Just watched a display of smart baseball...

[Cubzfan64]

Watching the Red Sox vs. Orioles game tonight - bottom of 6th inning, Sox tied it at 3-3 and have a runner on 2nd with 2 out.

 

Youkalis (I wish the Cubs could have gotten him in a trade a season or two ago), gets down 0-2, then watches 3 balls, fouls off a pitch and takes ball 4 to get on base (I think he's at ~.450 obp now). Loretta is up, he's been struggling, Orioles have no left hander up in the bullpen so he knows if he can get on base, Ortiz will get a shot. Mora is playing WAYYY back at 3B so Loretta drops down a bunt - it's actually a pop up that lands half way to 3B, but because Mora is so far back he makes it safe to 1B to load em up for Ortiz.

 

Ortiz works the count a bit and then delivers a 2 out, bases clearing double to the OPPOSITE field. Red Sox end up winning 6-3.

 

I'm not a Sox fan, but it sure is a change watching a team play smart baseball, work the odds in their favor and do the little things that win you ball games.

 

Oh - just as an aside, I saw Corey Patterson come up to bat and look just like the old Corey. Letting good pitches go by, swinging and missing pitches at eye level and upper cutting everything. I don't recall exactly what he did, but I think he SO once and popped up twice. Some things never change.

[UMFan83]

Oh come on, the Cubs play legendary small ball. And small ball is the same as smart ball right? Right???