Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Game 3
*I will be updating this post for the next few innings...at least
It's the bottom of the 1st and Boston already has a 1-0 lead. For those of us who are rooting for at least a decent World Series, the good news is that the Cards are threatening with two outs and two on.
Pedro's behind Rolen 3-1.
Ball four. Bases loaded.
I've had a couple friends of mine ask me what I think about this World Series so far, and I haven't been able to muster much of an answer. As I mentioned in an email this morning, the ALCS loss took more steam out of me than I originally thought. Tonight is the first night where my interest meter is registering in the glued-to-the-tube range.
It's a night worth writing about.
After putting on one of the worst defensive displays I've ever seen an outfielder have in a big spot, Manny just threw Larry Walker out at the plate to end the first. I'm still waiting for the Cards to come up with some sustainable momentum in this series.
9:05 p.m. End of 1: Boston 1, St. Louis 0
Update #1
This has been one of the oddest times of my run as a sports fan. As if the Red Sox beating the Yankees wasn't unusual enough, they had to do it in hold-your-breath-for-four-days historic fashion. The last time a World Series game had been played in Fenway Park before Saturday night was Game 5 of the 1986 World Series. I was 10 years old and fighting my way through a case of the Chicken Pox. It was the first World Series I watched from start to finish, every inning, every game (didn't have to worry about going to school that week). It was also the first Series that I had a strong rooting interest in, and it played a huge role in my development as a passionate baseball fan.
The last time the Cardinals hosted a World Series game was just a year later, Game 5 1987 Series. I don't remember that Series nearly as well as '86, which has remained ingrained in my brain. Little blips of images and moments: Dan Gladden on the cover of Sports Illustrated, listening to Don Baylor's grand slam in Game 6 in the car driving home from my cousins', the Homer Hankies. I did keep score during Game 7, which I'm sure I could dig up in one of my haphazard cardboard boxes of old clippings, boxscores and and other assorted papers.
Two World Series from my youth, rekindled a little bit in this match-up. But it all feels so different.
I think the Red Sox are going to win it this year. I thought it before the series, and I certainly am not going to change my mind now. I just hope St. Louis can push this back to Boston for the weekend. Would like to see the Red Sox have to at least wipe a sweat off their brow, would make for some pretty good entertainment.
Suppan is settling down a bit. 9:29 p.m. after 2 1/2 Boston 1, St. Louis 0
Update #2
St. Louis got a mini-break with Suppan leading off the 3rd. As Vin Scully likes to say, he hit "a little roller" up the 3rd base line. Mueller tried to make a bare-handed pick up & throw, but couldn't beat the runner.
And Nixon just took a nasty digger on the track in right. A huge amount of water kicked up. Double for Renteria.
And now, Jeff Suppan incredulously held up between home and 3rd on a deep ground ball to 2nd by Walker, and was thrown out by Ortiz trying to go back to the bag. 1) He could've scored running backwards 2) He hesitated so long and was so indecisive that he didn't give himself a chance to get back to 3rd. A 4-3-5 DP...
That's two double plays turned by Boston: the first had the 2nd out at home on a throw by Manny, and in this one the 2nd out was at 3rd on a throw by Ortiz. No, this world can't get any stranger.
End of 3: Boston 1, St. Louis 0 -- 9:40 p.m.
Update #4
More two-out thunder from Boston. An opposite field single to left by Bill Mueller and a line-shot double to right by Nixon. 2-0.
I know it's only the 4th, and I know about St. Louis' line-up, but I can't imagine this series feeling anymore one-sided than it does now. Sure, the Cards showed some guts getting back into Game 1, but wasn't that more a case of the Red Sox falling asleep at the switch?
I dunno... I know Boston fans don't want to hear this, but for the first time, this Series is starting to feel like a formality.
I can't say enough how good the 25 second clip of "Vertigo" sounds... Sounds like the guitars are way up front in the mix. (Edge, where have you been for the past four albums???)
What's up with this show, House? Looks pretty ridiculous. Although, it looks like someone competent is picking the soundtrack.
I need a snack. They're talking to Terry Francona. Two unrelated thoughts...
It's funny that Joe Buck and McCarver have spent about 45% of the game talking about what's wrong with Pedro tonight. They're talking about his command and his velocity and pitch count and this and that. He's been lucky, no question. But he also hasn't given up a run yet. Let's at least wait until St. Louis has a run before spending all the analysis talking about what's wrong with Pedro.
Blew Reggie Sanders away. Onto the 5th.
9:56 p.m. Boston, 2 St. Louis 0
Update #5
My most memorable shot of Terry Francona occured in 1998; I think it was 1998, but it could've been '99. Francona was managing the Phillies and the Cards were the visiting team at the Vet. McGwire hit an absolute bomb to left, up into the upper deck. And one of the cameras just stayed on Francona, getting his reaction in the corner of the dugout. He had one of the most stupified looks I've ever seen on a professional coach. It was just like, "Duh? Huh? Where am I again? What am I doing with my life?"
And now the Red Sox are up 3-0 and Terry Francona is drifting closer to being the manager of a World Series winner. This is just too freakin' weird.
It's the top of the 5th and the Sox have runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. I think St. Louis can't let another run in. Have to keep it at three. They might be spittin' in the wind anyway, but 4-0 sounds like it would be too much to deal with.
Mueller up with runners at the corners and two outs.
Base hit to right, 4-0 Boston. The combination of this Boston offense against this Cardinals' pitching is not working out too well for St. Louis.
That's it for Suppan.
Damn, I'm disappointed in this World Series. I can't say I thought this would be a classic by any stretch, but I thought the games would be competitive for the most part, and name-wise you can't beat a Red Sox-Cardinals match-up. But this is developing into a dud of a series rather quickly.
Other duds:
1989: This is probably the worst World Series I've seen. There was the earthquake, of course, which made it feel like the most inconsequential championship series ever.
1992: Neither of the Blue Jays World Series appearances did much for me. This was the worst of the two. A couple of decent games and a memorable play in center by Devon White, but still ugly to think about.
2003: My bias is coming through with this pick, but who really cared about this World Series, besides the 18 Marlin fans? After the two LCS(s), this World Series was primed to be a downer, and it was. It has the upset factor to its credit, but that's about it.
Non-Yankee fans will tell you that every series from '98-'00 stunk, and basically turned the world off to baseball for three straight Octobers. It's hard to argue that two sweeps and a five-gamer constitute classic baseball, but each of those series had at least two excellent games. For objectivity's sake, I'll concede that there was an element of dudiness to them, but I thought the baseball was played at a pretty high level.
1990 was a sweep, but was such an improbable sweep that I'm hesitant to call it a dud. I think that Reds victory conjures up more good things than bad in the eye of baseball history.
Ditto for 1988, a five-gamer that had the element of the underdog going for it, one of the greatest endings of all-time in Game 1 and another game (Game 3) that ended on a home run.
1997 needed a brilliant Game 7 to have any lasting value, and 1995 was pretty non-descript, although it was a good match-up.
Going to the bottom of the 6th: Boston 4, St. Louis 0, 10:28 p.m.
Update #6
Cards have 1-2-3 up against Pedro in the 6th.
This is probably going to be it for tonight, as far as this blog goes.
Broken bat, grounder to second, one out.
My eyes are getting pretty heavy...
Pedro has really given them good starts this post-season.
Walker just hit a nothing liner to second, another broken bat. Two outs.
Can the Cardinals muster something!?
Goodnight. Pujols a swinging strikeout. Time to shut down.
Looks like the Red Sox are going to have four chances to end It. "It" meaning many things...
*I will be updating this post for the next few innings...at least
It's the bottom of the 1st and Boston already has a 1-0 lead. For those of us who are rooting for at least a decent World Series, the good news is that the Cards are threatening with two outs and two on.
Pedro's behind Rolen 3-1.
Ball four. Bases loaded.
I've had a couple friends of mine ask me what I think about this World Series so far, and I haven't been able to muster much of an answer. As I mentioned in an email this morning, the ALCS loss took more steam out of me than I originally thought. Tonight is the first night where my interest meter is registering in the glued-to-the-tube range.
It's a night worth writing about.
After putting on one of the worst defensive displays I've ever seen an outfielder have in a big spot, Manny just threw Larry Walker out at the plate to end the first. I'm still waiting for the Cards to come up with some sustainable momentum in this series.
9:05 p.m. End of 1: Boston 1, St. Louis 0
Update #1
This has been one of the oddest times of my run as a sports fan. As if the Red Sox beating the Yankees wasn't unusual enough, they had to do it in hold-your-breath-for-four-days historic fashion. The last time a World Series game had been played in Fenway Park before Saturday night was Game 5 of the 1986 World Series. I was 10 years old and fighting my way through a case of the Chicken Pox. It was the first World Series I watched from start to finish, every inning, every game (didn't have to worry about going to school that week). It was also the first Series that I had a strong rooting interest in, and it played a huge role in my development as a passionate baseball fan.
The last time the Cardinals hosted a World Series game was just a year later, Game 5 1987 Series. I don't remember that Series nearly as well as '86, which has remained ingrained in my brain. Little blips of images and moments: Dan Gladden on the cover of Sports Illustrated, listening to Don Baylor's grand slam in Game 6 in the car driving home from my cousins', the Homer Hankies. I did keep score during Game 7, which I'm sure I could dig up in one of my haphazard cardboard boxes of old clippings, boxscores and and other assorted papers.
Two World Series from my youth, rekindled a little bit in this match-up. But it all feels so different.
I think the Red Sox are going to win it this year. I thought it before the series, and I certainly am not going to change my mind now. I just hope St. Louis can push this back to Boston for the weekend. Would like to see the Red Sox have to at least wipe a sweat off their brow, would make for some pretty good entertainment.
Suppan is settling down a bit. 9:29 p.m. after 2 1/2 Boston 1, St. Louis 0
Update #2
St. Louis got a mini-break with Suppan leading off the 3rd. As Vin Scully likes to say, he hit "a little roller" up the 3rd base line. Mueller tried to make a bare-handed pick up & throw, but couldn't beat the runner.
And Nixon just took a nasty digger on the track in right. A huge amount of water kicked up. Double for Renteria.
And now, Jeff Suppan incredulously held up between home and 3rd on a deep ground ball to 2nd by Walker, and was thrown out by Ortiz trying to go back to the bag. 1) He could've scored running backwards 2) He hesitated so long and was so indecisive that he didn't give himself a chance to get back to 3rd. A 4-3-5 DP...
That's two double plays turned by Boston: the first had the 2nd out at home on a throw by Manny, and in this one the 2nd out was at 3rd on a throw by Ortiz. No, this world can't get any stranger.
End of 3: Boston 1, St. Louis 0 -- 9:40 p.m.
Update #4
More two-out thunder from Boston. An opposite field single to left by Bill Mueller and a line-shot double to right by Nixon. 2-0.
I know it's only the 4th, and I know about St. Louis' line-up, but I can't imagine this series feeling anymore one-sided than it does now. Sure, the Cards showed some guts getting back into Game 1, but wasn't that more a case of the Red Sox falling asleep at the switch?
I dunno... I know Boston fans don't want to hear this, but for the first time, this Series is starting to feel like a formality.
I can't say enough how good the 25 second clip of "Vertigo" sounds... Sounds like the guitars are way up front in the mix. (Edge, where have you been for the past four albums???)
What's up with this show, House? Looks pretty ridiculous. Although, it looks like someone competent is picking the soundtrack.
I need a snack. They're talking to Terry Francona. Two unrelated thoughts...
It's funny that Joe Buck and McCarver have spent about 45% of the game talking about what's wrong with Pedro tonight. They're talking about his command and his velocity and pitch count and this and that. He's been lucky, no question. But he also hasn't given up a run yet. Let's at least wait until St. Louis has a run before spending all the analysis talking about what's wrong with Pedro.
Blew Reggie Sanders away. Onto the 5th.
9:56 p.m. Boston, 2 St. Louis 0
Update #5
My most memorable shot of Terry Francona occured in 1998; I think it was 1998, but it could've been '99. Francona was managing the Phillies and the Cards were the visiting team at the Vet. McGwire hit an absolute bomb to left, up into the upper deck. And one of the cameras just stayed on Francona, getting his reaction in the corner of the dugout. He had one of the most stupified looks I've ever seen on a professional coach. It was just like, "Duh? Huh? Where am I again? What am I doing with my life?"
And now the Red Sox are up 3-0 and Terry Francona is drifting closer to being the manager of a World Series winner. This is just too freakin' weird.
It's the top of the 5th and the Sox have runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. I think St. Louis can't let another run in. Have to keep it at three. They might be spittin' in the wind anyway, but 4-0 sounds like it would be too much to deal with.
Mueller up with runners at the corners and two outs.
Base hit to right, 4-0 Boston. The combination of this Boston offense against this Cardinals' pitching is not working out too well for St. Louis.
That's it for Suppan.
Damn, I'm disappointed in this World Series. I can't say I thought this would be a classic by any stretch, but I thought the games would be competitive for the most part, and name-wise you can't beat a Red Sox-Cardinals match-up. But this is developing into a dud of a series rather quickly.
Other duds:
1989: This is probably the worst World Series I've seen. There was the earthquake, of course, which made it feel like the most inconsequential championship series ever.
1992: Neither of the Blue Jays World Series appearances did much for me. This was the worst of the two. A couple of decent games and a memorable play in center by Devon White, but still ugly to think about.
2003: My bias is coming through with this pick, but who really cared about this World Series, besides the 18 Marlin fans? After the two LCS(s), this World Series was primed to be a downer, and it was. It has the upset factor to its credit, but that's about it.
Non-Yankee fans will tell you that every series from '98-'00 stunk, and basically turned the world off to baseball for three straight Octobers. It's hard to argue that two sweeps and a five-gamer constitute classic baseball, but each of those series had at least two excellent games. For objectivity's sake, I'll concede that there was an element of dudiness to them, but I thought the baseball was played at a pretty high level.
1990 was a sweep, but was such an improbable sweep that I'm hesitant to call it a dud. I think that Reds victory conjures up more good things than bad in the eye of baseball history.
Ditto for 1988, a five-gamer that had the element of the underdog going for it, one of the greatest endings of all-time in Game 1 and another game (Game 3) that ended on a home run.
1997 needed a brilliant Game 7 to have any lasting value, and 1995 was pretty non-descript, although it was a good match-up.
Going to the bottom of the 6th: Boston 4, St. Louis 0, 10:28 p.m.
Update #6
Cards have 1-2-3 up against Pedro in the 6th.
This is probably going to be it for tonight, as far as this blog goes.
Broken bat, grounder to second, one out.
My eyes are getting pretty heavy...
Pedro has really given them good starts this post-season.
Walker just hit a nothing liner to second, another broken bat. Two outs.
Can the Cardinals muster something!?
Goodnight. Pujols a swinging strikeout. Time to shut down.
Looks like the Red Sox are going to have four chances to end It. "It" meaning many things...
