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Cubs somehow improve 39-60, clinch series win
Mets don’t have the pitching of the Nationals, drop to 59-41
POTG: 3B A RAM (2 H, HR, 3 RBI, SF, on fire)
Runner Up: SP Z! (HR! and also pitching [W #11, career #59] or something – I wanted to give POTG to him here but such a decision would ruin the integrity of these awards), RP Bobby Howry (Save, the definition of a high leverage out), C Hank White (2 H, 2B, 3 RBI, all the way up to .250!), CF Juan Pierre (2B, BB, 2 R)
No 7 – so so close, though.
My eyes are locked to Baseball Tonight, in case they say something about Z (which they already did) or Harold Reynolds (who I don’t feel as strongly about.) The SportsCenter anchor uttering the words “ESPN has no further comment” was pretty fun by itself.
This is yet another game where I was waiting for the train to go off the tracks, and it very nearly did. Dempster was quite ticked to be pulled, but he absoltuely had to; he had bad control and was rapidly getting worse. I don’t know if this is the end of Dempster being a closer (Dusty is slow to move people out of their roles, if you haven’t noticed), but it’s the beginning of the end if he doesn’t stop walking people. There’s no reason a three run save should be that fraught with danger.
Speaking of walks, Z’s going to break his season record for walks sometime in April if things keep up. I’m not sure if I should be worried..
IP H BB OBP 2003 214.0 188 94 .326 2004 209.2 174 81 .314 2005 223.1 170 86 .293 2006 146.0 103 77 .307
His hits are so down, it’s making up for his walks. Does that work? I guess we see.
(Nope, Baseball Tonight opted not to say anything.)
Tommorow’s game is a weird 11 AM start (darn East Coast) – will Prior still be pitching by noon? I think…no.
It’s days like tomorrow that I wish I had XM2Go service, as I’ll be on the road from Fresno to Oakland to watch the BoSox-A’s game.