Around the Bigs

I'm sure I have mentioned this before, but one great thing about baseball is there countless different things that can happen. I am sure it is true for other sports, but it resonates most with baseball in my opinion.

Saturday I was watching the Rays at Red Sox. David Ortiz was at bat, the shift was on. He ended up getting a check swing single to left field! Carl Crawford committed a throwing error which allowed Ortiz to advance to second. Dustin Pedroia who walked the AB prior to David Ortiz got to third, but not before partially running into SS Jason Bartlett who was in the right side of the infield, but getting into position for possibly tagging Pedroia out. Pedroia then fell trying to possibly get back to second. Longoria was signalling to Crawford to throw to second all this time once he got to third to cover. Crawford threw said error, which then got Pedroia to third, and Ortiz to second. See the play here, click "Ortiz singles through the hole in the defense."

In the end the circus type play did not cost the Rays, as Jason Bay struck out on a foul tip, and Mike Lowell grounded out to 5-3.

Stealing home is always an interesting play, and Jayson Worth of the Phillies did so last night (May 12) against the Dodgers. Once Russell Martin tossed the ball back to Ronald Belisario, Werth was coming home, Belisario threw the ball back to Martin, but it was too late once the tag was applied. It went down in the bottom of the seventh. Pedro Feliz was at bat when it happened. Feliz bats right, so he was probably blocking Martin's peripheral vision well, until he had to move out of the way. Belisario throws right, but was probably facing forward when getting the ball back from Martin. All in all, it worked perfectly for Werth, scoring the Phillies fifth run.

Prior to stealing home, Werth singled to left. He then stole second (with Jimmy Rollins batting), and third (with Raul Ibanez batting). With Jimmy Rollins batting earlier in the game, Werth stole third. The latter was a double steal, as Ryan Howard stole second. According to this, Werth tied a franchise record, becoming the first Phillie to do so since Garry Maddox against the Pirates May 29, 1978. He was also the first Phillie to steal three bases in an inning since Pete Rose May 11, 1980. I don't remember too much old baseball, but it is reminiscent of Rickey Henderson.

Also last night, Chipper Jones was fairly irate about a call that went in the Mets favour. Carlos Beltran appeared to possibly be barely out on a tag by Chipper Jones, however the umpire looks like he did not have a perfect angle. Beltran then scored on a Luis Castillo sacrifice fly to LF Garret Anderson. That was the tying run, and the Mets went on to win with a walk-off walk, hence Chipped being irate about the call.

Finally, former Expo (also former Ranger, Cardinal, and Oriole) Fernando Tatis hit a grand slam today in the game the Mets went on to lose. Tatis is one of only a few players to have hit two grand slam in one game, he did it as a Cardinal April 23, 1999 as a Cardinal. Since then, Nomar Garciaparra and Bill Mueller have done so for the Red Sox, May 10, 1999, and July 29, 2003 respectively. The others.