Nationals 5, Pirates 4: Stammen Stops Streak

by Charlie Wilmoth on May 21, 2009 9:57 PM EDT

Well, not by himself, and he didn't even get the win, but the Bucs couldn't do anything against him through six. This is not, I suspect, a coincidence. Upon seeing that the Nationals were starting someone named "Craig Stammen" for this game, I immediately figured he actually came from deep in the basement of MLB's offices, where Bud Selig's evil henchmen create android players like "Adam Rosales" who've accomplished nothing but still manage to give the Pirates fits before reporting back to Bud's Evil Robot Factory to be recycled into Sprite cans or pennies or whatever. So, hoping to jinx it, I predicted that Stammen would "run over the Pirates like the marching band in The Naked Gun."

Unfortunately, for a while, that's exactly what happened. Stammen mowed down the first twelve Pirates he faced. Ian Snell kept the Pirates in the game with a quality start, and the Bucs finally got to Stammen in the seventh, with an epic two-run homer by Adam LaRoche and an RBI single by Andy LaRoche.

Then John Russell called in Tom Gorzelanny, who started this season in the minors for a reason and isn't even really a reliever, to pitch the seventh. That worked decently, so Russell sent him out again in the eighth, and Gorzelanny allowed four straight singles to give the Nats back the lead. Two of the four guys who had hits off Gorzelanny were lefties and another one was a switch-hitter, but still--there just has to be a way to keep a pitcher like Gorzelanny out of one-run games, or at least prevent him from allowing four hits in a row.

Then in the top of the ninth, Brandon Moss singled with one out, and Russell brought in Ramon "The 1800s, Man" Vazquez to pinch hit for Andy LaRoche. Even before Vazquez struck out, I could only ask, "Vazquez, really? Why?" Needless to say, Moss didn't score, and the Bucs didn't win.

UPDATE: I think Pat's anger about the LaRoche/Vazquez thing is a little over the top, but probably only a little, and I should have conveyed my annoyance with Russell more strongly. Not only is LaRoche a better hitter than Vazquez, he's also at least potentially an important part of the future of the team. I suspect LaRoche is a pretty fragile guy, and while I don't know what makes him tick and I usually loathe armchair pseudo-psychoanalysis of players by fans who've never met them, it's hard for me to understand how it could help LaRoche's confidence to sit him because you'd rather have your utility infielder hit with the game on the line. And at some level, the Pirates are making their bed with guys like LaRoche, and they have to sleep in it. If the Bucs want LaRoche to play like a good major leaguer, they might start by treating him like one. A single pinch-hit at bat is no big deal, but it's counterproductive both in the short term and in the long term to trust a mediocre vet like Vazquez over a promising and capable youngster like LaRoche.

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Comments

russell

i am still trying to figure out the vasquez move as well. that was certainly a lloyd mcclendonish micromanagement type move. why not let one of your hottest hitters bat in that spot? the hell with the lefty righty bs. especially when the lefty is vasquez

by jsn4219 on May 21, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions

Nothing tells your young third baseman of the future, “we believe in you” like pinch hitting for him with a washed up utility player in the 9th inning of a one run game. I’m sure he is brimming with confidence this morning.

I would have liked to see a shot of him in the dugout when JR told him he was being pinch hit for. My guess is there wasnt much of a reaction but it would have been interesting to see the look on his face. Vasquez? Really?? It would have been one thing if Nate had the night off and JR decided to pinch hit him for Andy against a tough righty!

by biglar33 on May 22, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Or...

to continually have him bunt in key situations.

by Slick1 on May 22, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Sad game management by Russell. He lost this one for us.

by wg1of5 on May 21, 2009 10:13 PM EDT reply actions

to paraphrase Chester J Lampwick in an earlier thread,

chances to pinch-hit with Ramon Vazquez don’t come along every day.

but seriously, as much as this loss sucked, it can be argued that when your offense manages just 7 baserunners, your odds of winning aren’t very good even if 4 of them score. and thanks to the Pens, at least no one in Pittsburgh will notice the Pirates lost tonight.

by gonfalon on May 22, 2009 12:08 AM EDT reply actions

Being at the game, everyone felt that putting in Gorzo really put the stamp on the Pirates mailing that game away.

by MdPensfan on May 22, 2009 2:24 AM EDT reply actions

Russell pinch-hitting Vazquez for Luigi is the same crap that has been pulled by every Pirates’ manager back to Leyland. They have to get that “lefty-righty” match-up because the Big Book of Baseball Conventional Wisdom (trademark pending) says that’s what to do and not a single one of them dares to buck the system. How about they just go with the hitter that gives them the best chance of winning instead of doing what they’re “supposed” to do?

As much as I cannot stand Tony LaRussa because he seems like an arrogant SOB, batting his pitcher eighth in order to give his best player additional RBI opportunities later in the game is brilliant outside-the-box thinking. Yes, I know Russell tried it last year, but he tried it in the way that sorority girls “try” lesbianism in college; they aren’t serious about it, it isn’t something they’re going to do long-term, but it seems like fun for a little while.

by Bishop1973 on May 22, 2009 9:09 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I'll never think of the pitcher batting 8th in the same way again

thanks for the “outside the box” analogy, Bishop!

by gonfalon on May 22, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I think trying lesbianism in college...

…is more “inside the box” thinking, if you know what I mean.

by Vlad on May 22, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

It could be “inside the box” or “around the box”, depending on how they’re going about their business.

by Bishop1973 on May 22, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

by jsn4219 on May 22, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think Pat's anger is over the top at all.

He’s spot on! I was ball player through college and there is nothing, and I mean, nothing that would piss me off more than to be PH for in a key situation, especially with a “bench” player. It wasn’t like A-Rod was coming off the bench. You talked about the psyche thing and I hope Andy’s is not one those guys that has a fragile psyche but if this crap continues (getting PH for, having to bunt late in games, etc.), it will takes it toll on even the strongest of psyches because there is no good reason for it. I also like the fact that the article pointed out JRs strong points because I have to admit that I have lost sight of them. I’m really starting to wonder though of JR’s strenghts outweigh his weaknesses.

by Slick1 on May 22, 2009 10:16 AM EDT reply actions

It was a dumb move.

I’m not ready to start burning JR in effigy, but yeah. Not one of his finest moments.

by Vlad on May 22, 2009 10:19 AM EDT reply actions

I Disagree

It was the right move. He was playing the percentages, and that was what was called for, regardless of the outcome.

by thegunner on May 22, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Gunner,

playing the percentages means giving up a chance to win sometimes.

Maybe I missed what percentages he was playing.

Andy vs RHP this season .269/.350/.404 for an OPS of .754.
Vasquez career vs RHP .269/.345/.384 for an OPS of .729.

So much for playing the percentages.

by Thunder on May 22, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Not to mention...

the .170 something Vasquez is hitting against righties this season.

by Thunder on May 22, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Gunner

You didn’t look up the percentages before commenting, so you’re wrong once again.

Also, it’s nice to know you don’t care about the “outcome.”

John Russell made a dumb mistake.

by patthatt on May 22, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Can we at least...

start lighting the torches? :)

by Thunder on May 22, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

I've got the matches out on the table!

by Slick1 on May 22, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Russell

will be gone at the end of next season.

Instead of burning him in effigy, let’s find a Russell bobblehead and trash it.

by patthatt on May 22, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

And we're off!

Absolutely wrong. The “percentages” you mention that JR was playing pointed to leaving Luigi in there to face Hanrahan, not pinch-hitting Vazquez; details below, all based on 2009 data (which is an admittedly small sample size, but it’s what I have to work with):

LaRoche vs RHP: .269/.350/.404
Vazquez vs RHP: .176/.306/.196

Hanrahan vs RHP: .323/.405/.452
Hanrahan vs LHP: .268/.348/.537

Andy was the better option vs Hanrahan than Vazquez, as LaRoche hits righties better than Vazquez does and Hanrahan allows more righty baserunners than lefty. Hanrahan does give up more XBH vs lefties than righties, but the Pirates needed baserunners, not necessarily power, in that situation, and Vazquez is not exactly a font of power to begin with.

by Bishop1973 on May 22, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions

It happened last Friday too...

Vasquez batted for Andy in the 9th vs. Huston Street.

If Russell wants to play the averages…maybe he should have Vasquez bat for Adam.

by Thunder on May 22, 2009 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

ohhhh...

We can’t go through one post without an Adam jab! I may be the only one on here that believes Adam wll put together a nice season.

I agree on JR though, he is so stuck in old school managerial techniques. The righty-lefty thing needs to give way to scouting reports and advanced statistics (or just basic statistics). From everyting I’ve read JR has access to both. I guess he’s managing based on the ol’ gut feeling. I’m sure every time he sends Vazquez to PH in a key situation he thinks this will finally be the AB that will break him out and send him on his way to the much anticipated .255/.328/.353 season.

by Slick1 on May 22, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions