ADVERTISEMENT

Virginia

earsky

Four-Star Poster
Jan 12, 2010
10,625
3,222
26
Time change to 4pm first pitch with impending storms early evening.
 
Thanks. Makes little sense though. Appears rain is projected from 4:00-6:00. Moving start time back by 30 minutes seems smarter.
 
They cleared the stadium. I'm looking at the radar thinking about 445 or 500
 
Yep. Sitting here in the parking lot just wondering what the plan might be. Haven’t seen any lightning (personally) for quite some time. All of a sudden several cars are leaving.
 
Radar is showing lots of red around 5:30. These storms are popping up. Maybe a double header tomorrow.
 
That cell getting ready to go through the Brandenburg area is the one I'm looking at. If it doesn't fall apart,it's making a B line right at us. Should know soon one way or another.
 
I think they're gonna try to get this game in.
Rain Saturday and 95 tomorrow.
 
I'm saying it. Humphrey should lead off. He's by far the best contact hitter. He got better as the season went and he's one of a couple guys I want to see up with the game on the line. (Rushing, Payton)

For those who follow MLB, doesn't Humphrey remind you of the Mets Jeff McNeil?

Next season, Issac Humphrey will not be batting 8th.
 
Yeah he's getting better too. Uses the whole field too. I'm guessing Mac doesn't want to mess with him during Knap's injury.
 
Not sure what Beard was doing there. Wish he'd have blunted Usher over after that.
 
With an eye on ACC tourney seeding, Cards are now percentage points ahead of Notre Dame for the #2 overall seed. We need to at least match what Notre Dame does in their final 2 games with Miami to clinch that seed.

Cards could even get the #1 seed in the unlikely event that we sweep Virginia, Notre Dame takes the next two from Miami, and Virginia Tech loses at least one of their remaining two games to Duke.
 
  • Like
Reactions: earsky
Cards doing something they haven't done a lot in ACC games this season. Jumping on Gursky early to get a lead for our starting pitcher.
Far from perfect with 15 ks,the early offense,pitching and defense hold down the victory. It's a good formula...except for those strikeouts. Lol
 
It just doesn't make sense. How can a pitcher start a game and not be able to throw strikes?

Once we think the pitching is finally coming around, Lohman starts a game and can barely throw a strike.
 
Well, I thought Lohman was settling down. The ump’s shrinking strike zone isn’t helping. That home run might still be rolling to the river. He just wasn’t sharp at all.
 
Seen it all season. McDonnell staying with a pitcher he should have pulled and giving up multiple runs due to it.

Now the Cards are down 5 runs in the 3rd inning and there's no excuse about tired arms as only Prosecky pitched out of the bullpen yesterday.

McDonnell is managing this game like it's early in the season. I just don't understand it. Makes no sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bardman and Deeva
Seen it all season. McDonnell staying with a pitcher he should have pulled and giving up multiple runs due to it.

Now the Cards are down 5 runs in the 3rd inning and there's no excuse about tired arms as only Prosecky pitched out of the bullpen yesterday.

McDonnell is managing this game like it's early in the season. I just don't understand it. Makes no sense.
Totally agree! Very disappointing!
 
I know you see if Carter gets it going. But, you should have someone ready if it is not working out. Then he dropped the ball going to 1B after that.
 
Dan - Newsflash. We ster has not looked overly sharp either. YET!!! You don’t have someone ready to go. Ow, after two consecutive HRs, you get a guy up throwing. Sooooooooooo frustrating.
 
I think he's so used to his decisions working that he keeps making the same ones. This loss today is on him for leaving Lohman in after that 1st inning. I hope if this was a tournament game he would have pulled him.
 
Sean Moth sees and knows as much about this UL baseball team as anyone outside the coaching staff, and I value his observations. While he cannot express criticism of CDM during his broadcast; in a more subtle manner, Sean is repeating some of the exact same concerns that posters are typing about our pitching staff. As Sean noted yesterday, out of the first 10 pitches that Carter threw, 8 were balls. In other words, with a fresh arm and numerous warmup tosses ……. he clearly had no control of the strike zone, and that should have been evident well before the UVA lead-off batter stepped into box. Rushing has a pretty good indication of whether the pitcher is ready or not, and I suspect that he knew Carter was unable to get into the strike zone before that first pitch.

I understand that EKU is no UVA, but there were 6 or 7 pitchers prepared and contributed to that weekday win, and for the most part each one was ready when they came in. More importantly, other were available if one was struggling. When it was obvious that any one pitcher has no control, Williams needs to be prepared to make the change quickly. The 5-0 deficit should never have occurred, as Sean recognized after the first 10 pitches that Carter should have returned to the dugout in the 1st inning with runners on 1st and 2nd, and still no score.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bardman
Sean Moth sees and knows as much about this UL baseball team as anyone outside the coaching staff, and I value his observations. While he cannot express criticism of CDM during his broadcast; in a more subtle manner, Sean is repeating some of the exact same concerns that posters are typing about our pitching staff. As Sean noted yesterday, out of the first 10 pitches that Carter threw, 8 were balls. In other words, with a fresh arm and numerous warmup tosses ……. he clearly had no control of the strike zone, and that should have been evident well before the UVA lead-off batter stepped into box. Rushing has a pretty good indication of whether the pitcher is ready or not, and I suspect that he knew Carter was unable to get into the strike zone before that first pitch.

I understand that EKU is no UVA, but there were 6 or 7 pitchers prepared and contributed to that weekday win, and for the most part each one was ready when they came in. More importantly, other were available if one was struggling. When it was obvious that any one pitcher has no control, Williams needs to be prepared to make the change quickly. The 5-0 deficit should never have occurred, as Sean recognized after the first 10 pitches that Carter should have returned to the dugout in the 1st inning with runners on 1st and 2nd, and still no score.
OMG! Sean Moth? The guy who announces football, volleyball, etc. He’s a sports announcer and I guarantee you by some of the things he’s says “that’s outside for a strike” and other things, he doesn’t know 1/10 of what Dan knows. Everyone knows there is so much preparation for a starting pitcher, that you don’t just pull him everytime they get off to a bad start. Secondly you don’t plan on failure and have another guy immediately available. You tell them they are in relief but you don’t bring him in until he’s ready. Pitchers success is based on prep and confidence.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fredburgcard
nccardfan - I must disagree. With this staff you absolutely must plan for failure be ause the staff is so incredibly erratic. When it counts the most the leash is the shortest. We are not talking about a Detmers, Miller, Rodgers, McKay, etc. - those guys could work through rough spots. Most of our current staff can’t. I would have had someone getting loose starting in the 2d inning. Nothing wrong with that. Instead guys started stretching when the wheels had already fallen off. Same for Webster. Evan started out ‘ok’ - I could see he didn’t seem to have what he normally does right off the bat and…UVA hit him hard. Look, as far as Moth goes, Sean knows a shit ton about baseball. He has been announcing baseball games for a loooong time. Is he a coach - well no. Yet, I can guarantee you he has watched enough Cardinals baseball that I’d take his opinion over just about anyone else’s.
 
OMG! Sean Moth? The guy who announces football, volleyball, etc. He’s a sports announcer and I guarantee you by some of the things he’s says “that’s outside for a strike” and other things, he doesn’t know 1/10 of what Dan knows. Everyone knows there is so much preparation for a starting pitcher, that you don’t just pull him everytime they get off to a bad start. Secondly you don’t plan on failure and have another guy immediately available. You tell them they are in relief but you don’t bring him in until he’s ready. Pitchers success is based on prep and confidence.
Do you really believe if this was a regional game, McDonnell would have left Lohman in the game after that 1st inning? It was very fortunate that only 2 runs scored thanks to Humphrey throwing out a runner at home plate.

McDonnell for some reason was willing to sacrifice this game as the loss would not likely remove the Cards from a national seed. Now that's just my opinion because I don't know what else it could be.

Maybe he was gambling that we would score 15 runs ourselves as the wind was blowing out? All I know was Lohman had nothing on the mound and it was very apparent he wasn't going to pitch very long. He was at 63 pitches in the 3rd inning when he was finally removed.

Think about basketball. Would the coach leave in the PG if he turned the ball over 5 times in the first 5 minutes of the game? How about football? Would the coach keep a RB in the game if he fumbled three times in three possessions?

Like was said earlier in this thread, this wasn't Detmers or McKay out there or even Poland. Once it was clear Lohman couldn't throw strikes, he should have been pulled if you want to stay close enough to win the game.

McDonnell is a great coach but he's not immune to bad decisions. The question isn't was it a bad decision not removing Lohman, but why he chose to leave him in the game is the question.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bardman
I will just respond and say the next two guys after Lohman did not fare any better. Now you have a bullpen worrying in the back of their mind if I walk a guy I’m gonna get the hook. As a pitcher or any player it’s a difficult situation to overcome.
 
You are correct - the other guys didn’t pitch well either. Should they have it in the back of their minds that if they get out there and can’t throw strikes are theybgoing to get pulled? 100% YES and they should know this. I pitched (not at the college level); but, I knew if I could not throw strikes or I was getting hit hard - I am probably coming out of the game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deeva
I will just respond and say the next two guys after Lohman did not fare any better. Now you have a bullpen worrying in the back of their mind if I walk a guy I’m gonna get the hook. As a pitcher or any player it’s a difficult situation to overcome.
It's one thing walking batters on close pitches and it's another thing when pitches aren't close to the strike zone. Lohman had to throw batting practice fastballs to even get it in the zone and he was having difficulty doing that.

This Virginia series should be treated like a post season series, but yesterday it obviously wasn't. I'm as confounded as all Cards fans except apparently you. You're taking it personally like we're McDonnell haters. I don't get that at all.
 
Nice start today. Liggett had a bit of a struggle in the 2d and I saw a pitcher or two using rubber bands to get loose. That’s all I ask - it is the safe thing to do. Now I see Tate or Garrett throwing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rh62531 and earsky
Nice bounce back from yesterday. Cards take the series,wait to see what their seed is for next week,then try to get one of those National seeds.
Really proud of Kuehner. Where he was to where he's at right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rh62531
Check some of these scores around the country; 15+ runs are becoming common everywhere.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT