Saturday, September 15, 2012

If It's Not One Thing...

...then it's defense.

Pitching was pretty good today. Top-notch almost. Batting was so-so, considering Sanchez had a no-hitter going through the 7th and we still managed to score a few runs. Today's gaping hole was the defense, with 3 errors resulting in 2 un-earned runs. Sigh.

Masterson wasn't "OMG AWESOME!" today but he didn't stink up the place. He did strike out 8 in his 4 2/3 innings even if he gave up 4 - I mean 2 - runs. It's hard to tell on paper why they took him out so early, but he was giving up hits around those strikeouts and no doubt Manny is gunshy when it comes to letting his starters go. You know - this next batter could lead to 7 more runs.

Anyway he was out and Sipp was in and there was a weird-ass play at 3rd regarding not touching the base, trying to get yourself out, appealing a play yadda yadda only 1 run scored in the 5th not 2.

Sipp pitched the 6th and was plenty good but then there was Miguel Cabrera who just had to go and hit a homer in the 7th. Boo! At least it was a solo homer, and at least Fielder didn't follow it up with one of his own right?

Cody Allen came in next and there are no words to describe how he pitched other than he totally fucked Detroit's shit up. He faced 5 and struck out 5. That total includes Miguel Cabrera. Wow!

Scott Barnes was next and he was...fine. He had a 1-2-3 9th inning.

I think the batting was slightly more impressive tonight than it was last night, even though we did nothing for 7 innings tonight. Last night we had men on base a ton of times and nothing happened. At least tonight in the 2 innings we had hits they all counted. And counted for 3 runs!

Choo didn't get any hits tonight, but he did walk and was hit by a pitch (breaking up the perfect game). I also heard that our new Choo song, Gangnam Style, was heard on SNL tonight, was on MTV Video Awards and the next day on ABC News. He was also signed by Justin Bieber's manager. You heard it here first! And yes, I do listen to that song all the way through every time I link to it. Fighting!

Asdrubal was back today after some pain shots in his wrist. I hope he's like, a couple days off those pain shots because from what I've heard of pain shots the shots can hurt worse than the pain for a bit (and in your wrist? Owie!) He had a rough start, striking out 3 times then BOOM! RBI single! That was pretty exciting, I tell you what!

Carlos Santana is quietly playing the role of Michael Brantley while Cousin Michael is out with a sore pectoral. He went 1 for 4 tonight with a TRIPLE to break up the no-hitter, and came around to score. He's got a 4-game hitting streak.

Russ Bus Canzler is still keepin' it real. He went 1 for 4 tonight with an RBI double to follow up Santana's triple. He came around to score when our boy Lonnie followed his double up with an RBI single!

Cord Phelps was the only other guy to hit today. He went 1 for 3 with a single and he's the one who scored on Asdrubal's single. That was Cord's first hit this year, by the way.

Vinny Rottino came in to catch in the 9th, because that is an option. He is the very model of a modern utility man - He's played over 200 games at catcher, and over 100 at first, third and outfield. This must mean that he's not a very good catcher - but he owns the correct glove and keeps a cup in his locker.

Tomorrow is one more game against the Tigers and thank goodness I'm going with another little buddy, JW, because I don't know if I can take the heartbreak of being swept. Seeing the game with a kid who's going to his first game will definitely give it an air of excitement no matter who manages to lose (or win!) the game for us.

The game's at 3:05, which indeed interferes with football but rumor has it that football is much better on the DVR anyway. Games are only 45 minutes long!

The matchup is Ubaldo versus RHP (4.59). Our lineup actually is particularly good against this particular RHP so it might just be that JW comes home with a win! Hurray!

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"A little bit like a Little League game here. The only people involved are Masterson and Marson."
- Tom Hamilton in the first

"I don't think anyone looks at Canzler and says 'this is your cleanup hitter of the future' but that's where he is right now."
- Tom Hamilton

"Masterson's problems with left-handed hitters is the inability to consistently get it up by their hands. It often leaks out over the plater. If he does that to left-handed hitters, he'll have no problem."
- Tom Hamilton

"The Indians have to get a hit this inning, let alone a grand slam."
- Tom Hamilton in the Grand Slam Bonus inning, in what was still a perfect game

"We just saw an instant replay, Rosie, and it was live!"
- Tom Hamilton on the weird play to end the top of the 5th

"A no-hitter wouldn't be all that shocking."
- Tom Hamilton

"That'll send some people home - they're not going to see history now."
- Tom Hamilton on the break-up of the no-hitter

"That's strike three on any hitter not named Miguel Cabrera or Derek Jeter."
- Tom Hamilton on a pitch from Herrmann to Cabrera

"These are the kind of people you build your club around."
- Tom Hamilton is a Kipnis

"You don't hire Scott Boras if you want to stay in the city you're playing in."
- Tom Hamilton on Choo's future here

"Scott Boras is the sort of guy who thinks 8th graders should pack up and move to a boarding school 2000 miles away from mom and dad. Because they've got better meals."
"And he'll bring a thousand-page transcript to mom and dad to show them why."
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus

"He looks like he's an 80 year old getting out of bed the way he stretches on the mound there. [...] Then he throws a fastball past you."
- Tom Hamilton on Valverde

"Before he broke his wrist, this at-bat would have been over 5 pitches ago."
- Tom Hamilton on Chisenhall's new-found penchant for walking since he came back

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