Wednesday, August 20, 2008

7.2 5 2 2 4 4

This was an evening touched by the Fates. I violated a cardinal rule: I spoke of a streak while we were in the midst of that streak. The result? Well, predictable indeed. Said streak was kaput. It was the Fata Mattcainia, that "fog of war" that descends upon our youngster's games. He has the third-lowest career (50 starts) batting average against in the NL (.225) and the third-lowest run support average (3.91). He is known around here as "Mr. No-Decision," and is famed in song and saga for his rotten luck. This season, the team has scored only 69 runs in his 27 starts! You do the math. He has a lifetime 30-38 record. So in the 4th inning I was casually remarking, mind you, casually, to mi amigo JC, that Matt Cain had a 13-game homerless streak going on. Sure, and don't you know, Jeremy Fookin' Hermedia hits a pop fly to the only place in the park where a pop fly is a homer, and the FloMars are up 2-1. This is followed two innings later by an out-of-character offensive outburst that put us up 5-2. Bonehead naturally felt that after 112 pitches--7 WINNING innings--and 29 batters that MC should pitch ANOTHER inning. He gave up two ropes that were--luckily--outs. Then, still throwing 95 mph, he walked Dan Uggla. Bonehead had seen enough. Ya think? Does anyone else read Pitcher Abuse Point charts? That's rhetorical, of course. I know you do. Someday, we hope and pray, so will Bonehead. Alas, the Fata Mattcainia appeared to have let us be. We cruised into the 9th with a three-run lead, full of confidence. I had visions of .500 for MC (not since he was 1-1 on April 22, 2007, had he reached such seasonal heights).

It was bound to happen. Wilson had a save streak of 24, tied with Beck and Nen for 3rd all-time in SF history. I opened my mouth earlier, and got slapped down hard, a streak in tatters. I kept my mouth shut in the 9th, but my earlier transgression, apparently, was still in play. I got beaten down again, this time with a 3-run opposite-field bomb by an ex-Golden Bear with 97 MLB ABs who was born the year I graduated from that venerable university.

We won, though. That's good. The Fates cursed Matt Cain again, but somehow the team escaped their wrath. I know, I should be happy that he pitched well and that he has pitched consistently well since the Break. But I'm greedy and selfish and I want W's on his ledger, damnit. Is that so much to ask?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's not too much to ask.

Anonymous said...

Although I hesitate to admit it, but it was not your fault. It was Krukow's, who was talking about the same thing just before the pop/hr. Mr. Malo on El Lefty Malo has a discussion on overuse of pitchers. It does not look like over use to me, at least not yet.

Brother Bob said...

So now we care about Ws? Good for you.
Quoth the other MC:"It doesn't matter if I win 6 games or 20 games. The important thing is the success of the team." What a gamer.
I say the important thing is that Pabloooooo is hitting .500!