Perfect Game Alert - TRAVIS WOOD v. Phils

[OnBaseMachine]

I'm still trying to let this sink in. Travis Wood, making his third major league start, carried a perfect game into the 9th inning against the two time defending NL Champs IN Philadelphia. That's amazing.

[Redsfan320]

Of course it has no effect, but still, you just don't do it. It's not illegal, it's frowned upon,

Oh, I know you don't do it, but you're all laying into this guy like he should be ran out of town with pitchforks and torches. Lay off a bit is all I'm sayin'. Now I'm starting to sound kind of policy though.

320

[reds44]

Originally Posted by Redsfan320

Oh, I know you don't do it, but you're all laying into this guy like he should be ran out of town with pitchforks and torches. Lay off a bit is all I'm sayin'. Now I'm starting to sound kind of policy though.

320

Nobody is acting like that.

[Matt700wlw]

What a performance by Wood. Absoulely a thing of beauty. The Reds have some studs.

[kbrake]

The first page of this thread is fantastic.

[fearofpopvol1]

Truth be told, I was trying to reverse the jinx. It didn't work, but I don't think I jinxed it seeing as how he pitched perfectly for 2 additional innings after I said anything.

[Ron Madden]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

Truth be told, I was trying to reverse the jinx. It didn't work, but I don't think I jinxed it seeing as how he pitched perfectly for 2 additional innings after I said anything.

Next time don't do anything.

[WVRedsFan]

It was the media's fault, including our own guys.

[mace]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

I can't even begin to describe how incredible Travis Wood was tonight. That, IMO, is clearly the most dominant start by a Reds pitcher since Tom Browning's perfect game in 1988. Think about it for a minute - Travis Wood, making only his 3rd career major league start, pitching on the road against a good offense in a huge hitters park, carried a perfect game into the 9th inning. Simply amazing. And he got a no decision. What a shame. Congrats to Travis on an unbelievable start!

Agree with this, entirely. I also agree with Falls City that Wood's ninth inning might have been the most impressive of all, given the circumstances. Heart, stuff and command make a wonderful combination.

Early on, about the third or fourth--long before the perfect game was a real issue--I mentioned to my wife that Wood was consistently making the best pitches I've seen in a long time. Maybe since Jose Rijo in the '90 World Series. I mean, he was hitting the inside corner, the outside corner, the high end, the low end, and all with bend and changes of speed. It really was masterful.

[fearofpopvol1]

Comments on Wood...

From the Phils:

"Of course I like for our team to score runs, I'm an offensive manager," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "But good baseball is real good, and both of those pitchers pitched great tonight. Wood deserves a lot of credit."

"He had good life on his fastball," Phillies outfielder Ben Francisco said. "He was throwing four pitches over there for strikes and he just got ahead of all of us. He wasn't behind many of us at all. It makes us tough on you."

From the Reds...

Dusty Baker has spent the better part of his 61 years on this earth in and around the game of baseball.

So when he said, "That was one of the best performances I've seen in a long, long time," it truly meant something special.

"I got real comfortable with what we were going to do once I saw him in the bullpen," rookie catcher Ryan Hanigan said. "Just use the cutter to try and put people away. He told me some things he wanted to do and he had command of all his pitches. He got guys out in different ways. It wasn't set in any one pattern. I think once he established inside, it opened up the outer part of the plate. He elevated real well with two strikes to get guys to pop up and he made pitches when he needed to early."

"I was in panic mode," left fielder Jonny Gomes said of his emotions during the game. "I wasn't too nervous to get the ball or anything but I must have done 70 squats to stay in a complete ready position. You know, a foul ball straight back and you take a step or two to catch it.

"It's absolutely fun and beautiful to watch. It's breathtaking on defense but unfortunately, we weren't able to get him the win he deserved."

[CTA513]

Heres a short 4 minute video of Wood pitching last night:

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/video...ent_id=9871493

It shows the out pitch of each out leading up to the 9th inning double.

[OnBaseMachine]

It's a doggone shame Wood didn't get the win. He's had some bad luck so far. 1st start: 7 shutout innings, walks first two batters in the 8th inning and the bullpen allows both runs to score. No decision. 2nd start: Was told an hour before the game he would be pitching on three days rest. He proceeds to go out and hold his own under tough circumstances. 3rd start: Carries a perfect game into the 9th inning in a playoff type atmosphere. No decision. What a great performance. It turned out to be a very painful loss, just like the previous two games in Philly, but what a game. That felt like a playoff game.

It's exciting to have another young and talented arm on the pitching staff. Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray. The Reds are putting together an exciting core of young arms. That doesn't even include guys like Jose Arredondo, who was arguably one of the top 5 relievers in baseball in 2008 before elbow problems popped up, and Donnie Joseph who is having one of the most dominant seasons in the minor leagues.

[TheNext44]

This reminds of the near perfect game thrown my Ron Robinson on May 2, 1988 against the Expos.

The TV crew that year was Johnny Bench and Jay Randolph, who was a great Golf announcer, but as a Baseball announcer, all I can say is that he was a great Golf announcer.

Around the 7th inning, Jay burst in like he just realized something, "Hey Ron Robinson is pitching a no hitter, wait, he's pitching a perfect game so far!"

Bench nearly killed him. He ripped into Jay for violating one of the biggest unwritten rules in baseball. He blamed Jay ahead time, in case Robinson lost it later in the game. Jay brushed it off as a joke and asked Johnny if he really believed such "old wive's tales." Johnny refused to talk to Jay the rest of the game.

Sure enough, two out in the ninth, perfect game in tact, Robinson leaves a curveball up in the zone for PH Wallace Johnson, who smacks it up the middle for a clean single. Next batter Tim Raines, hits a Homer. Luckily the Reds were up 3-0, so it was only 3-2, but Manager Rose had to take Robinson out, and Franco got Johnny Paredes for the final out. So Robinson lost the perfect game, no hitter, shutout and complete game in a matter of minutes. He did get the win, however.

When Johnson got the single, Johnny immediately blamed Jay, saying "I told you so" over and over again. That was Jay's last and only year as a Reds announcer.

[Matt700wlw]

Originally Posted by TheNext44

This reminds of the near perfect game thrown my Ron Robinson on May 2, 1988 against the Expos.

The TV crew that year was Johnny Bench and Jay Randolph, who was a great Golf announcer, but as a Baseball announcer, all I can say is that he was a great Golf announcer.

Around the 7th inning, Jay burst in like he just realized something, "Hey Ron Robinson is pitching a no hitter, wait, he's pitching a perfect game so far!"

Bench nearly killed him. He ripped into Jay for violating one of the biggest unwritten rules in baseball. He blamed Jay ahead time, in case Robinson lost it later in the game. Jay brushed it off as a joke and asked Johnny if he really believed such "old wive's tales." Johnny refused to talk to Jay the rest of the game.

Sure enough, two out in the ninth, perfect game in tact, Robinson leaves a curveball up in the zone for PH Wallace Johnson, who smacks it up the middle for a clean single. Next batter Tim Raines, hits a Homer. Luckily the Reds were up 3-0, so it was only 3-2, but Manager Rose had to take Robinson out, and Franco got Johnny Paredes for the final out. So Robinson lost the perfect game, no hitter, shutout and complete game in a matter of minutes. He did get the win, however.

When Johnson got the single, Johnny immediately blamed Jay, saying "I told you so" over and over again. That was Jay's last and only year as a Reds announcer.

I was at that game. Me and my Dad. I was 7. Good stuff! He's the reason I love this game like I do.

[mth123]

Originally Posted by VR

I'm giving Hanigan some serious credit here as well (for his receiving, not his un-clutchness w/ the bat)

He can frame pitches much better than Razor.....and while CERA isn't the end-all, be-all of stats....it can't be overlooked. He's a very very good receiver.

Best and most useful post of the thread. Ramon has been a complete surprise with the bat, but if developing the arms is the focus a Hanigan and Miller duo would be best for these kids.