Can anyone say "Slave to the Save"?

I knew you could.

Gibbons realized Batista should have been the one out there — ace reliever, most important part of the game — but too late. Nevermind that Batista gave up the game-winning homer, as sometimes your ace is going to do that. It's about doing the smartest thing at the right time, and Gibbons missed that last part by 3 batters.

Schoeneweis this season has not shown that he deserves to be on the hill with the game on the line. Who cares how much is contract amount is? He should be in Speier-land.

Batista was brought in a terrible position, inherited runners and the umpire squeezed the strike zone on him, probably because Huckaby couldn't frame any pitch (but all 3 of those called balls could have just as easily been strikes).

The green light on 3-0 is one of my favourite managerial moves, especially when the pitcher is getting squeezed, then he really has to put it over the plate.

No inhereted runners, Batista just lets him walk when the count isn't in his favour. He probably still should have put him on once it was 3-0, to load the bases, and start fresh with whoever was next.

Wilner's really going off on Gibby here, though he says it's a rare mistake by the manager.

I really didn't understand the move, myself. It's strange how the guy everyone seemed to want in there actually gave up the game-winning home run...and it was still a better choice to bring Batista in. Youneverknow in baseball.

Ye know, the roadtrip we've had really turns a negative spin on this game. I really liked how Chacin pitched, the Jays were dominated by Clemens like everyone else in the last x years, and they overcame adversity in the top of the ninth.

If there was one person who I'd like to have given up the home run, it's probably Batista. He's been a mainstay in the pen this year and it's simply going to happen. There's less of a concern here as supposed to if Schoenweiss had given it up.

The very fact that Batista inherited runners with a picky strike zone forshadowed what could have happened. His success this year reflects the Blue Jays' outstanding defence. He simply hasn't been a strikeout pitcher. So we knew that balls were going to go off bats somewhere.

The roadtrip hasn't been fun at all, but it's not like we were never going to go on a cold streak. I just can't wait for them to get back home.

"Slave to the Save". I couldn't have said it better.

In some ways it was a moral victory. Rios' power stroke off Roger was sweet; a portent of things to come.
Next week will tell the tale...starting tomorrow.

Worst move by Gibby as a manager in my books so far.

Just the wrong thing to do... Walker has proved he can do long relief and with the way the texas bats go, that should have been just what the doctor ordered.

Scho vs. 3 righties? Why not just give them 1st and 2nd w/ no outs and bring Batista in.

Batista was even really well rested so I think you could have brought him in for 3 innings if you really wanted to, and hold him out tommorrow.

It was a terrible move, imo. I didn't hear Wilner going off on Gibby for it, but I'm glad to hear he did. I'm not going to lower my overall impression of Gibbons much as a manger because of this, but it hurts to lose a game like this on a roadtrip like this at least partially due to poor in-game decisions.

I thought the first poor decision was not to send Rios to steal. Rios isn't a great stealer, but to get a runner to second in that situation would have been huge. Plus, if he doesn't get a hit and Adams gets out (which was likely against Lidge) you have a nice setup if you reach the tenth. Either you pinch-hit Hill for Frasor to begin the tenth or you could double-switch Hill in for Adams with two out in the ninth and give Frasor two more batters. Then you get Hill leading off an inning. If Rios is safe, you obviously have two chances to knock him in and take the lead.

Regardless, the Schoeneweis decision was brutal. He's shown little ability to get righties out this year, Batista was rested. Also, Speier was as well and I don't think they wanted to use Walker, but I bet he could have done an inning. The move made little sense and played a large part in costing the Jays the game.

Finally, the pitch selection to Ensberg was bad, imo. At 3-0 there was no sense piping one to a good hitter like Ensberg with a struggling Jason Lane on deck. I'd rather not have the bases loaded, but at that point it was probably the wiser course of action. Ensberg can hit balls with authority and seeing as how Lane struggles with righthanded breaking stuff, Batista would seemingly be a much better fit there.

Horrible bullpen management tonight. Shoenie is not the guy to run in vs. righties. Slave to the save is increndibly accurate. This road trip really has shown me the deficinecies in this offence & how missing the HR threat in Koskie's stick is so vital to wins. Some may call it premature, but I am in complete favour of liquidating short term assets in Cat, Shea, Lilly, Speier, Towers, Batista & possibly Hinske to bring in some bats who will be in the mix for 2007 & beyond. This team lacks the starters to make a run & certainly the offence is not strong enough to sustain a serious playoff drive.

I would prefer to see young arms in the rotation gaining MLB experience & a couple of power hitters in LF & DH and possibly 1st Base. This team is not a contender.

Just as stunning as the decision to put SS LOOGY in there against 3 righties is what ensued. One gets on and then Batista starts warming. What? So if one baserunner is going to make you skittish (and really, were you that surprised that a runner got on?), why isn't your closer already warmed up? Batista had all of one at-bat to get warmed up; I was a little shocked that Berkman wasn't the one to knock one out in that situation. It was almost as if Gibbons turned to Whitt when the inning started and said, "Why's he pitching with his left arm? I sent my lefty in there? At least it's still early. What do you mean it's the ninth? Someone wake Miggy up!"

The Zaun ejection was odd, and it exposed us to comedic stylings of Ken Huckaby, surprisingly behind the plate this time.

Like everyone here, I am dumbfounded by the decision to bring Schoenweise into the game in the 9th. Has Gibbons offered up an explanation?

The one good thing that came of this game was that given that the move didn't work, we shouldn't expect to see it again any time soon. An expensive way to learn an obvious lesson, I grant you.

There was a big error in judgement when Gibbons brought in a lefty vs 3 right handed htitters!