Actually it worked out great for me because I had a ton of housecleaning to do and got a late start so I was able to clean along to the second half of the OSU game (also riveting!) then 5 hours of baseball. My house is super clean!
Oh man so our pitching was bad then good, then our hitting was bad then good then bad again. The best part of this game was our bullpen's 10 scoreless innings. The worst part was either Jeanmar Gomez, or Casey Kotchman.
Normally I'm a fan of Casey. I don't expect much of him at the plate, just that he is an awesome first baseman. And I think he saves as many runs at first as he doesn't get at the plate. But lordy lordy...tonight, he was the last out in 3 extra innings. He went 0 for 4. It was just sad. Mostly because I wanted Casey Kotchman to be the hero (Hooray!) but also because 3 times we almost won it but didn't.
Overall I'm pleased with the game, though. Weird I know because we lost and also failed to score a ton of times. They left 20 guys stranded tonight! But it was a pretty exciting game all told, and by this point is anyone surprised when the team strands a lot of runners? So it's not like suddenly I should be mad about that tendency. I made peace with it sometime around the end of July!
So after 3 glorious David Huff starts in place of Jeanmar Gomez, Jeanmar popped up again this time in place of ... Jiminez? I don't even know who. Someone has a sore ankle that's not Hernandez. Anyway our next best guy is apparently Jeanmar Gomez who did the same crap he was doing before he was sent down, and the same as before he was replaced by Huff. Same ol' Jeanmar! Three innings and 6 runs, all of them coming in one inning with 2 outs. Ho hum.
As I said though our bullpen was dynamite. Seven guys combined for 10 scoreless innings with only 2 hits! The first was Chris Seddon who pitched 3 scoreless innings giving up just one hit. I generally like that guy - he can be trusted. After that with one inning each was Good Tony Sipp, Frank Herrmann, Esmil Rogers (who apparently has a wonky delivery that got him warned by the umpire), Vinny Pestano and Cody Allen. Scott Barnes threw 2. And then since we couldn't use Perez again, I guess, we had no one left but Scott Maine who inevitably gave up the winning run in the 14th. Erk.
Pretty nice show by those guys, otherwise. They've all been known to blow stuff up lately, even Vinnie. To go 10 like that with no runs is pretty special!
In 14 innings, it was still not a day when everybody hit. Even though they got 12 walks, not even everybody got on base! See the aforementioned Kotchman and the kid he replaced, Canzler - they combined for 7 plate appearances and goose eggs across the board.
Choo had 8 at-bats tonight! He actually didn't have that great of a night, comparatively - he went 2 for 7 with a walk. He got 2 RBI yes but he also left EIGHT on base since Asdrubal, Brantley (late additions) and Zeke were all getting on base before him.
Kipnis was back in the 2-spot and he had a chance to do it big a couple times but instead he walked 3 times and got no hits. Sad that he didn't get to be the hero but definitely mature when he takes his time and gets the walk instead of swinging at garbage! Broke his hitting streak, though.
Santana did the same - went 0 for 5 with 3 walks - and showed some restraint himself, getting those walks at times when we could have really used a hit.
Lonnie Chisenhall had his second 3-hit game in a row! Today he was 3 for 7 with a walk and since he was on base so much he got a run and a RBI. One of his hits was a double. There was an article on the Tribe's front page today about how he's opted not to play winter ball and is just going to relax. Now we know his motives for wanting to come back from his injury so early - get out of winter ball! I say the Chiz totally deserves it and I HOPE he's part of our starting roster next spring!
Hafner, Donald and Cord Phelps teamed up in the 6 slot for a total of 1 walk, 1 HBP and 2 runs. Meh.
Brent Lillibridge actually had a great night tonight going 2 for 3 like he did yesterday. And also no errors! It's been a banner series for Brent - his average is up over .200! (Seriously though I like the dude for some reason. I just think he's an awful shortstop.)
Asdrubal came in as our secret weapon in the 8th. Mystery Cabrera! No one was really sure if he'd be able to come in but not only did he come in he got a clutch double in the 9th to tie the game on 2 RBI!! AWESOME! He didn't do anything the rest of the game, though. Well except not have an error, that's pretty good.
Thomas Neal was in and he got a hit. So that's pretty cool. Even cooler was when he was taken out for Mystery Brantley who came in after Mystery Cabrera and went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored!
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| Surprise! |
I hope everyone enjoyed the game - especially the 17k who were there and ESPECIALLY the ones who stayed! Lots of good cheering and it sort of seemed like people showed up to see Sandy. Maybe? They did give him a standing ovation when he came out to argue/discuss a call. Stay fiesty!
Tomorrow is McAllister versus RHP (5.43). No problem, right? Dude's got 15 losses! Everyone might be tired for the 1:05 start after playing extra innings tonight but at least both teams are in the same boat (although we did use 2 more players than them).
Tomorrow's the day they choose the Hargrove Suite winner. Hope it's me!
See you there!
Radio Chatter:
"David must be having a good year too, based on the picture of his homecoming date."
- Tom Hamilton on the one of one of the execs
"At your homecoming you had to dance with a broom."
"Now, don't talk about the St. Elizabeth's girls like that!"
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus
"He and Carlos Santana, it's like the first day of kindergarden, like they're meeting each other for the first time, the way they're going through the signs down there."
- Tom Hamilton on Jeanmar Gomez
"They are like your labrador rolling over to have you scratch his belly."
"They're no longer a schnauzer, nipping at your pant leg?"
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus on the collapse of the Red Sox
"If they don't know who they're listening to by now, to heck with them."
- Tom Hamilton doesn't want to break for a station ID this late in the game
"David must be having a good year too, based on the picture of his homecoming date."
- Tom Hamilton on the one of one of the execs
"At your homecoming you had to dance with a broom."
"Now, don't talk about the St. Elizabeth's girls like that!"
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus
"He and Carlos Santana, it's like the first day of kindergarden, like they're meeting each other for the first time, the way they're going through the signs down there."
- Tom Hamilton on Jeanmar Gomez
"They are like your labrador rolling over to have you scratch his belly."
"They're no longer a schnauzer, nipping at your pant leg?"
- Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus on the collapse of the Red Sox
"If they don't know who they're listening to by now, to heck with them."
- Tom Hamilton doesn't want to break for a station ID this late in the game
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