First, in the Rockies/Phillies game, I was definitely shocked at a couple of things, most notably the fact that it was a pitchers' duel. These are two of the most offense-heavy, pitching-light clubs still playing, yet the final was 4-2. Equally shocking was Chase Utley's forgettable October debut...0-4 with 4 K's. I was also surprised to learn CY had another 0-4, 4 K game June 8th of this year at Kansas City. Weird. And I was just as "unshocked" to see Tom Gordon give up a big hit in a big spot (an 8th inning Matt Holliday homerun). The Rockies' bullpen is superior to Philly's and it may cost them this series.
Next, in the Red Sox/LA game, I think lots of people expected Beckett to be on, so that's not a huge surprise to me. After all, this guy was World Series MVP in '03 for the Marlins. That's not to say that everyone was expecting a 4-hit shutout by any means, but Beckett acted like he's been there before, because he has. No, what came as the biggest surprise to me, and what should be of huge comfort to Red Sox fans, was how good Kevin Youkilis looked at the plate last night. Remember, this is a guy who took a Wang fastball off his forearm in mid-September and played sparingly down the stretch. Plus, he had a simply miserable second half, going .238/7/39 with more strikeouts than walks after the break. But in Game 1, Youk went 2-4 with a bomb and 2 runs scored. If he is back to his old self hitting in front of Papi and Manny, the Sox, not the Yankees, may have the best offense in the postseason.
And finally in the D-Backs/Cubs game, Brandon Webb dominated Cubs' hitters, as expected. But what I did find a bit odd was how badly the top of the Chicago order struggled. Soriano, Jones, Lee, Ramirez, and Floyd combined to go 1-20 with a run scored, a walk, and 8 K's. Eeh.Tonight, it's Game 2 of Rocks/Phils, and D-Backs/Cubs, while the Indians/Yankees series gets underway. Should be another good night!
1 comment:
I'm not as surprised about the Rockies pitching. Over the last month their staff has been as hot if not hotter than their hitters. They are an exciting team to watch, that's for sure!
On the other hand, those miserable Cubbies took the first step toward making your boy Stark look like a genius (said in a sarcastic tone). A few days from now, Chicago police negotiators will probably putting in overtime, talking people down from ledges all over town.
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