Mediocrity until the 9th

• Posted by motle on April 10th, 2007 filed in Game Day Gab

Kiesler was mediocre. Not a blazing fastball. Not a sweeping curve. He is, after all, a AAA pitcher that is filling in until the rotation is back intact. With that said, he perservered. He gave us a chunk of innings. A few bad pitches.

Bats went silent again. They held Albert Pujols in check. A Miles base running blunder didn’t help on a hit and run. A line drive shot by Edmonds was just bad luck.

Rolen has back spasms. We need him in the lineup.Eckstein led off the 9th with a solid hit off their closer Torres followed by a Duncan walk. I don’t care who his daddy is, Chris Duncan has a very good batting eye. Pujols teases us with a long flyball out to the track. Speezer singles in 2 for a tie game. thanks Jason Bay for the throw to 3rd. Then the PRESTONE Double Play. Automatic out.

Hancock and Flores pitch the perfect 9th.

Bennett leads off the 10th with a smack single to left. A nifty double play turned by the Pirates lets the wind out of our sails.

Eckstein error. Ugh. ………Brad Thompson HBP. Ugh……. WOW. Thompson fights out of that inning with a curve in the dirt to fan Jason Bay.

11th- Schumaker solid single up the middle. Eckstein bunts him over. Dunc coaxes another walk (sorry Chris, but you watched strile three and got lucky). AP pops out… OUCH. Strand 2.

Bottom of the 11th finds us back in the mediocre groove again. We have not looked sharp very often this year. I just never have sense we are definately going to win. Pirates get 2 on with one out and then do not score. Preston Wilson almost gave me some severe health issues on that flyball.

Mr. Automatic Out leads off the 12th with a big swinging strikeout. Nice going, Preston. Gary Bennett a 3 hit night. NICE. What is even NICER is Aaron Miles getting 4 hits tonight! Molina gets the Intentional pass for Skip Schumaker.

DOUBLE WOW. Sending Bennett was stupid/gutsy and then Paulino dropped the ball. WOW WOW. Gary Bennett might be the slowest runner in MLB and a shallow fly that Bay may have rather weak throw. Paulino dropped it. Jim Tracy has to be appalled.

WE WIN. IZZY does his job.

Fortunate win.