The Game That Doesn't End

The Tribe wasn't really that hot today in the first 9-inning portion of tonight's game. Really what was happening was that the Angels were not playing very well and they managed to lose the game.

Now, later on - as in like, the next day - the Tribe ramped it up and showed that they were the better team and did some awesome stuff in order to win, as opposed to the Angels just losing.

It wasn't even until the 7th inning that the Tribe managed to tie it up...at 1. But they kept it there and then kept at it and all of a sudden, after 5.5 hours of baseball, it was ours to win!

Everybody pitched tonight. EVERYBODY. Ok, not the starters (although I bet they were next...) but Salazar was followed by the entire bullpen after his 5 1/3 innings of work. What an unfortunate time to have a pitch-restricted starter!

He threw exactly 75 pitches (his limit) and he was done. He had just given up 3 hits and the one run. He also struck out 7, which gives him 29 strikeouts in his first 4 games as an Indian - second only to Herb Score with 40. Man, I wish we coulda seen more of him but we'll have to be patient and wait 5 days.

Next was Cody Allen, who you know totally nailed it. Zep was called in to face a lefty and took care of that, then nearly took care of the next inning but there was a throwing error so instead he left with one man on.

Joe Smith came in with 1 on and 1 out in the 8th. He gave up a single but Hamilton had to stop at second. Then Hamilton tried to lead off second and Joe Smith was all like...

BOOP!

So there was no stealing of the base for Josh Hamilton. There was ANOTHER single but nothing of it, since stupid Hamilton got himself thrown out. HA HA! Then strikeout to end the inning.

Smith gave up 2 more singles in the next inning but lucky for everyone, the Angels are terrible and nothing came of it.

Then came the crazy all-hands-on-deck 10th inning that started out with Albers getting the bases full. I know - Albers isn't that guy! But tonight he was. Usually he's helping the rest of the guys out of a jam but this time he needed to call on...Oh no! Not Rich Hill!

The next batter was a lefty, and Zep was done so it was Hill time. It seemed like it took forever, but on just 4 pitches he got the batter to smack one down to Aviles who was Johnny-on-the-spot at third. He almost got the big double play but Mark Trumbo was on top of his game as well.

Not wanting to risk everything, they took Hill out (whew) for Shaw. He struck out the last guy. Party time!!!

Shaw threw the 12th too, and didn't give up anything. Next was Perez and I'll admit I was nervous as heck. He did his thing - got some baserunners on, struck one out...and nearly gave up 3 runs, or at least 1 run. But Michael Bourn turned it on and took care of it and the entire city breathed a sigh of relief.

Last but not least was...Carlos Carrasco! Perfect fit, actually, because he was going to have to pitch indefinitely and who else is better for that than a guy who's supposed to be able to pitch 9 as a starter? He had a 1-2-3 13th inning just to show everyone he was still relevant. Two strikeouts, even. In the 14th we we up by 2 so he could relax a bit - and relax he did. He gave up a walk and a single. But he totally took care of it and the last play of the game was a comebacker to the mound. A sweet, sweet comebacker. Ballgame!

The offense was definitely out of it today. I guess CJ Wilson is pretty tight but they've seen far better and hit far better! There was just 1 hit for the Tribe until the 7th, and 3 hits through the 9th.

The biggest hit in the first part of the game (the original 9) was Santana's homer in the 7th to tie it up! The ball went over the wall, and the outfielder who was chasing it lost his glove too!

Glove...no glove!

Poor guy walked away like Charlie Brown. According to my source at the game, a fan yelled at the outfielder that he sucked, and the stadium was so empty that everyone heard. Ouch! The guy ended up climbing up over the wall to retrieve his glove. What, no help?? Poor little fella...

Asdrubal got a hit today and in the grand scheme of things it meant nothing, except that ASDRUBAL GOT ANOTHER HIT TODAY!! That's a 4-game hitting streak, y'all!

The offense fired it up a bit after the 9th, and ended up getting 5 more hits in the next 5 innings.

The other big hit...I suppose the biggest hit...was Stubbs golfing one out of the park with 1 on and 1 out in the 14th! Once again, anyone on this ball club can be the difference maker any night! Even guy number nine!

After that they kept going, with another hit (Bourn), a stolen base (Bourn) and then reaching on an error (Kipnis) that scored the final run (Bourn). Very cool to see them keep it up after they've clearly won the game.

Chisenhall was the man on base when Stubbs hit his homer, by the way. He was splitting time with Aviles who started the game at 3rd (and made that sweet play). Nice touch to put him in - after a drought to end all drought, he's got a 2-game hitting streak going!

Props also to Cabrera and Swisher for turning it up a notch and making some sweet plays themselves. Seems like almost everyone played an important role in bringing the team back from the brink several times. Tom Hamilton called Cabrera's play his "play of the season," it seemed so crucial.

So that's it - 2 for 2 in LA. I'm not too impressed with the fact that they had to play so friggin' hard to beat such a bad team but the bad teams are sort of ramping it up right now! The White Sox took care of the Yankees a bit ago. The Twins just beat the Tigers. Everyone is out there playing spoiler. Kind of neat, I guess.

Tomorrow  is a 7:05 game which means it's a 4:05 game there. In LA rush hour traffic! Fun times ahead for Angel fans. It'll be Masterson versus RHP 4.90 and ... dang, aren't we lucky?! The game where we most need a guy to go 9 innings is being pitched by the guy who has given us the most innings this year! I hope we see that guy tomorrow...it'll be a great game.

See you there!

Radio Chatter:
"He's like the Dalai Llama and Bill Murray in that movie Caddyshack. At least he's got that going for him."
- Tom Hamilton on Ianetta, who has twice as many walks as hits

"He's a guy who seems to enjoy pitching backwards."
- Tom Hamilton on CJ Wilson (who pitches from behind...not backwards)

"Everybody kind of rolled their eyes when the Indians acquired Rzepcyznski, but he's been good for them so far."
- Tom Hamilton

"I'm amazed that he didn't get booed off the field. If this were New York, Josh Hamilton would need some sort of security to leave the ballpark."
- Tom Hamilton

"The Angels lead the league in throws to first."
- Tom Hamilton is frustrated with throws to first

"JC Gutierrez is having a moment of silence on the mound, looking into his cap. And the cap says back 'Get out there and do your job!'"
- Tom Hamilton

"Before he went to do his thing he went into the Angels dugout and slapped all the relievers and said 'Snap out of it! Do your job!'"
- Tom Hamilton on the Rally Monkey

"I can't believe this is the same guy that terrorized the American League when he was with Texas."
- Tom Hamilton on Josh Hamilton

"You get a feeling, the way this game has gone, it's going to end when somebody hits a home run."
- Tom Hamilton

"You usually don't win a game when you fail that many times."
- Tom Hamilton on the Angels' late-inning play

"The way this game is going, we've got a chance to see what a sunrise looks like here at Angel Park."
- Tom Hamilton

"If the Indians were a cat, they'd be down to their last 3 lives!"
- Tom Hamilton has run out of exclamations

"If he'd have gotten thrown out there, he might have walked back to the hotel."
- Tom Hamilton on Carlos Santana's baserunning in the 13th

"He looks like Ringo Starr, from the 1964 Beatles."
- Tom Hamilton on the most unflattering picture ever (of JB Shuck)

"Joe Blanton must wonder what else can go wrong."
- Tom Hamilton after the high throw and run scored in the 14th