I HATE those damn towels.

I don't mind em. I have to hand it to the Zona fans tonight. They actually have a bit of life. Not as wild as Coor's will be a couple of night from now, but better than the pathetic showing they had last night.

Of course we still haven't had a questionable call there either :)

Hahaha...yeah, they can't come close to Coors even when it's quiet. Like I said, it's a hockey crowd. And I don't mean that in a bad way.

the arizona crowd must have the attention span of a fly, in between every inning there is some sort of interactive contest or game with the PA announcer/carnival barker yammering about airline tickets or gasoline...just doesn't seem like a baseball atmosphere at all. surprising, considering the area has a baseball history. I guess the franchise doesn't, though.

Good lord the announcing has been horrible in this years playoffs. Did I seriously just hear the announcer say "will the runners be going on contact?"

Ummm, it's 3-2 count with 2 outs and runners at 1 and 2. Yes, the F'n runners will be going you idiot.

Maybe they assume the people don't know what's going on, so they have to explain basic stuff to us.

Both teams get out of a jam with a leadoff double. As to the festivities in Zona, there's always been more of an "event feel" to Arizona games. Heck, the ballpark has a pool in it ;)

I think what people need to understand is that you have to be a bit "gimmicy" when your team is a decade old in a city full of transients. 80% of the fans over the age of 10 in the park tonight had a different team they rooted for back in 1995. You just can't play the "St. Louis/Boston" old time baseball game card and pack the house in that environment.

Still, the Suns had the same problem in the 70s and early 80s, yet they have sold out something like 7 of the past 10 seasons. So, it can be done, it just takes some time (and getting some true, first-time DBacks fans going).

If the Rockies can win sustainably for the next couple years, they'll have a huge base of kids who've gone to games regularly who are fans.

It's a Friday night, it's Arizona vs Colorado. Is there anybody watching this game over the age of, say, 5 years old who doesn't have some sort of decent baseball background?

I didn't say I understood the logic. I was just saying that's probably what they're thinking...

Great D by the Rockies. I have to give that ump some credit for seeing that Young hit the foot of the SS. He easily beat the throw, but it wasn't until the replay that I saw him slide into Troy's foot.

I also got a kick out of Brenly acting like Troy had some scouting report that told him Young would slide exactly to the 3-4 inches of the base his foot was covering. Come on, that was just a heady instinctive play. I doubt he got there, sized up Young, checked to make sure his foot was perfectly placed, then caught the ball.

Just a heads up to the folks at TBS

The chances of me watching Frank TV decreases a little bit more with every commercial.

I think Brenly was saying the scouting report probably indicated that Young slides head first. Because putting that foot there if Young likes to slide feet first would have been a REAL bad idea :eek:!

C'mon, you know that half a season does not a franchise make. There really *isn't* much beyond Francis. Where were they in the first half (hint: 3rd from the bottom)? Francis and Cook would make a pretty good 1-2 punch but the pair wouldn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of playoff teams everywhere. Neither are exactly Peavy or the aforementioned Webb. And it's a shame Cook is hurt because it would be a good chance to showcase him. Fogg is the only other guy who even pitched enough innings to qualify for an ERA title this year and he is what I said- erratic- brilliant in some games, crap in others. Not exactly what you draw up when you're going into the season as your best playoff rotation.

SI

That's three straight innings Jimenez has been playing with fire and somehow got away with it. If Arizona loses tonight, they've got no one to blame but themselves, really.

My problem with this is that I don't see how you cultivate an appreciation for the product by emphasizing everything BUT the product...in ten years will these fans like the diamondbacks more, or like baseball more because of the klondike bar contest and the kiss cam and the scoreboard flashing "MAKE NOISE!" because they don't know when you should get loud at a game?

The Bartman stuff was really out of line, bush league stuff. Apparently the Cubs let the Diamondbacks know that they didn't appreciate it at all - they've been trying to shelter the guy and ignore his legacy. You shouldn't have to flash "beat the cubs!" on the scoreboard and play a bunch of bartman clips in order to fire up your crowd for a playoff game.

This franchise has made the playoffs for the 3rd time now, it's their second trip to the LCS. If that isn't enough to cultivate an actual fan base then I don't know if it's ever going to happen.

No kidding.

78-1 with a lead after 8 innings. Wow, that's nuts.

The D-Backs are built for these kinds of games. But Corpas does the cardiac thing from time to time...c'mon, get a double play ball.

Drew blew that play.

Bonus baseball.

That's one of those jinx-type stats. Saw that and thought, "Well, it's going to be 78-2 now that you bring it up...."

Exactly. I knew when I saw it on the screen that it was going to happen that way. But I imagine the streak remains if they manage to pull this one out.

Amazing how one little HBP can change the whole game. If Colorado loses, it'll be interesting to see how well they respond on Sunday to a mild bit of adversity.

I'm pretty sure most stadiums have some kind of "clapping" or noise signal on the main board. I'm from St. Louis and went to Cards game and they had a similar prompt. Again, by being a little gimmicy, I mean having a hot dog race and occassionally fire T-shirts in the crowd. It's not like they are running dancing bears out in the middle innings. Most ball parks are trying to have more of an entertainment angle now-days, and the DBacks are part of that. In the end, though, I doubt many people go to the ballgame to see a kiss-cam or get a T-Shirt in the crowd.

Give me a break. I've seen tons worse in Philly, NY or Boston. How about all the Babe Ruth/Buckner crap with the Yankees? St. Louis has also picked on the Cubs like an open wound in the past 15-20 years. Bartman is a part of Cubs history as much as the goat and other things picked on.

The 100-loss season put them back 3 years ago, but they've been pretty solid in attendence over their lifetime. In the past 7 seasons they've been 14th, 4th, 8th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 20th. I'm guessing they will be in the mid-teens next season. For a team only 10 years old located in a very transient city, I would say they have a pretty solid fan base all things considered.

Nice work, Valverde.

Looks like the TBS graphic jinx comes back and bites Arizona. ;)

hahaha..

Wow. Talk about scoring with small ball. Three walks issued and a little nubber by Spilborghs to lead it off?

What a turn of events in this one.

Good night.

Yeah. I can finally get to sleep. Sucks royal that this sort of game ends up beginning at 10:30 PM in the east. Certainly a lot more tense and interesting to watch than Boston whaling on Cleveland.

1) When a pitching staff that throw at Coor's Field is leading the NL in ERA over a half season, it's a major accomplishment. I don't care how much the humidor is coming into play. (because it certainly isn't impacting the hitters home numbers)

2) While they may not strike fear into anyone, they sure as hell seem to be getting people out. They've now thrown 47 innings in the playoffs and given up 34 hits and 11 total runs. That'd be a 2.15 ERA. The first three games of that came against the best offensive team in the National League.

3) Assuming Cook were healthy, I'd take my chances with a Francis/Cook/Jimenez/Morales rotation against about anyone. Even without Cook, they are doing pretty good as far as I can tell. :)

Your first two points speak to small sample size. But at least you're consistent, even if blindly faithful with that last statement :)

Considering you really only need 3 pitchers there are quite a few teams I'd take over Francis, Cook, and Jimenez for the playoffs and just so that I'm throwing something out there instead of a random statement that just sounds like I'm disagreeing. Here's who I'll submit for rebuttal: I'll take the Padres (Peavy, Young, Maddux), Red Sox (Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling), Angels (Lackey, Escobar, Colon), and Indians (Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook).

I'd also consider the Tigers (Verlander with some combo of Bonderman, Rogers, and Robertson), Dodgers (Penny, Lowe, Billingsly), Twins next year (Santana, Liriano, and either Silva, Bonser, or Baker), Braves (Smoltz, Hudson, someone off the street), White Sox (Buehrle, Vazquez, Garland), Cubs (Zambrano, Hill, Lilly), and the A's (Haren, Blanton, and Gaudin).

SI

I don't think you can deny that the Rockies are truly a "team" in a way that we haven't seen in a long time in the post-season. All of the recent teams have had someone who could hurt you or a big name that you knew who was clutch for one reason or another.

It's truly a testament to great scouting, patience and luck...because what they're doing now is absolutely unprecedented. It'll get washed away if they don't win it all and that's a shame and I'm not even convinced it they win it all, that history will give them their due until someone goes back and looks at the storyline and says "they did what?!"

But man, this whole thing is absolutely crazy.

I'll argue the second half thing til I die. That's impressive as hell and it tells me those guys have some talent. But I'm not sure why you wasted so much time on the post.

I didn't say the Rockies pitchers were the best or that I'd take them over all others. I said I'd take the group against about anyone. I fully believe those Rockies pitchers would keep me in the ball game and give me a chance. Francis and Cook combined for 59 starts this year and completed less than 5 innings two times. Jimenez and Morales are pretty good. I'd take my chances with that group. Doesn't mean I wouldn't take Boston's pitchers over them. (or the Indians, who I'd seriously consider taking over anyone, even after last night)

The one variable is the bullpen. The big 3 are pretty good I think. (Fuentes, Corpas, Hawkins) After that, I think some guys are throwing a bit over their heads. Herges, Affeldt, Speir.

Still, I think those starters give me a chance in most series. I don't think they'll have a lot of series like the Cub pitchers you have on your list. (2 of those three couldn't get out of the fourth against this same DBacks team)

I was at the Boston-Cleveland game last night and the Soxes looked very polished and confident. I still think this series is going to go 6 games with the Sox prevailing. Also, I saw the Rockies game on TIVO after getting back home and am really really impressed with them.
I am honest scared as hell to play these guys especially if they sweep the D-backs and go into the WS with a 21 out of 22 streak. I rememeber when they came to Boston this year and pummeled us taking 2 out of 3. They beat Beckett and gave him his first victory. I believe they are one of the better hitting teams on the road so any talk aboutht em taht it is becuz of Coors Filed is bullcrap. I am sure the local Boston media will try to spin that. I am going to be torn who I "REALLY" want to win. The Sox got there WS in 04 and with all the financial advantages the Sox have over a team like the Rockies I kind of want to see Colorado take it.

Where I guess I'm confused is you've got that play, then you have the play where Arizona tied the game. There was contact between the runner and the fielder holding the ball before he touched the base, and yet the umpire called the runner "safe, fielder's off the bag," which appeared to confuse the fielder enough that he didn't try for the double play (which would have negated the run that scored).

Why would a basestealer be out for touching Tulo's foot, while a runner moving in the course of the play could hit the fielder's ankle and be safe?

manny ramirez is now the MLB record holder for career postseason HR's with 23

They really need to start separating those types of records by era.

only if they include the HR records!

I heard the other night someone already say that the "real" records are the "post-season home-run record" and all-time World Series home-run record. So...I don't think anyone who follows such records is confused, given the distinction between the two and the fact that expanded playoffs inflate numbers like that.

I really want the Red Sox in the World Series, if only so that the Rockies get national attention. Folks will watch a Rox-Red Sox World Series because of all of the story lines involved -- include the one that Todd Helton almost ended up in Boston before opening day -- and the fact that folks will watch the Red Sox play.

It would be even better if the Rockies streak would run through them because it'd prove them to be one of the hottest champs ever, but..even if they don't, it'd be a lot better than the crickets we'll hear if it's Cleveland-Colorado. Not that the Indians don't have a fan base, it's just...not anything on par with "Red Sox Nation".

These fuckin eyes again! Over 3 hours in, finally through with 6 innings. I love it! Was there a monsoon I missed?

136-115 pitches through 6. Greg Maddux is rolling over in his grave ("I'm not dead yet!")

SI

I never get tired of hearing the name "Coco Crisp".

Same.

What possesses old dudes with too much money to go having more kids at like 60?

::looks at James Taylor::

Someone get McCarver a cup of tea please.

This is intense. :eek:

Is anyone else's feed cutting out. My TV screen is all messed up.

Fox HD is fine here.

Must be Wyoming. lol

lol what better gagne pitching or canseco pitching

gagne fucking blows. I don't understand why he's getting a look here at all...those last 3 balls weren't even f-ing close.

fortunately javier lopez vs. nixon is a favorable matchup

predictable.

gagme fucking blew this one

It's not over, but it sure felt like it was when I saw Gagne come to the mound.

Why is he on the playoff roster?

Haha, Jobu Strikes Back.

I'll bet there is alot of crying over spilled chowda right about now.

No f#$%ing joke. I think Francona has done a great job all year and only a couple of games has he over managed I think this might be a case of that. He overreacted and brought Hideki and Papelbon in too early. Gagne if you a going to use him is nothing more thana 6 inning guy. You need to give yourself a few innings to recover from it.
Wow 10-6. Good night. Not good back to Cleveland for 3! They come home for game 6 down 3-2 if they are lucky.

Let me correct that 13-6:eek:

Oh well. Shit happens, now a best of 5. I still think we have the advantage, especially with a over-rested Dice K in game 3, and probably Beckett in game 4.

I strongly disagree that he brought them in too early. He got them through 10 innings and then had no choice to bring in Gagne. You can't manage to a 12 or 13 inning game. Once you get into the 9th you have to manage as if each inning will be the last.

This game falls on the Red Sox offense and Gagne, not Francona. He managed his bullpen perfectly considering his starter didn't make it 5.

I guess we have to agree to disagree. Of course it is Gagne's fault and the offense but I also think it was to early to bring okajima in in the 6th. Though we somewaht blew are bullpen out which is no ones fault we at least have a day to 48 hours to rest

The Rox will not be stopped. 4-1 lead in the 6th after a 3-run homer by Torrealba.

Sheesh. Everyone talks up guys like Helton and Tulowitski and Holliday, but really they've struggled for the most part this postseason (Holliday's HR tonight aside). It's been Matsui, Torrealba, and anonymous pinch hitters that have done a fair amount of damage for them since they made the playoffs.

Typical... Red Sox fans blame everything on Gagne while Lopez and Lester are the ones that fuck things up.

Sure, Gagne had 1st and 2nd with 1 out... but that's not a position where a run is inevitable. Lopez just flat out SUCKED.

And I have no clue what the BoSox did to Gagne... he was dominant with Texas early this year (ERA+ of 215).

How is that typical - do Red Sox fans always blame the French?

Gange's been horrible since he came to the Red Sox. The blame is for Francona in putting him in a spot like that. (and whoever made the decision to put him on the playoff roster). Whether it's fatigue or injury, the guy's done, shut him down.

Lopez had a strong year.

World. Series.

No, the real damage has been done by EVERYONE on the roster. Only not hitting. Pitching and defense. In 5 of their 6 postseason games, they've given up 2 runs or less.

Herges, Hawkins, Fuentes, Affeltdt, Speier, Corpus = 19+ innings and 2 runs given up out of the bullpen.

Tulowitzki is hitting like .190 for the postseason and if he were named MVP of the NL playoffs, I wouldn't say a word about it. He's making three or four key defensive plays a night.

The amazing run continues. I hope Morales has it going tomorrow night. He's the one starter who looked pretty poor in the NLDS. A strong outing from him, win or lose, is important for IMHO.

And Lopez blew the game, not Gagne... but who gets the blame? Yep. He's a nice scapegoat because he hasn't been good since the BoSox got him (what exactly did they do to him?!), but when it isn't his fault, you can't blame him.

Are you Gagne's brother or something?

If so, please ask him to mail his Red Sox paychecks back to the team. He's a disaster.

As for what the Red Sox "did to him", I blame the Rangers there. He's washed up, and apparently can go only about 30 innings a year. The Rangers pushed him beyond that, and now the Red Sox are paying the price.

It reminds me of Ramiro Mendoza in late '04. Is was completely obvious that the guy was done. Finally, Francona agreed, and we never saw him again after Game 3 of the ALCS. Hopefully we'll seen the end of Gagne.

Gagne's brother? For pointing out that he didn't blow the game but gets all the bellyaching? Though I do like the "can't go more than 30 innings", is it because you totally destroyed him when he was a pretty dominant reliever with the Rangers?

You guys remind me of Yankees fans piling on A-Rod whenever anything goes wrong with the Yanks.

Well, I'd blame Sox management for acquiring a guy that apparently can only go 30 innings a year.

If you want to blame Lopez for the loss, that's a fair argument (I personally think the game was over the moment Gagne started walking towards the mound).

But blaming the Red Sox because Gagne sucks? Are you serious?

Perhaps they "destroyed" him by hosting their baseball games in a city where the fans actually care about the team? Or maybe because they asked him to pitch the 8th inning instead of the 9th?

That's exactly the attitude I'm talking about. Gagne gets the blame. Everywhere I look, BoSox fans are going on and on about Gagne. He got one out and put runners on 1st and 2nd. That's not a good outing, but not horrible either. Lopez is the goat, but I haven't heard it.


I'm just trying to figure out what in the world they did to Gagne. I mean it wasn't like he was trying to come back and was totally struggling with Texas.

runners on first and second with one out isn't a horrible outing?? in extra innings of a tie game??

what baseball world do you live in?? that's an ATROCIOUS outing. especially when the guy on second is a goddamm speed-demon and can score from 2nd on a single anywhere in the outfield.

fucking pathetic outing.

There's 3 differences in his new surroundings.

1. Taking out of his comfort zone (closing) and asked to pitch in a variety of situations.
2. Pressure of a Pennant Race
3. Later in the year, more innings accumulated.

Those are the things the Red Sox "did" to Gagne. I think the big one is #3.

Because relievers don't put out those fires all the time? Please... its hardly atrocious. Atrocious is what Lopez did.

oh lopez was no picnic that's for sure. still not sure why he was in there instead of say lester. lopez's numbers all year have made him a righty-specialist, not a lefty specialist. and nixon tends to like the ball low...right where lopez leaves it.

but i maintain that gagne created that situation with his failure to get more than the first guy out.

But Gagne didn't give up the fateful hits... yet he's getting the grief as if he'd let up all 5 runs himself. Every message board I've looked it, I've seen people curse out Gagne, but Lopez tends to get a free pass.

WTF?!

Fans don't look at the game in a vacum.

It's a tight game, then then the fans see Eric Gagne come into the game. Panic city. It's like how we felt when Heathcliff Slocumb would come in a game. And he promply puts two guys on base before leaving.

He's going to get hammered for that. Lopez was no good either, but he's on a much longer leash with the fans because he had a solid year. But we're sick of seeing Gagne come in and blow games.

I think the answer's fairly obvious. In a vacuum, Lopez is more culpbable. But, it's much like the Jeter-Arod thing. Jeter had a .353 OPS in the postseason while A-Rod had an .820 OPS. Yet, you won't see many Yankees fans blaming Jeter as much as A-Rod. Why? Because Jeter has earned more understanding than A-Rod in their eyes. Lopez had a 3.10 ERA in 40 innings of relief during the season. Gagne, on the other hand, had a 6.75 ERA in 19 IP.

It's just human nature to pile on the guy that's been killing you and lay off the one with a better history.

Kenny Lofton goes deep to give this game an interesting start. If the Reds can't win anything, hopefully the Tribe can. Go Cleveland!

Arizona is a mental wreck right now offensively. Melvin just needs to bunt over the next time AZ gets a baserunner and try to manufacture one run. They have to get out of their "one big inning" hope and just get a run on the board (even if that means sacrificing an out or two to do it).

I've been meaning to ask this all playoffs...

Cleveland's little slogan for the playoffs (whole season maybe? I don't know) is "It's Tribe Time Now!"

Is the "now" really necessary? If it wasn't in there, would someone accidentally think the "time" you're referring to is next season, or maybe 2012? The point of a catchy slogan is that it's short and to the point...the wordiness really bothers me.

Am I alone? Bueller?

The Indians are doing a little to much celebrating right now

My thinking exactly. Geez folks you only won 2 games. I think a veternan team like Boston will be affected by the fact that these guys and their fans Obviously think they got this series in the bag and in 5. I feel an ass wupping coming the next few games Boston in 6;)

You're kidding, right? You're a Red Sox fan and you're saying that the Indians think they have the series in the bag? Come on. That's just ridiculous. I'm an Indians fan but you have *got* to be kidding me. How can you say that?

they are acting like they have

No, sorry, no way. They're celebrating a good win. I don't see anything excessive or out of the ordinary about it.

Well as someone impartial to both sides, it sure looked like a very large celebration. I literally said to myself, (out loud, yes it was embarrassing) "Did they make the ALCS a best of 3?"

Your posting style makes my head hurt. It sounds like an SNL sketch.

Yes, I'm an Indians fan so yes, I'm biased. It didn't seem excessive to me. Fox showed the celebration and the post-game interview with Lofton. I'm enjoying the series, it's been a good and exciting series and that's what everyone wants.

ironic considering that the red sox fan base and the national media have been "acting like" the ALCS was in the bag ever since the yankees were eliminated.

the indians have faced boston's best 3 starters and roughed up 2 of them...tomorrow hey are looking at a knuckleball pitcher in the rain who is coming off an injury and hasn't pitched in weeks. I think they have good reason to be confident right now.

Agreed. My friends who are Sox fans have acted this way although I realize that it holds no bearing on Sox fans in general. The national media *should* want the Sox in the WS since it would mean better ratings all around.

Every Red Sox fan I've talked to was rooting for the Yankees to somehow pull out the ALDS because they'd be an easier matchup for the Red Sox. So even though it'd be more fun as an Indian fan to think the Red Sox (and their fans) had already make their world series reservations - it ain't close to being true, sorry.

We should be starting Lester tomorrow, not Wakefield. Wakefield can come out of the bullpen in the 4th/5th and do fine, while Lester has historically done horrible coming out of the bullpen. Going back to his days in the minors he has had an elaborate pre-start rhythm that isn't conducive to coming out of the pen. Oh, and please, please start Jacoby Ellsbury. He gives the team a spark in games like this.

And I know it's for the future (and the history of young arms recently, particularly Cubs and Marlins leads me to believe it's the right move), but I really, really wish we had Buchholz starting tomorrow. Or in place of Dice-K/Schilling in Games 6/7.

Also, great game by Westbrook tonight. Doesn't have great stuff, but he came out and threw first pitch strikes all night long. Against this Sox team, that's about the most important thing to do. Paul Byrd is also great at avoiding walks.

Yep... though it makes it easier to celebrate every Indians victory. Man, the BoSox fans in my office talking about sweep after Game 1 (and were pretty much talking about it before the series) was enough to make me retch.

I will agree alot of Sox fans are way over the top but really that celebration with the fireworks was like they won the ALCS already. And for Molson I think said Sox fans wanted the Yankees that part is true. But not because they would have been an easier out than the Indians. I thinkit was because we are masochists when it comes to the yankees and thought the Yankees would be more entertaining. Anyways, game 4 in the rain we will see what the Sox are nade of tomorrow. And regardless of the AL winner the Rockies are going to CRUSH whomever gets in their way to the WS championship I fear.