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David Ortiz just ended his season by bunting down the 3rd base line. (For those of you who don't know, Ortiz is so known for pulling the ball to the right side of the field, opposing defenses shift to the right. Thus, nobody was anywhere near the 3rd base line to field that dribbling slow hit.)
Red Sox are beating the Yankees at the moment, 4-2. That's not much of a lead, but it beats trailing.
[3:26 ETA] And now Papi's pinch-runner, Reddick, has scored, making it 5-2.
[3:53 ETA] Oh, that rally scored two more runs after that. Now, Jed Lowrie has hit a home run past Pesky's Pole, making it 8-2, bottom of the 7th.
[4:33 ETA] Now, in the top of the 9th, they just pulled Jason Varitek so that he could get a standing ovation. This may be his last game as a player, maybe.
[4:47 ETA] And Papelbon finally got thru the 9th inning, after an error and too many hits and an unearned run. Ugly last inning, but we started the season with a win against the Yankees, and we end the season with a win against the Yankees. Too bad about all those injuries.
Red Sox are beating the Yankees at the moment, 4-2. That's not much of a lead, but it beats trailing.
[3:26 ETA] And now Papi's pinch-runner, Reddick, has scored, making it 5-2.
[3:53 ETA] Oh, that rally scored two more runs after that. Now, Jed Lowrie has hit a home run past Pesky's Pole, making it 8-2, bottom of the 7th.
[4:33 ETA] Now, in the top of the 9th, they just pulled Jason Varitek so that he could get a standing ovation. This may be his last game as a player, maybe.
[4:47 ETA] And Papelbon finally got thru the 9th inning, after an error and too many hits and an unearned run. Ugly last inning, but we started the season with a win against the Yankees, and we end the season with a win against the Yankees. Too bad about all those injuries.
AL Cy Young
Nov. 18th, 2009 09:37 amCongratulations to Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals. I only got to see him pitch once this last season, and the hype was already upon him, but he totally lived up to it.
Japan Defeats Korea
Mar. 25th, 2009 12:27 pmTeam USA was once again mismanaged out of the World Baseball Classic, so once again we didn't make the finals.
And Team Japan won again! This time, Cuba was eliminated in the semi-finals, so they faced Team Korea for an all-Asian final.
Congratulations to Daisuke Matsuzaka for his second WBC MVP! Now come back to Fort Myers; we have work to do.
And Team Japan won again! This time, Cuba was eliminated in the semi-finals, so they faced Team Korea for an all-Asian final.
Congratulations to Daisuke Matsuzaka for his second WBC MVP! Now come back to Fort Myers; we have work to do.
Canseco: Utter Scum, or Redeemable?
Feb. 18th, 2009 12:38 pmThe headline reads, "Jose Canseco Demands Apology from Baseball". My knee-jerk reaction is, "No way!". It's one thing when a player on the edge of making a team cheats by using steroids, but quite another when the players at the top of the game cheat by using steroids and basically make it impossible to compete in the game without them.
And let's be honest: if the substance involved were something like Flintstones Chewable Vitamins, we wouldn't even be talking about it. But steroids bring a host of health problems along with the muscle bulk, and have been killing or disabling a whole bunch of athletes down to the high school level (and, if rumor is true, junior hi as well).
But reading deeper, the apology Canseco wants is not for using steroids; it's for being the first to blow the lid off the problem. He was treated as an outcast, partially deservedly, but also for blowing the whistle on folks like Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds. And he did not deserve scorn for blowing the whistle.
Moreover, he now claims that he wants to "educate baseball", including getting the word down to the high school level about the dangers of steroids.
Okay.
I'm willing to give him the chance. It's one thing when high school kids hear "It's bad for you" from a bunch of folks who never used it, but another to hear "It's bad for you: it kills your immune system, it shrinks your testicles down to nothing, it screws up your tendons and bones" from somebody who's actually done all that to himself.
So go out there and undo some damage, Canseco.
And let's be honest: if the substance involved were something like Flintstones Chewable Vitamins, we wouldn't even be talking about it. But steroids bring a host of health problems along with the muscle bulk, and have been killing or disabling a whole bunch of athletes down to the high school level (and, if rumor is true, junior hi as well).
But reading deeper, the apology Canseco wants is not for using steroids; it's for being the first to blow the lid off the problem. He was treated as an outcast, partially deservedly, but also for blowing the whistle on folks like Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds. And he did not deserve scorn for blowing the whistle.
Moreover, he now claims that he wants to "educate baseball", including getting the word down to the high school level about the dangers of steroids.
Okay.
I'm willing to give him the chance. It's one thing when high school kids hear "It's bad for you" from a bunch of folks who never used it, but another to hear "It's bad for you: it kills your immune system, it shrinks your testicles down to nothing, it screws up your tendons and bones" from somebody who's actually done all that to himself.
So go out there and undo some damage, Canseco.
Dustin Pedroia!
Nov. 18th, 2008 04:10 pm2007: Rookie of the Year
2008: Most Valuable Player
All those chants of "MVP! MVP!" all season long have been proven correct.
We may all be a little surprised that MVP didn't go to one of the Tampa Bay Rays, until you try to nail down the one player who'd be "Most Valuable". Evan Longoria got the well-deserved Rookie of the Year, and I [would have been] drop-jaw shocked if Rays' manager Joe Maddon [didn't] get manager of the year.
But yay Petey!
2008: Most Valuable Player
All those chants of "MVP! MVP!" all season long have been proven correct.
We may all be a little surprised that MVP didn't go to one of the Tampa Bay Rays, until you try to nail down the one player who'd be "Most Valuable". Evan Longoria got the well-deserved Rookie of the Year, and I [would have been] drop-jaw shocked if Rays' manager Joe Maddon [didn't] get manager of the year.
But yay Petey!
It may be odd, but I found myself genuinely happy for them. I was rooting for my Red Sox right until the end, when we had the tying run at the plate, but with the last ground-out, I now want the Rays to win this World Series.
And their opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies, pretty much came from central casting's notion of a villainous team. [*]
So it's Cinderella versus the Ugly Stepsister. Here goes!
[*] Could have been worse, tho. Manny could have made it to the Series with the Dodgers. I now believe that Scott Boras is the worst thing to happen to baseball since steroids, and that the Rays are a repudiation of him and his ilk.
And their opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies, pretty much came from central casting's notion of a villainous team. [*]
So it's Cinderella versus the Ugly Stepsister. Here goes!
[*] Could have been worse, tho. Manny could have made it to the Series with the Dodgers. I now believe that Scott Boras is the worst thing to happen to baseball since steroids, and that the Rays are a repudiation of him and his ilk.
They're For Real
Oct. 3rd, 2008 09:17 pmI just watched the Tampa Bay Rays hand the Chicago White Sox a solid game.
The Rays had everything clicking. And they beat one of the best pitchers in the game (Mark Buerlhe) to do it.
They had hitting. They had speed. They had pitching, including a wack submarine closer.
I know that they're supposed to have all this bad blood with the Red Sox, but I've been rooting for the underdog as long as I've been a baseball fan (with the possible exception of last year, when the Red Sox were actually favored). My point is, I've always favored the hard luck kids, and rejoiced when they'd made good.
Since their founding, this team has come in last except for one year when they came in next-to-last.
And now they've just won their first two post-season appearances, and look poised to go further.
If they go to the World Series over us, I won't complain very loud.
The Rays had everything clicking. And they beat one of the best pitchers in the game (Mark Buerlhe) to do it.
They had hitting. They had speed. They had pitching, including a wack submarine closer.
I know that they're supposed to have all this bad blood with the Red Sox, but I've been rooting for the underdog as long as I've been a baseball fan (with the possible exception of last year, when the Red Sox were actually favored). My point is, I've always favored the hard luck kids, and rejoiced when they'd made good.
Since their founding, this team has come in last except for one year when they came in next-to-last.
And now they've just won their first two post-season appearances, and look poised to go further.
If they go to the World Series over us, I won't complain very loud.
Not the Devil Rays
Sep. 10th, 2008 11:33 pmGoing into the 2008 season, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays dropped "Devil" from their name to become the Tampa Bay Rays.
They have been playing excellent baseball this year; this team is actively not the permanent cellar-dwellers that the Devil Rays always were. For a while, they had the best record in all of Major League Baseball (vying with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for that honor), and they are still in the lead in the most competitive division in the majors.
And this is without their two best players (Carl Crawford and rookie Evon Longoria).
The Red Sox are a game and a half behind them.
And this game has just gone into the 14th inning.
They aren't giving up, rolling over, nor playing dead.
The Tampa Bay Rays are definitely not the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
[EDIT, 23:45] And now Carlos Pena has just hit a three-run home run for the Rays in the top of the 14th. Given how fatigued both sides are, this may well be it.
[EDIT, 23:58] The Red Sox have loaded the bases in the bottom of the 14th with no outs. We don't give up either.
[EDIT, 00:10] And despite scoring, the Rays managed to put away the side, and win it a mere four hours and change after it started. We ran out of bullpen before they did.
They have been playing excellent baseball this year; this team is actively not the permanent cellar-dwellers that the Devil Rays always were. For a while, they had the best record in all of Major League Baseball (vying with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for that honor), and they are still in the lead in the most competitive division in the majors.
And this is without their two best players (Carl Crawford and rookie Evon Longoria).
The Red Sox are a game and a half behind them.
And this game has just gone into the 14th inning.
They aren't giving up, rolling over, nor playing dead.
The Tampa Bay Rays are definitely not the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
[EDIT, 23:45] And now Carlos Pena has just hit a three-run home run for the Rays in the top of the 14th. Given how fatigued both sides are, this may well be it.
[EDIT, 23:58] The Red Sox have loaded the bases in the bottom of the 14th with no outs. We don't give up either.
[EDIT, 00:10] And despite scoring, the Rays managed to put away the side, and win it a mere four hours and change after it started. We ran out of bullpen before they did.
Yankee Fans Suck
Jul. 15th, 2008 11:07 pmTonite, the All-Star game is being played at Yankee Stadium. FOXSports is just creaming their jeans over their opportunity to laud the "most celebrated franchise in baseball" who are in third place in their five-team division, behind the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays.
But with the score tied 2-2, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon took the mound. And how did the Yankee fans who pack the stands respond? How did they treat the pitcher who was trying to hold the tie for the American League, ostensibly the team that the fans were there to root for?
They jeered. They chanted "O-VER-RATE-ED". The cheered when the National League got a hit. They were silent when a sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run, they were silent when Papelbon struck out the last batter he faced, but when he left that inning for the dugout, they jeered, cat-called, and booed.
They really dropped their pants and showed their class.
Yankee fans, let me put this in terms even a Yankee fan can understand:
Fuck you.
Shut the fuck up.
At least respect the game.
If you ever did.
[Edit:] American League finally wins in the bottom of the 15th. Tampa Bay Ray Scott Kazmir gets the win. Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew, who hit a home run and made several key plays in the short porch of Yankee Stadium's right field, earned the Ted Williams award for game MVP.
Which the Yankee fans booed.
G'night.
But with the score tied 2-2, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon took the mound. And how did the Yankee fans who pack the stands respond? How did they treat the pitcher who was trying to hold the tie for the American League, ostensibly the team that the fans were there to root for?
They jeered. They chanted "O-VER-RATE-ED". The cheered when the National League got a hit. They were silent when a sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run, they were silent when Papelbon struck out the last batter he faced, but when he left that inning for the dugout, they jeered, cat-called, and booed.
They really dropped their pants and showed their class.
Yankee fans, let me put this in terms even a Yankee fan can understand:
Fuck you.
Shut the fuck up.
At least respect the game.
If you ever did.
[Edit:] American League finally wins in the bottom of the 15th. Tampa Bay Ray Scott Kazmir gets the win. Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew, who hit a home run and made several key plays in the short porch of Yankee Stadium's right field, earned the Ted Williams award for game MVP.
Which the Yankee fans booed.
G'night.
Pitching Meltdown
Jun. 16th, 2008 08:26 pmBartolo Colon set the pace, unfortunately, by giving up a home run to the first batter in the first inning. Not satisfied with that, he gave up another home run (this time with a runner on) before the end of the first inning.
And he gave up another one before straining his back swinging for the fences at a pitch he had no chance of hitting (stupid interleague play).
Lopez did okay for an inning, but then Tito brought in Mike Timlin. Mike started the year injured, but he hasn't looked good at all when he's played. He wasn't fooling anybody, and the Phillies just laid into him for four runs over only two outs. David Aardsma (no, that's not a typographical error) finished the sixth, and did okay in the seventh as well.
Now we've got Hideki Okajima on the mound, who was phenomenal last year and somewhat pathetic this year. Last year, he was the set-up guy for Papelbon, but this year he's been allowing inherited runners to score, and giving up plenty of runs of his own (an ERA of 8.00 over the previous ten games).
Hey! A 1-2-3 inning for Okie!
But we're still down 8-2. Not looking good, and not looking like we've even got a handle on the problem.
And he gave up another one before straining his back swinging for the fences at a pitch he had no chance of hitting (stupid interleague play).
Lopez did okay for an inning, but then Tito brought in Mike Timlin. Mike started the year injured, but he hasn't looked good at all when he's played. He wasn't fooling anybody, and the Phillies just laid into him for four runs over only two outs. David Aardsma (no, that's not a typographical error) finished the sixth, and did okay in the seventh as well.
Now we've got Hideki Okajima on the mound, who was phenomenal last year and somewhat pathetic this year. Last year, he was the set-up guy for Papelbon, but this year he's been allowing inherited runners to score, and giving up plenty of runs of his own (an ERA of 8.00 over the previous ten games).
Hey! A 1-2-3 inning for Okie!
But we're still down 8-2. Not looking good, and not looking like we've even got a handle on the problem.
Didja see that? Didja? Didja?
May. 19th, 2008 11:06 pmJon Lester, of the Boston Red Sox, just threw the first no-hitter of the 2008 season! Wahoo!
Some people will focus on the fact that he's only 24, and has clinched a World Series and has now pitched a no-hitter. Some people, because this is an Olympic year and NBC infects sports-writers with "the human interest angle", will focus on the fact that he was diagnosed with cancer his rookie season and he beat that, and has made some major accomplishments.
But I'd like to point out something else entirely: up until this point, his season has been fairly mediocre. He's been having control problems, only averaging 5.2 innings per start. Of his first 10 starts, he was the pitcher-of-record in only four of them. His ERA is below the league average (which is good), but his WHIP ("Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched") is significantly above the league average (which is bad).
By all the signs, he was doing well to stay in the majors, and not be sent down to the minors for re-grooving.
But tonite, he pulled everything together. There was only one spectacular defensive play behind him (Jacoby Ellsbury's diving catch to prevent a hit); everything else was routine or well-placed strike-outs (he had 9 tonite, well over his previous average of 3.3 per game).
This is why we watch: baseball is a chaotic game, "a game of inches", where normal guys sometimes reach deep down and pull up something awesome.
Some people will focus on the fact that he's only 24, and has clinched a World Series and has now pitched a no-hitter. Some people, because this is an Olympic year and NBC infects sports-writers with "the human interest angle", will focus on the fact that he was diagnosed with cancer his rookie season and he beat that, and has made some major accomplishments.
But I'd like to point out something else entirely: up until this point, his season has been fairly mediocre. He's been having control problems, only averaging 5.2 innings per start. Of his first 10 starts, he was the pitcher-of-record in only four of them. His ERA is below the league average (which is good), but his WHIP ("Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched") is significantly above the league average (which is bad).
By all the signs, he was doing well to stay in the majors, and not be sent down to the minors for re-grooving.
But tonite, he pulled everything together. There was only one spectacular defensive play behind him (Jacoby Ellsbury's diving catch to prevent a hit); everything else was routine or well-placed strike-outs (he had 9 tonite, well over his previous average of 3.3 per game).
This is why we watch: baseball is a chaotic game, "a game of inches", where normal guys sometimes reach deep down and pull up something awesome.
Red Sox 6, Rangers 5
Apr. 20th, 2008 04:17 pmWe were losing pretty much the whole game. The Rangers' first batter smacked a floating knuckleball over the Green Monster, and it looked like we'd never catch up.
Manny Ramirez said one of the magic words to the home plate umpire, most likely about the precise location of the strike zone, and got thrown out of the game after his first at-bat. Texas's pitcher Kevin Millwood pretty much had our number, often allowing base-runners, but just as often stranding us scoreless with the bases loaded.
Until the seventh inning, when we finally scored, and the Rangers pulled Millwood. And then pushed another run across. But that was it, and we were still down 5-2.
And the bottom of the eighth started with the first two batters being retired. But Jacoby Ellsbury smacked a hit, new kid Jed Lowrie doubled, and the Rangers put in their closer "to get four outs".
He didn't get them. Big Papi legged out a single, which allowed Lowrie to score. Then Dustin Pedroia came in as a pinch hitter and hit a gapper which scored Papi all the way from first, and Pedroia stretched his double all the way to third. Rangers closer C.J. Wilson intentionally walked Youkilis to pitch to lefty J.D. Drew, who fouled off everything over the plate and watched everything that wasn't go by, walking to load the bases. Then lefty Sean Casey did the same thing, walking in a run. The go-ahead run. The last run we needed.
Jon Papelbon got three fly-outs, and that was that.
Once again, the Red Sox are trying to kill their fans with cardiacs.
Manny Ramirez said one of the magic words to the home plate umpire, most likely about the precise location of the strike zone, and got thrown out of the game after his first at-bat. Texas's pitcher Kevin Millwood pretty much had our number, often allowing base-runners, but just as often stranding us scoreless with the bases loaded.
Until the seventh inning, when we finally scored, and the Rangers pulled Millwood. And then pushed another run across. But that was it, and we were still down 5-2.
And the bottom of the eighth started with the first two batters being retired. But Jacoby Ellsbury smacked a hit, new kid Jed Lowrie doubled, and the Rangers put in their closer "to get four outs".
He didn't get them. Big Papi legged out a single, which allowed Lowrie to score. Then Dustin Pedroia came in as a pinch hitter and hit a gapper which scored Papi all the way from first, and Pedroia stretched his double all the way to third. Rangers closer C.J. Wilson intentionally walked Youkilis to pitch to lefty J.D. Drew, who fouled off everything over the plate and watched everything that wasn't go by, walking to load the bases. Then lefty Sean Casey did the same thing, walking in a run. The go-ahead run. The last run we needed.
Jon Papelbon got three fly-outs, and that was that.
Once again, the Red Sox are trying to kill their fans with cardiacs.
Well, tonite's Red Sox / Yankees game was excruciating. And I would say that even if the Sox had managed to come out on top. Which they didn't.
By the end of the 5th inning, the score was 11-9 in their favor, and the pace was slow.
And to make matters worse, that meant that we had to go deep into our bullpen. All the way down to Mike Timlin. Ol' Mike has been battling injuries in his old age, and he entered the game with an ERA of 20.50 (that is, he allows 20.50 earned runs for every nine innings he pitches. This sucks).
He left the game an inning later with an ERA of 27.00.
Neither team could hold themselves together. We fell apart more than they did. 15-9.
Good thing the season has 143 more games in it.
By the end of the 5th inning, the score was 11-9 in their favor, and the pace was slow.
And to make matters worse, that meant that we had to go deep into our bullpen. All the way down to Mike Timlin. Ol' Mike has been battling injuries in his old age, and he entered the game with an ERA of 20.50 (that is, he allows 20.50 earned runs for every nine innings he pitches. This sucks).
He left the game an inning later with an ERA of 27.00.
Neither team could hold themselves together. We fell apart more than they did. 15-9.
Good thing the season has 143 more games in it.
(no subject)
Apr. 5th, 2008 02:46 pmThe Red Sox lost last night. Wakefield, I hate to say this, is starting to look old. He has traditionally pitched well at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, but he just didn't have good stuff last night.
Today, Clay Buchholz is pitching, and looking pretty good (for the most part). But the fielding is somewhat lackluster behind him, and I'm afraid Sean Casey (in his first start this year) made a critical error in the bottom of the 4th.
This has allowed the Blue Jays to pull ahead, 4-2.
Much of the Jays' rallying has been prompted by their new shortstop, David Eckstein. "Eck" was the World Series MVP for the Cardinals in 2006, and was also the spark behind the Angels' only World Series win in 2002. You would think that consistently batting around .300, stealing on a regular basis, and fielding up a storm would prompt teams to keep him. But he's only 5'7", and looks like a shrimp next to most other players. In football, quarterback Doug Flutie had the same image problem.
Anyway, the Red Sox are still down by the same score in the top of the 6th. They look dead on their feet, as if that trip to Tokyo to start the season still hasn't worn off.
At least, I hope that's what the problem is.
[Edit:] And in the bottom of the 6th, the bullpen fell apart. Toronto now leads 10-2. Meanwhile, the Devil Rays are beating the last-place Yankees 6-1.
Today, Clay Buchholz is pitching, and looking pretty good (for the most part). But the fielding is somewhat lackluster behind him, and I'm afraid Sean Casey (in his first start this year) made a critical error in the bottom of the 4th.
This has allowed the Blue Jays to pull ahead, 4-2.
Much of the Jays' rallying has been prompted by their new shortstop, David Eckstein. "Eck" was the World Series MVP for the Cardinals in 2006, and was also the spark behind the Angels' only World Series win in 2002. You would think that consistently batting around .300, stealing on a regular basis, and fielding up a storm would prompt teams to keep him. But he's only 5'7", and looks like a shrimp next to most other players. In football, quarterback Doug Flutie had the same image problem.
Anyway, the Red Sox are still down by the same score in the top of the 6th. They look dead on their feet, as if that trip to Tokyo to start the season still hasn't worn off.
At least, I hope that's what the problem is.
[Edit:] And in the bottom of the 6th, the bullpen fell apart. Toronto now leads 10-2. Meanwhile, the Devil Rays are beating the last-place Yankees 6-1.
And We're Off!
Mar. 25th, 2008 12:26 pmThe Red Sox are back in first place! It was definitely touch-and-go, and the A's gave the Red Sox a real run, and both teams gave the crowd at the Tokyo Dome an excellent spectacle: back-and-forth scoring, ten innings, and the A's even scored in the bottom of the tenth to make the final score 6-5. (And they scored off Jon Papelbon to do it; there went his ERA.)
I'll note that three of the A's five pitchers are former Red Sox (Embree, Foulke, and DiNardo), and none of them were responsible for any Red Sox runs.
And congrats to new kid Brandon Moss for two RBIs, and thanks to Manny for the other four!
I'll note that three of the A's five pitchers are former Red Sox (Embree, Foulke, and DiNardo), and none of them were responsible for any Red Sox runs.
And congrats to new kid Brandon Moss for two RBIs, and thanks to Manny for the other four!
Last night, despite the lack of the New York Yankees in the ALCS, FOX Sports not only managed to mention them five times, they found an excuse to show Yankee footage during the game.
Tonite, as Tim Wakefield takes the mound, the only footage that FOX can come up with was Boone's home run to end the 2003 ALCS.
Newsflash: nobody in Red Sox Nation blames Tim Wakefield for that home run. We all blame Grady Little for not pulling Pedro when it was obvious to everyone except Little that Pedro was done for the night. Tim Wakefield drew the short straw on being the reliever when the bullpen was otherwise depleted.
Stop showing the Evil Empire. They lost. They're out. Get over it.
Tonite, as Tim Wakefield takes the mound, the only footage that FOX can come up with was Boone's home run to end the 2003 ALCS.
Newsflash: nobody in Red Sox Nation blames Tim Wakefield for that home run. We all blame Grady Little for not pulling Pedro when it was obvious to everyone except Little that Pedro was done for the night. Tim Wakefield drew the short straw on being the reliever when the bullpen was otherwise depleted.
Stop showing the Evil Empire. They lost. They're out. Get over it.
Time to Panic
Oct. 15th, 2007 10:31 pmWe were supposed to skate thru this. The Indians were not supposed to be anything much of a threat to us.
But after that 11-inning heartbreak the other night, we find ourselves in a very excited city rooting against us. And Westbrook pretty much shut us down for 7 innings, leaving one of the best bullpens in baseball to finish the job.
Daisuke Matsuzaka had some problems getting behind batters, but he really didn't do that bad a job. We've won games by large margins when our pitchers give up only four runs.
But not tonite.
We're down 2 games to 1, and have to play two more in Cleveland.
I'm going to panic now.
Oh, call this sour grapes if you must, but Brian Gorman, the home-plate umpire's strike zone has been horrifically inconsistent. Westbrook could deal, because he's a ground-ball pitcher (much as Derek Lowe was for us), but the rest have been having major problems.
But after that 11-inning heartbreak the other night, we find ourselves in a very excited city rooting against us. And Westbrook pretty much shut us down for 7 innings, leaving one of the best bullpens in baseball to finish the job.
Daisuke Matsuzaka had some problems getting behind batters, but he really didn't do that bad a job. We've won games by large margins when our pitchers give up only four runs.
But not tonite.
We're down 2 games to 1, and have to play two more in Cleveland.
I'm going to panic now.
Oh, call this sour grapes if you must, but Brian Gorman, the home-plate umpire's strike zone has been horrifically inconsistent. Westbrook could deal, because he's a ground-ball pitcher (much as Derek Lowe was for us), but the rest have been having major problems.
