Bonus Gay Dame @ Pittsburgh 7/2 IGT

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Maybe you forgot: But the Mets play at 12:30 Thursday at Pittsburgh in a makeup game. This was the game rained out June 3 -- potentially preventing the Pirates from having made it a 4-game sweep. Anyway, our visit there started all our troubles last month and we owe them.

Tim Redding opposes lefty Paul Maholm. Redding's got to be worried about his job by now and a nice start would be much appreciated. Maholm was beaten up by the Mets in NY back in May, but that lineup included Reyes, Beltran, Delgado and Castro.

The Pirates have also undergone a lot of changes, especially for a team we've seen six times already this year: Out are McLouth, Nyjer Morgan & Hinske; in are McCucheon and Blastings Thrilledge -- though the latter is still rehabbing an injury in the minors. Joel Hanrahan made his Pittsburg debut in the middle-innings Wednesday and threw a scoreless inning.

Neither here nor there but its well-known the Pirates have seen enough of Ian Snell and vice-versa: They demoted him, with cause, to AAA and he whiffed 17 guys in his first start there including, I believe, 13 in a row at one point.

You can never have enough, as the saying goes.

[Guest Edgy DC]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Neither here nor there but its well-known the Pirates have seen enough of Ian Snell and vice-versa: They demoted him, with cause, to AAA and he whiffed 17 guys in his first start there including, I believe, 13 in a row at one point.

That sort of enigmatic behavior just guarantees a comng deal to the Mets, doesn't it?

[G-Fafif]

Twice in three years I've had part of series I've KTE'd rained out and made up later. The other one was what would become known as the Joel Pineiro Game...the original, I mean. This is the second time it's happened.

I'm not doing these without an umbrella anymore.

Thanks to JCL for the mini-KTE. Before today I'd say we were our own worst E.

[Guest Edgy DC]

We hung on to beat Milwaukee's best pitcher, we're getting a Pittsburgh team weakened in the short term by trades, and Phillie is starting a minor leaguer against us Friday.

This is as good a time as any to assert.

[Frayed Knot]

I had forgotten this was a day game too. Two in a row.

I agree it's time to think positive, and this song just happened to occur to me tonight for no particular reason. But I like that it did.



Wake up, put your shoes on
Take a breath of the northern air
And rub those eyes
Genuflect beneath the starry skies

Before you climb the mountain
First the foothills must appear
Step high and light
And take up your staff and shining armor

(Chin up, chin up)
You don't really have a problem
(Chin up, chin up)
In your hour of despair

And smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)
Smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)

The stars on the horizon
Stretch as far as the eyes can see
They represent the souls of those like you and me

And smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)
Smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)

(Chin up, chin up)
You don't really have a problem
(Chin up, chin up)
In your hour of despair

And smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)
Smile when you're down and out
(Find something inside you)

'Smile' -- The Jayhawks

[MFS62]

The players always like a day off. So when they have to play a make-up game, they just want to fly in, play the game and get it over.
So ...

Whaddaya' wanna' bet that this one goes at least 13 innings?

Later

[bmfc1]

METS:
Luis Castillo 2B
Alex Cora SS
David Wright 3B
Gary Sheffield RF
Fernando Tatis LF
Ryan Church CF
Nick Evans 1B
Omir Santos C
Tim Redding RHP (1-3, 6.35)

[Guest Edgy DC]

I really though Wright would get a breather today.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Jerry said no breathers, ever. (Well, not quite.) According to the Daily News this morning, Jerry says there will be no days off for David any time soon.

[Guest Kong76]

Andrew McCutchen CF
Jack Wilson SS
Delwyn Young RF
Adam LaRoche 1B
Garrett Jones LF
Andy LaRoche 3B
Robinzon Diaz C
Ramon Vazquez 2B
Paul Maholm P

[Benjamin Grimm]

Those two A. LaRoches make box score pasting for Pirates games a pain in the butt. I wish one of those brothers had been involved in the trade to the Natinals.

[Farmer Ted]

Do two LaRoches equal one Bong?

[Frayed Knot]

"Garrett Jones LF "

They're starting to clone and breed our old heros in some kind of warped attempt to build a race of super ballplayers!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Farmer Ted wrote: Do two LaRoches equal one Bong?

I'll have to check my metric conversion chart.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

But, but where's Freddy Sanchez, the National League's most dangerous hitter?

It must be some sort of DH-y ambush. CHECK THE TREES, DAMMIT!

[Fman99]

Tarp on the field, apparently.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="National Weather Forecast for Pittsburgh, PA"]This Afternoon: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 3pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. West wind between 8 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Current conditions, as of 11:53 a.m.: Overcast.

[Frayed Knot]

Has it ever NOT rained in Pittsburgh while the Mets were there?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gay Dame Dain Relay.

[Benjamin Grimm]

SNY is showing Beer Money.

[Fman99]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: SNY is showing Beer Money.

Oh good, Chris Carlin needs to be repeatedly punched in the neck until he dies more airtime.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gametime at 1:05. With any luck I can turn the channel and not watch Beer Money till then

[Benjamin Grimm]

Game is currently estimated to get started at 1:05 p.m.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And....

We're about to get underway. Luis Castillo in the batter's box.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And five pitches into his at bat, the rain starts coming down hard.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Castillo grounds out. Cora singles, Wright looks at a pitch, and here comes the tarp...

[Benjamin Grimm]

Keith is replaying the 1967 season on Strat-o-Matic. He's going to play during the rain delay, and I think he'd like to broadcast it for the fans.

[G-Fafif]

1:45 restart, allegedly.

[Fman99]

Wild pitch, walk, now two on and two out for Tatis. Guaranteed to not GIDP.

[Benjamin Grimm]

HBP loads them up for Church.