Friday, October 3, 2008

Down and away isn't working on Bay

The Angels continue to try to pitch Jason Bay down and away, out of the strike zone, but it's a strategy that doesn't work if Bay doesn't chase the pitches. Ervin Santana twice tried to get Bay to bite on a pitch low and away; those are the pitches on which Bay struck out twice on Wednesday. He didn't bite tonight.

And after Bay took a called strike on a looping curveball on the inside half of the plate, Santana and catcher Jeff Mathis again decided to go low and away. Mathis even touched his glove to the ground as he slid to his right to give Santana a target. But when the pitch tailed back over the plate, catching way more of the strike zone than Santana wanted, Bay pounced.

Next thing Santana knew, his pitch was bouncing off the rocks in center field and the Red Sox had a 4-0 lead.

By the way, is it just me or does Buck Martinez sound like he's hiccupping every time he says "Ortiz"? It's Or-TEEZ, Buck, not OR-teez. (Hic.)

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