Thanks, Willie. And thank you, Devil Rays.
I do enjoy playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. With the Yankees playing the very sweepable KC Royals and a trip to Toronto looming, we were able to sweep the Rays and maintain our first-place standing. Sunday's game was one of those Oh-shit-I-think-I'm-having-a-heart-attack-and-it's-only-May games. In 16 or so years of cognizant baseball watching, I'm not sure I've ever seen a team so adament on blowing a game in the ninth inning as I witnessed today.
Thankfully we were playing the Devil Rays and Tom Foley did his best Dale Sveum impersonation, sending Joey Gathright around third on a Carl Crawford single. Willie Harris, filling in for Manny, threw him out at the plate by several feet. With Paps being totally overworked lately, we had to rely on Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez to get the job done today. You would think a five-run lead against the Devil Rays would be safe, but nooo, not with our bullpen.
For eight innings, Tim Wakefield pitched shutout baseball. He really owned the Devil Rays. Made those idiots at ESPN look stupid for moving us three spots down in their power rankings and saying that "Tim Wakefield's days as a dominant starter are over." I was all for leaving Timmy in for the ninth. He was at 110 pitches or so, but Wake can throw until his arm falls off.
Rudy Seanez entered the game having thrown well in May. He has something like a 1.50 ERA this month, so he has really rebounded well from his shakey month of April. Just as I'm telling my dad that I'm gaining more confidence in Rudy as a set-up man and not to freak out about Timlin going on the DL yet, Seanez walks Johnny Gomes, gets two outs, allowing both batters to go to 3-2 counts, then walks Travis Lee and Josh Paul. Bases loaded, no runs in yet, two outs. Enter Julian Tavarez. At this point the entire crowd is chanting PAPEL-BON, PAPEL-BON. Tavarez struck out Greg Norton, but Mirabelli got lacadaisical and the runner reached on a third-strike passed ball. First run in. It's now 5-1. No problem... just one more out. Only Tavarez then walks Joey Gathright. One more run in. Score's 5-2. That's okay-- one more out, but the top of the order is up now and I'm starting to sweat. Julio Lugo walks. Shit. Score's 5-3 and now the hottest hitter in the American League, Carl Crawford is up. Still no sign of Papelbon. Apparently Francona was waiting for the 10th inning or something. Crawford predictably singles, but the potential tying run in Gathright is erased on Harris' outfield assist.
Willie Harris threw the only strike of the entire inning. And yesterday I was going to write an entry explaining how he was Cesar Crespo Version 2. Oh well, you earned one more day on the roster, Willie. Thanks for that.
Only the Tampa Bay Devil Rays could lose a game like that. Might I add that all of their runs in the top of the ninth came on NO hits until Crawford's hit that ended the game. NO HITS. I officially have no faith in this bullpen again. Although I probably should give Tavarez some credit because he did strike out Norton. It was Mirabelli's fault the guy reached base. Tek woulda had it.
On to Toronto, where the Jays saved Roy Halladay just for us. Aww, isn't that sweet of them. We really struggle with the Jays. Hopefully NYY will do the same at Detroit.
Barry hit No. 715 today, and ESPN interrupted exciting Super Regional coverage of Michigan-Tennessee softball. I'm not being sarcastic. Michigan had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, down a run. We missed the end thanks to fucking ESPN showing us every home run from No. 1 to No. 715. Okay, not really EVERY home run, but the coverage was really, really unnecessary. Fuck Barry Bonds. I hope he gets run over by a bus.
Thankfully we were playing the Devil Rays and Tom Foley did his best Dale Sveum impersonation, sending Joey Gathright around third on a Carl Crawford single. Willie Harris, filling in for Manny, threw him out at the plate by several feet. With Paps being totally overworked lately, we had to rely on Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez to get the job done today. You would think a five-run lead against the Devil Rays would be safe, but nooo, not with our bullpen.
For eight innings, Tim Wakefield pitched shutout baseball. He really owned the Devil Rays. Made those idiots at ESPN look stupid for moving us three spots down in their power rankings and saying that "Tim Wakefield's days as a dominant starter are over." I was all for leaving Timmy in for the ninth. He was at 110 pitches or so, but Wake can throw until his arm falls off.
Rudy Seanez entered the game having thrown well in May. He has something like a 1.50 ERA this month, so he has really rebounded well from his shakey month of April. Just as I'm telling my dad that I'm gaining more confidence in Rudy as a set-up man and not to freak out about Timlin going on the DL yet, Seanez walks Johnny Gomes, gets two outs, allowing both batters to go to 3-2 counts, then walks Travis Lee and Josh Paul. Bases loaded, no runs in yet, two outs. Enter Julian Tavarez. At this point the entire crowd is chanting PAPEL-BON, PAPEL-BON. Tavarez struck out Greg Norton, but Mirabelli got lacadaisical and the runner reached on a third-strike passed ball. First run in. It's now 5-1. No problem... just one more out. Only Tavarez then walks Joey Gathright. One more run in. Score's 5-2. That's okay-- one more out, but the top of the order is up now and I'm starting to sweat. Julio Lugo walks. Shit. Score's 5-3 and now the hottest hitter in the American League, Carl Crawford is up. Still no sign of Papelbon. Apparently Francona was waiting for the 10th inning or something. Crawford predictably singles, but the potential tying run in Gathright is erased on Harris' outfield assist.
Willie Harris threw the only strike of the entire inning. And yesterday I was going to write an entry explaining how he was Cesar Crespo Version 2. Oh well, you earned one more day on the roster, Willie. Thanks for that.
Only the Tampa Bay Devil Rays could lose a game like that. Might I add that all of their runs in the top of the ninth came on NO hits until Crawford's hit that ended the game. NO HITS. I officially have no faith in this bullpen again. Although I probably should give Tavarez some credit because he did strike out Norton. It was Mirabelli's fault the guy reached base. Tek woulda had it.
Coco's back too... a day early. Gotta say I'm gonna miss Kevin Youkilis hitting leadoff.
On to Toronto, where the Jays saved Roy Halladay just for us. Aww, isn't that sweet of them. We really struggle with the Jays. Hopefully NYY will do the same at Detroit.
Barry hit No. 715 today, and ESPN interrupted exciting Super Regional coverage of Michigan-Tennessee softball. I'm not being sarcastic. Michigan had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, down a run. We missed the end thanks to fucking ESPN showing us every home run from No. 1 to No. 715. Okay, not really EVERY home run, but the coverage was really, really unnecessary. Fuck Barry Bonds. I hope he gets run over by a bus.
posted by Jennifer at 4:11 PM
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