The Houston Astros trail the 2022 World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies after losing Game 3 Tuesday night, 2-1. It was an ugly game for the Astros, as their best hitters were silenced and their starting pitcher, Lance McCullers Jr. made history. The problem is it was no the kind of history you want to make.
He became the first pitcher in World Series history to allow five home runs in a single game.
But if you were watching the game, any baseball fan can tell you that it could have been avoided. In the bottom of the first inning, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper crushed the first pitch he saw from McCullers Jr. for a two-run home run. That happens. After all, Harper is on a tear rarely seen in playoff history. Personally, I have not seen someone this locked in since David Ortiz when he almost hit .700 in the 2013 World Series.
But it's what happened next that caused all of the controversy that might cost the Astros the World Series.
After crossing home plate, Harper went into the Phillies dugout. He then called Alec Bohm, who was on deck, over to him. He brought him close and whispered in his ear. This was the critical moment in the game that changed the game.
The inning ended before Bohm got the plate, so he led off the bottom of the second inning. Guess what he did? He also hit a home run off McCullers Jr. After he got back to the dugout, he was interviewed and asked what Harper told him. Bohm smiled and laughed off the question without giving an answer. But it was pretty obvious. We all knew what was going on watching from home.
Lance McCullers Jr. Should Have Been Pulled
The Phillies weren't done. Brandon Marsh hit a solo home run a couple batters later. Then in the 5th, McCullers Jr, who is still inexplicably in the game, gave up two more home runs to Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins.
Since the game, video and images have come out showing the Astros starter holding his glove lower when throwing his knuckle curve and higher when throwing his changeup.
Fans of other sports like football are aware and cognizant of players studying film. But for whatever reason, many people don't realize that baseball players spend a lot of time watching tape as well. In particular, hitters watch video of pitchers. They look for anything that they could recognize at the plate to know what pitch might be coming.
There is a reason why there is a popular saying that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. It's because you literally have less than a quarter of a second as a hitter to decide if you are going to swing at a pitch. In that millisecond, a hitter has to diagnose what pitch is coming, determine if it will be in the strike zone and then swing. That is truly incredible when you think about it.
So, anytime a hitter can eliminate the deciphering the pitch, that's a huge advantage. They can lock in on location and rip away. That's exactly what the Phillies hitters did Tuesday.
Is Dusty Baker Overrated?
After the game, the Astros' McCullers Jr. was defiant to the notion he was tipping pitches. New York Times writer Scott Miller captured his comments.
“I am who I am. I’m going to throw a lot of off-speed. Everyone knows that.” He would go on to say that he just got beat. The Phillies just hit him hard and the Astros got beat down. But McCullers Jr. is known for being a bulldog. He doesn't want to admit he was tipping pitches.
But one analyst after another, from John Smoltz to Pedro Martinez, have all discussed the situation and agree that's what was happening. There is not a ton that a baseball manager is in charge of nowadays in baseball with the emergence of analytics. But this was one particular situation where he can save his player from himself.
I am not going to claim that Dusty Baker is overrated. But I also don't know exactly that he's as great as people tend to claim. He is extremely well liked and for good reason. He is a kind, personable man with roots in the game. He won a World Series as a player. But as a manager, his resume has holes.
He has won three pennants in 30 years. He managed a number of really good teams into the postseason during that time, flaming out early many of those. In 2002, he led the San Francisco Giants to a 5-0 lead in Game 6 of the World Series, only to lose that game and Game 7. He has a career postseason record of 48-46 during his career.
I know that most people are rooting against the Astros because of the cheating scandal. I am actually hoping they win for Dusty, so he can prove me wrong.
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