We’re all better with a little learning

Travis Denker knocked in the winning run for the PawSox in the 14th inning last night. Photo taken by Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.net in April 2009 and used with permission.

Red Sox win handily in Baltimore. PawSox have to claw out a win in Pawtucket in fourteen freaking innings. Both games were so different but ended the same way…with me happy. And, some days, it’s all about me…if I’m happy, everyone is happy (at least, everyone around me!). The only sour note of the night came out of Buffalo where my man Kyle Snyder had a rough night, giving up two hits and two earned runs – including a home run, in just over an inning pitched. The Bisons drop another (this one in extra innings) and it bums me out to see Kyle (and the team) struggle.

Triple-A rookie Tobi Stoner threw six shutout innings in his first home start and the Bisons built a 5-0 lead through seven. Then came the most epic bullpen meltdown in Coca-Cola Field’s 22 seasons — four relievers combined to get torched for 12 runs and 15 hits in the final three frames.

With closer Elmer Dessens gone to the New York Mets, there was no relief for the crowd of about 1,200 (5,358 tickets were sold). Kyle Snyder and Jon Switzer gave up three runs in the eighth. Eddie Kunz gave up four runs in the ninth as Charlotte pulled even at 7-7 and Tim McNab yielded five after a 16-minute rain delay in the 10th.

Ouch. Guess it wasn’t a good night for pitching around the International League North.

Michael Bowden also struggled in Pawtucket. He couldn’t make it through five innings and in those four plus innings he gave up eight hits and four earned runs (including two home runs). Let’s just chalk it up to having a bad night. Old friend Javier Lopez also pitched an inning and gave up one hit, struck out one and didn’t give up any runs. Good with bad, right?

I’ll be heading to Pawtucket Tuesday night to see Enrique Gonzalez pitch against the Syracuse Chiefs. It’s been a while since I’ve hit McCoy and I’m really looking forward to it. I won’t be taking a camera – it’s strictly a fun night out with friends – but I’m hoping to bring back news of a great game and another win!

On Wednesday the baseball gods have blessed us with an afternoon game! The final game in this Sox/Orioles series is at 1:35pm – and I’ll be live blogging it – Josh Beckett v Brad Bergesen. I’m looking forward to it as it’s been a while since I got to live blog an afternoon game. But before we get there we have to deal with the next game: John Smoltz going up against Rich Hill at 7:05 Tuesday night. I won’t be around for the game but intend to get the most out of my technology to keep up with what’s going on.

Congrats go out to Jonathan Papelbon. Who might make me uneasy most every time he takes the mound but you still can’t deny he’s a damn fine pitcher. Monday night he got his 132nd save (which ties him for the Red Sox save record with Bob Stanley). As much as he makes me reach for the Tums, I really do hope he gets his 500th save with the Red Sox.

And I leave you with this random bit of information. Maybe you already knew it…it’s news to me. Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan? The cousin AND Godson of one Lou Pinella. Small world, huh? I guess now we know where Dave gets his hot-headedness from.

Tonight John Smoltz is going to show us that the first inning of his last outing was an aberration*.

Right?

(* I wanted to make sure I spelled aberration correctly, so I looked it up. Next to the spelling was this sentence: “In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since.” I think it’s time that Ask.com updated their entries!)

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