Tim Wakefield (with Scott Schoeneweis) can finish off the series with a sweep! Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission.
Maybe the Blue Jays are just cranky about their own front office selling them out and giving the Phillies three home games in June that should have been theirs?
Before I gloat about last night’s game, honestly, could they have found a worse way to screw their fans and their team? I’m sorry but the fact that they’ll use American League rules and that statistically the games will be considered Toronto home games does NOTHING to change the fact that 1) they’ll be playing in front of a Phillies fan base instead of their own and 2) the Jays fans get hosed out of being able to welcome Roy Halladay back. (Also, the team hosed the fans AGAIN but not giving them refunds but VOUCHERS for another game. This isn’t like a rain out. THEY made the decision to move the game and the fans shouldn’t have to be penalized for it.)
And as a cherry on this sundae of a PR disaster, we need to give a shout-out to Bud Selig:
A spokesman for Major League Baseball said a neutral site for the three games was not seriously considered by the commissioner’s office.
Because why would Major League Baseball want to actually make the games FAIR?
While I sympathize with the Blue Jays fans, the amount of “The umps give your team all those games in Boston” and “Why is everyone in Boston so fat” emails I received last night makes my sympathy last only so long. And now it’s gone. 🙂
How about Daisuke, huh?
Only a blind Toronto fan couldn’t see how dominating he was last night. While there will always be questionable balls and strikes called, most of Matsuzaka’s strikes were pretty damn well obvious. And if we’re blaming the umps, do we blame them for the fact that only a handful of Jays got the bat on the ball and only two of them made good enough contact to get hits? (Fred Lewis and John Buck, with two hits each last night, making up the only four hits the Blue Jays got.)
It was absolutely amazing to watch because you can’t tell me there was anyone out there, including Tito, who thought we’d get a seven-inning, 106 pitch, three hit, one run, NO WALKS, nine strike out game out of Daisuke Matsuzaka? To say he came up huge when the team needed him to is a massive understatement. Today’s game runs the risk of getting rained out (disappointing on many levels but for me mostly because I’m going to be there) and who wanted a loss hanging out there (especially after this weekend?). At the very least, the Sox just won the series and that’s all I ever really ask for.
For the record, Thursday is a mutual day off for the Sox and Jays with the Blue Jays playing at home on Friday and the Sox playing in Detroit so, in theory, they could make up today’s game tomorrow afternoon. With a 60% chance of rain at 2pm (the game starts at 1:35pm) that might not be such a crazy theory.
Oh and there was this thing called offense last night that was pretty sweet as well. Eight hits and six runs (let us not overlook the importance of OBP with eight, count them eight, walks last night as well) were more than enough to get the job done. Jason Varitek smashed another home run much to the delight of everyone in chat last night. For possibly the best piece written about out Captain in quite a while, check out Alex Speier’s “Things We Learned” from last night. Speier makes the point that Tek knows he’s Victor Martinez’ backup and that it hasn’t changed the Captain’s attitude at all:
A few snapshots illustrate the dynamic.
Right after the Sox traded for Martinez at last year’s deadline, Varitek sat at length with him in the Baltimore clubhouse to discuss the pitching staff as well as game planning for the Orioles.
At the end of the 2009 season, following the Sox’ elimination against the Angels, Martinez sought out Varitek in the cluttered clubhouse and embraced his teammates, with the two discussing quietly how much they had enjoyed working together.
Prior to Tuesday’s start, Martinez wandered into the clubhouse looking for Varitek, stopping by the captain’s locker for a conversation that quickly turned into robust laughter.
So, regardless of how the wins and losses come, can we please stop with the whispers of what bad chemistry this team has?
Thanks to everyone who stopped by, whether chatting or just lurking, for the live chat last night. We’re now four for four!
Because Beckett’s back has a boo-boo, we get Wake today for the cold, rainy game. This could work in our favor. Give ’em hell, Wake!
Don’t forget, weather permitting, the game is at 1:35pm today! A sweep would be so sweet, wouldn’t it?