Monday, May 23, 2011
Dojers 3
Astros 4
W: Fulchino | L: Jansen
Who doesn’t love these kinds of games? Quality pitching from both sides. Tied at 1 late until the last gasps from your starter yields 2 and expectations are low for a late-inning surge, but the team comes through on their last chance. We may not get to see many like these this season – hell, wins period – but they sure are fun to watch.
For the most part, I only got to see the fun stuff at the end. I won’t bore you with things you’re likely not to care about but there was a hockey game going on tonight, too. The Dojers scored first on a solo dinger by Matt Kemp in the 2nd but the Astros answered in the 3rd when a 4-for-4 Bill Hall doubled off of starter Kershaw, then scored on a single by Q.
Norris held it together until with 2 outs the 7th, he gave up a ground-rule double to right. After intentionally walking Mitchell, he grooved an 0-2 FB to Ethier who smoked it past the mound to CF. Bourn uncharacteristically left the ball behind on his charge and had to race back to get it as the 2 runners on base crossed the plate.
FF to the bottom of the 9th, still 3-1 and Jansen on the bump. CJ K’d then newly-minted-badass Bill Hall singled. PH Downs also K’d mightily and it was not looking good for a comeback. PH Angel Sanchez did a fine job of working Jansen hard on a 11-pitch walk to bring up Bourn with 2 on. Both runners moved up on indifference, which ended up fucking the Dojers when Bourn slapped a screamer down the RF line that tied the game and left him standing on 2nd.
Jansen was seriously rattled at this point but Mattingly left him in and he promptly plunked Barmes. Up strolled Pence in another situation to be a hero and boy did he come through. A broken-bat single over the left side of the infield had Bourn gunning for home. The throw from LF was on target and on time, but for a sweet half-slide by Bourn that went wide toward the backstop but he got his hand down and slapped the plate before a tag could be laid. He did his best Willie “Mays” Hayes super-clap before chest-bumping Hall while the rest of the crew bounded out and started jumping around like a bunch of Kansas City faggots.
So was I…so was I.