Yeah yeah, nobody likes when people bitch about bad beats, but two ridiculous games today cost me over four grand in total...
The first happened this afternoon. Nats vs. Cubs. I take the Nats, then tell the clerk to change the wager to the over. I grimace as the Nats take a 4-0 lead but sigh in relief when it's 5-3 in the 6th and I've got the over 6.5. Needless to say, despite numerous runners in scoring position throughout the rest of the game, the elusive ninth run does not score, and I lose.
But there was serious hope in the bottom of the ninth. Cubbies got runners at the corners with Chad Cordero struggling to throw effective strikes with the game on the line. Neifi Perez is up and all momentum is on the Cubs' side. Still, down by two runs with two outs. Two-oh count, if I'm not mistaken. Cordero delivers...and Neifi lays down a bunt.
A whaaaa?! Yes, a bunt, with two outs, and the tying run on FIRST base.
Quite possibly one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen. Pitcher Cordero picks up the ball and guns Neifi out by about 36 feet. Game over.
What an asinine play, even if Perez has blazing speed (he doesn't). EVEN if the bunt is a good one, the defense still has a chance to make an out at THREE different bases: home, first, and second...never a good thing scenario when you're bunting. And there're two outs. In the ninth! Down by two! Which means even if you lay the perfect bunt down and get the runner on 3rd home, you STILL need at least a well-placed single to win the game. The runner on third is meaningless! What a dumb, dumb dumb move. If you're going to need another hit anyway, why not just swing away and hope for a homer or at least a double to tie it, instead of laying down a ridiculous bunt which still puts the onus on the next batter and doesn't change the outcome of the game?
Dusty must've had the under.
Second disaster occurred in the late game. I had the Angels. Game's tied 4-4 in the 9th. Runner on 3rd, 1 out. And wouldn't you know it, they lay down the bunt (when the hell did the squeeze become so damn popular?) This is a particularly foolish move, as it's pretty damn easy to score a run when you have a guy on 3rd and less than 2 out, and pretty damn hard to get a squeeze to work any time. So why the hell do it? I dunno. But this was the worst kind of unsuccessful squeeze too: not only did the batter (who had homered earlier in the game, if I remember correctly) fail to get the runner home, he POPPED IT UP and there was an inning ending double play. Kinda like the TRIPLE play the twins bunt-popped into on Sunday, when I was on them too.
I hate the bunt.
Then, bottom of the ninth. Angels get a runner on 3rd with no out, needing only a fly ball to win the game. No can do. Top of the order fades and fizzles, can't move the runner over with a man on 3rd and no one out (!!!!) and the Angels lose it in 10.
Buhbye money. Buhbye.
The first happened this afternoon. Nats vs. Cubs. I take the Nats, then tell the clerk to change the wager to the over. I grimace as the Nats take a 4-0 lead but sigh in relief when it's 5-3 in the 6th and I've got the over 6.5. Needless to say, despite numerous runners in scoring position throughout the rest of the game, the elusive ninth run does not score, and I lose.
But there was serious hope in the bottom of the ninth. Cubbies got runners at the corners with Chad Cordero struggling to throw effective strikes with the game on the line. Neifi Perez is up and all momentum is on the Cubs' side. Still, down by two runs with two outs. Two-oh count, if I'm not mistaken. Cordero delivers...and Neifi lays down a bunt.
A whaaaa?! Yes, a bunt, with two outs, and the tying run on FIRST base.
Quite possibly one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen. Pitcher Cordero picks up the ball and guns Neifi out by about 36 feet. Game over.
What an asinine play, even if Perez has blazing speed (he doesn't). EVEN if the bunt is a good one, the defense still has a chance to make an out at THREE different bases: home, first, and second...never a good thing scenario when you're bunting. And there're two outs. In the ninth! Down by two! Which means even if you lay the perfect bunt down and get the runner on 3rd home, you STILL need at least a well-placed single to win the game. The runner on third is meaningless! What a dumb, dumb dumb move. If you're going to need another hit anyway, why not just swing away and hope for a homer or at least a double to tie it, instead of laying down a ridiculous bunt which still puts the onus on the next batter and doesn't change the outcome of the game?
Dusty must've had the under.
Second disaster occurred in the late game. I had the Angels. Game's tied 4-4 in the 9th. Runner on 3rd, 1 out. And wouldn't you know it, they lay down the bunt (when the hell did the squeeze become so damn popular?) This is a particularly foolish move, as it's pretty damn easy to score a run when you have a guy on 3rd and less than 2 out, and pretty damn hard to get a squeeze to work any time. So why the hell do it? I dunno. But this was the worst kind of unsuccessful squeeze too: not only did the batter (who had homered earlier in the game, if I remember correctly) fail to get the runner home, he POPPED IT UP and there was an inning ending double play. Kinda like the TRIPLE play the twins bunt-popped into on Sunday, when I was on them too.
I hate the bunt.
Then, bottom of the ninth. Angels get a runner on 3rd with no out, needing only a fly ball to win the game. No can do. Top of the order fades and fizzles, can't move the runner over with a man on 3rd and no one out (!!!!) and the Angels lose it in 10.
Buhbye money. Buhbye.
