You're Doing It Wrong

The object of the Alfonseca-save is to allow many baserunners and only one fewer run than the current lead. Even for an Alfonseca-blown-save, you are supposed to manage an epic long inning with things like walks and singles. Instead you gave us a Greggorian (yes, new term). This is a blown save so quick that you don't even comprehend what happened. Today's Leo Nunez outing is abuot as textbook as they come. He entered the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead. Then...

3 batters faced
5 pitches thrown
0 outs recorded
2 home runs allowed
3 runs allowed

Fail. Calling it a fail might actually be underselling it. This was a swift kick to the stomach. Sigh.

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Josh Johnson Still Boss (And Other Notes)

We of course know this, but he likes to reaffirm it to us. Another brilliant performance: 7 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 11 K. He is now 12-2 with a 2.84 ERA and is sure to get Cy Young consideration less props than he should.

Great combined effort by the pen to notch the Alfonseca-save. We only asked them to get five outs, and they gave up four runs, all in the ninth inning. And predictably, when Todd Helton comes to the plate as the tying run, he flies out. By now, I am calling out what our bullpen will do as it happens about as accurately as I can reference any line of Animal House. They need to mix it up and surprise me every so often.

Nick Johnson has now played 11 games with the Marlins and has posted an even .500% OBP in just over 50 plate appearances. He is also OPS-ing .944% which is just a colossal improvement over Bonifacio's .600% he was posting for four months. Just saying.

Tonight we had three sacrifice bunts, and two sacrifice flies. The small ball was getting too much for my head to take, but thankfully Dan Uggla launched a two-run shot and I was back to normal.

(AP photo via ESPN.com)

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Meet the Mets, Beat the Mets

The Fish just pulled out an impressive 4-3 victory to take the first Marlins-Mets series in Citi Field's young history. Matt Lindstrom finished off an Alfonseca Save¹ preserving the lead which was delivered by a Cody Ross 2-RBI single in the 8th. Jorge Cantu once again proved how valuable he is with another home run in the first and a couple great defensive plays to save runs and end innings. I've been hesitating to say this, but Jorge plays a nice first base. I guess the key is that he never has to overhand throw it to anybody. Anyways, nothing beats taking two out of three in New York, especially when David Wright never comes through in the clutch. Stay tuned tomorrow morning for the SPESH report.

¹An Alfonseca Save is defined as a pitcher entering a save situation and instantly making it drastically tougher on himself by walking and hitting batters and getting hit all around the yard. Somehow though, the save is eventually made.

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