“If there is anything underrated about the Giants,” John Harper of the Daily News writes. “It’s the pressure they put on defenses with an old-school offensive approach that is more about attacking aggressively than working counts. Partly as a result, they’ve managed to score 10 runs in this postseason on plays where they didn’t produce a hit.”
“Not striking out, putting the ball in play,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy explained. “You try to put pressure on the other club and that’s how it happens, with good baserunning and doing the little things.”
Harper spoke to an NL scout before the game who was more blunt about the Giants’ approach:
“They don’t go up there looking to take pitches, they go up there looking to make contact. Everybody says it’s OK to strike out now, but the Giants are a perfect example of what a team can do when it puts the ball in play, especially at this time of year when there is pressure on the defense.”
“It’s quite the opposite of the patient, work-the-count-philosophy that GM Sandy Alderson preaches with the Mets.” Harper maintains. “One that baseball people say needs to be updated.”
“The strategy of working the count and driving up the starter’s pitch count is definitely outdated,” the NL scout said. “Bullpens are too good now. Every guy throws 98 and has something else he can throw for a strike.”
On Wednesday, I actually touched on this:
While the Mets are on the hunt to increase home run output at home and overall, I hope they don’t forget that what they need most is disciplined contact hitters who can hit the ball with authority and to all fields.
They also need a communicator who can teach the basics of situational hitting. Our players need to understand the importance of advancing runners and getting them home from third. Strikeouts are never productive, but a well placed grounder or a deep fly with a runner on third and less than two outs is. Hopefully our next hitting coach will be able to do a better job of delivering that message and getting the team to buy in.
By the way, what I wouldn’t give for a manager like Bruce Bochy.
