Saturday, September 10, 2011

Two runs in three games

I was happy to see Ryan Vogelsong get the Willie Mac Award on Friday night. You can't, apparently, give it to Matt Cain every year, even though he probably leads in all the inspirational studliness categories. And Veteran Savvy Clutchness as well. If you aren't a grizzled vet after 200 starts then I want a ruling. "Point of order, Mr. Selig, point of order!" Nonetheless, Vogie was my pick all along and he deserved it. He toughed out a hard-luck start tonight and deserved better, but that sort of thing is everyday fare for Giants pitchers. Get used to it. "A run? A goddamn run? Fer chrissakes, ya think we work miracles around here?"

Friday night's game, that travesty of baseball justice, was the 144th of the season for San Francisco. It was thus the end of the 8th inning as 8 x 18 = 144. The first three innings went like this: 10-8, 10-8, 9-9. The next three innings went like this: 10-8, 11-7, 11-7. We had reason for optimism. But the regression gods just couldn't help themselves, and the Pythagorean beast finally chased the team down and gnawed out its guts. The 7th inning was 6-12, and that was enough. Follow that with 8-10 in the 8th inning and it's "stick a fork in 'em" time. The Giants start their final push, the last 18 games, the 9th inning of 2011 with a decidedly noticeable thud. That feeble display you saw tonight was against Dana Eveland, Cy Young candidate.

--M.C.

1 comment:

Zo said...

Dana Evelund sounds like a girl in a fantasy romance novel. He is yet another pitcher who will only look like a Cy Young candidate as long as he pitches against the Giants.