Game 78 - Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies

April 12 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA
Comcast Sports Net

I've got to start with former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt, who does color commentary for CSN. Look, the man PLAYED THE GAME and HAS BEEN AROUND A CLUBHOUSE OR TWO, so he is free to say whatever he wants, even if it's Mike Schmidt Nonsense (M.S.N.).

Key

(W)
What is Mike Schmidt talking about? Did I spell/hear this wrong?


"He's a ball striker"
"The bo-lays are on the ground" (W)
"Humpback liner"
"Lumber company"
"Nice eye ball"
"Good peepers!" (W)
"Deader than a door nail"
"Tall stance"
"He's very connected to his core"
"He hits with big muscles"
"Back in the day"

* Ben Davis is another commentator for CSN and he described a seventh-inning walk as "the dreaded two-out walk".

So, pitchers, here's some advice:

1. Don't walk the lead-off man
2. A walk with two outs is dreadful
3. Son, can't you throw strikes?!

No one ever has anything to say about the DREADED one-out walk, but I think it deserves as much attention as the other two. The one-out walk is the middle child of walks.

Here's an amendment to the walks discussion: 1. WALKS ARE BAD.

And here's an extended list...

2. Walks are bad
3a. The intentional walk is almost always a terrible strategy
3b. Don't intentionally walk a batter in the first inning
4. Stop issuing intentional walks

* Couple quick things from the game, a 4-3 Nationals win in 10 innings:

- Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with four strike outs, including three Ks and I believe one tip in nine total swings against Washington starter Max Scherzer, who allowed one run in six innings and got a no-decision. I ran the projections through my I Watched Ryan Howard Hit Against Max Scherzer (WRHHMS) system and Howard's next ball hit in fair territory against the right-hander is scheduled for June, 2019.

- Washington salvaged the third game of the series thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the 10th. Jake Diekman gave up a lead off double to Yunel Escobar and his wild pitch scored Escobar to put the Nats up 3-2. Clint Robinson (double) and Will Ramos (single) teamed up for what turned out to be a big insurance run because the Phillies scored a run in the bottom half on a couple walks and an infield single.

- Nice start for Washington's Sean O'Sullivan, who struck out five and allowed two earned runs in six innings. He also drew a two-out walk and scored the hosts' first run in the fifth to make it 2-1. Darin Ruf tied the game in the seventh with a no-doubt, solo home run to left off Nats southpaw Xavier Cedeno.

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