Saturday, August 11, 2007

Random Idiots

Game 116 - Mets

Marlins 7, Mets 5
Record: 64-52

Let's pick it up at the start of the 7th inning with the Mets up, 3-1...

The Play:
C Ross singled to left.
The Reaction at Home:
No problem. Glavine's been dodging bullets most of the night.

The Play:
T Linden flied out to left.
The Reaction at Home:
See? Told you.

The Play:
G Mota relieved T Glavine.
The Reaction at Home:
Why?? Because he's thrown 104 pitches? Because Ramirez is up? Too soon.

The Play:
H Ramirez singled to center, C Ross to third.
The Reaction at Home:
Saw that coming.

The Play:
A De Aza struck out swinging, H Ramirez stole second.
The Reaction at Home:
All right. Maybe we'll get out of this unscathed.

The Play:
M Cabrera intentionally walked.
The Reaction at Home:
Why? What? To get to Willingham? No. No.
I don't like this.
I don't like this at all.
I do not like this.
I would not like it on a boat.
I would not like it with a--
The Play:
J Willingham homered to left, C Ross, H Ramirez and M Cabrera scored.
The Reaction at Home:
Saw that coming.
Oh, God. I want to puke.

And then the Mets plated two to tie it -- and almost a third. Jose Reyes had one of the most controversial trips around the bases ever run. Bunted down the first-base line, the pitcher hit him with the throw. He was clearly inside the foul line. Called safe, shoulda been out. Then he stole second. Close play. Called safe, shoulda been safe. Then he came home on a foul pop to shallow right. Called out, and based on the shoddy camera angles I saw, I have no idea -- I'm saying he shoulda been safe, just because.

After that, the bullpen did what they keep doing again and again as if to say, "Just got off Expedia -- got a great rate on a trip to 3rd place." Heilman walked two and plunked one, Miggy drove in a pair to win it, and the Braves are now 2.5 out, the Phils 3.

Now comes news that Paulie Lo Duca is DL-bound with a re-injured hammy. You know, one can only get punted in the groin so many times in a row without suffering some permanent damage. I'm wondering when the last time a fan of a first-place team on August 11 saw such a bleak landscape.

As for the bullpen problem -- all I can say is you knew it was large, Omar.

2 comments:

Scaevola said...

Oh no, Mr. Destined to Sub-.600 OPS the rest of his career is on the DL? We're doomed!

Whitney said...

Lo Duca is not appreciated by the Sabermetricians, but he is by pitchers and teammates. He's a good catcher -- does anyone actually remember Piazza's last year here? Yikes.

Castro has way more pop, but he allowed two wild pitches and dropped a peg at the plate before succumbing to his own injury.

Now we have Mike DiFelice. Good behind the plate, but we'll really get to see what a low OPS looks like. Lo Duca is destined to be one of those guys people rail on until he leaves town and we're left with something truly sub-par.