The takeout

Y'all haven't heard from Bokolis in a minute, but know that I'm ready to fuck somebody up.

The fuss is all about Chase Utley's alleged "dirty" takeout play at second base, which has apparently broken Ruben Tejada's leg, in the seventh inning of Game 2 of one of the NLDS.  Bokolis finds it odd, as the last thing I was worried about was that Utley was dirty.

See, leaving aside that it is awful for Tejada that his leg is broken, Bokolis is bothered that every other commercial is for drugs or fantasy baseball gambling Utley was, after review, granted second base.  It didn't even register that Tejada came closer to touching the bag than Utley ever did and, that he ran off the field without bothering to find out whether he was out, despite that Tejada probably didn't nick the bag, didn't bother me much more.  This (neighborhood) play is explicitly excluded from replay review.  The argument about it being an inaccurate throw- no error was given- is nonsense; it was a shit throw, to be sure, as Daniel Murphy is a shit fielder, but did not pull Tejada off the bag.  Tejada missed the bag because he attempted a pirouette in the hopes of uncorking a relay to first.  Insofar as Tejada had designs on- don't ask me why- trying to turn two, the neighborhood play was in order.

Still, Bokolis, while McKayla-smirking- c'mon, admit it,  now that she's legal, y'all're just itching for a vid of her bobbing on some knob (after smirking at the size/state of it, of course) to surface- at the whole thing, wasn't disgusted at the overturn or the takeout.

In fact, Bokolis, going in, had expected the Mets to lose this game.  Sure, I was lamenting that Syndergaard wasted so many pitches because he doesn't quite understand that no one can deal with his fastball, if it is well placed.  But, I managed my expectations ahead of time and predicted this.

So, before Bokolis talks shit about how I'd've napalmed everyone, I'll tell you that I was most disgusted that the Mets lost that game the way inexperienced teams lose these types of games. They got the two runs, Greinke was throwing junk, not trusting his fastball, itching to give up 5 runs over five innings.  It didn't work out that way, as the Mets are far too dependent on the long ball and, while they are capable of that against anyone, they are not capable of stringing together 4 or 5 hits against the top pitchers.

In baseball, your problems start when you don't score- pragmatically, because the other team gets to hit, and psychologically, as there is less margin for error.  You will hear mongoloids regurgitate, good pitching stops good hitting as if they'd learned it in Sunday school, right after whateverthefuck it is they teach you to chant in Sunday school, as if you're supposed to not score.  Bokolis has told you before that's not true; great pitching stops good hitting.  Merely good pitching is effective against hitting that's not very good to begin with.

Much like after Wright's two-run single in game 1, the Mets seemed to shut down after getting the two home runs in game 2.  They must have booked Syndergaard matching deGrom's 7-Strong from the opener, and already had Harvey on the mound looking to clinch.  Not that it doesn't happen- the Dodgers approached the bottom 8th just that way- but it's not supposed to happen in baseball from the 3rd inning.  You do not park the bus in baseball; the game is set up so that you score until you can't and you have to take direct action to thwart they other team.

The play at second will obscure Terry Collins' shaky pitching decisions.  Even if that were a viable strategy, it was apparent the whole night that Syndergaard, no deGrom just yet, was tracking to a 6-inning outing.  Bokolis is a firm believer that, if you don't think your starter can get out of the inning, you don't send him out there.  As a guy who hadn't performed well on the road, there was no right to expect Syndergaard to get through the 7th inning.  What's more, the manager is not supposed to be so dazzled by 99-mph heater (really, 95) that he doesn't realize that his pitcher had been missing spots all night, and that his heater was saving him, not carrying him.  Needlessly bringing in Reed to pitch to Gonzalez backfired, as Reed badly missed with location on the fateful 0-2 pitch.

Tejada must have never learned to not turn his back on the streets or runners, and he learned a hard lesson.  Even though Utley trotted off the field, his expression indicating that he knew what he was doing and he got the pound of flesh, Bokolis shook it off because Utley is probs still sore from back when Jayson Werth was going in too hard on his wife, as a middle infielder, has license to give as good as he gets.  As to whether it was dirty, while I may be a little swayed by having just finished Bob Gibson's new book, it's the playoffs- nothing is dirty.  If this happens to you, it means you were played, caught underestimating the other guy's greed.  All the chicken hawks whinging for retribution on Utley should know that the time for retribution was two pitches before the go-ahead hit- experience would've taught you that.