As much as I enjoyed posting reports on Wednesday’s Threshers’ game and the GCL game this afternoon, I did not want to report on this one.  The Threshers fell behind early and lost 14-6 to the Dunedin Blue Jays.  Jeb Stefan started and quickly dug a hole from which the offense could not recover.  Relievers, Dan Child and Ramon Oviedo were also ineffective.

Stefan was touched for 4 runs in the first inning.  The middle of the Jays order strung together back-to-back-to-back doubles to bolt into an early lead.  He rebounded with a 9-pitch 1-2-3 inning in the second; and a 27-pitch third inning where he ran some deep counts while escaping unscathed from a lead off double.  Stefan was finally chased in the fourth with 2 outs, a run in, and runners on the corners.  After 3.2 innings, he had thrown 87 pitches.  Dan Child came in and allowed an inherited runner to score on a wild pitch.  More on this play later.

Child pitched the fifth inning and gave up 4 more runs on 5 hits.  This inning featured an infield hit on a soft line drive hit between the first and second basemen.  The ball short hopped in front of Angelo Mora as Art Charles passed in front of him.  Mora, now closer to first base than Charles, lost the race to the bag while Child still stood on the mound.  Honestly, I thought that Mora was going to catch the ball in the air.  I imagine that is what Child was thinking.

Child started the sixth inning and was pulled after a single, walk, fly out, and hit batsman.  Ramon Oviedo came out and immediately served up a grand slam, allowing 3 inherited runners to score.  This is the continuation of what has been a recurring theme this season for this bullpen, the inability to prevent inherited runners from scoring.  After tonight, the 10 Threshers’ pitchers who have relieved have allowed 43 of 97 inherited runners to score.  I have to believe that a 55.67 Strand Percentage is not very good.

Miscellaneous –

• Roman Quinn had a nice 3-5 that only included 1 bunt base hit.
• JP Crawford went 1-3 with 2 walks.
• Angelo Mora was 2-3 with a sacrifice, double, and triple.
• Crawford laid out on a dive to his right to snag a line drive that temporarily save a run for Stefan.  Two batters later the run scored on Child’s wild pitch.

Which brings me back to the play I mentioned earlier.  With 2 out and runners on the corners, a pitcher unleashes a wild pitch.  The runner on third scores and the runner on first advances to third on an errant throw by the catcher toward the pitcher covering home plate.  The batter flies out to center on the next pitch.  The run that scored on the wild pitch was recorded as an earned run.  I had it as an unearned run and only noticedthe discrepancy when I compared my scorecard with the official box score.  Now I disagree with a lot of the errors that the scorer overlook, but this isn’t a judgement call is it?  As a matter of rule, a run that scores on a wild pitch is unearned unless a future action, like a home run, would have scored the run anyway, right?

Sorry to end on a question, but if I’m wrong, please explain.  Mr. Yuengling and I are still debating the ruling.  I’m about to ask Mr. Dirtwolf for his opinion.