TDIB April 12: The Great Bullpen Disaster of 2011

Tuesday, April 12 2011 @ 01:38 AM EDT

I stayed up until 2 AM for that?

I don't have the sports package, so I'm restricted to listening to Jerry and Alan describe the action. (No complaints there!) So, I don't have a lot of observations myself, but are some game notes collected via the radio.

• I picked up Jesse Litsch in a fantasy league based on his very good first start, the horrible Mariners offense and the generous confines of Pretty SafeCo Field. His outing can be called a success, kind of, though not in the way I expected. Jesse somehow wiggled through five innings without allowing a run despite not pitching well at all, allowing nine base-runners.
• Is it just me, or have the Jays been the beneficiaries of some horrible defense this year? It seems like they're getting an extra base thanks to a defensive blunder every other inning. Chalk it up to the "New Aggressive Jays" if you want, but it's probably just a sample size fluke (if it's even happening. I'm probably just imagining things)
  
• The broadcasters were impressed with Lind's defense at first. This goes against what we were hearing during spring training. I remember one quote in particular about Bautista's discomfort playing third being at least partially related to having to throw to Lind.
• Endless gushing about Jayson Nix. This isn't just "scrappy/hustler"-based gushing, as Nix has legitimately mashed in his ~20 plate appearances. His defense at third has apparently been quite good as well, although it can't be too hard to look good compared to E5. I would have no problem with Nix as the starting third baseman until Lawrie is ready, since all it means is Rivera moving to the bench.
• I didn't like walking Ichiro with a runner on third and two outs in the ninth. Apparently it didn't start as an intentional walk but ended as one. Still, as Alan immediately pointed out, Ichiro could probably take second without a throw (and he did), and then a base hit would win the game instead of just tying it. (And it did. I wrote all that other stuff before it happened, I swear!)
  
• Miguel Olivo: already got us a draft pick, now leaves TEN men on base. 2011 MVP???!
• Of course, the thing we'll remember about tonight's game: the bullpen walked in three consecutive runs in the eighth inning in what should not have been a close game.
  

68 comments

https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20110412013802494