Friday, May 06, 2005
How bad does Chicago hate LaTroy?
So I'm watching Phils-Cubs on the computer. So many weird things.
Phillies are lighting up Prior early. First inning two liners to the warning track but both caught. Second inning, homer, double off wall, walk, single, bases loaded nobody out. Prior then strikes out the side and that's all the scoring until the bottom of the eighth.
By the way, the new Cubs announcers suck rope. Especially Brenly. If there ever was the master of "conventional wisdom" it's him. I didn't hear a single thing that I haven't heard 1000 times from other schlep color guys.
Bottom of the eighth, Manuel brings in the Composer with a guy on second and one out. Predictably, in the non-start-of-ninth-inning-comfort-zone, he gives up a homer to Dee Lee. 3-2 Cubbies and on to the ninth.
Hawkins starts out by giving up singles to the first two batters. After a strikeout, he walks Jose Offerman. The next two batters are Mike Lieberthal and the Composer. Bases loaded, one out. Manuel pinch hits Polanco for Lieberthal, who lines a shot up the middle that is speared by Hawkins. LaTroy holds the ball for what seems an eternity before firing it through Dee Lee into the bleachers, perhaps truly aiming for one of the Cubbie Closer Critics. Two in and man on third. He then strikes out the Composer who stays in to bat but doesn't get the coveted two blown saves in one game.
Here's the funny part. The official scorer passed on to Sportsline that the two runs were EARNED RUNS! I guess they figured that it would have been better to have just had the single up the middle and kept it to one run, and that by catching the ball, it constituted a hit. The scorer will be heartbroken when the league tells them they have to be unearned runs but for now it cracked me up.
