The asphalt was a busy place at 6:30 on a Monday. Seven kids played baseball on the painted diamond; five men whiffled against the wall. The Commish will tell you that the teams were set by our apparel, and you would be forgiven for believing him. (Three arrived in red t-shirts with numbers on the back. Kurt Mosser was evoking the hitting spirits with a Pujols #5. Stats was channeling the pitching karma with a Strasburg #37. Tim was reliving his charity softball past with a nameless #21. They truly did look like a "team.")
BUT DO NOT BE FOOLED. The Commissioner's easy demeanor and casual digs at Red Sox opponents mask the true method of his team making. Peter Berwald is a keen study of the Matchup Matrix! Using this information he shrewdly placed Tim and Matt and Kurt on his opposing team, because he was aware that they all bat under .200 against his pitching. At least that's how it was at the games first pitch.
Peter did complete three innings of scoreless pitching on this night (including turning two fly-ball double plays!), but his teammate, Eric the Bandit was not so fortunate. With two "Kurts" on and two out in the top of the second, Stats found a way to send an opposite field triple towards the school wall to plate 2 ghosties. Peter was playing Stats to pull and there was no shot at a flyout. They would prove to be the Visitors' only runs - and all they'd need.
Pete and Eric managed just one hit through four offensive innings. They put Stats in a jam in the 5th with second and third and none out. Three straight K's ended this threat. That left Tim to close it in the 6th.
Tim immediately got in trouble - two on none out, and one run already in. Time to pull out the Cricket pitching! A strikeout of the Bandit was followed by a dramatic game-ending ground-ball double play. Yes, that's three DPs on the night. Must have been that sun in the west thing.
Pujols, Strasburg, Tim - 2
Commish, Bandit - 1
Notes:
The commish kept up his torrid pitching pace - except against Kurt who started the night 6 for 6, and ended it 6 for 8.
Two saves in three days has gone to Tim's head. So much so that he hit like a pitcher: 0 for 8 with 6 K's. It would have been better if he never swung at all because the two he put in play went for fly-ball double plays. That's right: 8 ABs for 10 outs. This made the game ending DP all the sweeter.
BUT DO NOT BE FOOLED. The Commissioner's easy demeanor and casual digs at Red Sox opponents mask the true method of his team making. Peter Berwald is a keen study of the Matchup Matrix! Using this information he shrewdly placed Tim and Matt and Kurt on his opposing team, because he was aware that they all bat under .200 against his pitching. At least that's how it was at the games first pitch.
Peter did complete three innings of scoreless pitching on this night (including turning two fly-ball double plays!), but his teammate, Eric the Bandit was not so fortunate. With two "Kurts" on and two out in the top of the second, Stats found a way to send an opposite field triple towards the school wall to plate 2 ghosties. Peter was playing Stats to pull and there was no shot at a flyout. They would prove to be the Visitors' only runs - and all they'd need.
Pete and Eric managed just one hit through four offensive innings. They put Stats in a jam in the 5th with second and third and none out. Three straight K's ended this threat. That left Tim to close it in the 6th.
Tim immediately got in trouble - two on none out, and one run already in. Time to pull out the Cricket pitching! A strikeout of the Bandit was followed by a dramatic game-ending ground-ball double play. Yes, that's three DPs on the night. Must have been that sun in the west thing.
Pujols, Strasburg, Tim - 2
Commish, Bandit - 1
Notes:
The commish kept up his torrid pitching pace - except against Kurt who started the night 6 for 6, and ended it 6 for 8.
Two saves in three days has gone to Tim's head. So much so that he hit like a pitcher: 0 for 8 with 6 K's. It would have been better if he never swung at all because the two he put in play went for fly-ball double plays. That's right: 8 ABs for 10 outs. This made the game ending DP all the sweeter.
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