It was a bad throw because it was rushed. It was rushed because he was caught napping out there.
Exactly. Who the hell expects a catcher to tag from 1st on a play like that. It was an overly aggressive move that paid off because it was completely unexpected. Perez looks like a genius because it worked. He'd look like a dumbass if Beni gunned him down.Everyone is pounding Benny for being "caught napping" on an extremely rare situation. How often does anyone tag up from 1B on a fly ball to LF? And a catcher?
Especially considering the way the ball was carrying and the way that AB broke in on the ball off the bat, Perez under almost all circumstances would have been halfway or ever all the way to 2B.
It's not like AB forgot how many outs there were and flipped the ball into the stands or something equally dumb. He got caught by someone doing something extremely unpredictable.
Reminds me of Ortiz with his historical success rate stealing because it's so unexpected when he does it.Everyone is pounding Benny for being "caught napping" on an extremely rare situation. How often does anyone tag up from 1B on a fly ball to LF? And a catcher?
Especially considering the way the ball was carrying and the way that AB broke in on the ball off the bat, Perez under almost all circumstances would have been halfway or ever all the way to 2B.
It's not like AB forgot how many outs there were and flipped the ball into the stands or something equally dumb. He got caught by someone doing something extremely unpredictable.
It certainly looked like the Indians were taking very healthy cuts against Porcello, while the Sox had no idea Bauer's curve was coming. It was a thing in the game thread.Every pre series report I read raved about the best base running Indians team, and how they take every little opportunity.
The next time Benny takes a fly ball he will beat it to the spot and get planted to throw no matter who is on base. He was caught off guard and I bet Francona's meeting on the OF suggested he could be vulnerable. Just like running on Bradley last night. They were going to do it. And it paid off.
Interesting tidbit on Porcello in the Herald:
It was like the Indians knew what was coming.
Did they?
At some point during the night, the Red Sox switched up their signs, catcher Sandy Leon later told the Herald.
“His signs are unique to begin with, so we talked about mixing it up,” Willis explained. “Just looking for any advantage we can get or to give them something more to think about, if you will.”
Asked if there was any concern that the Indians had figured out Porcello’s signs, Willis smiled and said, “Yeah, you never know.”
Agreed. I mean, we lost a 1-run game on the road to a good team when we had a guy thrown out at home. That happens.I think the good news is that game was very winnable. For Cleveland, that's a game they HAVE to win. They went all out - good for them - and took a close game for a run. If either X or JBJ comes through even a little bit, the Sox win. If Papi is Papi against Miller, Sox win. If their friggin' .180 hitting catcher doesn't run into one, Sox win.
I'm very bullish on this series.
I believe he was quoted as saying he won't use Koji for more than 3 outs per appearance this post season. I could be wrong though.Benny is the least of this team's worries right now. I don't put a huge amount of blame on him for that play, it's rarely seen, and he's not going to be perfect out there at his age. He should be in the 6-hole today then Bogey/Leon/Jackie. This breaks up the two black holes slightly and gets Ice-Tendi another AB possibly. It also gives Farrell a perfect 1-9 balance that he likes to shoot for: R/L/R/L/R/L/R/S/L.
I thought I heard on the broadcast or the radio that Farrell said before the game Koji would NOT be used on back-to-back days. Anyone else hear this?
It was after the second home run that inning, an 0-1 two-seamer up in the zone that Jason Kipnis hammered over the right field wall, that pitching coach Carl Willis thought about doing something.
He stayed in the dugout.
The next batter, Lindor, hit an 0-1 changeup on the outside part of the plate out of the yard. Porcello loves throwing that pitch.
Concerned, Willis ran to the mound.
“It’s like, ‘OK, go to the mound and make sure we are keeping our composure,’ ” Willis explained. “And there is a lot of game left at that point. Told him to just get back to pitch to pitch, executing each pitch.”
Willis added, “I don’t think it was bad by any means, just the times it happened, they seemed to be ready for it.”
It was like the Indians knew what was coming.
Did they?
At some point during the night, the Red Sox switched up their signs, catcher Sandy Leon later told the Herald.
It sounds like the plan is to not use him any longer than one inning, but nothing about back to back days.I thought I heard on the broadcast or the radio that Farrell said before the game Koji would NOT be used on back-to-back days. Anyone else hear this?
I know there's all sorts of forms of sign stealing, but the homers he gave up were all of the solo variety. I doubt that was the issue unless someone was watching signs relayed from the dugout to Leon.Anybody else see the scuttlebutt this morning on INdians stealing Porcello's pitch signs?
Apparently they changed them up and the damage stemmed a bit:
Herald
Well yeah.....he's taking heat because a catcher caught him sleeping and took advantage of an opportunity to take advantage of this. It's clear as day that Perez outplayed Benny on this play......downplaying it or not placing blame on Benny is to ignore the bad play he made. As was said, nobody is calling for him to be benched but he certainly botched the play by treating it as a fly ball in June rather than one in a playoff game in October.Everyone is pounding Benny for being "caught napping" on an extremely rare situation. How often does anyone tag up from 1B on a fly ball to LF? And a catcher?
Especially considering the way the ball was carrying and the way that AB broke in on the ball off the bat, Perez under almost all circumstances would have been halfway or ever all the way to 2B.
It's not like AB forgot how many outs there were and flipped the ball into the stands or something equally dumb. He got caught by someone doing something extremely unpredictable.
Pro tip: Don't try to pile every single hot take you have in your head inside one post. Space it out a little next time.Totally agree...Miller was getting calls 6+ inches off the plate and some of the other calls throughout...woof. Also, how many questionable check swing calls from the base umps? Although to be fair, with the way the Sox were flailing away all night, I've never seen so many goddamn strikes called on check swings anyway!
Jackie is in a slump and Mookie looked overwhelmed by the moment. Benintendi did not...very mature for his age (but we've seen that since August). Xander, though...his body language is poor, he's flailing half-assed at everything, his weight is off-balance, he's on his front foot...he just looks terrible in every way. The polar opposite of how he looked in the 1st half of the season. I don't know if he's exhausted or if it's mental (probably a combination of both) but he either needs to sit a game or be moved even further down than 6th because he is KILLING the team.
Maybe that contributed to the whole thing. Nobody expected it. I wonder if JBJ was yelling at him that the runner was tagging.I'm with SJH on this one. It was inexcusable. The effing catcher was running.
There have been rumors for years that the Indians have someone in CF relaying signs this goes back to the 90's.I know there's all sorts of forms of sign stealing, but the homers he gave up were all of the solo variety. I doubt that was the issue unless someone was watching signs relayed from the dugout to Leon.
Maybe I'm naive but would Tito use this against his friend Farrell? I would bet he wouldn't.There have been rumors for years that the Indians have someone in CF relaying signs this goes back to the 90's.
I doubt there is anything to it but if it makes them more comfortable then sure give signs like there is someone in base.
Benny 12 CS in 38 attempts in his Minor League career. He's fast but not an elite base stealer at this point. Holding him is the right move there.very disappointed with plate discipline last night. Looked like the pressure of playing in the play-offs got to some of them.
Anyway else surprised Benintendi wasn't running in the 9th with a guy bouncing a curve ball every other pitch on top of a slow delivery?
I wondered about it, but didn't think it was a great idea with a .320 hitter in Pedroia at the plate and Benny -- who is probably still recovering from a knee injury and was only 8-for-15 in steals at AA -- on the bases.Anyway else surprised Benintendi wasn't running in the 9th with a guy bouncing a curve ball every other pitch on top of a slow delivery?
If he's not using every last bit of strategy to win this series he's doing his team a disservice.Maybe I'm naive but would Tito use this against his friend Farrell? I would bet he wouldn't.
I did notice during the game that Leon was mixing up the signs even with nobody on base. Even if they didn't expect sign stealing from the outfield, they were protecting against it from the very start of the game. I just don't know how you could possibly relay things that quickly. And Bobby Thompson died 6 years ago, so we can't ask him about it.Anybody else see the scuttlebutt this morning on INdians stealing Porcello's pitch signs?
Apparently they changed them up and the damage stemmed a bit:
Herald
Of course he wouldMaybe I'm naive but would Tito use this against his friend Farrell? I would bet he wouldn't.
I wasn't surprised. If he gets thrown out, it's game over. I realize we didn't have what you'd call a home run hitter at the plate, so you probably need 2 hits to tie, but still it's game over if you get caught and Perez has a pretty good caught stealing % of 43%. He's supposed to be a defense first catcher, so he goes 2 for 3 with a HR. FOL (fuck our lives).Anyway else surprised Benintendi wasn't running in the 9th with a guy bouncing a curve ball every other pitch on top of a slow delivery?
He would use some mechanism from CF (sounds like what the 1951 Giants were accused of, like a camera)? Sure, if a coach sees something from the dugout like what happened with Eddie R., but not some camera setup.Of course he would
To be clear I don't think there was anything going on but if there was I don't think Tito would stop doing it because he likes Farrell.He would use some mechanism from CF (sounds like what the 1951 Giants were accused of, like a camera)? Sure, if a coach sees something from the dugout like what happened with Eddie R., but not some camera setup.
I don't run him there. I do wonder if Hernandez could have run in from 3B on the bounced curve in the 8th. Obviously not the type of decision you can make based on percentages, but I wonder if he would have made it... looked like it bounced 10 feet away, given a good lead could he have beat the turn around time by the catcher?Anyway else surprised Benintendi wasn't running in the 9th with a guy bouncing a curve ball every other pitch on top of a slow delivery?
I doubt it, just because Perez seemed to be in pretty good position once he caught the ball. And the lead he would have had to take would like have resulted in Hernandez getting picked off at some point.I don't run him there. I do wonder if Hernandez could have run in from 3B on the bounced curve in the 8th. Obviously not the type of decision you can make based on percentages, but I wonder if he would have made it... looked like it bounced 10 feet away, given a good lead could he have beat the turn around time by the catcher?
exactlyTo be clear I don't think there was anything going on but if there was I don't think Tito would stop doing it because he likes Farrell.
Maybe, but Holt is terrific at this. He takes his secondary lead and generally takes off whenever the ball is in the dirt.I doubt it, just because Perez seemed to be in pretty good position once he caught the ball. And the lead he would have had to take would like have resulted in Hernandez getting picked off at some point.
It wasn't Holt, but Hernandez that was on 3rd. Also, getting home is much, much harder than getting to 2B or even 3B. And Perez seems pretty agile.Maybe, but Holt is terrific at this. He takes his secondary lead and generally takes off whenever the ball is in the dirt.
I wasn't clear, but I know it was Hernandez. I was giving an example of how to do this well.It wasn't Holt, but Hernandez that was on 3rd. Also, getting home is much, much harder than getting to 2B or even 3B. And Perez seems pretty agile.
Camera-gate, but no worries since only the Patriots ever get any fines or suspensions. I see.To be clear I don't think there was anything going on but if there was I don't think Tito would stop doing it because he likes Farrell.
We probably would have been better off if they were trying to steal signs. I don't think there is a sign for belt high middle plate sinker. He was simply missing location badly, it was a visit from 2015 Porcello.Anybody else see the scuttlebutt this morning on INdians stealing Porcello's pitch signs?
Apparently they changed them up and the damage stemmed a bit:
Herald
Hell, back in 2004, when the media was marveling over the Sox' patience at the plate in the first two World Series games, Ray King was quoted as saying something like, Let's see how patient they are when we get to St. Louis.To be clear I don't think there was anything going on but if there was I don't think Tito would stop doing it because he likes Farrell.
I love that guy. He's a tough act to follow. Well, BV was easy for JF to follow.Francona just said, after hearing some sign-stealing comments,
"We don't even know our own signs!"
Has there been any speculation about what Papi might have been telling Hernandez after that PR? I can't imagine Papi would be giving base running advice but it was a long talk, a lot longer than "keep your chin up." MH looked really down, like somehow he had made a mistake.I don't run him there. I do wonder if Hernandez could have run in from 3B on the bounced curve in the 8th. Obviously not the type of decision you can make based on percentages, but I wonder if he would have made it... looked like it bounced 10 feet away, given a good lead could he have beat the turn around time by the catcher?
He didn't take third on the passed ball when Hanley was waving him on. That's what I thought.Has there been any speculation about what Papi might have been telling Hernandez after that PR? I can't imagine Papi would be giving base running advice but it was a long talk, a lot longer than "keep your chin up." MH looked really down, like somehow he had made a mistake.
It was the eighth inning of a one-run game, and after the Red Sox failed to score, Hernandez found himself in the dugout alongside David Ortiz, who draped an arm over the youngster and spoke to him at length as the TV cameras rolled.
So what exactly did Ortiz say?
“He said to me, ‘You only have one decision. If you go, you go. But if you stay, make sure you do it the right way,’ ” Hernandez told WEEI.com. “I’m confident that was the right read. That run is the most important run of the game. If I get out on that play, the next hitter would have to hit a bomb to tie the game.”
There were no bombs. The Red Sox instead failed to score en route to a 5-4 loss to the Indians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Ortiz was a bit more pointed in his rendering of the conversation.
“We were just talking about baserunning situations, just give him some ideas,” he said. “He’s got to be a little more aggressive and be aware of things a little better next time.”
Hernandez pinch ran for Ortiz after the slugger doubled with one out in the eighth and the Red Sox trailing 5-4. Cody Allen bounced a curveball that kicked a few feet in front of the plate. Ramirez waved Hernandez, but the rookie stayed put. Those extra 90 feet loomed large when Ramirez grounded out. Xander Bogaerts then struck out to end the inning.
“Marco, his read at second base, we’ve got a chance to advance 90 feet,” manager John Farrell noted.