Tag: ek Holiday

Knotted at two.  Some idiots are opining that Boston should feel totally intimidated by last night’s loss and might as well pack up and go home.

Folks, they are going home, to the friendly confines of Fenway and the Green Monster under the watchful eye of The Great God Citgo.  The team that has to win tonight is Detroit otherwise we have almost surely seen the last of Comerica (and good riddance to all Ballparks named for a corporate sponsor and yes, I do include Citi Field unless they spell it with a “Y”.  Now, about what is and isn’t a “Stadium”…).  In any event if the Tigers drop 2 of 3 at home, they are in deep trouble and the Red Sox already have their split.

Not that last night wasn’t exciting.  Just the kind of game I like.  It was a desperation line up that worked for once.

Fans of the Tigers didn’t have to wait long.  They scored 5 in the 2nd from a Leadoff Single, and 2 Walks to load up with No Out.  After a Pop Fly the Sox Walked in a Run and Scored on a Sacrifice.  Corners 2 Out.  2 RBI Double and an RBI single and they were 5 up.  Not that they weren’t 5 up in Game 2 which they lost.

In the 4th the Tigers went for the kill with a Leadoff Double, an RBI Single, a Steal, a Sacrifice, and another RBI Single.  Seven unanswered, but Detroit was through for the night.

The Sox got on the board in the 6th, 3 straight 1 Out Singles, the last an RBI.  They struck again in the 7th with a Leadoff Single and an RBI Double.  They wasted the 8th and in the 9th, down 5, threatened another one of those Game 2 comebacks.  Leadoff Double, RBI Triple, KO, KO, and then Ortiz, mighty Ortiz at the bat-

Well, actually it was a fly to Center, but you get the picture.

So tonight Detroit is sending out Anibal Sanchez (14 – 8, 2.75 ERA R).  This post-season he has won 1 and lost 1 with a 4.35 ERA based on 10 and a 3rd innings allowing 8 hits and 6 runs all against Oakland.  Boston will counter with Jon Lester (15 – 8, 3.75 ERA L), 1 – 1 post-season  with an ERA of 1.84 based on 9 hits and 3 runs in 14 innings including a loss to the Tigers.

On paper a great matchup.

Boston barely eeked out a victory over Detroit yesterday with a Solo Shot in the 7th.

That’s it.  That’s all there was.  The most interesting part of the game was the 17 minute power outage.  Red Sox 1 – 0, lead Series 2 – 1.

In the process the Tigers wasted Verlander, we’ll not see him again unless they play in the World Series.

Tonight Detroit will send Doug Fister (14 – 9, 3.67 ERA R) who’s had 6 innings, 7 hits and 3 earned runs this post-season for an ERA of 4.50 while the Sox counter with Jake Peavy (12 – 5, 4.17 ERA R), 5 and 2/3rds innings, 5 hits, 1 run and an ERA of 1.59.

You have to give the edge to Peavy.

The Tigers are in no danger of elimination tonight but I imagine they’d rather head back to Fenway tied at 2 than facing a 3 – 1 Series deficit.

The good news for the Dodgers is that shortstop Hanley Ramirez will be playing today despite a busted rib that happened in Game 2 when he was Hit By Pitch.  The bad news is that despite his willingness to play injured he was entirely ineffective in Game 4, striking out 3 times.

Other than that and the fact they kept it reasonably close in Game 4 there’s not much good news at all.  The Cardinals scored first in the 3rd inning off a Single, a Sacrifice, an RBI Double, another Sacrifice, and a 2 Run Homer.  It would turn out to be all the scoring they needed.  The Dodgers pulled within 1 on the 4th with a Leadoff Double, a Walk, an RBI Single, a Sacrifice and another RBI single. Nolasco was pulled for a Pinch Hitter, but that never works.  Things stayed quiet until the 7th when the Cards added an insurance run from a Solo Shot by Robinson, wait for it, Pinch Hitting for Maness.  St. Louis 4 – 2, lead Series 3 – 1.

I’m not always right.

The Dodgers are up against it now.  They face elimination at home tonight and then twice in Busch Stadium.  They’ll be counting on the arm of Zack Greinke (15 – 4, 2.63 ERA R) who’s currently pitching even better than that against Joe Kelly (10 – 5, 2.69 ERA R) who is not.  If the Series extends you’ll see Kershaw and Ryu again who’ve proven no slouches in the post-season.

What they really need is offense in a Series that hasn’t shown much with the Dodgers scoring 7 times in 4 games against St. Louis’ 8.

So Dodgers fans, it hasn’t been a blow out by any means.  I wish you good luck.

If you’re a Dodgers fan you’ve got to be feeling a little happier about your prospects tonight.  As for me my biggest real problem with them is I don’t have a cute video I can use like Squirrels in my Pants the way I do for the Cardinals.

Now if you’re a Cardinals fan on the other hand you can’t be well pleased with last night’s game.  Wainwright didn’t pitch like a stopper (for those unfamiliar with the term a stopper is a guy who stops losing streaks by pitching shut outs and one runs) and Ryu did.  In the 4th Wainwright delivered up a Leadoff Double followed by a Sacrifice and an RBI Double.  Another Sacrifice and an RBI Triple and it’s 2 – 0 Dodgers.

They pulled Wainwright in the 8th for a pinch hitter (have I mentioned they never work?) and the Dodgers added insurance off the Bullpen with three 1 Out Singles in succession scoring a Run before Choate was able to shut down the rally.  Dodgers 3 – 0, trail in the Series 2 – 1.

Tonight once again the Cardinals have a chance to force 3 elimination games on the Dodgers.  The L.A. boys will be sticking with Ricky Nolasco (13 – 11, 3.70 ERA R) after flirting with the concept of sending out Zack Greinke or Clayton Kershaw on short rest.  The Cardinals will counter with Lance Lynn (15 – 10, 3.97 ERA R) who’s main claim to post-season fame is the 2 innings (with W) he worked in the Cards 13 inning Game 1 victory.

Hmm, maybe I do have a cute video for the Dodgers after all.

No question about it, by losing their first game Boston is forced to get a least a split in Detroit and the Tigers are very strong at home.

If you like high scoring games (and I do) Game 1 was a snooze fest with the only action in the Top of the 6th when Detroit was able to scrape up a Run after a Walk and a Hit By Pitch set them up with 2 On and 1 Out.  Could have and should have been a bigger inning but as it turns out the Sox had no comeback.  Tigers 1 – 0, lead the Series 1 – 0.

Game 2 was quite exciting with 11 scores between the teams starting in the Top of the 2nd with a Double and a Single that put runners on the corners 1 Out.  Martinez scored from 3rd on an RBI Single by Avila and then Infante grounded into a Double play to end the inning.

After that it was quiet until the Top of the 6th when the Tigers appeared to put the game out of reach with 4 more Runs, a Solo Shot by Cabrera, a Double, an RBI Double, and a 2 RBI Homer.  In the Sox 6th they managed to eek out a Run on a RBI Double leaving the margin at 4.

Then came Boston’s improbable 8th.  They started with a 1 Out Double and drew a Walk.  A KO put them 2 On and 2 Out when a clutch Single loaded them up.  And Ortiz hit a Grand Slam.

Now tied at 5 in the Sox 9th Detroit couldn’t buy an Out.  Leadoff Single with error.  Wild Pitch, 90 feet away.  Another Single with RBI and it’s time to get on the plane.  Sox 6 – 5, Series tied at 1.

For the Sox this is not exactly a comfortable place to be.  They could lose today and not face elimination, but you would imagine they’ll try really hard to guarantee at least one more game at Fenway.  They will be sending out John Lackey (10 – 13, 3.52 ERA R) to face (well, not face actually, this is the Junior League we’re talking about) Justin Verlander (13 – 12, 3.46 ERA R) who on paper is only marginally better and is certainly not the dominating Playoff Pitcher we have seen in recent post-seasons.

Now for those of you who like pie I’ll point out that TMC and I have different picks in this Series.  She likes cats, even big ones, and favors the Tigers.  I suspect her residing in the Five Boroughs might have a little influence also.  I’m mostly indifferent to Rounders and unlike many of my Stars Hollow neighbors I don’t hate the Yankees with the burning white hot passion of a thousand suns.  On the other hand I’ve watched games in worse places than Fenway and pay a passing sacrifice to The Great God Citgo when I happen to be traveling though the Cradle of the Revolution.

Just don’t get me started on Kraft and the Patsies.

Eeking out a pair of single run victories does not exactly a commanding lead make, but it’s definely better to have held Home Field advantage as you take the show on the road.  Game One was a 13 inning Pitcher’s Duel with Beltran earning his money with a Walk Off RBI Single.  The Dodgers struck first with a pair in their half of the 3rd, the Cardinals evened it up right away.

And then there were 9 more innings.  Fascinating viewing if you like watching people spit sunflower shells while not much is happening.  It isn’t often I’ll conceed the thrilling nature of International Football but by comparison with that yawner it is indeed a beautiful game.

Saturday was a single run affair, but at least the 5th was interesting with a Leadoff Double and a passed ball.  It turned out that was all the margin St. Louis would need.

Tonight we have a pair of Aces facing off.  Adam Wainwright (19 – 9, 2.94 ERA R) is generally thought to be the best pitcher still playing but Hyun-Jin Ryu (14 – 8, 3.00 ERA L) matches up well on paper.  Ryu may have a slight advantage in that he delivers from the left which makes his pick off move to 1st easier.

Win or lose the Cardinals will head back to Busch Stadium while the Dodgers need at least 2 at home to extend this Series.

Squirrels!  Squirrels!

Not to get you all distracted, but we also have Suzuka tonight @ 1 am ET (yes, this is another edition of it sucks to be me).

Anyway, back to Baseball, the real thing, not just a game of Rounders where weenie Pitchers get to sit on the bench while geezers too old to throw, run, or field suck down a bajillion bucks based on reputation alone.

At least I get around the bases pretty good considering my 120+ years.  It’s because I’m a dancer.

Why do I favor the Cardinals?  The Dodgers are traitors to Brooklyn and opened the floodgates of fungible franchises that extort money from municipalities in Stadium subsidies that promise minimum wages and fail to deliver even that.

Fuck you.  A professional sporting franchise is not a business, it’s a billionaire ego trip and if you’re not willing to pay what it takes to win don’t come complaining to the taxpayer or the League about the size of your market and the unfairness of it all.

Whiny Ass Titty Baby.

So the LaLas send up Zack Greinke (15 – 4, 2.63 ERA R) against Joe Kelly of the Cards (10 – 5, 2.69 ERA R).  It looks like a boring Pitcher’s duel on paper and goodness knows I could use one.

Pretty much the last of the Division Series, Senior League Championship starts tomorrow @ 8:30 pm ET on TBS between the Cards and Dodgers.

Oddly enough both Detroit and Oakland have won away in a seesaw series with the largest margin of victory being 3 runs in the opening game at Comerica Park on Monday with the 3 score 5th being the decider.

Tonight Verlander (13 – 12, 3.46 ERA R), the losing Pitcher in Game 2 who got chased after 7 innings, is making a second appearance because despite his disappointing performance he is the Tiger’s ace.  Time to earn the big bucks because you can pay anyone to lose and for much less money.

He’ll be opposed by Sonny Gray (5 – 3, 2.67 ERA R) who is largely an unknown quantity.  He has a little better than 1 KO per inning in the regular season and closed out with a 9 – 0 victory over Seattle (nothing to brag about).

So it will be some exciting, you betcha.

So this is going to be tight, Just like last year’s Cards run.  To be fair I’m going to post my ‘Bad Beard’ Phineas and Ferb video.

Either the Pirates or the Cards start golfing tonight, on Monday St. Louis eeked out a win to send it back to Busch Stadium on a 2 RBI Dinger.  That’s the price you pay for leadoff walks.

Adam Wainwright (19 – 9, 2.94 ERA R) will be going against Gerrit Cole (10 – 7, 3.22 R) for all the marbles (I’ll explain that metaphor someday) and we shall see.

Well, there goes my prediction of Sox in 3.  It was a squeaker that shouldn’t have come down to a 2 Out Walk Off Solo Shot by Jose Lobaton.  The Rays shouldn’t even have been flirting with extra innings.

The big blow was the Longoria 3 Run Homer in the 5th.  Then they got ahead in the 8th, making Morales pay for a Leadoff Walk.  The Sox tied it up in the 9th but could have taken the lead with an insurance run if they hadn’t left Ellsbury stranded at 3rd after a spectacular steal with a Carp pinch hit KO.  Pinch Hitters never come through, ever.

Tonight Jake Peavy (12 – 5, 4.17 ERA R) takes the field against Jeremy Hellickson (12 – 10, 5.17 ERA R).  Now it seems that everyone in Stars Hollow is a rabid Red Sox fan except me and that’s because I’m mostly indifferent to teams that play Rounders instead of Baseball.  I would caution my friends not to get too excited about that full point of ERA advantage.  Peavy has a much better team behind him and that can make even a bad Pitcher look good.

I confidently predict we shall visit the Green Monster and worship the Great God Citgo again, the only question is whether it will be Thursday @ 5:30 pm ET or in the League Championship.