NEWSLETTER
Well that was miserable.
I can’t speak for everyone else, precisely, but I watched the game up until the bullpen handed the Angels as many runs as they could with walks, and then went to see The Little Girl in a lovely show … and got home literally just as Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber struck out to end the game with the tying run on third and the winning run on second. Given the fact that first base was open and Cody Allen was going to give them absolutely nothing but junk, it certainly had the look of two guys who refused to acknowledge the situation, and couldn’t overcome their desire to be the hero in that moment. Understandable reaction, and none of us could say we’d be any better. But dang. Gotta understand the situation, guys.
(Schwarber’s strikeout was of the very close check swing variety, but it was also a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. No reason it should have been close in that situation. (Whether that should have been called or not, I’ll have to take a closer look when I’m not as angry and child-surrounded.))
So, maybe the rest of the game was better than that, but what I saw really sucked. Kyle Hendricks continues to have zero ability to command his fastball early in the game (same as last year and the year before in the early part of the season). The bullpen, which had a great week, couldn’t throw strikes (particularly Brad Brach, whose walk troubles this year are a serious problem). And then the offense seems to have made things very close … just close enough to grant me an opportunity to watch a miserable ending.
