News
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October 14: The TV show "Kung Fu", starring David Carradine, debuts on ABC. It will run for 3 seasons and really shake my confidence in the notion that the Brewers' 2B James Hong is a teenager (he plays a very much not-teenager in one of the episodes of this show).
October 14: "Last Tango In Paris", starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider and one of the few forays into adults-only, non-porno film, premiers at the New York Film Festival. It carries the "X" rating but will still go on to be the 7th highest grossing film of 1973.
October 14: This happened a couple days ago but what the heck, it's an off day so... the Denver Bears (Texas) won the Minor League World Series, beating the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit) in 6 games. 23 year old SS Dusty Hill, who rose through Pittsfield (.280, 3, 37) to put together a scorching final 11 games of the season with the Bears (.447, 1, 9) and followed that up with an 11-21 run in the playoffs to win MiLB WSMVP. And all that with a massive beard (IRL he's the bass player for a little band known as ZZ Top). Don't be surprised if he's in the big leagues next year.
October 14: While I'm at it here... the Phoenix Giants (SF) beat the Eugene Emeralds (Philadelphia) to win the PCL Championship. Heartthrob/closer Don Johnson, another guy who spent most of the year in AA, won the PCLCS MVP with 7 innings of relief ball over 4 games including 2 saves and the clincher in Game 5.
October 15: A cow is killed by a meteorite in Trujillo, Venezuela. To date this is the only verified instance of an animal dying in this manner. Slow news day?
October 15: Jackie Robinson IRL makes his last public appearance, throwing out the first pitch in Game 2 (no Jackie Robinson in my save, sadly; then again, there isn't a color barrier either). He'll die of a heart attack 9 days alter.
October 15: An-An, the famed giant panda at the Moscow Zoo, dies at 15.
October 15: It looks like the Pirates will elect to keep their rotation secure and will use Santos Arango in Game 3 instead of DJ Cheeves even though the latter is reportedly ready to go. No point in blowing him up. He's facing Bruce Rubio, who himself is pretty well rested after getting pulled after only 79 pitches in Game 3 of the ALCS. Clear skies and... 47 degrees. Tigers fans, hope you brought your coats! Arango is a lefty but after the Friday the 13th drubbing I figured it's bad luck to use the right-handed Berenget in left again; I'll go with Danny Hohman again.
Top 1st: Hearl flies to right. Villar flies to left. A flyball pitcher in Tigers stadium is not a great matchup but we've had this issue with Bruce Rubio all year (and last year) so it's nothing new. Jackson goes down 4-3. 0-0.
Bottom 1st: Romero continues his slump, grounding out to 2B Tyler Webster. Curran grounds out 5-3. Joey Ramone belts a double into the left-center gap for a standup 2-out double. That's Ramone's 2nd double of the postseason. Villegas walks on 4 pitches. Arango strikes out Ayala to get out of the jam. 0-0.
Top 2nd: Lawson drives it into left; the ball gets past Hohman and Lawson slides into second base with the leadoff double. That's also Lawson's 2nd double of the postseason and 3rd extra-base hit of his postseason career (he hit a solo HR in the 1970 NLCS vs the Braves); he also finished 8th in the NL with 27 2-base hits in 1972. Webster hits it into center but Romero is there for the out. Lawson is sloooow on the bases so there's no chance of him tagging up. Rubio loses a cutter in the dirt on a 1-0 pitch - it goes to the backstop and Lawson gets over to 3rd. Rubio finished 8th in the AL with 10 of them in the regular season so this does happen to him. Ganzalez can't quiiiite come through in the clutch this time, striking out on a 3-2 pitch. Hank Williams Jr. flies to Alvin Romero in CF and the Pirates strand a man on 3rd.
Bottom 2nd: Wilson strikes out swinging. Hohman walks - that's already Arango's 2nd of the night and 6th in 10.1 postseason innings. He was 6th in the NL in BB/9 with 2.23 but I guess October is another matter. Farinelli grants Arango the pitcher's best friend, though, a 6-4-3 double play, and the inning's over. 0-0.
Top 3rd: Connally grounds out 5-3. Arango strikes out swinging. Hearl grounds to short. 1-2-3 in the 3rd. 0-0.
Bottom 3rd: Rubio hits one hard into left but it holds up just short of the warning track for the first out. Romero grounds back to the pitcher. Curran strikes out. 0-0.
Top 4th: Villar pulls a ball into right for a leadoff single. Jackson pops out to first. Rubio gets himself a DP with a 6-4-3 job off the bat of Justin Lawson. 0-0.
Bottom 4th: Joey Ramone hits one to right. It looks like a routine fly out... but it keeps carrying and carrying and IT IS GONE over the left field fence, 366 feet away! 1-0, Tigers, and that's Joey's first ding-dong in the playoffs! Villegas flies to center. Ayala grounds out 4-3. Bill Wilson gets his first base hit of the postseason, a single to right... and Brian Jackson muffs it for his 2nd error of the post-season. Wilson gets into 2nd on the play and Danny Hohman, hitting .444 (8-18) in the playoffs, has got a 2-out RBI opp. Unfortunately for him, he leaves Wilson stranded with a 6-3 force to retire the side. 1-0, Tigers.
Top 5th: Tyler Webster Ks. Ganzalez whiffs too; that's 4 strikeouts now by Bruce. He's not really a big K guy but he did finish 9th in the AL with 174 of them because he threw 274 innings. Hank Williams grounds out 3-1. 1-0, Tigers.
Bottom 5th: Farinelli strikes out. Rubio, a pretty OK hitter for a pitcher (.184, 0, 4 this season), strikes out too. Hey, hey, hey! Alvin Romero fiiiinally gets himself a hit, a solid single into center. Rob Curran follows it up with a hard shot up the middle that Henry Villar gets to... but he can't make the throw. Curran's safe on the infield single and Joey Ramone now can drive in some guys if he can get another base hit. He goes inside-out on the low curve and golfs it into right where Brian Jackson handles it easily. 1-0, Tigers.
Top 6th: Doug Connally hits it into right. Bill Wilson cuts the ball off on a hop but the Pirates' catcher is on with a leadoff single. Santos Arango, who is not coming out just yet, lays down a successful bunt back to the mound; score it 1-3. Hearl strikes out swinging and now Henry Villar needs a clutch hit to tie it up. He hits one into left that floats a bit so that Danny Hohman has time to get under it to preserve the shutout. 1-0, Tigers.
Bottom 6th: Villegas flies to center. Ayala grounds to short. The Joker has not done much recently and is now hitting a pedestrian .250 in the postseason. Bill Wilson flies to right to retire the side. 1-0, Tigers.
Top 7th: Rubio is pitching well but man, aaaany mistake right now means it's a tie game or worse. Rubio hits a ball that takes a weird hop before 3B Jose Ayala can get to it; he's on with a leadoff single. Jackson has deceptive speed, including 10 steals in 15 attempts. Lawson watches a knuckle curve nick the lower part of the strike zone for a backwards K. Rubio misses one in the dirt for his 2nd wild pitch of the game. He recovers to strike out Tyler Webster. Ganzalez has been a thorn in the side of... everyone this postseason but with a 2 out clutch situation he just grounds out 6-3. 1-0, Tigers.
Bottom 7th: Danny Hohman hits a little chopper just past Arango and towards Henry Villar at short. Villar's a good fielder and all but his arm is just not quiiiite up to being able to get Hohman in time. If there's any one thing keeping Villar from being a Gold Glove quality shortstop, it's that only-adequate arm. Hohman dives into 2nd on a 1-1 curve for the steal! Arango was very good at holding runners in the regular season, with 12 of the 19 guys who tried to run on him getting caught, but Hohman himself was 18 for 24 in the regular season and he proves the victor this time, too. Gianluigi Farinelli bunts him to 3rd, which I do noooot like because I'm not bringing out Bruce Rubio. He Ks, as you do. Romero hits it pretty well into right but it's too close to LF Justin Lawson, who squeezeas it for the out. 1-0, Tigers.
Top 8th: Hank Williams Jr. slaps it to Joey Ramone at 2nd; the rookie bobbles the ball and the country singer reaches on the error. Doug Connally singles past Jose Ayala into left; unfortunately, he hits it maybe even too hard and Williams Jr. can't advance on the play. Arango lays down a perfect bunt and now the Pirates have the go-ahead run in scoring position with 1 out. It looks like Rubio might get Hearl... and he does, but Hearl gets enough wood on an 0-2 change to hit a fly into center. It's deep enough to score Hank Williams Jr. and we are tied! 1-1. Connally gets to 3rd on the throw home. Villar also singles up the middle and now Connally, too, has scored and just like that, the Pirates have taken the lead! 2-1! Make it 3 straight singles up the middle. Has Bruce Rubio last it the 4th time through the order? It's not like he's being hit hard... still, he walks Lawson to load the bases for Tyler Webster and I think I do need to make a chance before this gets out of hand.
Alex Madrigal is their guy here. He's been iffy since coming back from injury but we'll see if he can get that final out. Webster does ground out 4-3 and that ends it. 2-1, Pirates.
Bottom 8th: Arango is still just under 100 pitches but with Paz Lemus available, the Pirates will pull him at the first sign of weakness. Curran hits one towards the gap in right-center... and Justin Hearl makes a diving stop for out #1. The game calls that a 3-star play, which I think translates to a 50/50? Joey Ramone grounds out to 2nd. Danny Villegas hits one over the head of Hearl and to the wall for a 2 out double. That other web gem is looking especially gemmy now. Ayala still singles into right field to bring Villegas home and tie this one back up at 2! I'll leave Arango in to face this guy; with the 6-7-8 guys due up next inning, chances are that the Pirates will need the next reliever to either save the game or pitch multiple innings. He strikes out Wilson to retire the side. 2-2.
Top 9th: Arturo Ganzalez has been totally cooled this game; he's 0-3 with 2 Ks. Make that 1-4 as he singles back through the box off of Madrigal. Williams Jr. hits into a 6-4-3 double play. I'll leave Connally and his hot bat in, although I'll probably pull Arango whether or not Connally reaches. Connally battles to a full count but flies to left. 2-2.
Bottom 9th: Arango iiiis facing a lefty so I'll leave him in... but it's batter to batter now. Danny Hohman grounds out 3-1. Farinelli has that platoon advantage so he's staying in too; he makes Villar roam to the outfield grass to track the ball he hits down but meh arm or not, Villar still gets him in time for the out. Pinch-hitting for the pitcher now, with the last chance to keep this from going 28 innings, is Joe Theismann. Arango strikes him out - that's his 8th and almost certainly his final strikeout of the night. 2-2.
Top 10th: Jim Marceau is on to replace Madrigal. Even given that Madrigal took over closer duties in the last third of the year, Marceau finished 3rd in the AL in saves in 1972. He knows how to pitch in clutch situations. In for Arango to lead off the inning is Dr. Jack Holman, who was 7-21 as a pinch-hitter in the regular season. He flies to center. Hearl strikes out swinging. Marceau had 72 Ks in 83.1 IP; suffice it to say, he has the stuff to miss bats. Villar grounds back to the pitcher. 2-2.
Bottom 10th: Paz Lemus takes over. He gave up that HR in Game 1 after the 9th was extended so he's got a 7.71 ERA in the postseason. Romero hits one to short and Villar juuuuuust throws him out. Rob Curran hits a grounder that gets underneath the glove of 1B Arturo Ganzalez. Brian Jackson cuts it off before it can get to the corner but Curran is still in just ahead of the throw to 2nd for the one out double! Joey Ramone follows up by hitting an absolutely ugly ball towards short. It chops just too high for Villar to make the play at first. Rob Curran takes third on the infield single. Runners at the corners, 1 out, but IME the defense makes the successful play at home in this situation ALL THE TIME. Or... Danny Villegas strikes out in the clutch. 2 out. I mean, Paz Lemus is good at his job. The Joker pops out to Doug Connally in front of the plate and it's a big opportunity squandered. 2-2.
Top 11th: Brian Jackson shows that not only Tigers get infield hits to lead it off. Justin Lawson whiffs on a 1-2 fastball that hits the mid-90s. Jackson tries for 2nd on a steal but Farinelli, who has a way better arm than the 27.7% caught rate would imply, throws him out at 2nd. Webster strikes out swinging. 2-2.
Bottom 11th: Wilson, who I maybe should have removed for a pinch-hitter, flies to left. Hohman grounds out 6-3. Farinelli's hitting 2-19 for the series and I'm going to try Jonathan House for the platoon advantage. He walks with 2 out. Maaaan... I want to leave Marceau in but this is it. Chris Contreras pinch-hits; I still have Nikki Lauda available later for a possibly better opportunity. Contreras hits it to center - it looks like a possible base hit for a moment but it hangs up and is an easy putout. 2-2.
Top 12th: Todd Thiesen just threw 2 days ago but he's still tabbed to come out here. This time Alvin Romero is the man to make the diving stop and rob Arturo Ganzalez of the base hit. Out #1. Hank Williams JR. hits one into the gap and, in what might be a bad break for the Pirates, the ball bounces over the right-center wall for a ground-rule double. Connally stays in and hits it hard to center. Romero gets back there in time but Williams Jr. tags up and gets to 3rd base. So... I'd love to give Paz 6 innings or whatever today but this is the Pirates' best chance in several innings. Frank Menner comes in. He hit only .228 in the regular season but did have a .330 OBP at least. Thiesen strikes him out to get out of the jam. 2-2.
Bottom 12th: With 2 lefties due up, Miguel Urbina (1-0, 1.04) will make his first appearance of the postseason. Urbina got into 18 games and 17.1 innings as a LOOGY late in the year, striking out 16 guys in that time. Romero, slump or no, had reverse splits this year but he can't turn that into anything here: he grounds to third. Curran is 2-5 today but I'm still bringing in the platoon advantage in the form of Tom Berenger. He grounds out 3U. Ramone grounds out 3-1. 2-2.
Top 13th: Matt Mullen was the Tigers' starting SS from 1967 until he lost the job to Rob Curran this year. He'll take over at the position. Thiesen strikes out Hearl looking. Villar grounds out and maaaaan we are getting into the doldrums out here. Lawson's down 1-3 for the 1-2-3. 2-2.
Bottom 13th: Urbina stays in to face Danny Villegas. Villegas only got 40 at-bats vs lefties due to injuries but hit .350 with 3 HRs. If he gets on base, surely Urbina will leave... but what if Villegas HITS A GAME WINNING DINGER!?!?!?!? BELTED TO RIGHT FIELD THIS BALL GAME IS OOOOVA!
Maybe I should have taken Urbina out but let's be fair: that guy was arguably the most effective Pirates pitcher over the last couple months. Anyway, the Pirates lose a great opportunity to take the Series lead and instead Detroit's got a chance to win it all in the Elm City (which I guess is even still the Elm City, as Dutch Elm Disease doesn't really hit until the mid-70s).
