Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Yanks 7, Twins 2, Nice Start to the Playoffs

First-ever postseason game at the second-ever Yankee Stadium. A very good performance all around. 104 down, 10 to go.

Nice start by CC Sabathia, getting into the 7th, with relief help from Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Joba Chamberlain and that closer guy, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Mariano Rivera. No walks until 2 outs in the 9th.

The Twins actually got a 2-0 lead in the 3rd, but a great throw by Nick Swisher in right field stopped it from becoming 3-0. Only one more minor threat from the Twinkies after that.

Derek Jeter wipes out that 2-0 lead with a home run down the left-field line. There are still people who say "Jeter is not clutch" or "There's no such thing as clutch hitting." These people are goddamned morons and they can kiss my Pinstriped ass.

A-Rod got two RBI hits? In the words of the immortal Redd Foxx, "Oh! Oh! This is the big one! I'm comin', Elizabeth!"

Home run by Hideki Matsui. Glad to see that. I liked him from day one, and his contract runs out this year. If this is it for him in Pinstripes, I want him go to out a champion.

Joba pitched in the postseason for the first time since The Bug Game. One batter, one out. No big deal. Ah, but this is October. Everything is a big deal.

I'm also glad to hear Yankee Fans chant, "MVP! MVP! MVP!" for Jeter, despite the likelihood of the Twins' big run to the AL Central title wrapping that award up for Joe Mauer, who did go 2-for-4 tonight, but drove in no runs and stranded two runners. It's "Most Valuable Player," and Mauer wasn't particularly valuable last night; but then, MVP voters are asked to only consider the regular season, which is completely idiotic: A season doesn't end until a World Champion is crowned.

The Yankees did all of this despite the home plate umpire being Tim Tschida, who may be the worst ump in the game, now that the hideously incompetent and deceitful Bruce Froemming has retired. That Tschida sucks, especially behind the plate, is one of the few things on which Yankee Fans and Red Sox fans can agree.

How many of those damn Corona commericals do we have to see? Most of them are totally stupid! But I do like the one where The Body walks in front of the couple, and the guy stares at her too much, and his wife squirts him in the ear with the lime. Not the one in her beer, but the one in his. Far be it for her to waste her own lime. (Damn, that line sounds dirty, but it's not.)

Another bad set of commercials is the official MLB ads for the broadcasts on TBS and Fox. "Beyond Baseball"? Nothing is beyond baseball! Not even hockey!

One commerical I did like is the one for the California avocado industry, where the guy hosting a party says he forgot the guacamole, and in the game he's watching on TV, the batter, catcher and umpire all yell at him through the screen for it. The ump says, "You! You're goin' to the store! You're outta here!"

The Phillies beat the Rockies to take Game 1 of that series. Cliff Lee went the distance. Is it that Charlie Manuel trusts Lee that much, or that he trusts his bullpen that little? It certainly gives them an extra day's rest.

Dodgers and Cardinals are just underway in their Game 1. (Edit: Dodgers won.) Tomorrow, the Yanks are off, with Game 2 of Phils-Rox and Dodgers-Cards, plus Game 1 of Red Scum-Angels.

Friday, Game 2 of Yanks-Twins, first pitch 6:07 PM, followed by Game 2 of Scum-Halos. Game 3 on Sunday in Minnesota, and, if necessary, Game 4 on Monday in Minnesota -- either game could, and should, be the last baseball game ever played in that stupid Metrodome. If Game 5 is necessary, it'll be next Wednesday in The Bronx. For Games 3, 4 and 5, no times have yet been set.

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