Cubs 2, Dodgers 1: You know it's an enjoyable game when you find yourself pumping your fist and shouting even when you don't have a rooting interest. That's what I was doing anyway when Carlos Zambrano punched out Matt Kemp in the top of the eighth after surviving two two-out fielding blunders by his middle infielders (only one of which was actually scored an error). Why was I rooting for Zambrano? I think it's because he didn't have his best stuff last night -- he walked a lot of guys and had a hard time finding the zone -- but he bore down and just fought through it. He works fast. He wears his heart on his sleeve, sure, but he's a tough motherf*cker -- I could totally feature him pitching in the NL in the mid-60s -- and I just enjoy watching him pitch.Yankees 4, Orioles 2: With all of the Mets' drama, it's easy to forget that the Yankees have virtually the same record and are a game and a half farther out of the lead than the team from Queens. The talk yesterday was that Chamberlain could make his first start on Monday. He pitched 1.1 innings last night and would have four days rest if he did make that start, but why do I have this feeling that Girardi would reach for him if the Yankees find themselves up by a run in the seventh or eighth between now and then?
Reds 9, Pirates 1: Jay Bruce continues his audacious start (1-3, 2 BB, 2B, SB). Dusty has to be apoplectic about the walks. Meanwhile, down on the farm, Daryl Thompson makes his AAA debut and blows away my hometown Columbus Clippers. Who is Daryl Thompson you ask? He was the throw-in in the Austin Kearns trade with the Nats a couple of years ago. Save your comments -- I know the stated purpose of that trade was for the Reds to make a playoff run and on that basis it "failed" -- but as time goes on that trade looks better and better for Cincinnati, doesn't it?
White Sox 6, Indians 5: Carlos Quentin (.296/.402/.587, 14 HR, 52 RBI) is not on the AL All Star ballot.
Brewers 1, Braves 0: Consider this one of those days where I am happy the Braves aren't on TBS anymore. If they were I would probably be buying a new TV today after pulling an Elvis last night and blasting the thing with my flintlock. Jeff Suppan? Really?
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0: Erik Bedard makes short work of the Red Sox (7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 8K). I really wish Manny would hit #500 already. Due to the ESPN cutaway last night, I missed Broxton strike out the Cubs in the bottom of the eighth in the very enjoyable game I had been watching. When they cut back, Chris Berman explained how dominating Broxton looked. Thank goodness I got to watch a boring nine-pitch battle between Bedard and Ramirez which ended in a groundout. The whole Sox-Mariners game lasted 2:11. I think Manny's at bat took up an hour and a half of that time.
Twins 9, Royals 8: The Royals can't win because they can't score runs, so they come out swinging last night and put eight on the board only to blow a five-run lead in the ninth. I guess their bullpen was fried from the previous night's game. I know he pitched two innings (31 pitches) the night before, but don't you risk sending out Soria to stop the bleeding in the ninth in order to end a demoralizing losing streak? Give him the weekend off or something, but you have to win that game last night, don't you?
Giants 11, Diamondbacks 3: It's getting ugly in Arizona.
Sorry for the fewer-than-normal recaps this morning. I enjoyed one too many frosty beverages while watching the Cubs-Dodgers last night and simply didn't have the will to get my usual evening jump on these things. That happens from time to time, and it's probably a good thing.
7 comments:
Why was I rooting for Zambrano?
Okay, so I'll accept your answer here, Craig. In light of the frosty beverage consumption, though, I'll hazard that maybe you were just feeling good about everything.
Oh, and that M's-Sox game would have taken under two hours if the ump had called a strike zone bigger than 9 square inches for the first few innings.
Yes, he has to bring Soria in. Or at the least, leave in Ramirez. They were only dinking the ball, and never hit one hard. Of course, if he hadn't put Ross (Gold Glove) Gload in RF, the ball would have caught and the game over.
Along with thinking Gaithright shoud be hitting 2nd, and Pena should be playing at all, can we start the Trey Hillman watch?
I know Moore won't actually admit the hiring was a mistake and do the right thing by replacing him, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't start his countdown.
Ugly in AZ might be the understatment of the year
Why does ESPN feel the need to create unncessary drama? Cutting away from a tense Cubs game (that I was watching for some reason) to show an interminably long and boring Manny AB was just lame. It's a 500th HR, that's all.
And, as CC noted, we missed Broxton K'ing the side, something that was no doubt more exciting than Manny fouling off half a dozen pitches. Yawn
And they say ESPN is pro-Yankee! (waiting for the arrows...)
Jeff Suppan Splits
Home 0.93 ERA in 29 IP
Away 6.27 ERA in 37.1 IP
Maybe it wasn't the Braves fault totally. they just faced someone with the same split that they have.
That's a really cool picture of Big Z up there. Looks like he's glowing.
APBA Guy-
Failed to mention that Step Two in the "This Pitcher for Trade" scenario is nearing completion for Billy Beane.
Rich Harden dueled Roy Halladay even for 7 innings last night at the Mausoleum. Of course, with all the moaning about Hillman this morning nobody noticed that Geren put Keith "I'm Tired" Foulke in for the top of the 9th. Foulke's ERA is low 3.00's, but he has been eminenetly hit-able so he nibbles a lot.
Sure enough, two walks and a hit later the Jays have the lead, and the punchless A's were helpless against a healthy BJ Ryan.
Geren is limited because his two best set-up guys this year, Brown and Casilla, are both on the DL. The night before they'd used Embree and Street. Normally they'd use Joey Devine in this situation, he of the 1.23 ERA.
Interesting watching the two teams play. They lead the AL in team ERA (3.20 and 3.38), and have identical .702 OPS. And Jays GM JP Ricciardi was Asst GM to Billy Beane before taking the GM spot at Toronto.
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