Last week? Last year? They mean NOTHING

An offensive explosion heralds a new era of Whiff

There aren't any excuses that hold water for this one. Both teams pitched from the same damp mound, the same (extra) distance from home plate. We all played in the same low 60's temperatures. And no one had the sun in their eyes. And Stats DIDN'T make the teams.

But the Visiting team had an almost unbelievable day, while the Homeboys, their necks twisted sore from watching the hits go by, mustered a sole run in a 12-1 blowout.

Read 'em and weep

This was the second game with the mound pulled back, and all pitchers we're still looking to find the release point that put the ball in the strike zone; there were quite a few long at-bats. The big difference was, that when the home pitchers finally found it, the visiting batters connected. A lot.

After Stats surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the second, Dave Eldridge took the mound in the top of the third. Before he had recorded nary an out, Dave had surrendered more runs (4) than he had all last season (2).  Kurt, Hansoo, Glen managed three straight singles to start the inning, bringing Kurt back to the batter's box. Dave put one right out there and Kurt gave it a lusty blow to the roof - for the first home run of the season, and a Grand Slam at that!

But Kurt wasn't done. Next inning he hit a 2-run job off Peter - not just to the roof, but over the building. We have no color coding for that kind of hit, boys and girls:

Hits to the stratosphere shall be ruled home runs.

Peter would allow 6 runs that inning to complete the visitor's 12. Add it all up, Kurt went 7-for-12, 2 HR and 8 RBI. That's the only reason Hansoo's 7-for-13, 4 RBI are not the story of the game. Glen came along for the ride with a good day of his own: six singles in thirteen at bats.

I have no explanation as to why the Home batters could not make a show with the bats themselves. Peter commenced the defense of his home run crown with his first dinger of the year, a solo shot (off Glen) after his team was 12 runs down. Hansoo faced a bases loaded jam in the second, but emerged unscathed. The Homers never managed more than one runner in any other inning.

What have we learned three games into the year? There's little doubt that moving the mound back has changed the game. Longer at bats, more contact. Look at the pitching stats - Contact Avg.'s are way up. Last year means nothing: come to the park ready to hit.

And one other thing: Those of you who had intentions of moving the Tank Killabrew MVP statue from Kurt's mantle to your own (this would include me) - we're dug into a fairly deep hole already.  Damn you, Gilbert Harman!

Glen, Hansoo, Kurt - 12

Dave, Matt, Peter - 1

W: Cebulash

L: Lindsay