Game 1 was over early even if we didn't know it...Colon was clearly off and left the game with a stiff back after giving up 4 early runs over 4 innings...clearly not liking the 9.0 ERA pace and concerned for his health, we yanked him, but Mike Timlin may finally be on the down side...seems like someone said that every year but this year it really might be true...4 ER in this one over 2/3 of an inning...ouch...a lofty 7+ ERA for Mike this season...on our end we had back-to-back jacks provide ALL of the offense (Dusty and 2008 JD Drew) and other than that Cole Hamels earned his "ace" moniker...8-2 final and for the second series in a row we dropped game 1 to an NL squad...
But since the title of now 2 blogs would clearly indicate, that's all the Phils would get...
Game 2 was a flat-out dominant performance by someone we're becoming more familiar with these days, the consistently good Jon Lester. All he did was pitch 7 scoreless, striking out 5 and most importantly for him, walking 1...maybe this kid finally realized he's good enough that he should make hitters beat him and not let them beat him...6-3 on the year right now and it's not too bold to say that his performance, if it keeps up, will mean that we might not miss Schill this year (more on that later)...the offense threw up 3 tough runs, 2 from a Coco HR off of the crafty Jamie Moyer and one on the Philly pen courtesy of a Lugo 2-out RBI...Lugo's D has been awful, but we knew that all along and at least he's hitting more this year...still can't believe the Sox brass loved him THAT much, but I like having the speed in the lineup so as long as he hits .270 or so I won't cry too much about him... that was more than enough O since both Oki and Pap were on...2 IP, 1 hit allowed and 5 Ks for their 6 outs...definition of lights out...
Game 3 was basically the 2008 JD Drew show...and I've decided from now on to call him "The 2008 JD Drew" for the rest of the year, and into next year, until he puts up numbers in two consecutive seasons...as well as he's playing this year (not worth his absurd contract, but still) it's hard to imagine that he can suck as much as he did last year...but look at his numbers over his career:
Ok, you can argue that the first 4 years he was getting better, up to his 2001 season...but from there on you'd expect some consistency, right? Now we all know he's the glass man...for all of his 5-tool talent the man just can't stay on the field if things aren't feeling so good, and therefore part of the performance can be judged on time played, but how the hell do you explain 2002 and 2007? Pressure? Adjustments? I dunno...all I know is I'll take the 2004, 2006 and so far 2008 JD Drew and pray that somehow he gets a daylight savings year for 2009 and misses the changeover...or something...
Back to game 3...JD's line, 4 for 5 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored...and we needed them since the Phils put 4 up themselves...he was a triple short of the cycle and had 8 TB on the night...nice game...Masterson was good, giving up 2 in his 5 innings, and the Phils put up 2 n our favorite whipping boy, the Craig-ster...0 IP for him, 1 BB and 2 hits...ERA north of 5.7 again...and just when we thought we might be able to adjust the formula...too bad...7-4 Sox was the final and that's about all the press the Phils deserve...they're not a bad team, but the pitching is young and shallow...not sure they have the arms to make some noise in the NL playoffs nor even to hold off the Mets/Braves in the East...plus their fans should basically all be in prison (this goes for Eagles fans too, though they're probably the same mob) so I'd rather move on to a place where there aren't thugs and felons all over the stadium...wait...what...off to St. Louis...OH CRAP...
And WELCOME to lovely St. Louis for another 3-game set...yuck...the Cards weren't expected to be all that good this year but have played well despite the pessimism...timely hitting and pitching and a 43-32 record is keeping them close to the MLB-leading Cubbies in the NL Central...and as we all know, this is a rematch of the 2004 series, with basically none of the players on either side being the same and no real drama since the Cards won a WS in 2006 and we got number 2 in 2007, and we didn't play each other in either of those...so...yay...
Game 1, Shaky Wake against Kyle Lohse...one thing about the Cards since 2004, it's unreal how many formerly good pitchers have pitched for them, and with mixed results...their rotation has just been a mind-numbing mess for yeas and I have no clue how half of these guys win games...but they do...somehow Lohse keeps us to 2 runs (1 earned) over 6 innings while Wake gave up his obligatory longballs...with a little help from a Lugo error it was 4-2 Cards going into the bottom of the 7th, and this is where this game turned into the "almost" game. You know, the game we "almost" won but didn't thanks to unlikely scenario A or crazy play X...in this case it was just a little untimely hitting...Jacoby led off with a single and Dusty and JD both walked on 4 pitches each...so you've got a wild pitcher with the bases loaded and no outs and Manny coming up...career 2nd in Grand Slams Manny...but Larussa goes and gets Russ Springer from the pen, who gets Manny to hit into the DP...1 run in, but danger basically over...he got Lowell via the K and probably did a little mental dance as he walked off the mound...only 1 run in and one golden opportunity wasted (Flashback alert: for those old enough to remember, this was classic, pre-2004 Sox...somehow we LIVED like this ALLLLL the time in the 80s and 90s...seems like a distant memory but we used to lead the league in LOB every year and watch things like this happen to us constantly...it wasn't just the 86 year WS drought, it was crap like this that made us hate the baseball gods...anyway...)...the even more painfully, Oki gave up the insurance run with a Yadier Molina HR...if you give up a HR to a Molina it's just not your day...and of course to complete the "almost" game we get a run in the 9th off of Franklin (their post-Isringhausen implosion closer) and leave the tying run on 3rd...like I said...AL-MOST...
Game 2 was over before the Sox got up...a SUPER rusty Dice gave up 7 runs in his 1st inning back from the DL...6 hits, 3 walks...ouch...we'll summarize the good (bullpen gave up 2 over 8 and JD hit a bomb, number 14) and then let's just not talk any more about this game, agreed? Welcome back Dice, glad that's out of your system, straighten it out...agreed?
So, could it be, the reverse meaningless sweep in 2008 after we swept the 2004 WS? Cards take the first 2 and send a surprisingly effective Joel Pinero to the hill...I had the good fortune of listening to this one on the radio for a ride up to VT, and let's just say that based on the timing, the game shouldn't have lasted the full ride, but if they played 13 just for me, I appreciate it...this game had a bunch of twists and turns...too many to highlight for a June game (we'll save the super over analysis for September and hopefully the playoffs)...so we'll hit the biggies...Lester was strong again, pitched brilliantly and had one rough inning, giving up 2 in the 6th...Pinero was just as good, gave up 2 over his 7...Youk touched him with a solo HR and then the Sox put together a rally in the 8th that gave them a 3-2 lead...started with a Crisp triple that Ankiel misplayed and Lugo sac flyed him in...then the Sox patience paid off...not having drawn a walk all game the Sox drew three in a row (Manny, JD, Lowell) after a Dusty single to steal the lead...Pap was warming and you had to like our shot to snag this one late...BUT, Pap was a little sloppy this time...sounded like he had life on his pitches and he struck out the first two he faced...sounds like a typical Pap save so far, right? But like blown saves before, the walk hurh him again...he walked Chris Duncan and then gave up a long double over Coco's head (returning the misplay in center favor) from the always pesky Adam Kennedy...I swear if Kennedy would only get to hit under pressure he'd be a .400 hitter...3-3 ballgame...the next 3 innings were nuts...relievers all over the place, the Sox leading off every bottom of each inning with a double but unable to score and most insanely Craig Hansen coming in to pitch in a bases loaded 2-out situation...he promptly threw 3 straight (no pun intended) pitches by the .300 hitting Ryan Ludwick for the clutch K...finally in the 13th, Lowell led off with our 4th straight leadoff hit in extras (is that a record) and Youk sent us home happy with a large walkoff dinger to left center...the first Sox walkoff homer of the year believe it or not! And so, we salvaged a game and avoided the mini-revenge sweep...whew...sad that we dropped 2 of 3 to any NL team but given the way this one played out I'll take it, all the way to...Arizona...
Where I'll see you next blog...great pitching coming up (supposedly) which usually means letdowns and balls flying all over the place, but we shall see...
GO SAWX!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment