Should Wedge have Walked Papi in 9th?
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by user Ross K.
David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox hit two home runs against the Cleveland Indians last night, including a walk-off, three-run bomb in the 9th inning. It was Ortiz's second game-ending hit in three days and his fifth of they year. He has 12 walk-off hits in his four seasons in Boston.
This poses this question: Should the Tribe have walked Ortiz to load the bases in the 9th, just so he wouldn't get a chance to win the game?
It probably wouldn't have hurt. The Tribe was up 8-6, Ortiz was already the winning run. Sure, there was only one out, but a double play would have ended the game.
The Indians had rookie closer Fausto Carmona in the game, you have the option of letting him get experience against one of the games most clutch hitters or take some of the pressure off him by letting him pitch to the next guy: Manny Ramirez.
However I think in this situation, the Indians made the right choice even though it backfired. The Red Sox were having an awful day as it was, (losing Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek to injury), so you wouldn't expect them to have the effort to come back. Plus the Tribe isn't exactly looking at must-win situations, unfortunatly.
But what about other teams with the stretch run and the playoffs coming up? It will be every managers decision every time Ortiz comes up in the 9th when Boston is trailing by a run or two or three: do I take the chance or do I walk him?
I think in most situations the best advice to pitch just a bit outside.
Date
Tue 08/01/06, 5:56 am EST
