THAT is how you respond...

[messageboardsuperhero]

Very impressed with that bounce back- we no doubt have huge inconsistencies in the pen, but the only way a team wins a game like that 30 minutes ago after our game 1 is if they are tough. Outside of a few arms in the pen who shall remain nameless, we are tough. Daniel Brown has finally found his role. Pilkington was dynamite and about as good as could reasonably be expected- MVP of the game by far.

Still bummed about the first game though... It's like we're allergic to sweeping people. But 2/3 on the road against a solid SEC team is nice.

[basedog]

10 walks in the first game killed us. I didn't see Cohen throw one pitch. Players have to step up when there chance arrives.

Glad to see Brown close out. As much crap posted about him, he stepped up today.

Winning 2 on the road against a pretty good but dangerous team is good.

2 weeks on the road with success.

[Reason2succeed]

I read the title of the thread and got excited. I thought that Hugh Freeze had come out of hiding. But he STILL hasn't responded yet.

[CadaverDawg]

10 walks in the first game killed us. I didn't see Cohen throw one pitch. Players have to step up when there chance arrives.

Glad to see Brown close out. As much crap posted about him, he stepped up today.

Winning 2 on the road against a pretty good but dangerous team is good.

2 weeks on the road with success.

base, I'm going to have to politely disagree with your first paragraph. True, Cohen didn't pitch, & the walks Did kill us.......but Cohen Did continue to run guys out there that he knew could not, and had not, gotten the job done before. That's on him. We showed that Houston, Brown, and Blake Smith were all available....yet we continuously trotted out guys like Small, Billingsley, Cyr, Paul effing Young, etc. I'm fine with those guys getting some innings, but not in a tie SEC series clinching game, on the road, in extra innings, with a National Seed on the line. No, you just can't make those decisions in that spot. Hell, I'm shocked we didn't trot Moonshot Tatum out there to put the nail in the coffin...because that is how ridiculous the decision making was from our coaches in Game 1 of today's DH.

It was almost as if Cohen and Wes were thinking..."let's show the nation how deep our staff is. Let em see that we have 10-11 guys pumping 90+".....Nevermind none of them could hit the strike zone from a foot away.

[Todd4State]

base, I'm going to have to politely disagree with your first paragraph. True, Cohen didn't pitch, & the walks Did kill us.......but Cohen Did continue to run guys out there that he knew could not, and had not, gotten the job done before. That's on him. We showed that Houston, Brown, and Blake Smith were all available....yet we continuously trotted out guys like Small, Billingsley, Cyr, Paul effing Young, etc. I'm fine with those guys getting some innings, but not in a tie SEC series clinching game, on the road, in extra innings, with a National Seed on the line. No, you just can't make those decisions in that spot. Hell, I'm shocked we didn't trot Moonshot Tatum out there to put the nail in the coffin...because that is how ridiculous the decision making was from our coaches in Game 1 of today's DH.

It was almost as if Cohen and Wes were thinking..."let's show the nation how deep our staff is. Let em see that we have 10-11 guys pumping 90+".....Nevermind none of them could hit the strike zone from a foot away.

Billingsley was the MVP of the Governor's Cup. Got ripped today. Blake Smith was dominant Thursday. Couldn't throw a strike today. Neither could Houston who shut down Florida and pitched well against Ole Miss Tuesday.

Most of the guys we threw have had success this year- but not consistently. You just never know what you are going to get with our guys.

[engie]

But we were just going to lay down and die. The season was over because we laid a steaming pile in game 2**

[engie]

So, he made a mistake pulling Sexton when he did. Then what? What would Cadaver have done to ensure success and a victory at that point? Keeping in mind that Sexton was responsible for the runs that tied the game -- and those relievers who did truly put on a total shitshow today actually didn't give up an earned run through over 4 innings of relief.

[msstate7]

I blame Cohen/Johnson for pulling sexton. It was what a 2-2 count vs a guy hitting under or barely over the Mendoza line. JB did a great job Tuesday night, but sexton is our guy... No way sexton should've been pulled there

[stalkingpoon]

I think the 7 innings messed Cohen up. No way he pulls Sexton there if it's a 9 inning game.

[engie]

I blame Cohen/Johnson for pulling sexton. It was what a 2-2 count vs a guy hitting under or barely over the Mendoza line. JB did a great job Tuesday night, but sexton is our guy... No way sexton should've been pulled there

Cohen wouldn't argue with that given hindsight. But he was pulled. Then what? He doesn't have a magic ball to make guys throw strikes. Threw everything we had at them there and really no one actually stepped up. When that happens, you lose games you shouldn't. See Kentucky, Eastern.

[msstate7]

So, he made a mistake pulling Sexton when he did. Then what? What would Cadaver have done to ensure success and a victory at that point? Keeping in mind that Sexton was responsible for the runs that tied the game -- and those relievers who did truly put on a total shitshow today actually didn't give up an earned run through over 4 innings of relief.

While sexton was responsible for the 2nd run, he didn't give up the hit. Our pen had 9 walks and 2 k's, so I wouldn't exactly call it a great performance.

[engie]

I think the 7 innings messed Cohen up. No way he pulls Sexton there if it's a 9 inning game.

Agreed. We've always sucked in 7 inning double headers under him. It magnifies his negative tendencies. Regardless -- we won 2 of 3 on the road vs an elite pitching team that hasn't been swept all season. When we played much below average of what we are capable of.

[CadaverDawg]

Billingsley was the MVP of the Governor's Cup. Got ripped today. Blake Smith was dominant Thursday. Couldn't throw a strike today. Neither could Houston who shut down Florida and pitched well against Ole Miss Tuesday.

Most of the guys we threw have had success this year- but not consistently. You just never know what you are going to get with our guys.

I have no problem with those 3 pitching....but it should have been a combo of Hump, Brown, & Houston before any of the others. Billingsley did have a good Wednesday, but he, Small, and Young should have never seen the mound until Brown, Houston, Hump, and Smith were all exhausted. Not in a 2-2 game, on the road, in the SEC, in a series clincher, with a potential national seed on the line. That's all I'm saying.

That being said, that coaching & mental midget disaster could have beaten us twice today....but we didn't let it. So as messagebiardsuperhero said, that was huge to bounce back and win game 3.

[engie]

While sexton was responsible for the 2nd run, he didn't give up the hit. Our pen had 9 walks and 2 k's, so I wouldn't exactly call it a great performance.

Someone called it a great bullpen performance? Where?

Sexton was leaving everything up and over the plate that inning. His breaker was hanging. He was becoming bombed Sexton of last year in that inning. Of course hindsight tells us that staying with him was still the better option. It's a non-conversation if Billingsley just throws strikes and doesn't hang the one breaker -- and is otherwise the same guy he had led us to believe he could be 4 days ago against an OM team that took 2 of 3 from LSU this weekend.

[Taog Redloh]

I blame Cohen/Johnson for pulling sexton. It was what a 2-2 count vs a guy hitting under or barely over the Mendoza line. JB did a great job Tuesday night, but sexton is our guy... No way sexton should've been pulled there

Sexton also got that balk. He and Cohen were not happy with each other after he got pulled.

I think the biggest mistake was pulling Brown.

[basedog]

The thing is, Cohen is ripped when we lose and even when win someone is call him out.

There is nothing pure or perfect in baseball, players have to make plays when called on, like Todd stated, everyone of of our pitchers have been up and down but mostly up when you look at our success.

Bama isn't a bad team, we had our chance in Game 2 but walks killed it.

We have won every road series, that is amazing, Cohen must be doing something right.

[CadaverDawg]

The thing is, Cohen is ripped when we lose and even when win someone is call him out.

There is nothing pure or perfect in baseball, players have to make plays when called on, like Todd stated, everyone of of our pitchers have been up and down but mostly up when you look at our success.

Bama isn't a bad team, we had our chance in Game 2 but walks killed it.

We have won every road series, that is amazing, Cohen must be doing something right.

Nobody is saying Cohen does everything wrong. Nor is anyone saying fire him, despite what some say. But Paul Young has never been "up". Billingsley has been "up" 1 time. Cyr has been "up" never in an SEC game. Ethan Small has never been "up" ever. That's where my issue is. Do I know those guys need experience? Yes. But you don't break guys in in a tie game, on the road, in a series clincher, with postseason home field on the line. Especially when you have several guys that HAVE been "up" and gotten it done before, fresh & ready.

I'm pumped we won the series. I just wish we didn't have to have 1 game per weekend where we either have to overcome our coach to win, or watch him lose us a game.

[Todd4State]

I have no problem with those 3 pitching....but it should have been a combo of Hump, Brown, & Houston before any of the others. Billingsley did have a good Wednesday, but he, Small, and Young should have never seen the mound until Brown, Houston, Hump, and Smith were all exhausted. Not in a 2-2 game, on the road, in the SEC, in a series clincher, with a potential national seed on the line. That's all I'm saying.

That being said, that coaching & mental midget disaster could have beaten us twice today....but we didn't let it. So as messagebiardsuperhero said, that was huge to bounce back and win game 3.

Cohen said postgame that Humphreys couldn't pitch because of soreness. And the thing is Brown looked bad on Thursday. I've been critical of the management of the pitching staff this season- but it's hard to manage any staff when you don't know what you are going to get. Rigby looked good today but he was shelled vs. LSU. And etc.

I don't have a problem with him bringing in Bilingsley at all. Prior to today he had several good outings the past two weeks- not just one good outing where he caught lightning in a bottle. You could make a case that he was our most consistent bullpen guy the past two weeks.

Sometimes it isn't the coach- sometimes the the players have to execute.

[CadaverDawg]

Sexton also got that balk. He and Cohen were not happy with each other after he got pulled.

I think the biggest mistake was pulling Brown.

I agree. Got too cute pulling Brown to go Matchups.

[engie]

I have no problem with those 3 pitching....but it should have been a combo of Hump, Brown, & Houston before any of the others. Billingsley did have a good Wednesday, but he, Small, and Young should have never seen the mound until Brown, Houston, Hump, and Smith were all exhausted. Not in a 2-2 game, on the road, in the SEC, in a series clincher, with a potential national seed on the line. That's all I'm saying.

That being said, that coaching & mental midget disaster could have beaten us twice today....but we didn't let it. So as messagebiardsuperhero said, that was huge to bounce back and win game 3.

Hump was unavailable due to arm soreness. People are Will Jamesing/Trey Portering on that one. We didn't ask too much from the other guys other than strikes to one batter. Billingsley, Brown, Houston were exhausted. Hump was unavailable. And Blake Smith was the one that capped the shitshow. Was trying Small and Young questionable? Sure. Because it didn't work. You can say you knew it would fail on the front end -- and to be honest I didn't have a lot of confidence either -- but NONE of the guys you listed have been consistently decent relievers. We're still searching for that.

So, was Cohen an idiot in the Governor's Cup? Same types of pitching moves and decisions. With a bunch of unknown or shaky guys in high pressure situations. But the guys did their jobs in the game, get the first shut out in the 37 years of the series, and no one says a peep about the coaching decisions. It seems like it's only a conversation when it fails.