Author Topic: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2  (Read 29373 times)

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Offline cruiser

  • Posts: 80
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #725: May 08, 2009, 11:40:29 AM »
I think Zim's contract and health helped. He started slow for a bit and then caught fire.

Except for an 0-fer in his 2nd game, he didn't start slow.  Look at the game by game log on MLB.com - double in his first game, 0-fer in his 2nd, double in his 3rd, isn't really starting slow.  He's been on fire since Opening Day.

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18471
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #726: May 08, 2009, 11:40:32 AM »
It doesn't quite balance out.  With a runner on 1st or nobody on, a walk is as good as a hit (the risk of getting gunned down at 3rd trying to advance from first certainly balances out the slight advantage of runners at the corners vs. runners on 1st & 2nd).  With a runner on 2nd, I'd say the risks of an out at the plate or a runner getting hit by a batted ball don't quite outweigh the gain of scoring from 2nd or having a runner who can score on a sac fly if he only advances to 3rd.  With a runner on 3rd, there's no contest that scoring from 3rd is better than still standing there.  Runners on 2nd and 3rd is just like adding runner on 2nd + runner on 3rd - i.e. you'd rather have a single than a walk.  Bases loaded, yeah, I'd rather have the walk (no chance of an out, psychologically bad for the pitcher).  So in the final analysis, I'm going to stand by my original statement that a walk is not quite as as good as a hit.  I also should have mentioned in that with a runner on 3rd, a walk might not even be as good as an out, given the possibility of an RBI on a sac fly or a ground out.

A walk may be as good as a hit. But until a bases load walk = grand slam, then Hit > Walk.

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #727: May 08, 2009, 11:46:36 AM »
A walk may be as good as a hit. But until a bases load walk = grand slam, then Hit > Walk.

+1.  I'll take the hit (even if it is a single) over the walk every time.  Any hit forces the defense into the equation and allows for the chance of an error on the play, a walk doesn't allow for this possibility until the next batter is up at the plate.  Also, I don't buy that a walk is as psychologically devastating as a hit.  A walk is very often a pitcher beating himself, sometimes they can figure it out in their head.  A hit is the batter beating the pitcher and much more devastating to the psyche of the pitcher.  A guy getting a hit off of a pitcher is going to force that pitcher to rethink throwing whatever pitch he threw, a walk is just going to have him reconsider the location.  This isn't to say walks aren't good, obviously any baserunner is good, but hits are better.

Offline DPMOmaha

  • Posts: 22875
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #728: May 08, 2009, 11:49:15 AM »
All hits are equal, but some are more equal than others.

I'll concede a walk is not as good as a home run.  I don't see that much difference between a walk and a single though.  There are more things that can happen when you hit a single, but there's not that much difference between the two, IMO.

Offline houston-nat

  • Posts: 19050
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #729: May 08, 2009, 12:03:59 PM »
EVery year there are hitting streaks that reach the 20's.
Actually, Zimmerman currently has the longest hitting streak of this season or last.

Offline Natskins

  • Posts: 826
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #730: May 08, 2009, 02:44:02 PM »
4 over .300!  I'm loving the lineup!  If the bullpen can clamp down, then we have a chance to go on a streak.

This cracked me up. It's kinda like saying, "now if they could just make peace in the Middle East..." :)

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #731: May 08, 2009, 02:56:39 PM »
This cracked me up. It's kinda like saying, "now if they could just make peace in the Middle East..." :)

It isn't unrealistic at all.  We have Arizona and San Francisco coming up on the schedule.  Even mediocre play from our bullpen should give us a few wins through the rest of this road trip.  Even bad players can play good when it is against other bad teams.

Offline Natskins

  • Posts: 826
Re: Nationals @ Dodgers, Game 2
« Reply #732: May 08, 2009, 03:10:59 PM »
It isn't unrealistic at all.  We have Arizona and San Francisco coming up on the schedule.  Even mediocre play from our bullpen should give us a few wins through the rest of this road trip.  Even bad players can play good when it is against other bad teams.

I know, I know. It was just funny to see "our bullpen" and "clamp down" in the same sentence. Let's hope they do it.