Better Things

Games 27 through 30 - Mets

Mets 7, Phillies 5
Mets 7, Pirates 3
Mets 10, Pirates 1
Mets 8, Pirates 4
Record: 17-13

I love winning. You know, it's like . . . better than losing? And despite the Red Sox' and Phillies' recent formulae for success, the Mets are doing it with the normal recipe -- better starting pitching. Using actual quality starts or at least six strong innings rather than Ollie Perez's brief outings ("O.P. Shorts" for those in the know) and the like, the Mets have strung together seven wins in a row. Better than losing.

It hasn't been all about the starting pitching. Well, in part it's been about playing the Pirates over the weekend. That team is struggggling. It's also been about getting Delgado and Castillo back -- and having them pick up where they left off. It's been about Brian Schneider staying injured, so Omir Santos can keep playing.

It's been about the Golden Boys Reyes & Wright playing through some periods of suckitude and coming out the other end, performing more in line with their usual levels. It's been about Gary Sheffield doing a lot of clapping and chatting in the dugout. So long as he doesn't start barking about PT, keep on keepin' on.

And it's been about the bullpen, with the exception of Sean "Shufflin' Up to Buffalo" Green. Even Pedro Feliciano has been not-terrible. I still wince when he enters a tight one, but less emphatically and with fewer expletives.

And it's been about playing the Pirates. Braves come to town now, with Derek Lowe figuring to make the Mets rue the day (who talks like that?) they lowballed him.

Yeah. It's less funny when the Mets are winning, but I'm sure it won't be long before comic relief hits MLC once again.

1999

Games 30 through 32 - Red Sox

Red Sox 7, Rays 3

Rays 14, Red Sox 5

Red Sox 4, Rays 3

Record: 20-12

Fortunately for me, we party for real on Mother's Day at my house. So hard, in fact, that I slipped beyond the boundaries of consciousness precisely as Jonathan Papelbon put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out in the top of the 9th last night. The last thing I remember thinking is, "I hope they only get one here".

I'll let Terry Francona tell the rest of the story. "Pap really turned into Pap," said the Sox skipper after the game. Indeed he did, punching out Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton, and Sox-killer Carl Crawford in succession. SoSHer AgentOrange put it succintly, saying, "After that inning, all I can do is laugh. And go change my underwear." Really glad I had that last glass of wine.

Lost somewhat in the bullpen's once-again game-saving heroics is yet another middling effort by Sox starters. Sure, Josh Beckett only gave up 3 runs, but he also only went 6 innings, and he gave back a 3-1 lead. As of today, the non-Wakefield contingent of the rotation carry ERAs more commonly associated with softball pitchers: 6.42 (Beckett), 6.31 (Lester), 6.90 (Penny), and 5.28 (Masterson) - not to mention the tidy 12.79 that sent Daisuke Matsuzaka to the DL.

All that, and the Sox are 20-12. This can't be a bad thing. Though the groin injury Dustin Pedroia suffered last night and Kevin Youkilis' lingering maladies may prove to be. In the beastly Jason Bay we trust.

Last night's win kept the Sox from their 5th consecutive series loss to the Rays, delaying Tampa's final payment on their ownership option. The Sox don't see Joe Maddon's boys again until August, and I know I'm not the only Sox fan grateful for that.

Bitch

Games 28 & 29 - Red Sox

Indians 9, Red Sox 2

Red Sox 13, Indians 3

Record: 18-11

We interrupt our regularly scheduled inanity for a bracing dose of the real world. Cancer, friends, is a motherfucker.

Jerry Remy's been absent from Sox telecasts for the past few weeks. Speculation about the cause has ranged wildly. Yesterday NESN posted a statement from Remy regarding his situation. It seems that the RemDawg's cancer was caught early and treated effectively, which is a blessing, but he tried to do too much, too soon and is suffering the consequences. I hope and believe my favorite broadcaster this side of Bob Costas will be back with Don Orsillo, laughing at dumb jokes and shilling Wally merchandise soon.

I've got a real bone to pick with cancer. It's way too prominent in my family, and in millions of other families. Baseball's easy - lose one, and there's always tomorrow. Your guy gets drilled, you knock down one of theirs. Real life gets messy.

So while there's a lotta ball left, metaphorically and literally, you still gotta take a minute and tell the people in your life how much you love them. Rolling that particular ball out isn't something that should wait.

Sugar We're Goin' Down

They got Manny. 50 games. PEDs. I don't believe any of them at this point. Time for an ollie-ollie-oxen-free moment from the league - admit it now with full immunity, or risk permanent ban from the game. Overkill? Yes, absolutely. Necessary? Sadly, probably. The game's a laughingstock in the midst of a once-in-a-generation economic turmoil. They'll never lose people like Team MLC, but the league runs the risk of losing everyone at the margins, and that's a revenue source that'll be very difficult to recapture in the short term.

There's a rational, sober post on this topic to come, with a discussion of the incentives driving risk-taking behavior, incentives that we as fans create. This ain't it. To hell with all of them.

Take Off!

Game 25 - Phillies

Mets 1, Phillies 0

Record 14 wins, 11 losses - 1st place

Last night I watched hockey. Specifically, game 3 of the Caps-Pens series. Now I have long conceded that I know nothing about hockey and I often annoy hockey fans by proudly proclaiming this fact. Its not that I dislike hockey. Seems like a cool sport. I give into my natural lust for violence now and then and hockey offers up ever lovin' spoons-ful of bone crunching violence about every 35 seconds. My aversion to the sport is based solely on my admittedly obnoxious ethnocentric idea that we don't import Canadian culture - we shove ours down their throats. OK, there was the brilliant John Candy, Dan Aykroyd and Mike Myers but it seems for every Canadian funny man who came out of the cold to make us laugh so hard we peed our pants, there are annoying Canadian divas like Celine Dion, Shania Twain and Anne Murray whose recordings were used at GTMO to break Khalid Sheik Mohammad. (For the record, I don't support torture.)

Anyway, where was I? Oh yea, I don't really watch hockey because I don't want Canadians to think I dig something they hold sacred. I resist hockey even more this time of year when Caps fans (suddenly, everyone's a Caps fan) start asking me if I watched the game. I usually reply with something like, "yeah, that Zimmerman sure is on a tear lately." These new found canuck-ophiles don't know a two line pass from icing but now I am supposed to get caught up in "rocking the red?"

Last evening, a friend invited a bunch of us to watch the game at his house and although I had the urge to say "but first pitch isn't until 10:05 - the Nats are in LA", I decided its time to stop being such an annoying prick and just hang out with the guys, have a beer and make odd references to Bryan Trottier to bolster what little actual hockey knowledge I possess. That's poetic, isn't it. A baseball guy trying to stay relevant amongst a group of hockey fans hours after posting how you need 8 earned runs to beat my first place ball club. You want to read a good post from someone who knows a lot more about baseball than me and who happens to be a lot funnier and able to cram a lot more arcane cultural references than I? Go read Whit. You want to laugh at an idiot? Well, do check back from time to time. I promise to post more frequently that every 3 weeks.

Second Guessing

Games 25 & 26 - Mets

Mets 4, Braves 3
Mets 1, Phillies 0
Record: 13-13

My friend Nick knows a lot about the Philadelphia Phillies. He does. He's been a fan since he wasn't old enough to know better. He follows them, watches them, peruses their boxes (not boxers, TJ, you perv) daily, and actually provides a good bit of insight on them.

But please . . . please don't read his post from earlier today if you want confirmation of this assessment of Nick.

It included, verily posited, the following tidbits of observation about the '09 Phils:

"The starters ERA is 6.49! The pitching staff has surrendered 46 home runs!"
"Through 24 games, the Phillies have kicked only 5 balls. 5!"
"All 132 runs surrendered by the Phillies staff are earned. That's gotta be a record, huh?"
"a defense that gives away absolutely nothing more."
"These dudes are on a tear . . . The team averages 6.49 runs a game"

"So the early line on the Phils is this: You can beat them but you're gonna need about 8 runs - all without out any help."
"enjoy scores reminiscent of a great Steelers vs. Ravens game."

Within hours of Nick's snapshot of what to expect from his ballclub, we saw this:

- The dudes on a tear getting shut out
- The Phils starter (the worst on the staff by far) throwing six scoreless innings in fine fashion
- The Philly D committing three errors, allowing an unearned run, and losing the game
- A 1-0 final score never seen in the AFC North

Uncanny. Nick does know his team and he knows this game. It was simply as if the Phillie cosmic forces attempted to say, "Yo, dude . . . you don't post for three weeks and now you come back talking all definitive-like? Get a little of this, why doncha?"

Here's all you need to know about this game. Carlos Delgado walked, then Fernando Tatis hit a dribbler to third that scored him. Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned the spazzy-mcgee throw from Pedro Feliz that went north and wide of first, then Jayson Werth quadruple-clutching before throwing home to just miss Delgado.

Nickstradamus, tell us what's going to happen tomorrow night!

Lucky Town

Game 27 - Red Sox

Red Sox 7, Yankees 3

Record: 17-10

We've a time-honored ban on cape-tugging 'round these parts, and I'm certainly not going to violate it. The forces of karma long ago won the argument with Team MLC. Case in point: Peter Angelos and his decade-long wandering in the wilderness.

That said, given the choice to have the Sox win their first 5 games of the season against the Yankees versus any other start, I'll take the 5-game winning streak. The Sox dented Joba Chamberlain for 4 in the first last night and Josh Beckett and the bullpen made it hold up despite allowing a whole gaggle of Yankees to reach base. Style points, last I checked, were not a column in the standings.

The torrid Jason Bay hit his 7th longball of the season to cap the opening frame, and Team Japan closed the Yankees out in short order in the endgame, as Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito spun 3 hitless innings to back Beckett. Also noteworthy, last night's win marked the Sox' 15th consecutive triumph with rabbit's foot Nick Green starting at shortstop.

The lesson is obvious: karma hates Julio Lugo. I hope the front office is paying attention.

One Way or Another

Game 24 - Phillies

Phillies 10, Cardinals 7

Record: 14 wins, 10 losses - 1st place

24 games are in the books. That's about 15% of the season completed. The Phils are in first. If you weren't following them day to day, you'd be inclined to say "sounds about right." Ah, but if we were to look at if from different perspectives - perhaps say, statistically - then you might say "how the hell did they manage to win 14 games?"

Consider this:

The Phils starters have logged only 130 1/3 innings pitched over 24 starts for an average of just over 5 1/3 innings a start. The starters ERA is 6.49! The pitching staff has surrendered 46 home runs! It's as if they are pitching every game against the 1961 Yankees.

Those statistics usually translate to a won/loss record more familiar to Nats fans.

There must be some yang to this ying. So there is. Through 24 games, the Phillies have kicked only 5 balls. 5! Simply amazing. Ryan Howard usually has that many all by himself when May rolls around. As awful as the starting pitching has been, the club enjoys its present perch in the rankings thanks to a defense that gives away absolutely nothing more. You beat these Phillies because you earned it. All 132 runs surrendered by the Phillies staff are earned. That's gotta be a record, huh?

Here's some more yang for you. The Phillies pen, despite the loss of Brad Lidge for a period of time, is still pretty sharp. The pen ERA is at 3.99. Not exactly superb but good enough to keep the Phils in the game. That's important because the final piece of the yang pie is the offense.

These dudes are on a tear. Raul Ibanez, yes Raul Ibanez leads the club in home runs with 8. Pat who? Ryan Howard has cut down on his strikeouts - he had only 20 in April compared to 38 a year ago. Shane Victorino has been hitting the ball like Lenny Dykstra on really good vitamins. Chase Utley has returned to pre- hip injury form. The team averages 6.49 runs a game which is about a run more than they surrender. Hence, 14 wins against 10 losses.

So the early line on the Phils is this: You can beat them but you're gonna need about 8 runs - all without out any help. I don't believe this is a good recipe for defending a championship but I am optimistic that the Phils are in good shape. Myers, Moyer, Hamels and Blanton are good enough to start eating innings and honing their ERAs down to a collective 4.5 and did I mention Jimmy Rollins is hitting .208? I suspect that the more conventional approach to winning games (solid starting pitching) will end up carrying the club. Until then, enjoy scores reminiscent of a great Steelers vs. Ravens game.

It's Like That

Game 24 - Mets

Mets 6, Braves 4
Record: 11-13

Whatever corner of the bullpen Oliver Perez was sitting in last night, let's hope he was watching. John Maine started down the steps to Ollie Hell, then made the necessary adjustments and reversed course. Three second-inning walks led directly to three runs for the Braves and had Mets Township collectively groaning. (Groans replete with f-words.) That was all the damage, however, that Maine would permit.

Ollie Perez's inability to make such adjustments is why he's no longer in the rotation. His mechanics are on strike. He's beyond in-game tweaks. He blames a knee injury, which I hope is legit. That can heal, and lost velocity might be recaptured. Without it, Oliver Perez is not a $36M pitcher. (With it . . . so you're telling me there's a chance.)

And frankly, why we want a mad walker in the pen as anything but mop-up is beyond me. The manager's nightmare is relievers who walk the first batter. Wanna bet what happens in his first appearance? I think we're seeing the power of a five-year guy who doesn't want to spend time in Buffalo.

Anyway, last night was about Carlos Beltran. A pair of two-run dingers off his blue-flame bat (for once, not a slag on his masculinity) carried the Mets to the win. He's still prone to Cerrano-style flailing at that elusive strike-three curveball, as in his second at-bat, but his first poke against Javier Vazquez immediately altered the game's momentum in a sport where that can be hard to do. Carlos is now sporting a tidy little .400/.500./611 clip. Nifty.

Dee-Dub also chimed in with a two-run job of his own. Just to say, "Hey, let's hold off on Daniel Murphy's coronation for just a spell, eh?"

All in all, a pleasing performance against one of the teams I wish horrible ill upon at all turns. Let's run it back tonight.

Hooray Mets (in a Jamaican accent).

Behind the Wall of Sleep

Game 26 - Red Sox

Red Sox 6, Yankees 4

Record: 16-10

I see you, Papi. I see you.

Or, more pertinently, I read about you. Rain in New York combined with an abundance of compelling sports action last night to ensure that I saw only the slightest bits and pieces of the Sox' first ever game in the new Yankee Stadium. For the most part, I greatly enjoyed what I saw.

I managed the remote effectively enough to get from the Caps/Pens game (and what a glorious display of star power that game brought, with matching hat tricks supplied by the incandescent Alex Ovechkin and the pouty Sidney Crosby) to the Sox/Yanks tilt often enough to see the Sox' first 4 runs. Coming as the did by way on single tallies in each of the first 4 innings, I count this a fairly impressive use of infrared technology. Papi's pair of doubles contributed significantly to the first and third of the Sox' runs, and had me nodding along with the big fella.

Sleep overtook me somewhere in the middle innings, though I did wake up just in time to hear/see Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira hit back-to-back homers to take a big chunk out of the Sox' lead. Fortunately for my heartrate, I did not wake up just in time to catch Jonathan Papelbon's high-wire act(s) in the 8th and 9th innings. In every rain cloud, a shiny silver lining.

No Paps tonight, then, so it'll be up to Ebby Calvin to put his particular train back on track. Don't make me go all Papi on you, Josh. I'll do it. Don't think I won't.

Point/Counterpoint

We've worked hard here over the past 6 years to build a sustainable brand. Blood, sweat, tears...all that crap. Also, alcohol. Today, though, comes confirmation that we've made it. Just hours after my lamentations about David Ortiz' woeful, pitiable, worrisome (stop me at any point, really) start, Papi himself responded directly to MLC:

"This is my seventh year here. If you don't know me at this point, [expletive], what can I tell you? Who you been watching, the Anaheim Angels? You know what I'm saying? It will come. It will come."I'll be back. Write that [expletive] down."

Awesome. Consider that [expletive] written down. You had me at the first '[expletive]'. And who the hell are the Anaheim Angels?

(h/t to Surviving Grady)

Oddfellows Local 151

Games 23 through 25 - Red Sox

Rays 6, Red Sox 2
Red Sox 10, Rays 5
Rays 5, Red Sox 3
Record: 15-10

The Red Sox' 25-game records since 2003: 16-9, 15-10, 13-12, 14-11, 16-9, 15-10. So no particular solace or sorrow to be read into this year's .600 mark. I daresay, though (because I won't be researching it) that none of those seasons featured 2009's 2-6, 11-0, 2-4 stretches all in the first month. And so odd is the order of the day, odd and vexing. Consider:

The Sox' starting pitching has been among the very worst in the league, dead last in ERA (5.75), as a matter of fact. They've given up the second-most walks in the league and carry the third-worst WHIP (1.57). I don't even want to consider how bad the numbers would be you take out Tim Wakefield's 3-1, 2.91 start. (Also, I don't have a calculator handy.) The rotation is averaging just over 5 1/2 innings per contest, placing an inordinate amount of stress on the bullpen.

Which, in accordance with 2009's confounding thematics, has been rock solid. The pen carries a 2.93 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP, good for 3rd and 4th in the league, respectively, despite pitching 83 innings, the circuit's 3rd-most. Ramon Ramirez has been a revelation, authoring 15 scoreless innings. Oft-maligned Manny Delcarmen has been only slightly less terrific, giving up a single scratch in 14 1/3. I'd like to see how good the numbers would be if you take out Javier Lopez' 0-2, 9.39 start. (Still, no calculator.)

Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ledger, the Sox are getting strong to spectacular performances from a goodly chunk of the lineup. Jason Bay leads the AL in walks, in addition to clouting 5 HR and carrying a 1.053 OPS. Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, Nick Green, and Jason Varitek have all delivered .800+ OPS numbers (2 of these are not like the others). And Kevin Youkilis has arguably been the AL's best offensive player, clubbing 6 HR and driving in 20 runs while amassing a nifty 1.253 OPS, and providing world-class protection for the #3 hitter in the order.

Who, in accordance with 2009's confounding thematics, has been finger-chewingly, wince-inducingly, remote-hurlingly awful. Last night, with 2 out in the top of the 7th and the Sox leading, 9-5, the Rays intentional walked Pedroia to get to David Ortiz. That's a little bit of statement about the defending league MVP, but it's a Tolstoy-worthy epistle about the once-feared Papi. Ortiz walked, and that's about the best the result the Sox could've expected. The Large Father totes a sweet .600 OPS through 25 games, with 0 HR, 12 RBI, and one more extra-base hit than Nick Green in 40 more ABs. Worse, he looks lost, overmatched by pitchers who he used to treat as nothing more than appetizers.

I wrote this about Papi in 2004:

David Ortiz is a big, giant stud. Tizzle's .954 OPS is sparked by 23 HR and a league-leading 78 RBI. He's a threat to hit the ball out of the county every time he comes to the plate, and his swing is a joy to behold - bat head dropping into the slot, ball just disappearing as if pulverized before reappearing in a majestic arc behind the rightfielder. On top of all that, he's a terrifically silly man who appears to realize that he's playing a little kid's game for an assload of money.

None of those descriptors are remotely apt in this odd season. And this, chief amongst the concerns, is my single greatest worry. The production, sure, but even more, the joie de vivre. Because without Papi, the Sox just aren't the same.

Fingers crossed, brow wrinkled, counting on small sample sizes to explain things my eyes don't want to believe.

Money for Nothing

Game 23 - Mets

Phillies 6, Mets 5 (10)
Record: 10-13

I enjoy music. I mean, I really like music. From the era of LP's to cassettes to CD's (I was fortunate enough to miss 8-tracks by 3 or 4 years), I perpetually invested money I didn't have into the various music media. And then the first format came along that might have some semi-permanence -- the mp3 file. It still remains to be seen how I'll be listening to Give 'Em Enough Rope or Summerteeth in 2018, but it was pretty obvious even in MLC's inaugural season of 2003 that the digital media was going to last longer than, say, the Sony MiniDisc.

And somehow, defying every budgetary bad habit I had, when it came time to make the investment on the mp3 player, I looked squarely at this little product Apple had produced -- you might have heard of it: the "iPod" . . . and bought something else. Cheaped out. I wasn't sure if the iPod was worth the investment, although the truth is that I spent plenty on the player I bought. Seemed like I was actually being prudent.

I was actually being an idiot.

What I bought was a slightly less expensive piece of equipment that became utterly obsolete very quickly. It held all of 128MB, so like 25-30 songs. The software was clunky, the earphones hurt, and the operation of it wasn't all that user-friendly. Dammit.

It was the right idea to spend a little less, given how much I'd already dumped into my music collection. It was a cool little product for a very short period of time. But given the prominence of music in my day-to-day, spending a chunk of change on something that was below top-grade just wasn't all that bright. And I had to wait it out a while, painfully, until I could eventually pony up and (convince my wife to) buy me the real deal. The iPod.

New York Mets
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
O Perez	2.1	5	4	4	6	2	0	77-36	9.97

Live for Today

Game 22 - Mets

Mets 7, Phillies 4
Record: 10-12

Doing a little liveblogging from the MLC satellite office in Norfolk. And in the time it took me to type that, Jose Reyes grounded routinely to first. Nothing like setting a tone and sending a message. 26 outs left.

Chan Ho Park on the mound?? I . . . I'm gonna shut up. I want to say something, but I know it's gonna come back to haunt me.

After a four-pitch walk to Alex Cora, here comes Daniel Murphy. Really? Awesome. Love this kid. On a related note, David Wright has changed his at-bat music to Old 97's "The New Kid."

Home run, Daniel Murphy! 2-0, Mets.

I tell you again
Don’t get too settled in
Oh, you will be replaced
You will be replaced
By the new kid

Beltran walks, Dee-Dub walks on 4 straight. Good to hear you, Phillie phaithphul.

As an aside, I have the Phillie booth on Extra Innings tonight. They're fine, not bad, but not close to Harry Kalas. Weird not to hear him . . . and to know he's not just taking the middle innings off.

3-0 on Church. Makes you wonder what the hell Reyes was swinging at.

Two gifts from the man in blue. 3-2 count. Please, give to UNICEF instead.

And now a 3-6-1 DP. Only the New York Mets could get a mere two runs out of that debacle of an inning from Chan Ho. No, we couldn't possibly. All right, if we have to, we'll take 2. But that's it, okay?

Pelf on the hill for the Metmen, returning to the rotation after being injured/sucking. Pelf, in case it hasn't been made obvious, we need you.

And the Phils announcers show that a DW baserunning quirk helped the Phils turn the DP. Sweet, Dave.

Philly gets 1st & 3rd on an Utley plunk (heh heh) and a Howard hit, but Jayson Werth grounds out easily to third in the spot in the PHL order Pat the Bat used to occupy. Boy, am I glad Burrell's in the AL now. Inning over.

Tatis singles. Santos doubles. Ramon Castro gets on Orbitz for one ticket to Oblivion (airport code: OBL). 2 sac flies (including a near-the-wall shot by Pelf), and it's 4-0. THIS IS A LEAD OUR TEAM BLOWS.

Sorry.

But it's true. Up four runs early is like being down four late for the Mets.

Beltran walks (keep taking, lads), Wright offers a bad swing at a worse pitch and double to left-center. Booth boys illustrate that a half-decent curveball would've left D-W flailing.

Intentional walk to Tatis to get to Omir Santos. Wow. Castro now on Expedia. Nothing round-trip available . . .

Sac fly to shallow right. Awesome baserunning by Beltran to score, but he has the worst body English in baseball. He was clearly safe, but just got the foot in by a fraction of the second, then popped up and looked at the ump as if to say, "Was I safe? I honestly do not know." Get up clap your hands, make it no mistake that hell, yes, you were safe. Come on, dude. 5-0.

Shpeedy Shane Victorino singles. Pelf throws it away on a pickoff move for his first career error. Tatis looked as though 1B was not his natural position, although, to be fair, at this point in his career, I'm not sure he has a "natural" position any longer.

And Pelf gets dinged for three runs in bottom 3. Free passes hurt, but Pelfrey just wanted to fit in with the rest of the Mets' staff in the clubhouse. 5-3. The whole lead-blowing thing now seems pretty obvious, eh?

Mets come right back and go 1-2-3. A clockwork orange and blue.

Beltran doubles, and while stealing third, Dee-Dub singles him in. Bad acting job be damned, Carlos Beltran is starting to carry this club on his back, and I'm not sure I'd ever thought I'd say that. 6-3.

Raul Ibanez makes a second catch in left that Pat the Bat Not Glove . . . hmmm, no way.

David Wright tagged out trying to steal. Hey, gotta keep Chan Ho in this game somehow. Doing the little things, as they say.

And Tatis doubles again. Dave, what you're doing on the basepaths . . . I'm not seeing it.

The Phils walk Santos intentionally, reading the lineup card right this time. Pelf comes up, and Uncle Charlie yanks Chan Ho. Not a lot of faith.

And Pelfrey knocks one into right off Chad Durbin for another RBI! Ha! Charlie Manuel will explain it later with a fishing analogy that has no analogous merits. 7-3.

Jose Jose Jose proves that he doesn't just open up innings with outs (twice tonight), he ends them, too. That is versatility, friends.

Did You Know??? Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. used to be the Phillies' batboy. How about that?

Top 6, Beltran walks and steals with two down, DW grounds to third. Have a bad feeling about the bottom of this inning.

The Mets' 5-4-3 machine is missing 3's like Rob in our intramural days. Now with one out and runners on first & second, Jerry Manuel comes out and pulls Pelf.

. . . for Pedro Feliciano. Now I really have a bad feeling about this inning. Crap.

Weird play, and the Mets got lucky. Grounder to Reyes, who bobbles it and throws it hideously in the dirt near D-W and the sliding runner, skipping on by towards the dugout. But it stays in play, and Santos expertly snags it, so the runner can't score . . . unbeknownst to Greg Dobbs, who'd rounded second and found himself within a few feet of Chris Coste at 3B. After a horrible-looking pickle with nearly wild throws that was reminiscent of T-ball and followed not a single one of the fundamental rundown rules (let it suffice to say that they ended up tagging Coste out at home), the Mets are very fortunate too get that out.

And the Phils dribble that opportunity away. 7-3 after six, and only their dunder-headed play keep the Mets from proving my uneasiness more than just withdrawal symptoms.

Jerry Manuel bats Pedro Feliciano with one on and two gone in the 7th. Hmmm. And he walks! It brings Jose Reyes to the plate, who launches one to deep left pitcher's mound. 3 down. Jose knows how to book-end an inning tonight, baby.

Feliciano rewards Jerry's faith by hanging an 0-2 cheesy poof that leadoff hitter Chase Utley deposits in the right-field seats.

Did You Know??? Mets manager Jerry Manuel is going to be the Mets' batboy. How about that?

In Feliciano's defense, like Murph's HR in the first, that ball doesn't leave many parks in the majors, minors, or our men's softball league. In my defense, Pedro Feliciano does this to us seemingly all the frickin' time. 7-4.

Feliciano settles down and gets the Mets out of the 7th. Now someone get him out of the game before the 8th.

Uneventful 8th and top 9. Here comes Frankie. And down they go. A very nice lack of drama.

Drive On

Game 22 - Red Sox

Rays 13, Red Sox 0

Record: 14-8

It's been brought to my attention, once again, that my mother reads MLC (as does a Philly fan friend of hers, for what it's worth). That fact will necessarily constrict my choice of descriptive language for at least the few weeks it takes me to forget it.

Golly, but Josh Beckett sure looked dreadful last night. Ebby Calvin, we thought you were long gone. Not that it mattered, as Matt Garza dominated the Sox lineup, taking a perfect game into the 7th inning before Jacoby Ellsbury's weak single snapped the streak of outs. C'est la vie, I suppose - chalk up one of the 35 and move on.

Mom taught me not to say anything if I couldn't find something nice to say. About Boston, the nicest thing I've got is that last night's Celtics/Bulls was indescribably good. Just like 4 of the other 5 games in the series. I'm no NBA historian, but it would be hard for me to believe that any other first round series in league history matches this one for competitive intensity and drama.

The Red Sox? Meh. FIDO (I'd explain what that means, but, you know.)