Today’s NL and AL Wild Card games were for the birds as the St.
Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles prevailed.
The Cardinals-Braves game proved controversial. In the bottom of
the 8th, with runners on first and second and one out, Braves
rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons hit a fly ball to shallow left
field which Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt
Holliday converged on. There appeared to be a miscommunication
between Kozma and Holliday as the ball landed between them loading
the bases.
Or did it?
As it turned out, left field umpire Sam Holbrook called the
infield fly rule which prompted Kozma and Holliday to back off.
When an umpire calls the infield fly rule, the batter is
automatically out. While David Ross and Dan Uggla were permitted to
advance to second and third, Simmons was called out. Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalez exploded and Braves fans did the same by littering
the field with foreign objects which caused a delay in the
game.
During the delay, Gonzalez protested the game. But MLB denied
the appeal since it was a judgment call by the umpire as opposed to
a breach of the rules.
I disagree. Here is the definition of the
Infield Fly Rule:
An infield fly is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive
nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with
ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third
bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher
and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play
shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this
rule. (italics mine).
When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an infield
fly, the umpire shall immediately declare infield fly for the
benefit of the runners.
Well, neither Kozma or Holliday stationed themselves anywhere
near the infield. Nor did Holbrook make the call immediately. Yes,
it was wrong for the Braves fans to react they way they did. But
they were more clever when they chanted “infield fly rule” when the
Cardinals hit fly balls deep into the outfield.
For a moment there, it looked like Chipper Jones was going to
end his career by making the final out of the game. He had already
committed an error which led to three Cardinal runs in the fourth
and had been hitless in his first four at bats. If he had made the
final out, it would have been the worst possible way for Jones to
end his career.
Jones hit a routine groundball to Cardinals secondbaseman David
Descalso. But Descalso’s throw forced Cards firstbaseman Allen
Craig off the bag and Jones was ruled safe. Now that was an error.
But under the circumstances he was credited with a hit.
Freddie Freeman then doubled which brought the tying run to the
plate. Unfortunately for the Braves, Dan Uggla hit a routine
grounder to Descalso and it was all over. The Cardinals broke the
Braves’ hearts for the second straight year and Chipper Jones
walked off the field for the last time.
The Cards advance to the NLDS and will host the Washington
Nationals starting Sunday.
The Orioles-Rangers game was far less controversial. I was
surprised that Buck Showalter started Joe Saunders given that he
was 0-6 with an ERA of nearly 10.00 in Arlington. But Saunders
pitched into the sixth inning giving up only one run. Showalter
looked like a genius and he might very well be.
Then again, the Rangers were flat nearly the entire game. Less
than two weeks ago, they had a five game lead in the AL West. The
Rangers would be swept by the Oakland A’s and ceded the AL West
title. The back to back AL champions found themselves in an
unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation.
Down 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Rangers appeared to
show life by loading the bases against O’s closer Jim Johnson. This
brought the tying run to the plate. But it was not to be. David
Murphy flied out to Nate McLouth to end the game. So we won’t get
to see anymore of Nolan and Ruth Ryan or George and Laura Bush in
the post-season.
The O’s now go back to Baltimore to face the New York Yankees in
the ALDS starting Sunday. It will be the first time the NLDS will
be an interdivisional affair. The O’s and Yankees built up quite a
rivalry this season and it will no doubt intensify over the next
several days.
