Games » Toronto Blue Jays
Aug25The importance of tack-on runs
Lee Judge
None
Ask any baseball team in the world and they’d take a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the 6th inning. But there can be a problem: teams that get a big lead early, sometimes go to sleep. They feel like the game is won and lose focus. Hitters start sleepwalking through their at-bats, pitchers don’t bear down on every pitch and defenders are just going through the motions.
Play like that long enough and you’ll let the other team back in the game.
This gets us to the importance of tack-on runs. Winning teams learn a killer mentality. If they get you down, they step on your throat. They don’t let you back in the game with sloppy play. Once you get the reputation for this kind of play, you can form the expectation of defeat in your opponent’s mind. If you’re this kind of team, get up by five and the other team believes they can’t come back and now they start going through the motions.
The Royals do not have the reputation for having that killer mentality yet. But this game took them a bit closer. After getting up by five, the Royals tacked on four more. Two in the 8th when Billy Butler hit a two-run, two-out double and two more in the 9th when Mike Moustakas took advantage of a dropped foul ball and drove in Jeff Francoeur from first. Then Mike advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Mitch Maier sacrifice fly (which doesn’t do it justice, Mitch smoked that ball).
I don’t know what Ned Yost or the rest of the Royals think, but to me, if a team can learn to bear down all the time, work hard all the time, keep trying to tack-on runs no matter the score, they’ve got a much better chance of winning.
Especially if Soria is going to give up two runs in the 9th.
Yes, Soria gave up two runs in the 9th
I couldn’t venture a worthwhile opinion about stuff (velocity, movement), but you can see Joakim struggle with location. On the other hand, Jack doesn’t do it all the time: he’ll be all over the place for a batter and then sharp as a tack on the next guy. Somebody smarter than me will have to figure out what’s up with that. I can’t.
The seventh inning
Remember Jason Kendall’s warning that the 7th inning can be the toughest inning in baseball? After the Royals had a long inning (34 pitches and a coaching visit) in the top of the 6th, I wondered how Francis would handle the bottom of the inning. He had a long wait before facing Jose Bautista to lead off the inning. When Bautista doubled I thought, “Uh-oh, here we go”, but Francis pulled it together, struck out two and stranded the run at second.
When the same thing happened in the top of the 7th (21 pitches and a pitching change) I wondered how Francis would handle that delay. The answer: single, home run, single and his night was done. Ned Yost didn’t want him facing the top of the lineup a fourth time and pulled him for Greg Holland.
Couple of things for fans to focus on there: Starting pitchers will generally throw five innings unless they’re getting absolutely shelled and it’s hard for many teams to come up with more than two shutdown innings from their pen. So what happens between the 5th and 8th innings often determines the outcome of the game. Also, a lot of managers will get a little nervous when pitchers start going through the order the third and fourth times and will start looking for signs of fatigue or lack of effectiveness.
Patience is a virtue
Once again we have an example of why fans need to show patience: Mike Moustakas is hitting the ball all over the yard. He smoked a ball down the left field line Wednesday night that should’ve been a double and ripped another double to right in this game.
It doesn’t mean his troubles are totally over, ballplayers get hot and cool down, get hot and cool down. The good ones just stay hot longer. But it does mean Moose is showing that he can do it at this level. Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar and now Mike Moustakas are showing fans that they need to be patient. This is the hardest league in the world and it takes some people longer than others to adjust. Just think how Royals fans would feel if the team had given up on Gordon and he went somewhere else and the year he’s having now.
Patience is a virtue and pretty smart baseball.
Blue Jay way
The Royals got two hits (a Mike Moustakas single and a Billy Butler double) when Blue Jays outfielders did not take charge on pop-ups behind the infield. Eric Thames and Jose Bautista pulled up and let the infielders try to make the play. Outfielders are supposed to take charge because they’re moving forward and infielders are moving back (which is much more difficult).
Seeing those plays reminded me that we haven’t seen that kind of stuff from the Royals outfield this season. Just one more sign of the team’s improved fundamentals.
A few other things
Johnny Giavotella dropped a throw from Melky Cabrera that might’ve nailed an advancing runner. The Royals are working on softening Johnny’s hands and we may have seen an example of why it’s necessary.
Melky Cabrera didn’t tag up from third in the 6th inning on Eric Hosmer’s fly ball to left. I thought he might risk it because Eric Thames was moving sideways when he made the catch. Although Thames was fairly close to the infield and I don’t know his throwing reputation. Hits by Francouer and Salvador Perez got two runs in anyway.
Jeff Francis had his family sitting behind the dugout, which was a little surprising. Players often want their families behind the screen. Maybe Jeff’s family is a little more athletic than most, but if you get those cool right-behind-the-dugout seats: pay attention. Those balls get there in a hurry.
Jeff Francoeur got absolutely smoked right below the knee by a pitch. He must’ve been getting treatment before he left the dugout because he had his pants pulled up and you could see the wicked bruise that was already forming. The players thought it was pretty hilarious when I got hit by that pitch, but they also appreciated me showing the incredible bruise I got afterwards. They get hit like that all the time, but can’t come out and show us the bruises and scrapes they have to play with daily. Jeff, I know just how you feel. (Except I didn’t have to play the next day.)
Francis
Moustakas
Butler
Frenchy got a bruise, Melky looks like he's still bothered by the foot/toe, and Gordon has the elbow, so maybe Mitch gets a few games. Been a long season and I think Maier deserves a chance to show his stuff, going to be an FA next year.
Good post, wide variety of detail. Thanks.
Thanks, Jim. I hope Mitch get's his chance, also. He's been a good teammate and incredibly patient.
I get there very early and he seems to work as hard as anyone to prepare for games, knowing he probably won't play.
Last night he crushed two pitches, one for a triple, so maybe Ned will take advantage of a hot hand.
I like Mitch Maier, he's a good glue guy, he works hard, etc. But unfortunately I just don't think he's anything more than an average to slightly below average MLB outfielder. When he's gotten consistent playing time (rare, but it's happened), he's struggled to keep his average up. You root for guys like Maier, but with our current outfield, it's probably a GOOD thing that he hasn't gotten more playing time this year.
Lee, you're right, Mitch did absolutely CRUSH that pitch in the 9th.
Jim, I was thinking the exact same thing. I was also thinking that when the roster expand in 6 days it will be an excuse to get Cain up and get him some playing time.
I loved the attacking nature of the whole team last night. Offensively and pitching-wise.
I have been watching baseball games for 30+ yrs and you, and Kendall, couldn't be more right about the 7th inning, Lee. I always felt like if you had the lead by the time that inning was over then it was a pretty good bet that the chances of winning the game go up astronomically. One thing I liked about Ned last night is he gave Francis the chance to pitch that 7th inning. I feel like more often then not Ned will go to the 'pen for that 7th inning, even when the starter is pitching a pretty effective game. I know the variables that you mentioned that go into that decision but I feel like sometimes you have to throw those variables out the window and trust your pitchers ability and mental makeup.
As far as Soria goes, I remember reading all kinds of quotes from McClure and Yost during Spring Training and at the beginning of the season in response to questions about how much Soria was actually getting work in during Spring Training and every single one of them said something along the lines of, "Jack is a pro, he will get himself ready." Or something along those lines. I have watched, and my fiance can vouch for this, just about every Royals game this season. The one thing I have noticed with Soria, regardless of whether he is struggling or pitching well,is that he seems winded, fatigued even. His body language shows someone who is tired. There are two schools of thought for me about this: 1)Did he do enough conditioning and pitching against live batters in Spring Training? And is he continuing a conditioning program during the season? 2) Is it a mental exhaustion? Is there something going on outside of baseball that is causing the fatigue?
HOLY CRAP that was long!! Sorry about that, Lee.
Oh, one more question. How does one go about "softening their hands" so to speak??
Lee, one more thing, obviously the questions I put in there at the end about Soria are more rhetorical in nature. I don't actually expect you to know about Soria's mental makeup right now.
Brian: I'd agree that Mitch's lack of playing time reflects how well the starters have played. Even Mitch agrees with that. He'd like to play more, but said if he doesn't, that means the starters have played well and stayed healthy.
I do have high regard for blue-collar players. (Might have to do with my own talent-short athletic career.) For me, Mitch is the Chris Getz of the outfield: no one thing stands out, but the package is solid.
Ned Yost went so far as to call Mitch "the perfect player." Meaning his attitude and collection of useful skills: solid defender, good baserunner and one of the best situational hitters on the team.
I think Mitch will see more plating time between now and Sept. 1st. Our outfield is pretty banged up right now. Melky ankle/foot, Gordon elbow and now Frenchie leg. Wouldn't be surprised to see them get a day off one at a time. That's one of many good things about Mitch. He can play all three outfield positions.
Darral: (Don't worry about long posts, just watch what I do with this one.)
One of the biggest deals in baseball is the score when the starter leaves. At that point, the manager has to make a decision: is the team in a position to win the game (and then he goes to the best relievers available) or does it look like they're going to lose the game (then he goes to the relievers who haven't been as successful).
The Royals have been fortunate. They've had some pretty decent options down there for most of the season. Most pens are lucky if they have two lights-out guys, so the starter going seven to get the ball to the back-end of the pen with a lead is a big deal.
Ned may have been willing to go to the pen earlier this season because he felt like he had more options. Now Soria isn't automatic and neither is Crow. Wood is generally solid, but Tim Collins struggles with the zone. Coleman and Holland have been the most consistent so far.
So you might see Ned stick with the starter a little longer now, depending on how rested the best arms in the pen are that day.
Which gets us back to that 6th and 7th inning gap. The starter should at least go five. Has he kept his pitch count down and been effective enough to go seven? That's what Kendall is talking about: the starter's just about out of gas, but the manager is trying to squeeze every drop out of him before going to the pen. So the 6th and the 7th become very interesting innings.
As for Soria's conditioning: I don't know, I assume it's OK. He's always done that thing of blowing out big breaths, I believe it's a relaxation technique, not fatigue.
As for softening the hands: well, you get a quality hand lotion...(OK, bad joke)...Actually, there's a technique called the 'funnel'. It's the practice of having your hands out in front and wide as the ball arrives, giving with the ball's impact and 'funneling' the ball to your midsection.
The giving motion softens the hands. Players with hard hands either don't get their hand out in front (so there's no place to 'give' to) or have their hands out in front and don't give with the ball.
When Moose booted the grounder at third against the Jays he didn't have his hands out in front, his hands were back with no place to go so they became hard. Having his hands there also made his head snap down to follow the ball and when the ball hit his hands in that position he clanged it.
So that's what they'll be working on with Johnny: having his hands out in front and giving with the ball. That will soften his hands, but some Jergens couldn't hurt.
One final piece of advice: if your fiance is upset that you watch every Royals game, marry her. Once you've been married long enough, she'll no longer care. She'll just be happy you're not bugging her.
WOW, didn't know you gave marriage advice too. lol
Come on Lee. How DARE you call Mitch the perfect player and fail to mention his PERFECT pitching stats!
Larry: I'm a full-service blogger.
Chris: Absolutely right. I couldn't beleive they didn't have him down in the pen during the Boston series just in case he needed to face Varitek.
Lee, I've enjoyed this column and learn so much from it. Darral should marry her quick. She's just upset at you watching every Royals game? She's a keeper. Just don't take her to a ballgame for the honeymoon.
Jeff: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the site. But you're not the only one learning: talking with the coaches and players every day has taught me a lot.
There are now so many things to watch for I don't know where to look first.
And you're right: Darral needs to make his move, she might get other offers. (On the other hand: when guys would start playing with my men's team and their wives would get upset because of all the time baseball was consuming I'd have this talk with them: "It could be worse. He's not in a strip club, he's not gambling, he's not in a bar. Baseball is good, clean fun and just be thankful this is how he's choosing to spend his time.")
Darral, feel free to steal that when you need it.
Lee, thanks for advice. I never said she complained about it. She often watches them with me!! Definitely a keeper. Marriage date has been set, don't you worry. June 5th, 2012 on a beach in the Dominican.
BTW, I knew I was setting myself up for a Jergens joke. I had it coming to me.
Now, my ex-wife on the other hand....
Sounds like you've got things well in hand, congratulations...and they play some pretty good baseball in the Dominican. Let us know if you can get her to go to game on her honeymoon.
Interesting that players want their families behind screens. Denard Span learned a tough lesson about that when he hit his own mother in spring training. Ironically, I was sitting behind the Red Sox dugout Sunday next to a family. I told the father in the first inning that I keep my son on my left at all times (so that I can be between him and home plate) in the event of foul balls screaming my way. He ignored me and his 4 year old son was the kid that was struck in the head by Scutaro's flying bat. The boy was ok (large knot on the head) according to the usher later. Unfortunate, given that the event was somewhat avoidable as I had time to cover my fiance but his boy was 4 seats from him.......
There has been lots of discussion about this very topic on and off all season on 610. Keitzman is wanting nets extended all the way down to the foul pole. Seems a bit much but I definitely think it would be prudent to extend the screen out past the camera dugouts at least.
When a ball comes screaming into the stands you can usually tell who's played the game, they're getting out of the way.
Some fans don't seem to understand how quickly the ball will get on them and how little room there will be to move.
I endorse Chad's idea wholeheartedly: put yourself between that batter and your kids. And if you don't want to have to pay attention to every pitch, maybe you should requests seats farther back. They'll make that exchange for you at the park.
Not to be picky, but KC didn't score any tack-on runs last night. The carried a five-run lead into the bottom of the seventh when the jays had nine outs left. They only scored again when the lead had been cut by the jays to 3 in the seventh and again in the eighth.
Tack-on runs are not letting your foot off the gas in the 7th 8th and 9th when you have a likely winning lead. Perhaps the one run in the top of the 7th qualifies, but the four in the 8th and 9th surely don't.
The question is whether or not this team has matured enough to try for those extra runs late in a game when the matter already seems decided. Maybe they have but last nights game didn't tell us anything about that. It DOES say they are mentally tough enough not to fold at the first hint of a momentum swing or a faltering bullpen, which is great.
Matt: Clearly you and I are defining tack-on runs differently. To me, you could've called the whole night nothing but tack-on runs.
The Royals led by one after 3, two after 4, four after 6 and five after 6 1/2 innings.
The point is they kept having good at bats and scoring and never got into that 'coasting to the finish line' mode that can be so disastrous.
Well, it is easier to show patience when we are in the middle of another rebuilding phase. We know that if we are going to be good in the next couple of years, Moose has to be a big part of it. And what is the difference between finishing with 66 versus 68 wins? So we may as well let him figure it out at this level. But if we were in contention right now, it would be another story.
Patience is all well and good, but at some point, we need to contend.