Don’t let Michael Jordan beat you.
Double-team him. Triple-team him.
Make sure his tail hits the paint every time he drives to the basket. Do everything you can to take him out of the game and if Scottie Pippen nails a jumper to put you away, so be it.
No matter what sport you are playing, you should always do your best to take the opposition’s best player out of the game. In baseball, that means keeping the ball away from the hitting zone and not allowing the batter to get the fat part of the bat on the ball.
In the first inning yesterday, Aaron Harang was ahead of Albert Pujols 1-2. From my seat along the third base line, I could see Ramon Hernandez shift away from the plate, wisely instructing Harang to keep the ball away from the center of the plate. Harang was unable to do so and Pujols deposited the pitch into the Reds’ bullpen.
That set the tone for what would be a big day for the Cardinals’ first baseman. Pujols had four hits (two homeruns), drove in three, and scored four runs. Making a mistake like Harang did to a player with Pujols’s ability is simply inexcusable at the Major League level.
And yes, I know that Matt Holliday was waiting in the on-deck circle—that is exactly my point. Holliday is a great player as well, but not on par with Pujols. Take your chances and make Pippen beat you.
Another costly mistake by Harang came in the fifth, his final inning on the mound. With two outs and runners on the corners, he made an errant throw to first base attempting to pick off Colby Rasmus that allowed Pujols to score from third.
I don’t understand the logic of throwing to first base in that situation. Focus on the hitter and get the final out of the inning. This is another mistake that I think is inexcusable by a Major League pitcher.
Not surprisingly, Mike Lincoln gave up four hits and two runs in the only inning he was on the mound. It was a bit of a shock to see Nick Masset get lit up for five runs in the ninth that put the game out of reach. The usually reliable Masset walked two and gave up three hits, one being a grand slam by Yadier Molina.
The offensive star for the Reds was…guess who…Joey Votto. The most consistent hitter on the team last year started off 2010 with three hits, including a homerun.
After an off-day today, the two teams continue their series tomorrow night. It will be Adam Wainwright against Johnny Cueto.
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