.

 

Totally agree and they got the win anyway which I was trying to explain to Crash a few weeks ago. Dusty was a horrible decision maker and they still got the win. I'm sure Crash will jump in any moment and say his decisions were great though because they got the W.

Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to going a man short on the staff.

 

Latos, Bailey, Arroyo, Leake, Cueto, Cingrani (if healthy), Marshall, Parra, Chapman, Hoover, LeCure. I'd take those 11 arms. Simon in place of Cingrani if he's not healthy. Leave Ondrusek off.

 

That gives you an extra spot on the bench for Hamilton.

 

Pretty sure that's how they will handle it too. For the 1 game WC they don't even need any starter other than Latos and whoever they are planning on being the 4th or 5th starter too so they can keep Bailey and Cueto/Arroyo off that roster.

If they go down, you can add them as a replacement. I'd lean towards leaving Hannahan off. Cozart or Izturis, in a pinch, could play third. You leave Izturis off, and if Phillips or Cozart go down, they're in a lot of trouble.

 

Hamilton could even play some middle infield in a worst case scenario.