Shocks and Houston Play Eight

[shocks02]

Do you bring in Haase for the 9th now or leave in Steumpfig since he’s warm?

[WuDrWu]

And Wallace promptly loses the 1st pitch over the left field wall and it's 3-2 Shox!!!!!!!!

[shocks02]

Goodbye! Should have pulled Henry ya Coogs.

[WuDrWu]

Cadena replaces Harris as well. Stumpy gets Uhse to line out, Almendarez grounds out to 3rd and Hernandez grounds out to end the inning.

Good quick inning for Stumpy who has pitched well this season. On to the 9th tied at 2.

Shocks will have the heart of the order, Wallace, Kocis and Bartlett. Sure would be nice to get one here, anyway you can.

[WuDrWu]

Stewart can't bunt his way on then Sigrist gets a 2-0 count. Instead of being patient he swings and lines out. Stroh grounds out to end the inning.

Bottom 8 still tied. Edit: Stumpy in to work the 8th.

[WuDrWu]

Bottom 7 and Snavely works quickly getting a foul out, a 3 pitch K and then the 9th place hitter Lovelace fouls out. Through 7 Preston is at 100 pitches.

On to the 8th still tied. Shocks will have Stewart then the top of the order, the Cougs will start at the top.

Next run probably wins.

[WuDrWu]

Weak top of the 7th, Gibby grounds out to first then Harris and Ingram K. Henry at 89 pitches. Bottom 7 still tied.

[WuDrWu]

Hernandez leads off with a 9 pitch walk. Fully expected Houston to bunt but they swing away their best hitter and flyout.

Rivas then bunts the runner over before the next hitter flies out.

On to the 7th still tied. Preston at 88 pitches.

[WuDrWu]

Wallace grounds out accidentally, Kocis misses a 2-2 fastball up that he should have murdered into the Gulf of Mexico and Bartlett flies out deep.


Still tied, bottom of the 6th.

[1972Shocker]

What's the rule when a batter hits the ball almost straight down? Sometimes they let the play occur, other times it's a foul ball? What's the deciding factor?

Note that home plate is in fair territory. If a ball is hit straight down and ends up being touched by the defense or stops in fair territory it is a fair ball. If a ball hit straight down ends up in foul territory before it is touched or when it stops it is a foul ball. Note that if the batter makes contact with a fair ball the batter is out.

https://www.baseball-rules.com/fairfoul.htm

Also a ball can start of fair, roll foul and then back fair before it is touched in fair territory or stops on fair territory is a fair ball. Doesn't happen often but it has happened.

[WuDrWu]

Snavely getting stronger as the game goes on. Quick 1,2,3 inning with 2 more Ks. That's 5. Preston at 75 through 5.

Stilled tied at 2 going to the 6th.

Like it or not, this is crunch time.

[WuDrWu]

Not much patience in the top of the inning, especially given Henry's struggles in the 4th. 3 pitches and a ground out and flyout.

Condon misses another call, this time against the Shocks and Stroh ends up flying out fairly deep.

2-2 bottom 5.

[WuDrWu]

Snavely returns to struggling to throw his fastball for a strike. He does get a flyout, a nasty hook for his 3rd strikeout, and Dave Condon again blows a strike call, extending the at bat before finally getting strike 5 to end the inning.

2-2 after 4.

[WuDrWu]

Chuck fouls off ball 1.....grrrr.

Ball 2 (1-1)

fouls off ball 3. (1-2)

Ball 4 (2-2)

Cougs get a bit lucky on a ground out to end the inning. The mound saves a run for sure.

2-2 after 3 and a half.

[WuDrWu]

Wallace singles to start off the inning.

Kocis needs to be patient here. They don't want to give him anything to drive. Ball 1, 2, 3.....a gift strike, then Kocis drives one the other way for a double scoring Wallace.

Excellent job of hitting by Kocis. Bartlett however doesn't get Garrett to 3rd on a groundout. Gibby strikes out on a breaking ball (not sure he's hit one this year) and Harris tries to fix things with 2 outs.

Harris gets ball 1,2 and 3. Better look at a couple here unless it's underhanded. Hit him. I hope Ingram is patient.