Quick Hit Thoughts Following the ALCS Game 2
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by Npurinto
1. It’s an interesting experience to watch a playoff game with a fan of the opposing team. Tonight, I watched the game in my apartment with my roommate who is a huge Red Sox fan. We had our spats especially with the inconsistent strike zone of Home Plate Umpire Kerwin Danley. The humor reached a high point when in the ninth, Ryan Garko popped one down the first base line with the go-ahead run at second. Shouts of “Get outta play!” and “Come on…get over there Youk,” filled our apartment. I think we’re still friends…
2. It’s not surprising that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are having incredible postseasons. They are locked in and the strike zone has been tight in almost every AL playoff game I have watched thus far. In Game 2, I believe there was only one called strike three. While we’re talking about the Red Sox lineup, how about the at-bats of Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis? They have an eye for the strike zone that is unparalleled in my opinion.
3. Maybe I am wrong but the drama of the eleven pitch at-bat by Kevin Youkilis against reliever Rafael Betancourt with the winning run on second and two outs was unbelievable…and shouldn’t have been taking place at midnight on the East Coast. Why is this game starting at 8:23 p.m. on a Saturday night? Regarding the AB, afterwards, I was able to take a step back and appreciate the intense drama of that moment. ALMOST. I had to take two Maalox to settle my stomach.
4. I would be curious to know how many Indians fans were comfortable with a seven run lead and Joe Borowski on the mound, especially after two singles and the top of the Red Sox lineup looming. This guy is taking years off my life and thousands of others! There should be compensation for this sort of thing…a class action suit of some sort?
5. The key to the series may very well be the bullpen. Boston had to like their chances once Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis, and Rafael Betancourt were spent. And if you had to guess who was more likely to get hammered by the opposing team, Tom Mastny or Eric Gagne, not many people would say Tom Mastny. What a performance in the tenth retiring David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Mike Lowell in order, especially when you consider that he went 2-0 on both Ortiz and Ramirez.
6. Right now, every string Indians Manager Eric Wedge is pulling is working. Allowing Trot Nixon to hit against Javier Lopez seemed questionable at the time but worked out as Nixon singled in the go-ahead run. Starting Franklin Gutierrez after a dismal performance at the plate thus far in the postseason also seemed dicey but didn’t cost the Tribe.
