Frayed Knot

Hey, I've got no problem putting Diaz 2nd, I like the move in fact. But sometimes we're so anxious for a move to work that we declare it a success before it ever is. Diaz is a very average 1/4 today and hasn't had a hand in any of the scoring.

Dontrelle took a 2-zip / 3 hitter in to the 9th, but a couple walks & hits plus 3 Marlin errors have given the Phils 8 runs (and counting). Oooh, that's gotta hurt!

Did you know it would work during his 2 Ks and GO or just after his single?

Is it my imagination or does everything off an Atlanta bat - hard or soft, line or fly, long or short - find some grass somewhere?

No you haven't; here are the run deficits for our losses in the 4-15 streak: 1, 3, 6, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 2, 3, 1 The wins were, of course, by a more comfortable 2, 6, 5 & 4 runs. Even reasonable luck could have turned that stretch into a much less embarrasing 7-12 instead and a couple hits here and there (and a few not here & there) and it could be even better.

Martinez - 5.7 Jacobs - 1.9 Reyes - .7 Wright - .2 (coupla nice defensive plays) Diaz - .65 Castro - .6 Beltran - .25

Bottom 9: - [u:fc3b6f77de]Koskie [/u:fc3b6f77de] hits a bullet ... but right at CFer Crosby - [u:fc3b6f77de]Gross [/u:fc3b6f77de] grounds back to the box - [u:fc3b6f77de]Zaun [/u:fc3b6f77de] singles to RF ... and gets a pinch runner - [u:fc3b6f77de]Adams[/u:fc3b6f77de] grounds into a FC and the Yanquis win Shitfuck, that one would have been fun!

Yanx go quitely in the 9th -- will go to Mariano to close it out for what I believe is the 73rd game in a row.

Jays go scoreless in their half of the 8th. 11 - 10 Papi (who else?) goes deep to tie up the A's in the 6th. 2 - 2

Yanx out quietly in top 8 -- Sturtze in to pitch the bottom

The best part (OK, 2nd best) about the Yanx not making the post-season this year will be to see the upheaval that results. Cashman - on account of not being signed - is the most likely candidate to disappear. The part about losing to Boston because they had the better advance scouting is hysterical. In the meantime I'll use this thread to talk about tonight's Yanqui game. Big Unit didn't have it at the start and was walking a bunch and gave up a 3R Jack to Vernon Wells. He then got frustrated at a ball/strike call and [u:cb18aed440]got ejcected[/u:cb18aed440] in the 2nd. As usual this only helped the club (I'm convinced that NYY pitchers can't pitch bad enough to lose a game) as they then went on to club every assorted Toronto pitcher to take an 11-3 lead. It's now the bottom of 7 and it's [u:cb18aed440]11 - 10[/u:cb18aed440] NYY with the Jays threatening to tie it up ... Nope, the 7th ends and it's still 11 - 10. Should be a fun 8th & 9th. seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" won, Boston losing early following a long rain delay.

Nothing like a 2hr 5 min game. Yanx/Jays started at the same time and were only in the 5th when ours ended. American League baseball suxx. OK, who else (besides me) almost jumped out the window when Francoeur first made contact there in the 9th? That was justbarely out on the end of his bat. "Ralph was kind of hard to follow tonight because the crowd was so loud" FSNY/MSG def mix the crowd sounds too high. On those few occasions when I actually want to hear what the crew is saying I try turning up the sound ... and then realize that that doesn't work because it just makes the background noise louder too.

The quicker way is often to take the E or F into Queens and transfer to the 7 where those lines cross which is only a few stops from Shea. They also give you more options on where to pick them up: E = 8th Ave, F = 6th anywhere below 53rd St. I've heard stories that the 7 Express does in fact exist but I have no first hand evidence that this is true.

So who else, besides me, was expecting to open this and see a shot of a 'Hooters' staff?

He hasn't picked up any velocity - and I suspect that the stories of pitchers who do following surgery are more rare than is supposed. What's happened w/Seo is that he's added a few wrinkles into things - like sliders & sinkers - and now has more than just fastball/changeup to offer. Might be a bit less stubborn than before as well.

"counter with a lefty arm" Well yeah, but that means you're taking out one of your top guys and subbing in a situational part-timer. That's worse IMO. At that point it's gotta be Robo's job. "Or we could try and find a closer who can get lefties out. Like Heilman or Robo, for example." This was during Robo's stint. The best play there IMO was to have him walk Castilla and take the chances with whatever Robbie countered with. If it was Schneider the lefty then so be it and let Robo after him. If he was hurt and unavailalbe then just about anybody else - and especially Osik - was the better option for us.

Elster88 wrote: That's what I like about this forum. People tell themselves to pipe down instead of others. Oh pipe down!

Willie's logic in pitching to Castilla - as I suspected - was that he figured Frank Robbie would counter with a lefty stick, probably Schneider. It's a reason ... just not one that I like. Saw the Matsui play on replay ... not a gimme but he shoulda had it. Welcome back Scrapple.

Diaz: - ball 1 - swinging strike 1 - ball 2 - foul strike 2 - foul - STRIKE THREE SWINGING!!!! &%&^$&%(%$#)(%)%$)$)%^)^$%&(

Castro pops out after 2 failed bunt attempts (no doubt trying to stay out of the DP). Cairo GOs to 1st, williams moves to 2nd Diaz is the last gasp PHing for the pitcher.

The only thing I can think of is that they preferred Castilla over the threat of the lefty hitting Schneider PHing for Osik. But Schneider's been hurt and may or may not have been available. Williams - IF 1B Now it's Castro, Cairo & the pitcher's spot.

Of course we can kill Looper all we want except that Hernandez coughed up 3 hits while really only getting 2 outs. Osik grounds out. In comes Cordero to face the bottom of the order -- oops, now it's Majewski. Diaz, Woodward on the bench.

Church GOs to 3rd and the runner holds (I was praying for that). Castilla up and backup catcher Osik on deck. Gotta walk Castilla here. But they don't and he singles to RF!!!! WTF?

Dunno. I'm only on the radio here. But as mentioned above with the runner off on the pitch it's unlikely that ANY ground ball would have been a DP. Wilson singles to RF - Johnson goes to 3rd but Preston is caught rounding 1st. Runner on 3rd, 1 out.

Roberto in to face Johnson, Wilson & Church Johnson - 4 pitch walk