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Posted 05/17/2007 at 01:42 AM
What a week, and we're only at Thursday. I don't believe in luck, I believe in breaks. I had a terrible Monday. There's no disputing that. The Tigers were blown out by Dice-K and the Red Sox. The Marlins got shut out by the Pirates. The Braves lost to the Nationals. Bad night, plain and simple. The next night was bad for different reasons. The Brewers came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Phillies thanks to home runs from Prince Fielder and Johnny Estrada to tie the game at 3-3 headed to the bottom of the ninth. Philadelphia has 6-7-8 in the order due up. Milwaukee has 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth. Just get out of the ninth, and we can steal one. Derrick Turnbow had given up the lead the night before, so here was his opportunity at redemption. First two guys retired. Okay, just get out catcher Carlos Ruiz. Not Jimmy Rollins, or Chase Utley, or Ryan Howard (who's on the DL and wasn't playing), but Carlos Ruiz. Instead, Ruiz hits a ball that hasn't landed yet and the Phillies walk off with a 4-3 win. Bad break. Later on Tuesday, after the Orioles lost 2-1 to Jesse Litsch and the Blue Jays, the Giants hold a 5-3 lead at the Astros. Okay, we can salvage one. Another gascan sets the stadium on fire, this time Armando Benitez, who gives up a two-run shot to Hunter Pence in the bottom of the 8th with two outs to tie the game at 5. Thanks Mando. Fast-forward to the bottom of the tenth, Carlos Lee solo shot, good night. Houston 6, San Francisco 5. Two walk-off homers in the same night. Two losses. Three total. 0-6 in two days. Hump day baseball, the Marlins and Pirates over 8.5 is my selection. Two leftys that haven't been very consistent on the mound, Scott Olsen and Zach Duke. 1-1 game most of the way, then the Pirates take a 3-2 lead looking for more. Runners on first and third, one out, flyball to center fielder Reggie Abercrombie. Newsflash, this isn't Ichiro or Vlad Guerrero, you can run on Abercrombie. Reggie makes the catch, makes an awful throw that gets cut off at the pitcher's mound, runner stays at third. Next batter gets out, end of threat. 3-2 Pirates. Top 8, Marlins get back-to-back RBI's from Miguel Cabrera and Josh Willingham to take a 4-3 lead. Okay Pirates, one run and we win. Nothing, shut down by the less than vaunted Marlins bullpen. 4-3 final, under, loser. Brandon Webb was masterful in his last start against the Astros, striking out ten and beating Houston 3-1. Against Colorado on Wednesday, Webb commits a costly throwing error in the first to allow a run, then in the 6th in a 2-2 game, with two strikes and two outs to Brad Hawpe, Webb gives up an opposite-field three-run homer that barely clears the left-field fence. Rockies win 5-3. (Manical laughing ensues) I decided to take a flip on the Padres/Reds over of 6.5 with Bronson Arroyo and Jake Peavy pitching. Why not? 2-1 after the second. Okay, just get a little more offense, and we can be alright. One run scored the next six innings. Bottom nine, bases loaded, Kevin Kouzmanoff up against Arroyo. C'mon grand slam, c'mon grand slam. Walk. Ballgame. 3-2. One last gasp, Royals/A's under 9. 2-0 KC after six. Something's gonna happen, and it won't be good. A's strike for two in 7th. One more tacked on in the 8th. The Royals rally for two in the ninth. Stop it! Royals close the door in the bottom of the ninth. 4-3. Winner. Great. Moral of the story, a win is a win, a loss is a loss, but when you start losing in ways you can't dream of, the other losses don't hurt as bad, because you've seen these. It will make the wins when you get "the breaks" feel sweeter.
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