Jun 7, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Alex Wood(40) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Wood was cruising along, he had base runner but was always able to workout of the jam. Then things went south in a hurry.
Braves Highpoints?
Gerrit Cole had been erratic but what most would call effectively wild. In the Third he hit Freddie Freeman in the knee with a heater. The next inning he hit Andrelton Simmons in the back. The unwritten rules said someone had to be hit and Cole was the second hitter in the the top of the fifth. He came to the plate with one out.
A review of the unwritten rules
Wood threw a fastball off the plate inside but not all that close to Cole. It looked like a half hearted attempt at a a message. he ended up walking Cole on a pitch he thought should have been a strike. The Pirates scored three times that inning and in the end Wood was tossed by a hyper sensitive home plate umpire as he walked off the field. A few things about the situation and the way the game is played today.
- Understand whether the pitcher is head hunting or just wild. In this case Cole was all over the ballpark and firing up the Pirates by hitting a player just helps them.
- Never hit anyone in a one run game. It just makes them mad and it puts the lead run on base. Don’t forget, just wait for a better time to do it.
- Pitchers have never been considered fair game for a retaliation plunking. If you choose to hit a player hit a star player. That player then goes to the pitcher and says “stop it, I don’t like getting hit.”
That’s the way it’s supposed to work. Somehow we’ve lost the art – if it is an art – of sending a message. Part of that is the uneven warning system the umpires have. Either toss someone or don’t the warning gives the offending team an advantage. That was never the case when teams policed each other.
We also have a generation of pitchers who grew up with the horrible aluminum bat. Aluminum bats eliminate much of the advantage of pitching inside so pitchers don’t go there as often and hitters aren’t used to seeing balls inside.
Hitters get closer to the plate and hang over it then complain when they get hit. They don’t know how to get out of the way and many just sort of stand there, get hit and then get mad.
None of that is going to change soon but it is background and applies to today. Wood saw Cole come up and thought he was supposed to plunk him. That’s wrong. He tried half-heartedly . That’s wrong; do it or don’t, half hearted attempts just get you in trouble; ask Wood.
Later in the game Brandon Cunniff – who played a while in independent ball where you learn the rules quickly – came in and sent the message the right way. Fast ball behind Andrew McCutchen that brought the warning. McCutchen will hopefully go back and relay it to Cole.
On the day Cole went seven innings in spite of being wild and left with his last heater registering 98 on the gun leading 3-0.
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Oh the game… Okay….
After the three run inning cause by the walk to the pitcher and assorted hits, Cody Martin came in and had a shut down inning. The Braves teased but were unable to score when Joey Terdoslavich struck out on a slide in the dirt. Cunniff sent his message and had a 1-2-3 inning as well. Cole continued to wander around the plate and walk people without the Braves taking advantage of his wildness.
Trevor Cahill replaced Cunniff after two scoreless innings and immediately gave up back to back singles to start the ninth. But he induced a double play from Jody mercer then Jace Peterson showed why the Braves are looking at Jose Peraza in center field with a nice bare handed grab of high bounce behind second to throw McCutchen out and end the inning.
In the Braves half of the inning Pedro Ciriaco hit a lazy fly to right, Peterson struck out as did Maybin and the game was thankfully over.
That’s A Wrap
The Braves bats were lifeless when it mattered today. While Cole was effectively wild, he consistently brought high speed heat when needed mixing in sliders in the dirt that struck out Freeman and Tedroslavich among others.
Wood’s ejection was completely uncalled for. An umpire worth his salary would have turned and walked away. Wood was likely done anyway and he’s just had an awful inning he blamed himself (with good justification) for causing. Umpires aren’t supposed to affect the game by arbitrary actions at the major league level.
They are supposed to understand the situation on the field and the emotions of the players involved. When would started the conversation the ump should have turned and walked away. That way he never hears the bit that got Wood ejected and he leaves game changing decisions to the managers. Wood shouldn’t have started it but the umpire could have finished it without an event by simply turning a deaf ear to him. Instead he chose to prove he was the umpire and that’s something this situation didn’t warrant.
People will talk about the players being hit and Wood’s ejection but the on the day the Pirates played better ball and deserved the win.
The Padres are in town tomorrow and they activated Melvin Upton Jr. today. Coincidence? It doesn’t matter but I’d love to see Cameron Maybin go 4-4.