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Posted 07/26/2007 at 11:36 PM
When things aren't go well, getting squeezed here and there, one thing you can rely on is good bullpens and dependable closers...right? Wrong. If you take a shot with a team that has a questionable pen and you get burned, you saw it coming. On the other hand, two of the better closers in the bigs burned me...on the same day.
On Wednesday, I had Angels run-line over the A's, and the Mariners to beat the Rangers. First off, with Anaheim. In a back and forth game that saw Mike Piazza take John Lackey deep, then get hit in the head with a water bottle in the on-deck circle, you know there were fireworks. Luckily for me, the Angels came back to take a 6-3 lead heading into the ninth. Here comes K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez to shut the door. Lights out, game over, collect your money. Not the case.
First batter up is Travis Buck, flyball to center, easy play. Not exactly. On a play that duplicated a scene from "Major League," the ball drops in between Gary Matthews Jr, Orlando Cabrera, and Reggie Willits - stand up double. First out is always the most important, didn't get it. Still have one run to give with the run-line, so not in big trouble, yet. Shannon Stewart singles, runners on first and third, no outs. Nick Swisher fielder's choice, Buck scores, one out, runner on second. Panic time. Piazza single, runners on first and third. Uh oh. Mark Ellis walks, bases loaded. Not tragic, still a chance at a game-ending double-play. Mark Kotsay up. Three straight balls. Great. Strike. Next pitch, outside. See ya, run-line win. Marco Scutaro gives me a bit of life with a sac fly, tying the game. Potential now for a walk-off homer in the ninth - unlikely, but still possible. As expected, Maicer Izturis wins it with an RBI single. K-Rod, gets the win, I don't. Thanks, automatic closer.
Now to the Mariners game against the Rangers. Texas had taken the first three games of this series, all by a run each. Had Seattle at even money. M's take the early lead, Rangers come back to go ahead 3-1, then a 5-3 advantage. Seattle scores three in the top of the 8th to go up by a run. Got it. J.J. Putz, who hasn't blown a save opportunity since last season, comes in the bottom of the 8th. Two outs, runner on first, Ramon Vasquez up. Not exactly threatening like Mark Teixeira or Sammy Sosa. Wrong again. Putz gives up a two-run shot to Vasquez, Rangers hold on for the one-run win.
Today's moral, when things are going bad, and you can't get a break, everything goes against you, even the normally reliable guys like a Putz or K-Rod.
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