A fine line
I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to read 'crushing defeat' posts on last night's game, but I actually feel good about the game, even taking into account that this was the Sox' fourth consecutive loss against the Yankees.
The facts are these: we threw a rookie out there in Yankee Stadium for his second career start and then basically ran for cover behind the sofa, only to see the rookie give up just one run over 6 2/3 innings. The game was actually lost by about a total of 10 inches: two inches higher and Cairo's ground ball goes into Pauley's glove; two inches away from Giambi and the bases-loaded walk is an inning-ending strikeout; six inches further and Manny's home run is beyond Cabrera's glove.
Anyone who's a regular on here knows that I'm a sucker for great defense - more specifically stellar catches in the outfield - and, much as I hate to do so, I have to tip my cap to Cabrera for last night's gem. Unlike Monday's nightmare last night's game was a close, well-played affair - I'm actually going to agree with YES's Jim Kaat, who said it was one of the best regular-season Yanks-Sox games we've seen in a while - and it deserved to be decided on a spectacular catch like that.
I went back to bed feeling that we gave it our best shot and just came up short - there was no massacre, no ironic standing ovation for a Sox starter, no wailing and gnashing of teeth, even when Pauley loaded the bases and Seanez came in (why no Papelbon? If there was ever a non-save save situation, this was it). By that point, we'd gotten much further than anyone could reasonably expect, which goes down in my book as a good day, no matter what it says in the win-loss column.
The facts are these: we threw a rookie out there in Yankee Stadium for his second career start and then basically ran for cover behind the sofa, only to see the rookie give up just one run over 6 2/3 innings. The game was actually lost by about a total of 10 inches: two inches higher and Cairo's ground ball goes into Pauley's glove; two inches away from Giambi and the bases-loaded walk is an inning-ending strikeout; six inches further and Manny's home run is beyond Cabrera's glove.
Anyone who's a regular on here knows that I'm a sucker for great defense - more specifically stellar catches in the outfield - and, much as I hate to do so, I have to tip my cap to Cabrera for last night's gem. Unlike Monday's nightmare last night's game was a close, well-played affair - I'm actually going to agree with YES's Jim Kaat, who said it was one of the best regular-season Yanks-Sox games we've seen in a while - and it deserved to be decided on a spectacular catch like that.
I went back to bed feeling that we gave it our best shot and just came up short - there was no massacre, no ironic standing ovation for a Sox starter, no wailing and gnashing of teeth, even when Pauley loaded the bases and Seanez came in (why no Papelbon? If there was ever a non-save save situation, this was it). By that point, we'd gotten much further than anyone could reasonably expect, which goes down in my book as a good day, no matter what it says in the win-loss column.
posted by Iain at
10:27
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