Because the Dodgers win either way, it's just a matter of form what the official "scoring" winds up to be. The Pej Man will not be happy in any case.
So I was at work today. This was rather disappointing on many levels, not least of which was that the Dodgers were on TV, a rarity in this area of foul Satan-worshippers. I got a call from the Sainted Bride a little before three, asking me when I thought I would leave work and informing me that the game was in the 7th inning with no score. Having assumed I would have no chance to see any of the game, this gave me some heart.
I left about 3:20 and called home to let her know I was on my way. She told me the evil Chicago fiends had gone ahead 1-0. Irk. I knew I would miss the rest of the game, as it's more than 40 miles from work to home.
Well, long about the time I hit the onramp to 680 north, she called back to say the righteous Dodgers had tied the game on a solo home run by Andre Ethier. Hope rose that I might catch the end of the game. And I did. I arrived home as the bottom of the 10th inning started.
Nothing happened. Nothing good, anyway.
The 11th rolled around. The jokers from Shikaggy didn't score. Good news.
Bottom of the 11th. Martinez walked. Betemit walked. Silly announcer stated the obvious: "It shouldn't need to be said but you don't walk the first two batters."
Then Martinez got hung up between 2nd and 3rd, but the catcher threw behind him to 2nd and he ended up safe at 3rd. So Lou Pinella, looking like he'd swallowed a bottle of Drano, brought in a new pitcher. They walked Furcal intentionally to load the bases with nobody out.
Here's where the scoring ambiguousness comes in. Juan Pierre was up. The pitch hit the ground in front of the plate, then caromed off Pierre's knee. Martinez scored. So is it:
1. Wild pitch, one scored?
2. Passed ball, one scored?
3. Hit batsman, one scored?
It looks like they settled on hit batsman. In any case, my Bums took two out of three.
Posted by Ken S at May 27, 2007 04:40 PM | TrackBack (0) |Hmmm. I thought a wild pitch might have been the right call, but there's a reason I'm just a fan and not an umpire:
A BALL is a pitch which does not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by the batter.
Rule 2.00 (Ball) Comment: If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a “ball.” If such a pitch touches the batter, he shall be awarded first base. If the batter swings at such a pitch after two strikes, the ball cannot be caught, for the purposes of Rule 6.05(c) and 6.09(b). If the batter hits such a pitch, the ensuing action shall be the same as if he hit the ball in flight.