6:25 - Welcome to game three of the American League playoffs between the Boston Red Sox (cue cheers) and the Anaheim Angels (cue boos). Can the Sox end the series tonight and take a few days off before the ALCS starts on Friday? Will the game take five hours? (Okay, I already know that last one.)
6:30 - The White Sox and Rays are still playing on TBS, so sorry to those watching "Titanic" on TNT and hoping to see the last half-hour. To sum up: Rose won't move her fat butt over so Jack can sit on the door with her and, you know, survive, future Rose throws away the most expensive jewel in the world out of nostalgia and sacrifices ten generations from the money it would have generated. But hey, she gets to die and see Jack again, not the guy she eventually marries and raises kids with, so it's all worth it to her, right?
6:35 - Josh Beckett was pushed back to today and game three because of worries about his arm, so let's see how he ... oops, Chone Figgins rips a double on the first pitch.
6:40 - Yikes, Varitek has been back and forth to the mound so much that the ground has permanent imprints of his cleats.
6:45 - Bases loaded after Josh lollygags to first and Pedroia has no one to throw to for the third out. I'm not saying that Josh has been shaky this first inning, I'm just saying that people with Tourette's have been calling in to ask if Josh is okay.
6:49 - Beckett walks in a run. Fenway is very quiet right now. Meanwhile, the White Sox just won, so they survive to tomorrow night, and we're back on TBS. And a ground out ends the inning, Boston down 1-0.
6:51 - Immediately we get the first FrankTV promo, and already I want to strangle him with his W. wig.
7:12 - Beckett is struggling again in the second, giving up his third walk with Figgins again on second base. He's not going to last long. Hope someone's ready for long relief tonight if we're going to win. But he gets out of it again, still 1-0 Angels.
7:16 - MLB has an ad with the slogan "There's only one October." Because apparently there are two Aprils?
7:30 - Sox have the bases loaded with two outs in the second, and a bloop turns into three runs! Hunter and Kendrick watched each other, got confused by the different colors of the grass in the outfield or something and the ball lands in between. 3-1 Boston. Good times. I'm not saying that after 11 straight wins in the postseason over Anaheim that the Sox are in the Angels' terrified heads, I'm just saying that I heard Vlad Guerrero named his new triplets Dustin, Justin and Papi.
7:46 - Finally Beckett's shakiness comes back to haunt him. Angels hit a two-run shot over the Monster, game tied 3-3. This could take a while.
8:00 - Checking the Commercial Appeal's local section ... Here's a shocker, a CK's coffee shop failed inspection with a 61. Never saw that coming. ... I thought school menus were supposed to be healthy nowadays? Shelby County schools are serving up corn dogs, chicken tenders, tacos, popcorn chicken and pizza this week. Memphis is just as fatty, with the lunch ladies plopping down chicken rings (?!?), corn dog nuggets, beef steak, pizza and tacos. As gross as it sounds, now I'm kind of jonesing for a greasy rectangular school pizza right now!
8:15 - I'm not sure if it's because we're at home, the crowd is silent and Beckett is struggling, and yet this game isn't as tense as the first two. Strange.
8:22 - This is a crazy world when I check the AP college football Top 25 and Vanderbilt is ranked No. 13. What's next, dogs and cats living together? Total anarchy!
8:27 - Mike frakin' Napoli, the Angels' catcher, just hit his second homer of the night over the Monster. Boston trails, 4-3 in the fifth. Mike Napoli? Who? Isn't he the State Farm agent down the street?
8:31 - Dad just landed in Brazil (for work, not pleasure) and asked the score. Sorry to deliver the negative news. Still, if Beckett has pitched this badly and we're only down a run, that's not a terrible thing.
8:45 - Among the winner of the "Ig Nobels," the annual award given to oddball scientific achievements, include studies that conclude that Coca-Cola is an effective spermicide, and another that says the soft drink is not an effective contraceptive. Okay, guess we'll cross that off the list, just in case. Other winners include: A study that found more expensive fake medicines work better than cheaper fake medicines; potato chips that sound crunchier taste better; women are more attractive to men when the women are at peak fertility; and pesky armadillos can affect archaeological dig sites. (On the web: improbable.com)
8:50 - Youuuuukkk!!!!!!! Double off the wall, tied at 4!
9:45 - Not much happening. Jacoby just overslid second base and got tagged out. Bummer.
10:00 - 3 1/2 hours later, still tied at 4 in the eighth.
10:10 - Val thinks we're going to Florida at the end of the month for our anniversary. I'm really going to get away from the election coverage at work for a week. I'm tired of the coverage, and even more tired of listening to my co-workers slam Palin and treat the Obamessiah like it's illegal to criticize him.
10:20 - And we're headed to extra innings.
10:40 - We're going to need some heroics. Chances are this will go at least 12 innings since both Papelbon and K-Rod will pitch two innings.
10:55 - The Sox leave the bases loaded.
11:00 - Did I mention I have to be at work at 4 a.m.?
11:05 - I don't miss college for the classes, I miss the hijinks. I miss dorming with Steve and Patrick, coming home to find a construction light blinking in the bathroom and a picnic bench and shopping cart in the living room, and not even feeling concerned or surprised.
11:10 - Papelbon finishes the 11th, and has tied the record for scoreless postseason innings with 20.
11:15 - This looks to be a boring fall for big movies. With the new Harry Potter pushed back to next summer, it's the new Bond flick, "Quantum of Solace" and nothing else. Drek here, drek there, drek everywhere. This is the AP's description of "Repo! The Genetic Opera": " Organ-donor recipients who can't make their payments face repossession in this horror-musical that features Paris Hilton." Sounds like a winner. And on Christmas Day, why not check out a Tom Cruise movie about a German trying to assassinate Hitler? Deck the halls, indeed!
11:19 - Jacoby struck out on a pitch that TBS showed was a foot wide of the plate, but since he complained about the pitch before this was a classic "up yours" call by the umpire.
11:30 - Five hours later, the Sox ground out with a runner on second to send the game to the 12th inning. Too many missed opportunities to wrap this game up.
11:36 - Javier Lopez is so gracious. Our reliever has given both Aybar and Anderson their first hits of the series, and a run is pushed home for a 5-4 Anaheim lead.
11:47 - Red Sox lose. Tonight, game four at 6:30 central time, see if we can end this at home!
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8 comments:
Man, I'm hoping for a Red Sox/Dodgers WS..How cool would it be to see Beckett put one in Manny's back...
I'm a little more intrigued by the Sox having to face the artillery that is known as the first 8 batters in the Phillies line-up!
Oh yeah and my play by play of the Phils/Brewers yesterday....
1st batter of the game - Good Bye Mr. Spalding!
5th batter of the third inning - Good Bye Mr. Spalding.
6th batter of the third inning - Good Bye Mr. Spalding
End of the top of the third - Good Bye Mr. Starting Pitcher!
Third batter of the 8th, who was also the 5th batter in the 3rd... Good Bye Mr. Spalding
Oh yeah, and in a similar to a cat playing with a lizard it is going to kill, they let the Brewers score 2 runs to give them a little hope.
We'll be hosting the Dodgers on Thursday in the NLCS.
Jorge, I'm sure that's what Fox is rooting for. After the Dodgers' win the other night, the TBS reporter asked Manny if he had anything to say to the Boston fans, which is stupid, because the fans didn't trade him, and he's celebrating with his new team, so shut up reporter.
Michael, no offense, but if we can finish off the 100-win Anaheim Angels, I'm not exactly quaking in my house shoes over Philly's offense. After all, pitching wins championships! Bring on Jamie Moyer!
Just because Moyer was playing HS ball while you were craing in your diaper and wiping it on your face... :) besides, he's beat every team in the major leagues.
Congrats, Red Sox vs Tampa is as it should be. Now why do we have to wait three days for more playoff baseball? (I know the schedule allows for 5 game series)
If memory serves me correct, we played the Phillies a 3 game series at Philadelphia this year and won the series. Lester beat Moyer and Masterson beat Kendrick. Phillies only win was against Bartolo 'now in the DR and off the roster' Colon.
Good memory, Dad.
All games at Philadelphia:
June 16, Phil wins 8-2. Here's how the MLB.com story opens: "Billed by some as a possible World Series matchup four months from now, nobody could be more pleased than the Red Sox that Monday night's contest between division leaders had nothing close to October ramifications. ... Bartolo Colon, who lasted just four innings because of back stiffness, gave up six hits and four runs, including three homers." Hamels earned the win for Philly.
June 17, Bos wins 3-0. Lester pitches 7 shutout innings and strikes out Ryan Howard three times, Jamie Moyer walks five in five innings for the loss.
June 18, Bos wins 7-4. "Jeered every time he went to the plate, J.D. Drew silenced the Phillies fans by going 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Mike Lowell also went deep to help Justin Masterson (five innings, two runs) pick up his fourth win in six starts." Kendrick gives up six runs in three innings for the loss.
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