Alfredo was number one during ESPNs top 10 plays. Good to see him get some recognition because he can definitely play some D.

There's a difference between negativity and realism. He wasn't as impressive as some are making him out to be. Because of the defense (mainly Amezaga), he didn't really have to make any huge pitches. He got into trouble in the 6th and he was yanked. Waechter made the big pitches to get Hall to K. And it's not like he was consistently fooling the Milwaukee lineup. He was getting hit plenty hard.

 

Encouraging? Yes. "Sick"? No. Mindblowing? Hell no.

 

Amezega made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball and if Cantu was good, he would have ended the 6th with no problem. Badenhop's stuff was dead on, curving and falling like crazy and he induced plenty of groundballs and struckout 7. His past 2 starts were plenty good enough to win (WHIP 1.16).

Both Cantu and Amezaga made some terrific plays last night and to say otherwise is unfair at the very least. It would be interesting to watch the result if everyone here being held to the same standard in their workplace (whether it be educational or occupational) as is seemingly demanded from others.

 

Cantu and Amezaga will never be confused with Brooks Robinson and Willy Mays but good play is good play regardless. I was there, I admit to not remembering exactly how the play went down other than it was hard hit and Cantu probably has made the play before (but I do know an official scorer did erase the error and awarded a hit), and if people think AA's second death-defying catch last night against the wall was a matter of him not getting a good jump you have no argument with me. He made that one look harder than need be. But the first one, the one almost universally recognized as the one or two best plays in baseball yesterday deserves better. He got a great jump on a line drive that was moving away from him, never gave up on it, and ultimately sacrificed his body to make the catch.

 

Neither player is or will ever be superstars, or even stars, but last night both of them were significant contributors to the team's nineteenth victory of the season. I don't know what else anyone can expect from a utility infielder playing centerfield and a guy signed as a non-roster invitee whose two-run homer answered the one just plated by the Brewers. Cantu is getting better and better at third as the season progresses but if the standard is absolute unfailing perfection, I don't know any ballplayer (or anyone here for that matter) who can live up to that level of scrutiny and expectation.

 

If that's the case let's look to determine whether the right fielder could have made more of an effort on a catchable foul ball or the catcher maybe called the wrong pitch when he "should" have known a baserunner was stealing or the shortstop not diving for a ball up the middle. Who else should we put under the microscope?

 

Last night was a terrific game to attend, there was a lot of excitement, Badenhop's enthusiasm overflowing, a whole bunch of very good defense. This team plays as well as they did last night for the rest of the season and we'll be playing in October (it's a figure of speech, I'm not saying we will, either play this well every night or be in the playoffs).

Amezega made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball

Did he make it look a little more dramatic than he needed to? Probably. But bad jumps happen and that ball was smoked.

 

and if Cantu was good, he would have ended the 6th with no problem.

If by good you mean Ryan Zimmerman, then yeah. Once again, that was a rope.

 

Badenhop's stuff was dead on, curving and falling like crazy and he induced plenty of groundballs and struckout 7. His past 2 starts were plenty good enough to win (WHIP 1.16).

7 Ks from a guy his age is always encouraging but when he does it against a lineup that is hitting just .233 in it's last 10 games and at a pitcher's park, it's not exactly spectacular. And the Brewers were still hitting the ball extremely well. Call me after his next outing against the Reds.

Amezega made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball

Did he make it look a little more dramatic than he needed to? Probably. But bad jumps happen and that ball was smoked.

 

and if Cantu was good, he would have ended the 6th with no problem.

If by good you mean Ryan Zimmerman, then yeah. Once again, that was a rope.

 

Badenhop's stuff was dead on, curving and falling like crazy and he induced plenty of groundballs and struckout 7. His past 2 starts were plenty good enough to win (WHIP 1.16).

7 Ks from a guy his age is always encouraging but when he does it against a lineup that is hitting just .233 in it's last 10 games and at a pitcher's park, it's not exactly spectacular. And the Brewers were still hitting the ball extremely well. Call me after his next outing against the Reds.

 

One catch was great, but not run saving. One catch was an error that was reclaimed by a dive, an average CF would have made that catch on the run and it wouldn't have looked at all special.

 

Cantu missed a hot shot, but it was right too him and is a play made 90%+ of the time by most 3B. I think we've had our expectations lowered since Mike Lowell left.

 

Badenhop looked very good. The "pitcher's park" did not enter into any of the strikeouts or ground balls. At most, the really deep CF shot may have been a homer in a big-time hitters park.

The dive looked very non-necessary...

Amezega made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball

Did he make it look a little more dramatic than he needed to? Probably. But bad jumps happen and that ball was smoked.

 

and if Cantu was good, he would have ended the 6th with no problem.

If by good you mean Ryan Zimmerman, then yeah. Once again, that was a rope.

 

Badenhop's stuff was dead on, curving and falling like crazy and he induced plenty of groundballs and struckout 7. His past 2 starts were plenty good enough to win (WHIP 1.16).

7 Ks from a guy his age is always encouraging but when he does it against a lineup that is hitting just .233 in it's last 10 games and at a pitcher's park, it's not exactly spectacular. And the Brewers were still hitting the ball extremely well. Call me after his next outing against the Reds.

 

 

WHAT? Between the Strikeouts and all the induced Ground balls I think there were maybe 4 hard hit balls off Badenhop...what game were you watching?

Amezega made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball

Did he make it look a little more dramatic than he needed to? Probably. But bad jumps happen and that ball was smoked.

 

and if Cantu was good, he would have ended the 6th with no problem.

If by good you mean Ryan Zimmerman, then yeah. Once again, that was a rope.

 

Badenhop's stuff was dead on, curving and falling like crazy and he induced plenty of groundballs and struckout 7. His past 2 starts were plenty good enough to win (WHIP 1.16).

7 Ks from a guy his age is always encouraging but when he does it against a lineup that is hitting just .233 in it's last 10 games and at a pitcher's park, it's not exactly spectacular. And the Brewers were still hitting the ball extremely well. Call me after his next outing against the Reds.

 

 

WHAT? Between the Strikeouts and all the induced Ground balls I think there were maybe 4 hard hit balls off Badenhop...what game were you watching?

If not for the defense and the pen saving him, he would have given up at least three more runs. Apparently you missed that 440 foot homer, too. .417 BAA with RISP. I think that about covers it.

If not for the defense and the pen saving him, he would have given up at least three more runs. Apparently you missed that 440 foot homer, too. .417 BAA with RISP. I think that about covers it.

 

We scored 6 runs, so I think we were OK there.

BAA is useless when a guy has started all of 6 games. 1 bad game can massively pollute your numbers.

The defense did not save him. He put down 7/17 without any help from the defense at all. He got a huge pressure K against a great hitter after the defense let him down. The defense made a total of 0 run saving plays. Of the 17 outs he recorded yesterday, there were exactly 2 + defensive plays.

If not for the defense and the pen saving him, he would have given up at least three more runs. Apparently you missed that 440 foot homer, too. .417 BAA with RISP. I think that about covers it.

 

We scored 6 runs, so I think we were OK there.

BAA is useless when a guy has started all of 6 games. 1 bad game can massively pollute your numbers.

The defense did not save him. He put down 7/17 without any help from the defense at all. He got a huge pressure K against a great hitter after the defense let him down. The defense made a total of 0 run saving plays. Of the 17 outs he recorded yesterday, there were exactly 2 + defensive plays.

He's had more than one bad outing and the defense bailed him out more than twice not to mention what Waechter and Pinto did. They may not have been run saving plays but preventing a guy from getting into scoring with a pitcher that has given up 16 runs in 19 innings and a guy with a .417 BAA with RISP on the hill is huge. Hopefully this outing boosts his confidence and he goes out and has a similar outing his next time out against a much better hitting lineup in a hitter's park but I just don't see it happening.

 

I'll be more than happy to be wrong, though.

He's had more than one bad outing and the defense bailed him out more than twice not to mention what Waechter and Pinto did.

 

When?

He's had more than one bad outing and the defense bailed him out more than twice not to mention what Waechter and Pinto did.

 

When?

There were several hard hit balls to third that Cantu stabbed. Same with Gonzo in left. Like I said, encouraging but I just wasn't blown away.

You know things are going well, when all we can argue about, is a guy who allowed 1 hit through his first 5 innings, yesterday. :thumbup