Yesterday's Game, Executive Summary: Roy Halladay...and a bunch of hits from other guys.
Star of The Game: Roy Halladay. Though I must say, the lack of strikeouts is sort of worrying. I suppose 14 groundballs makes up for it, but he's barely about the Michalak Line after this start with 41 in 80 innings.
You mean they use twelve pitchers? Watching the game with a friend of mine who's not really into baseball and explaining the roster construction. He asked that question; I don't think anyone understands why a team needs seven relievers. He's only watched about four games and each time he's tuned in, Pete Walker was pitching, so he naturally assumed there were "like, five or six."
But I have nine home runs today! I said that some teams need all those pitchers because their manager likes to manage like Mr. Burns. He got it right away. Funny, that.
But wait, there's more: Two more, in fact:
"He used to be in the NBA? Odd."
"Wait, so they're all brothers catching in the Major Leagues?"
Boxscore: Right here.
Oh yeah, Defensive Play of the Game: Joey Gathright jumping over an imaginary car in CF to make one hell of a catch.
Elsewhere: Kelvim Escobar walked five and the Angels' defense looked unangelic as Cleveland won X-2, where X is a really really big number that I don't remember.
Through the magic of digital cable, I was going to check out the Sportsnet Pacific game for once, but upon seeing "Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners" we decided not to. Good thing, because it was a stinker -- as if any Royals game can smell nice -- with Seattle winning 12-1.
Does anyone else find it funny that there are four half-decent closers in the AL East? Now it's Rivera, Papelbon, Ryan, and Ray. Think back a few years ago, when it was Rivera, Nobody In Particular, Nobody Interesting, and It's-The-Orioles-Who-Cares?
Maybe it's just me.
Since when did the All-Star Game become NL vs. New York and Boston? A chart, if you please: