[FanOf28]

First Inning

Gold: Lilley swings at the first pitch and grounds out to the second baseman. Pollock gets four straight balls. Gaston walks after a full count. Boockford hits a grounder between short and third, scoring Pollock and Gaston. Brezovsky gets first on a fielder’s choice 6-4 putting out Boockford, then steals second. Adams flies out to right field to retire the side.

Blue: Grosso grounds out to short on a 3-0 count. Intelkofer hits a ground ball to short but first base drops the throw. Intelkofer steals second. Petzold walks. Double steal by Petzold and Intelkofer. Mendiola goes down swinging. Ashdown is hit by the third pitch. Intelkofer steals home. Casey flies out to center field on the first pitch to retire the side.

Second Inning

Gold: Barnes singles between short and third. Barnes steals second, hurting his right leg sliding in, as Harford is called out on strikes. Harford runs for Barnes. McConnell grounds out to third, advancing Harford to third. Doyle grounds back to the pitcher and the throw to first is late, but Harford is thrown out at home attempting to score, retiring the side.

Blue: Sciocia grounds up the middle reaching first, then steals second. Sherry gets on base on a 6-5 fielder’s choice putting out Sciocia at third. Sherry is picked off by the pitcher for the second out. Warrender walks on a full count. Wiand walks on four straight balls. Grosso walks on five pitches. Passed balls score Warrender and advance Wiand. Intelkofer goes down swinging to retire the side.

Third Inning

Gold: Lilley grounds out to third on a 2-2 count. Pollock grounds out to third on a 2-1 count. Gaston flies out to third to retire the side.

Blue: Petzold swings at the first pitch and flies out to right field. Mendiola walks. Ashdown hits into a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.

Fourth Inning

Gold: Boockford flies out to first base. Brezovsky flies out to right field. Adams swings away with a 1-1 count and cranks a solo homer 440 feet over the scoreboard in left center field. Harford hits a ground ball to first, the pitcher covers and Harford is thrown out at first retiring the side.

Blue: Casey flies out to right field. Sciocia goes down looking with a full count. Sherry flies out to the second baseman to retire the side.

Fifth Inning

Gold: McConnell grounds out to the pitcher. Doyle goes down swinging with a full count. Lilley is hit by the first pitch and steals second. Pollock goes down looking with a 2-2 count to retire the side.

Blue: Warrender strikes out swinging with a full count. Wiand grounds out to short with a 2-2 count. Grosso walks with a full count. Intelkofer flies out to right field to retire the side.

Sixth Inning

Gold: Gaston gets on base with a line drive to right center. Boockford flies out to second base. Brezovsky hits into a 4-6-3 double play to retire the side.

Blue: Petzold is thrown out on a bunt to third. Mills swings at the first pitch and flies out to third base. Ashdown flies out to right field on a 2-1 count to retire the side.

Seventh Inning

Gold: Adams flies out to center on a 3-1 count. Connolly walks on a full count and steals second. Harford walks on a full count. McConnell goes down swinging on a 1-2 count. Doyle flies out to right field to retire the side.

Blue: Casey flies out to right field on a 2-1 count. Soriano flies out to right on a 0-2 count. Sherry goes down swinging on a 1-2 count to retire the side.

Eighth Inning

Gold: Lilley walks on a full count. Pollock beats out a bunt on a 1-1 count, advancing Lilley. Gaston sacrifice bunts to third base on a 0-1 count, advancing Lilley and Pollock. Boockford flies out to right field on a 1-0 count, scoring Lilley. Brezovsky goes down swinging on a full count to retire the side.

Blue: Warrender bunts down the first base line with a 0-1 count, McConnell fields the bunt and makes a timely throw to first, but the first baseman drops the ball and Warrender is on. Warrender steals second. Wiand strikes out swinging on a 0-2 count. Grosso doubles down the right field line, scoring Warrender. Intelkofer flies out to center on a 0-2 count. Petzold flies out to the second baseman on a 2-2 count to end the game.

Pitchers:

Gold: Starting, Danielli through 5 relieved by Scheid in the sixth, and Langford in the eighth.

Blue: Starting, Phelps through 5 relieved by Mazur in the sixth.
Catchers:

Gold: McConnell all 8 innings

Blue: Sciocia through 5 relieved by Soriano in the top of the sixth.

DEFENDING STOLEN BASES:

A lot of things have to happen to put out a runner attempting to steal second base. The catcher has to field the pitch and transfer the ball to his throwing hand. The pitcher has to step out of the line of fire. Depending on the infield play at the time, the second baseman or shortstop has to cover second base. The catcher has to make a high speed, accurate throw to second somewhere between the infielder’s knees and the top of second base. The infielder has to field the throw and put a low tag on the approaching (usually sliding) runner, and then hold on to the ball after the tag.

If any one of these things doesn’t happen in proper sequence, the stealing runner will be safe.

Tuesday’s practice, with all its stolen bases, includes examples, in one play or another, of the failure of each element of a successful put out of a stealing runner. Most of the bases stolen did not happen on passed balls. Sometimes a pitcher would not step out of the line of fire quickly enough to permit the catcher to throw down in time. Sometimes the throw was not on the mark, or had to be fielded on one or two hops. Sometimes an infielder bobbled the throw, and sometimes the throw was fielded in time to beat the runner, but the infielder could not get the tag on the runner sliding under or behind him.

In my humble opinion, all the players manning positions 1, 2, 4 and 6 need to spend some time working together on this particular play in various combinations until it goes a lot more smoothly in game situations.