Snakes Streak Snapped: Reds 9 - D'Backs 8
Quickly, by my standards at least, as I did not see much of the game because of work. Guess I had better win the Lotto, soon. This working for a living stuff is getting in the way of watching the ballgames.
Both teams did all their scoring in the third, sixth, and ninth innings. The Reds committed 3 more errors. But the D'Backs proved no good at the third part of the formula "Get 'em on; Get 'em over; Get em in." They left men on base like I leave newspapers on the floor and dishes in the sink.
Chad Tracy was cold today. He went 0-5 and left 7.
Remember when I said recently that Eric Byrnes is dreadful on his first PA's? Today was NOT such a day. Batting leadoff, he hit the first pitch he saw into left field, for what would have been a single for most guys. But Byrnesie sensed that the Reds left fielder was napping and he was on second in an eyeblink. However, he never made it home. That the D'Backs had a runner on second with none out in the first inning and did not get him home indicated what kind of day it was going to be.
Byrnesie on the day was 1-3 with 1 R (Thank you, Orlando Hudson, who's 2 RBI triple scored him from first!) Byrnes also was HBP twice (OUCH!). In fact, that is why he was on first for the Hudson triple. Byrnes has now extended his hitting streak to 7 games and that includes 5 doubles. I love the doubles; he now has eight on the year. But Byrnes is overdue for a bunch of homers. (That's one way to get the RBI totals up!)
The D'Backs are off tomorrow and then they start a road trip in <licking chops> Pittsburgh.
I wore my D'Backs Byrnes/22 shirt to work today, and as I got ready to record a reporter, he asked me "Why the Arizona Diamondbacks?" To which I gave the immediate (and completely truthful) reply, "Because they have Eric Byrnes."
Congrats to Joe Torre for his 1,000th win as a Yankee manager. Yes, there specific occasions when I root for the Yanks. Their playing Texas is one of them.
Further proof that I am older than dirt: I vaguely remember Torre as a catcher. Which makes him even older than me. He was a particular nemesis of the Mets.
And as I was telling Michael of Some Ballyard, I remember seeing Willie May's Pink Caddy with the "Say Hey" license plates at Shea. (Happy Belated 75, Willie!)
And speaking of the Mets--the bad news for the Amazins is that Victor Zambrano tore a tendon in his elbow and is now out for the year. Is TJ surgery in his future? Take a look at those close ups of pitchers throwing and you know that human elbows were not designed for what pitchers do with them.
Get well soon to D'Backs' shortstop and leadoff man extraordinare, Craig Counsell, who is resting his sore back. Not only do I wish all players quick healing from their injuries just on principle, but I want Craig back in the lineup because every game Byrnesie bats leadoff, he ends up with a lot of bases empty situations, which is worst than when he ends up with slow-footed pitchers on the paths. It happened twice yesterday.
I tweaked something in my knee yesterday and hope it will straighten itself out. These major leaguers have the best health care around. I have the "Pray As You Go" Plan.
Why are there half innings missing from the Gameday data? GRRR!
K.R.
Ultimately the DBacks lost because in the bottom of the ninth BoMel pulled Byrnes from the lineup and substituted Tony Clark to PH, thus activating the You-Better-Respect-Eric-Byrnes-Or-Else curse. Stupid Melvin.
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Since I was unable to watch most of the game because I can't get MLB.TV to work on my workstation--a problem with my workstation, not MLB.TV--I didn't know if lifting Byrnes was a result of the severity of the HBP or another one of Melvin's stupid moves.
Turns out the bad HBP was the first one. Good thing they have a day off today as he needs a day to heal from that one.
They would have won if 1) They had driven Byrnesie home in the first inning. Not scoring him when he was on second base with none out and the pitcher was nobody special was a bad sign. And 2) their bullpen hadn't given up a run in the ninth. Then it would have been 9-8 D'Backs.
Yeah, I had a sinking feeling once Byrnesie was lifted, and I hoped that he was OK. But with the double in the first inning, I was hoping for one more hit and an RBI. But he got HBP twice, and DaVanon ended up getting two PAs because of one of those double switches. 'Twas a cold night for Estrada and I heard he lined out to first and the first baseman doubled up DaVanon to end the game. Sounds like DaVanon had wandered too far off base, but I haven't had time to see the replay to verify that.
But yeah, Byrnesie was pulled and I just had the feeling that this was a bad sign. Like I've said before, the more I watch the NL, the more I like the DH. And Melvin hasn't figured out that pulling Byrnesie is bad karma. ;+)
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Leaving men on base. Sounds familiar. Could it be because last weekend the Red Sox decided it would be the perfect opportunity to leave 30 men on base? We have a winner!
Yeah, there's nothing more frustrating than the (bad) old LOB. Or RISP. The Sox, up until recently, haven't been very good with RISP.
Question: If Eric Byrnes went to the Yankees, would you root for them?
-A
http://catchingredsox.mlblogs.com
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If Eric Byrnes went to the Yankees, would I root for them? That's tough. I've had nightmares about having to buy that NY t-shirt. Or, worse yet, a BoSox t-shirt. No, it's too creepy to think about. Why borrow trouble.
It's bad enough that my entire family would get on my case for rooting for EB in a Giant's uni, especially after all of the grief I've given them over that loser (how many World Series - none?)team.
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Question: If Eric Byrnes went to the Yankees, would you root for them?
Yes. In fact, I was thinking that there might have been a case for Byrnesie to the Yanks last season, when they needed a CF and it was obvious the Rockies just wanted to flip him.
There are two teams I simply could not root for if he ended up with them. The Astros and the Rangers. I'd have problems with him being a Cub too, but I think I could at least tolerate it. I hope he doesn't end up with the Yanks because he's too much of a free spirit to put up with the likes of Steinbrenner. He'd languish on their bench anyway. I can't see him signing as a free agent with the Yanks; it would have to be a trade.
After the O's let him go and before the Red Sox got CoCo, I had a couple of Red Sox fans musing about the possibility of getting Byrnesie. I would have liked seeong him banging liners of the Monster, and I think that his personality would have been a great fit for the team, especially with Millar unfortunately gone.
(Aside to Pat: I understand your aversion to rooting for the BoSox. I was at Game 5 of the 2003 ALDS. I remember Byrnesie being on 3rd as a pinch-runner for Hatteberg in the bottom of the 9th and unable to get home as two teammates took caled strike three. It's no fun watching the opposition celebrate on your field. I'm a bit more predisposed to rooting for the Red Sox now because of 2004).
But I like Byrnes in the NL because I think they pitch him more advantageously than in the AL. But without the DH, I would rather see him in the 6 or at worst 7 hole, rather than 1, 2 or 8. Those doubles of his need room away from the pitcher. He's have more RBIs and Rs that way.
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