Friday, October 24, 2014

Game 3 : KC Bullpen Lives up to the Hype

"Hola pal looks like no tv or wifi on the train so i hope you can send me text updates!! I obviously wont be able to post so maybe you can do that? Regardless Go Giants!! Kick some KC ass! We are arriving Albuquerque right now."

So that is why I got stuck writing about this kinda close, kinda depressing World Series loss, 3-2, in Game 3 at AT&T Park.  I had the dubious honor of texting almost every detail of the bloody thang and I sure don't want to do that again. Unless it is a game we win, of course. Like tomorrow.

Anyway.  Tonight will be called close and I suppose that can't be denied. Yet, I never really felt much of a glimmer of impending magic. Quite the opposite. We got KC'ed. They got an early lead and did their bullpen from heaven thing. And, yes, their bullpen does look very strong, especially Wade and Holland, who made our best hitters look very bad. Of course, so did Joe Mediocre Guthrie, their starter. In fact, our top four hitters went 0-15 with 1 walk and 1 lame RBI.  So it was hard to tell if they pitch well or we just suck at the plate. Both, I suppose.

Anyway.  Can Ryan Vogelsong recapture the magic? Will Buster ever hit an extra base hit again?  Will we get the thrill/terror of a Tim Lincecum performance?  Can I watch our offense without getting nauseous?  These questions and more will be answered tomorrow. Or not.





6 comments:

M.C. O'Connor said...

I found a public wifi network as I sit here on the train in the station in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thanks for the updates. We passes through a couple of black holes in SE Colorado and W Kansas but I did get the result.

Bummer. But let's not get all down in the dumps just yet. Plenty of baseball yet to play. Giants have the guys to win this thing, they just need to execute. A series can turn around on one play, in one inning.

We are going to the dining car for breakfast and I'll be sporting my orange and black.

GO GIANTS!!

JC Parsons said...

Thanks for the advice about the dumps but we have all been here before. It has been a while but I'm sure we all know what we have to do : summon the magic! If that means a crying depression or a joyful dance of confidence, BRING IT. Just make sure you do it WELL. And magically.

I'm far from disappointed with this team. They are a dream come true, but it is kind of a sick and twisted nightmarish journey at times. At this point I can not generate any faith in our hitting. Yesterday only Morse gave a worthy AB. Whether we can score or not seems like a crap shoot and it is starting to look like Buster and Pence have run out of gas. I do still expect us to pitch well. Like Hudson did. I have total faith in our bullpen core. Yesterday's turning point was the incredible Hosmer AB against Lopez. That was a tip your cap thing as Lopez made many great pitches. Can we do that against their bullpen? I fear the series will hinge on that question.

Brother Bob said...

I enjoyed this game because:
A. I got to watch it with my brother, JC.
B. It was "good baseball;" i.e. not decided by mistakes, like stupid base-running, sloppy defense, etc.
C. Hudson was almost good enough. It was not his fault we lost.
D. I have come to like and respect a few members of the Royals, especially Cain & Hosmer. Sue me.
E. I think we'll still win the series, unless Vogie sucks today.

Ron said...

The only way to beat a Team on an emotional high is to stomp on them good & hard & never let up. We started that process in Game 1, & had a chance to finish that job in top of the 6th of Game 2. We didn't get the job done - in fact, the Royals IMMEDIATELY seized the initiative - now, we are the Team formerly on an emotional high, getting stomped on. I started getting a sick feeling during that bottom of the 6th. KC seems to have recaptured their magic. We look like a Team that got a little too impressed with itself & bought into the hype at the wrong moment.

Last night's game was essentially over after the first pitch, a terrible pitch. We had a glimmer of hope on one additional pitch - when Buster came up with men on 2nd & 3rd in the 6th. But, he was very impatient, & his weak RBI groundout was the end for us. KC knew that they close the game out & did.

We are in serious danger of getting swept in our own park. After hitting one out, Blanco is having a recurrence of Dan Gladden disease - similar thing going on w/ Panik, who also hit a recent HR. The rest of our hitters (aside from Morse & Belt) look impatient & weak. For all of the hype about his streak, etc., Pandoval has 3 RBI's in the postseason - pretty feeble. Crawford has 1 RBI since the slam.

We need to wake up the bats, or it's over. I assume that Morse starts today against the lefty. Panik & Crawford are probably too valuable defensively to sit, but Arias & Duffy might have a better chance at the plate. I still wouldn't mind seeing Pence further up the order.

Go Giants!!!! Prove me wrong - please prove me wrong!

JC Parsons said...

The only way to beat a team on emotional high is to PITCH REALLY WELL. Don't they say momentum lasts til the next pitch? Give up your fixation on our terribly flawed offense and revel in our strong ability to DENY RUNS. Also, I feel your pain Ron, but I completely disagree that we are on the verge of being swept. The Royals had no response to MadBum and they know it. If we can win today, I like our chances to sweep them away. Although Peavy back in KC is scary...Petit is always waiting too.

We can do it. It usually doesn't take long to see if Vogelsong has it. Seems like the first inning and then the sixth are the crucial moments lately. Guess that is a sign of two very good bullpens.

M.C. O'Connor said...

We are here in Chi-ca-go Chi-ca-go and the Best Western has WIFI so I am back on-line!!! Whoopeee! And we passed Buddy Guy's Legends on the taxi ride and it's just a short walk away. Can't wait to see a show there. Had a great time on the Amtrak ride despite the poor outcome for the game. JC I feel for ya, you had to text bad news all night. I was hoping you'd be sending celebratory joy-messages! I really thought the Giants were going to win but KC stepped up. Giants have a big task tonight. Let's hope they can put it all together: Vogie has his A-game and the hitters can execute.

GO GIANTS!! Kick some ass!!