Turning the Corner

Game 77 - Mets

Phillies 6, Mets 3
Record: 38-39

Some days you win. Some days you lose. Some days it rains. And some days . . . it rains and you lose. Think about it.

Kaz Ishii "turned the corner" in the fourth inning last night. Turning the corner is a phrase I usually reserve for people like my friend Jay Saunders. Jay's a great guy, apart from the fact that he's an Atlanta-bred Braves fan living in Manhattan, but when he drinks to excess (God love him) a strange phenomenon occurs. One moment he'll be in the midst of an interesting conversation with you on a topic such as bluegrass music, home brewing, journalism, the price of oil, or marathons, and the very next moment he'll be stumbling around, spouting non sequiturs, and generally channeling Otis, Arthur, and Jim Ignatowski all at once. It's a split second between in control and completely out of control, and once the out of control guy shows up, it's best to try to get him to bed as quickly and painlessly as possible. Such is the way of Kaz Ishii.

Ishii pitched the first three innings without incident, then turned the corner without warning.

Walk
Walk
Walk
Strikeout
Single
Home Run

Skip Willie, who at this point recognizes a corner-turn when he sees one, raced to the mound and ushered Kaz out of the game and into the showers. Kaz, a Dr. Pepper Big Gulp and a chicken-fried steak should ease the hangover, buddy.

I'm easily amused, but I laughed at this quote:

"I don't think my control was too off. I think I just became a little too
cautious that inning," Ishii said through a translator.

If his control ever does reach the "too off" point, Mr. Met had better take refuge in the clubhouse, and the safety net behind home plate probably isn't large enough to protect the fans.

That's about all for today. The Mets play the rubber match this afternoon, weather permitting. Pedro Martinez versus Jon Lieber, and it's their rubber match as well, sort of. Lieber and the Yankes beat Pedro and the Sox in Game 2 of last fall's ALCS, but that was BC (Before Comeback). Pedro's Mets beat Lieber's Phils earlier this year. Cue the Fox Sports melodramatic pseudo-intensity: This time it's . . . just not personal in the least.

Oh, and a good Mets site has popped up on the blogosphere radar. The Musings and Prophecies of Metstradamus is a worthy addition to the links at right. You'll laugh, you'll cry (because he posts the current standings at all times), it's the feelgood blog of the summer. Makes me wistful for the heyday of East Coast Agony, RIP.