NYY 2, MIN 1: Garcia, Yankees Bullpen Dominate Twins

T he only bunt I would have done is with Mauer on a squeeze against Chapman. Mauer hasnt come close against him.

Except for the game against Cincinnati a few yrs back where a Mauer double followed by a willingham dinger gave chapman his first BS for that yr.

I am on board with all of your analysis but the difference in scoring one run and not scoring a run is 2% and while I respect all your analysis on this particular situation I am pretty sure that if he walks Granite then Chapman comes in and your chances of scoring a run drop dramatically if he is on and I don't think we can argue about him being on.  So all this talk about bunting in the late innings is burying the lead which is that Garcia struck out 9 in 5.2 innings.    Just like Estrada the other day when a guy is in a groove and has your timing all messed up THAT is the time to bunt and for the purposes of base hits rather than sacrifice.    Maybe I have no stats to back it up but it sure seems to disrupt the pitcher's rhythm, heart beat and pitch selection when guys get on and they get on by making the pitcher get off the mound and run a little bit.

I agree with you.  Bottom line is that the Yankees are better than their record.  I'm not sure the same can be said about us...and it gives me great pain to admit that about the Yankees.  They are set up to make it a six inning game.  If you don't get to their starter, their odds of winning go way up due to their bullpen.  Compare that to our bullpen (we hold our breath).  If we don't get swept, it's a win.

How many times did the Yankees bunt last night? More than the Twins no?

You caught me... 98% is a made-up number, but I'm pretty certain that it is way over 50% (again, in a one-run game, and with a bottom-of-the-order hitter batting). I woudln't have done it. I at least would have had the batter (if they weren't bunting, it would have been Castro) take a strike. But it's hard to get bent out of shape.

But they pinch hit for Castro. To bunt. That's ridiculous in a one run game. First of all, as a guy who isn't a good hitter, I would guess bunting is probably something he does pretty well.

Second, you have Kepler and Vargas on the bench. Betances has allowed 9 extra base hits out of the 28 hits he has allowed this year- plus all the walks. An extra base hit ties the game for sure and potentially sets up taking a lead. Vargas and especially Kepler have done very well vs RHP.

If you are going to hit for Castro, maybe use a guy that can, you know, actually hit.

This is great Tom, but like you said it takes all situations, every inning of every game but doesn't take batter or pitcher into consideration. You have Bentances on the mound who strikes out 39.4% of batters he faces and when the ball is hit into play he forces grounders 49% of the time. I could do the math, but I would have to think there is a much higher chance of a K or GIDP than there is a BB. Also, if the bunt is put into play, there are chances he beats it out and/or there is an error on the play.

 

Meanwhile....even if Granite does get walked, someone has to put the ball into play. I guess it's just a personal opinion, but I don't mind the bunt in this situation with a weak hitter at the plate. Your good hitters need to come thru. Mauer K'd, Buck flied out. End of game.

 

Most times I am very against the sac bunt, this wasn't one of them.

Then put in a better hitter. Kepler and Vargas both hit RHP very well.

That's true they could have. Vargas is also a strikeout machine and they knew they would be pinch hitting for Adrianza who was due up next. There were other directions, but I am not going to roast them for the once they chose.

I don't happen to agree that pinch hitting for Adrianza is as automatic as hitting for Castro. Adrianza sports a .333 obp vs rhp this year and Betances is a walk machine.

The odds are always in favor of the pitcher recording an out ... that's exactly why outs are so precious.

Unless your hitter's name is Ted Williams.