I'm at Dodger Stadium! For reals! I'll be live-blogging the game tonight between Arizona and LA, at least until the battery runs out on my BlackBerry. It's pre-game and the D'Backs just finished BP and now the grounds crew is out. I love to watch the dude with the groovy groove thing behind his little ATV. It's mesmerizing.
Chavez Ravine is resplendant tonight, just as I thought it would be. This stadium is...old. I knew that intellectually, but it seems older up close. Like Sarah Jessica Parker, I imagine. They kept the '60s style scoreboard, just like at Shea. This one looks even more retro.
The Mets game has been playing on the Jumbotron. Aaron Heilman just gave up a granny. What a bum. I think it may be time to give Duaner Sanchez his 8th inning job back.
Some soap guy did the Anthem. Nice job!
Top 1st
Chad Billingsley upped his 6.17 ERA by giving up an RBI single to Conor Jackson. The late-arriving crowd is living up to its name.
ARI 1, LA coming up.
Bottom 1st
Edgar Gonzalez got the first two but then Nomah singled and Jeff Kent doubled him home. I thought Garciaparra was out but I'm way up here. Some lady spilled her beer down about five rows. Andruw Jones has seen 4.5 pitches per at-bat, and has grounded many of them weakly to short, apparently.
ARI 1, LA 1
Top 2nd
After Matt Kemp botched a fly for a double, Jeff "Who Dat" Salazar went Ravine to make it 3-1. Billingsley's ERA is making like George W. Bush's disapproval ratings. All the beer stayed within proper containers this half inning.
ARI 3, LA 1
Bottom 2nd
Three up, three down. I was beginning to doubt I would see one of those tonight. The Mets lost 10-5.
ARI 3, LA 1
Top 3rd
Billingsley whiffed all three to give him seven for the game. We're all getting some California Pizza Kitchen pizza! Well, if the D'Backs don't smack him around first before he gets 10 K's.
ARI 3, LA 1
Bottom 3rd
Another 1-2-3 for Gonzalez. They're not booing, they're saying "Andruuuuuuuw...youuuuuu suck!"
ARI 3, LA 1
Top 4th
Two more strikeouts for Billingsley, Mmmm, I can taste that wood-fired goodness. Sandy Koufax struck out 18 on this date. Maybe we're seeing history. Or not.
ARI 3, LA 1
Bottom 4th
The Dodgers tied it up on hits by Nomah and Loney and a sac fly by Ethier. Billingsley had a chance to help his own cause but grounded out to end the inning. Isn't every player trying to help his own cause all the time?
ARI 3, LA 3
Top 5th
The good news for Billingsley was two more K's. The bad news was the single by Young, the double by Drew, the wild pitch, and the non-double play that looked like a bad call to me. The bad news for me is that I appear to be misinformed about that free CPK pizza. I should have figured in this economy.
ARI 5, LA 3
Bottom 5th
A web gem by Stephen Drew ended Nomah's bid for a third hit, and also the inning after the D'Backs completed the 6-4-3 double play. I think almost half the crowd has made it through the traffic and is on the way to their seats.
ARI 5, LA 3
Top 6th
In order for Billingsley, but only one strikeout. I think Pete Rose should be re-instated, and The Wave, the YMCA dance, and beach balls should receive a lifetime ban. This I Believe.
ARI 5, LA 3
Bottom 6th
Pitching change - Juan Cruz relieved Edgar Gonzalez after Russell Martin singled James Loney to third. Cruz plunked Ethier, but struck out Kemp flailing on a slider and got pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney to sky out to center. I managed to escape Kiss Cam. I would have had to kiss my BlackBerry.
ARI 5, LA 3
Top 7th
New pitcher Scott Proctor gets them in order. And we got our first "Yankees Suck" chant of the night. Even in LA they know.
ARI 5, LA 3
Bottom 7th
Chad Qualls should have had an easy inning, but he had a brain fart with Furcal on second and one out. Nomah hit a come-backer, and Qualls eschewed the easy out at first and tried to get Furcal, who wasn't really trying to advance to third. Third baseman Mark Reynolds threw back to second and hit Furcal in the head for an error. Kent singled in Furcal for one run, but Qualls got a 4-6-3 DP to end the rally. Now I am missing the top of the 8th explaining all this.
ARI 5, LA 4
Top 8th
Joe Beimel relieved Proctor with two outs and a run in. The Dodgers got screwed when a routine fielder's choice to Nomah turned into run. Garciaparra's throw was a little wide to Kent, and the ump called Conor Jackson safe at second. He was out. They never call that play safe ever. After Proctor threw a wild pitch, Upton hit a sac fly to score Jackson. Beimel got Salazar looking to end the inning, but the lead is back to two. I am now officially cold.
ARI 6, LA 4
Bottom 8th
Three up, three down for Tony Pena (not junior). Now 2/3 of the crowd is heading to their cars so they can clog up the freeways on the way home.
ARI 6, LA 4
Top 9th
The inning began with Kent saying the magic word to the ump and getting tossed, undoubtedly still arguing about the bad call in the 8th. The funny part was, somebody in the Dodger dugout had sent Chin Lung Hu out to take grounders while Kent was still arguing and had not yet been ejected. They must have known he would eventually say the word and/or phrase that would get the deed done. Meanwhile Cory Wade made his major league debut with a scoreless inning.
ARI 6, LA 4
Bottom 9th
A very quick 1-2-3 for Brandon Lyon, and now all I have to do is find my rental car. It's kinda gray, and I think it's a GM product.
FINAL SCORE - ARI 6, LA 4
Thursday, April 24, 2008
NAT KING COLD
I'm still in chilly LA, sitting in a cramped room with a bunch of other computer geeks, while workers in the next room loudly install cabinets. At least they aren't blasting Tejano music.
I "watched" most of last night's Mets game on my BlackBerry on MLB.com's Live Pitch-By-Pitch service. It was 1-0 Mets when I tuned in in the Nationals half of the 4th, with Johan Santana cruising and two outs. Then Wily Mo Pena and Juan Nieves singled, and pitcher Tim Redding doubled them in. You know something bad happened on Pitch-By-Pitch when it says "Pitch in play, no out(s)".
In the top of the 5th, the Mets tied it off of Redding, who was walking the planet, and then the Nats brought in lefty Ray King to get Ryan Church. That didn't go so well, and by the time the inning was over, the Mets had four runs and led 5-2. The BlackBerry said that Church hit a slow roller to 3rd, and that Carlos Beltran managed to score from first on Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error. I figured that had to be a transcription problem, but I read in the paper this morning and that is precisely what happened. That's what I'd call a bad throw. Santana eventually doubled in the same inning, which also didn't look right on the BlackBerry. The Mets went on to record an easy 7-2 victory, and the Nats continued their slide into the murky abyss of the Anacostia River. Not much changed in the NL East. Florida beat Atlanta again, and the Phillies lost, leaving the Mets deficit at 1-1/2 games.
Alas, I will not be going to Dodger Stadium to watch the Mets. The project I am working on was delayed a week, and the Mets will be elsewhere by the time I get back here. I'm thinking I might head out there tonight on my own. The stands look pretty empty on the highlights.
I "watched" most of last night's Mets game on my BlackBerry on MLB.com's Live Pitch-By-Pitch service. It was 1-0 Mets when I tuned in in the Nationals half of the 4th, with Johan Santana cruising and two outs. Then Wily Mo Pena and Juan Nieves singled, and pitcher Tim Redding doubled them in. You know something bad happened on Pitch-By-Pitch when it says "Pitch in play, no out(s)".
In the top of the 5th, the Mets tied it off of Redding, who was walking the planet, and then the Nats brought in lefty Ray King to get Ryan Church. That didn't go so well, and by the time the inning was over, the Mets had four runs and led 5-2. The BlackBerry said that Church hit a slow roller to 3rd, and that Carlos Beltran managed to score from first on Ryan Zimmerman's throwing error. I figured that had to be a transcription problem, but I read in the paper this morning and that is precisely what happened. That's what I'd call a bad throw. Santana eventually doubled in the same inning, which also didn't look right on the BlackBerry. The Mets went on to record an easy 7-2 victory, and the Nats continued their slide into the murky abyss of the Anacostia River. Not much changed in the NL East. Florida beat Atlanta again, and the Phillies lost, leaving the Mets deficit at 1-1/2 games.
Alas, I will not be going to Dodger Stadium to watch the Mets. The project I am working on was delayed a week, and the Mets will be elsewhere by the time I get back here. I'm thinking I might head out there tonight on my own. The stands look pretty empty on the highlights.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
L.A. STORY
I'm on the west coast this week on business, so we'll dispense with the last few games quickly:
Friday, April 18th: Mets 6, Phillies 4. Santana beats Hamels as both bullpens get shelled. Heilman gives up another homer. He is a mess.
Saturday, April 19th: Mets 4, Phillies 2. Oliver Perez returns to form, at least until the next game. No one will be stopping Chase Utley in his rampage through the pitching staffs of the National League this year.
Sunday, April 20th: Phillies 5, Mets 4. The Mets erased a 4-0 deficit before Pedro Feliz homered off Pedro Feliciano. So, Pete Happy hits a homer off Pete Happy Person. And I am not happy. Nor am I Pete. But I am a person, as far as I know. Oh, and Utley hits two more homers, just for the hell of it.
Monday, April 21st: Cubs 7, Mets 1. Willie goes to the Heilman well again, and gets as much good water as usual. The Cubs blow open a 2-1 lead in the 8th with a 5-run inning off Aaron The Terrible. Felix Pie (Spanish for Felix Foot) uses his hands to bash a three-run homer.
Tuesday, April 22nd: Cubs 8, Mets 1. Joe Smith and Jorge Sosa were the guilty parties in this one. Nelson Figueroa left with a 3-1 deficit. The Mets get all of two runs and ten hits at Wrigley.
The Marlins have kept on crushing bad teams (I thought they were one, but maybe not), and have their 1-1/2 game lead back, with Atlanta and Philly a half game back of us. Now it's on to Washington. You think the pope left any chaw in the locker room?
Friday, April 18th: Mets 6, Phillies 4. Santana beats Hamels as both bullpens get shelled. Heilman gives up another homer. He is a mess.
Saturday, April 19th: Mets 4, Phillies 2. Oliver Perez returns to form, at least until the next game. No one will be stopping Chase Utley in his rampage through the pitching staffs of the National League this year.
Sunday, April 20th: Phillies 5, Mets 4. The Mets erased a 4-0 deficit before Pedro Feliz homered off Pedro Feliciano. So, Pete Happy hits a homer off Pete Happy Person. And I am not happy. Nor am I Pete. But I am a person, as far as I know. Oh, and Utley hits two more homers, just for the hell of it.
Monday, April 21st: Cubs 7, Mets 1. Willie goes to the Heilman well again, and gets as much good water as usual. The Cubs blow open a 2-1 lead in the 8th with a 5-run inning off Aaron The Terrible. Felix Pie (Spanish for Felix Foot) uses his hands to bash a three-run homer.
Tuesday, April 22nd: Cubs 8, Mets 1. Joe Smith and Jorge Sosa were the guilty parties in this one. Nelson Figueroa left with a 3-1 deficit. The Mets get all of two runs and ten hits at Wrigley.
The Marlins have kept on crushing bad teams (I thought they were one, but maybe not), and have their 1-1/2 game lead back, with Atlanta and Philly a half game back of us. Now it's on to Washington. You think the pope left any chaw in the locker room?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
ONLY 14 INNINGS? PFFFT!
I missed it of course, but the Mets scratched home a run in the 14th inning on a leadoff single by Damion Easley and two wild pitches and a throwing error by Joel "That Pederast" Hanrahan (who'll get a demotion if he keeps this up) to complete a sweep of the Nats by a 3-2 score. The Mets and Nats got no sympathy from the Rockies and Padres, who played a 22-inning yawnfest that only recently ended.
While I was awake, Nelson Figueroa was strong again. He only faltered for three batters in the 4th, giving up a single off his glove to Ryan Zimmerman followed by a no-doubter home run into the Mets bullpen by Nick Johnson and another single by Lastings Milledge. He finished with 7 IP and 2 ER on 3 hits. The Mets couldn't touch Nats starter John Lannan, who retired 16 batters in a row at one point after giving up a quick first-inning run on a Ryan Church RBI double. It looked the 2-1 lead might hold up with two outs in the eighth, when Church hit an easy roller to Ronnie Belliard. As often happens to bad teams, though, Belliard nonchalanted it off his glove for an error, and the game turned around completely for the Mets. After Luis Ayala relieved Saul Rivera and walked David Wright, Jon Rauch came in to face Carlos Delgado. Why the Nats didn't bring in their only lefty, Ray King, was not explained on the telecast nor could I find any
other explanation on-line. King did appear in the 12th and gave up a hit and made an error, so we was healthy. In any event, Rauch left a fastball up to Delgado, who ripped it into right to score Church with the tying run. Then they played and played and played.
Wright hit into a crushing double play with runners on first and second and one out in the 12th, which must have made the few remaining idiots at Shea lose some hope of ever going home. The Nats got two on in the 13th off Jorge Sosa but couldn't score, and didn't threaten in the 14th. Finally, the weirdness that usually occurs in a game like this made its presence known, as Hanrahan wild pitched Easley to second, threw a ball into center field to send Easley to third, and after walking the bases loaded intentionally, wild-pitched again for the game-winner.
Atlanta finally beat the Marlins, and the Phillies won big over Houston, so the contenders all moved up a game. Tonight, after a very late flight to Philadelphia (14-inning games only happen on getaway days, that's a rule), the Mets start a three-game set with the Phillies. Aces Santana and Hamels go tonight.
While I was awake, Nelson Figueroa was strong again. He only faltered for three batters in the 4th, giving up a single off his glove to Ryan Zimmerman followed by a no-doubter home run into the Mets bullpen by Nick Johnson and another single by Lastings Milledge. He finished with 7 IP and 2 ER on 3 hits. The Mets couldn't touch Nats starter John Lannan, who retired 16 batters in a row at one point after giving up a quick first-inning run on a Ryan Church RBI double. It looked the 2-1 lead might hold up with two outs in the eighth, when Church hit an easy roller to Ronnie Belliard. As often happens to bad teams, though, Belliard nonchalanted it off his glove for an error, and the game turned around completely for the Mets. After Luis Ayala relieved Saul Rivera and walked David Wright, Jon Rauch came in to face Carlos Delgado. Why the Nats didn't bring in their only lefty, Ray King, was not explained on the telecast nor could I find any
other explanation on-line. King did appear in the 12th and gave up a hit and made an error, so we was healthy. In any event, Rauch left a fastball up to Delgado, who ripped it into right to score Church with the tying run. Then they played and played and played.
Wright hit into a crushing double play with runners on first and second and one out in the 12th, which must have made the few remaining idiots at Shea lose some hope of ever going home. The Nats got two on in the 13th off Jorge Sosa but couldn't score, and didn't threaten in the 14th. Finally, the weirdness that usually occurs in a game like this made its presence known, as Hanrahan wild pitched Easley to second, threw a ball into center field to send Easley to third, and after walking the bases loaded intentionally, wild-pitched again for the game-winner.
Atlanta finally beat the Marlins, and the Phillies won big over Houston, so the contenders all moved up a game. Tonight, after a very late flight to Philadelphia (14-inning games only happen on getaway days, that's a rule), the Mets start a three-game set with the Phillies. Aces Santana and Hamels go tonight.
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