Thursday, April 15, 2004
The Team that Never Sleeps
If it wasn't for the two rainouts this week, the Red Sox would've played the most baseball of any team in baseball so far, by far.
They're in extra innings. Again. If this keeps up, Francona's pen is going to be shot, and even the Nation is going to start feeling tired. They've watched a lot of innings so far.
A week ago tonight vs. these same Birds, the Sox played a 13-inning, 4 hour and 37 minute marathon and lost.
On Easter, they played one of the better games of this young season and won 6-4 in 12 on a walk-off home run by David Ortiz.
And tonight they've been rambling on for over four hours, and look like they're headed for another extra inning loss to the O's.
I've watched or listened to the majority of these three games, and I've come to the conclusion that watching the Red Sox lately is the feeling you have after eating a over-flowing plate of chocolate chip cookies. It's baseball. It looks good in the early part of the evening. But multiple four-hour games in one week simply leaves one feeling bloated.
If it wasn't for the two rainouts this week, the Red Sox would've played the most baseball of any team in baseball so far, by far.
They're in extra innings. Again. If this keeps up, Francona's pen is going to be shot, and even the Nation is going to start feeling tired. They've watched a lot of innings so far.
A week ago tonight vs. these same Birds, the Sox played a 13-inning, 4 hour and 37 minute marathon and lost.
On Easter, they played one of the better games of this young season and won 6-4 in 12 on a walk-off home run by David Ortiz.
And tonight they've been rambling on for over four hours, and look like they're headed for another extra inning loss to the O's.
I've watched or listened to the majority of these three games, and I've come to the conclusion that watching the Red Sox lately is the feeling you have after eating a over-flowing plate of chocolate chip cookies. It's baseball. It looks good in the early part of the evening. But multiple four-hour games in one week simply leaves one feeling bloated.
Nice Work If You Can Get It
While catching up on some of the work I didn't get to during the day, I have the Red Sox-Orioles game on the radio behind me. And in the corner of my computer screen I have the steady stream of the Minnesota-Cleveland game courtesy of MLB.com.
One game is a slugfest, tied at 7. The other is 1-0 game, featuring a gem of an effort by Brad Radke.
Pedro Martinez' effort tonight (5 IP; 8 H; 7 ER; 7 R; 4 BB; 3 K; 2 HR; 103 pitches) was his worst since Opening Day last year, when the Jays smacked him around for 10 runs. He'll get a ND, along with the O's starter Sidney Ponson who was equally as bad.
Radke will be carrying a shutout and the slimmest of margins into the bottom of the 8th at the Jake. I assume he's coming back out, even though Romero is throwing in the pen b/c 1) His pitch count is still under 100 (97) 2) He's doing arm stretches in the dugout and 3) He's pitching awfully good still. 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K.
The Twinkies just tacked on an insurance run on a solo shot by Koskie.
----
Some wins are bigger than others: Today was a big win for the Phillies. And that was a big home run by Mike Lieberthal.
---
How good are the Marlins pitching? Here's a couple factoids.
Their team ERA is 1.22. That ranks #1 in all of baseball. The next lowest: Cincinnati, 2.79. The next lowest after that: Montreal, 3.11.
They shutout the Expos today to run their record to 8-1. That was their 3rd shutout of the season. There have been six shutouts in all of baseball this season, and they have half of them.
They have allowed 53 hits. The next lowest number in that category is 62 by the Reds.
Their 75 strikeouts rank 2nd behind only the Kings of K, the Cubbies.
While catching up on some of the work I didn't get to during the day, I have the Red Sox-Orioles game on the radio behind me. And in the corner of my computer screen I have the steady stream of the Minnesota-Cleveland game courtesy of MLB.com.
One game is a slugfest, tied at 7. The other is 1-0 game, featuring a gem of an effort by Brad Radke.
Pedro Martinez' effort tonight (5 IP; 8 H; 7 ER; 7 R; 4 BB; 3 K; 2 HR; 103 pitches) was his worst since Opening Day last year, when the Jays smacked him around for 10 runs. He'll get a ND, along with the O's starter Sidney Ponson who was equally as bad.
Radke will be carrying a shutout and the slimmest of margins into the bottom of the 8th at the Jake. I assume he's coming back out, even though Romero is throwing in the pen b/c 1) His pitch count is still under 100 (97) 2) He's doing arm stretches in the dugout and 3) He's pitching awfully good still. 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K.
The Twinkies just tacked on an insurance run on a solo shot by Koskie.
----
Some wins are bigger than others: Today was a big win for the Phillies. And that was a big home run by Mike Lieberthal.
---
How good are the Marlins pitching? Here's a couple factoids.
Their team ERA is 1.22. That ranks #1 in all of baseball. The next lowest: Cincinnati, 2.79. The next lowest after that: Montreal, 3.11.
They shutout the Expos today to run their record to 8-1. That was their 3rd shutout of the season. There have been six shutouts in all of baseball this season, and they have half of them.
They have allowed 53 hits. The next lowest number in that category is 62 by the Reds.
Their 75 strikeouts rank 2nd behind only the Kings of K, the Cubbies.
