Special October Edition OOTS: 10-03-06

[Guest Rotblatt]

And we're off!

Johann Santana is, as the kids say, dealing in the Oakland-Minnesota Game 1 matchup. 1 inning, 13 pitches, 2 strikeouts.

I love October.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Zito starts it off by walking Castillo, but he's promptly caught stealing. Little Nicky Punto flies out to right & the AL batting champion, "Chairman" Mauer, grounds out to second baseman Mark Ellis to end the inning.

14 pitches for Zito and we're scoreless heading into the second.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Santana falls to 3-1 on Frank Thomas, who launches the next pitch over the left field wall.

1-0 Oakland with no outs in the top of the second.

[duan]

the metrodome went SOOOO quiet.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Frank may yet regain his once-unstoppable HOF career track.

[duan]

he's a hall of famer even if he retired today.

Jay Satan's on with a bloop.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Yeah, that's true. He's just playing like one again for the first time in awhile.

[MFS62]

duan wrote: . Jay Satan's on with a bloop.

And Marco Scutaro drives him in.
2-0

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

Met castoffs are having a pretty good day so far. Scutaro doubles in Payton with two outs to give Oakland a 2-0 lead.

Santana strikes out Ellis to end the inning. 38 pitches over 2 so far, with 4 K's.

Santana will have some rough innings, but he tends to rebound pretty well. Gonna need some help from the offense, though . . .

[Guest Rotblatt]

Santana K's another two as he sets the A's down in order. 6 K's through 3, 51 pitches.

Look out for Nevin (#8) this half inning. He crushes lefties and has sick numbers against Zito.

on edit:

. . . and he grounds out to Zito for the second out. D'oh!

Zito pitching a NO-HITTER through three innings.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Rotblatt wrote: Zito pitching a NO-HITTER through three innings.

He'd better get his no-hitter out of his system before he joins the Mets.

[MFS62]

And somewhere, Scott Boras must be smiling.
the bastard

Later

[Guest Rotblatt]

]He'd better get his no-hitter out of his system before he joins the Mets.

He pitches a no-hitter in the playoffs, and I don't know that even we'll be able to afford him.

Santana sets em down quickly this time, only K'ing 1. 58 pitches through 4.

Zito at 33 through 3. Some free swingers on the Twins. They're going to need to take a few pitches . . .

[Guest Rotblatt]

Castillo draws another walk, and this time, Gardenhire has Punto bunt him over. Mauer grounds out to second, advancing Castillo, and Cuddyer flies out to left.

Zito's NO-HITTER still stands. 46 pitches through 4.

[Willets Point]

The Twins' radio announcer sounds rather somnolent.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Willets Point wrote: The Twins' radio announcer sounds rather somnolent.

Quick! Replace him with Gary Cohen!

Gary should do every game in every city! Local broadcasters be damned!

If Gary doesn't want to travel, he can even do it remotely off a ticker tape like Ronald Reagan used to do when he was a young broadcaster.

[metirish]

] The Twins' radio announcer sounds rather somnolent.

Is he making you sleepy Willets?

[Guest Rotblatt]

Santana with another quick inning. 63 pitches, still at 7 K's.

I'm down with Gary uber al.

edit: White doubles to right to end the no-hit bid! And Nevin is at the plate with first base open.

[Willets Point]

He sounds sleepy himself. And rather laconic for a radio announcer.

Twins get their first hit. No no-no for Zito.

[Willets Point]

Hey, they have a second announcer too. Where the hell's he been the past few innings?

[Guest Rotblatt]

Damnit. Zito pitches to him, but Nevin only manages to pop up to first. At least they made him work a little this inning--he's up to 59 through 5.

At this rate, they look like they could both go 9.

[MFS62]

="Rotblatt"] At this rate, they look like they could both go 9.

Well, they won't have to pinch hit for them because of that stupid AL rule.

EDIT: every time I hear the name "Bartlett" I think of The Great Escape.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Twins strand two but don't score.

6 full innings in under an hour-and-a-half.
If this is a Yanx game it's maybe the top 3rd now.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

="MFS62"]EDIT: every time I hear the name "Bartlett" I think of The Great Escape.

I'd be more inclined to think of The West Wing.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Bases drunk with Scutaro at the plate. One out.

[Frayed Knot]

Short fly to CF can't get Frank Thomas in from 3rd (a long fly might not have either)
Then a foul fly ends the innings and leaves the sacks drunk w/none scoring.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Now it's 2-1 thanks to Rondell White's homer in the bottom of the 7th.

[Willets Point]

Rondell's roundel cuts the lead in half.

[Frayed Knot]

It's spelled RonDL White ... in honor of his frequent injuries.

[Frayed Knot]

Big Hurt's 2nd HR makes it 3-1
A's still batting top 9.