Awesome
A 15-4 win is pretty awesome. (15 runs is the most the Tribe has scored in a game this season.) So, some notes!
A 15-4 win is pretty awesome. (15 runs is the most the Tribe has scored in a game this season.) So, some notes!
So, I went to the game on Saturday; I haven’t gotten around to writing about it until now. As usual for an Indians loss, I’ll write about stuff other than the score.
So Edwin Jackson threw a no-hitter. In the process, he set or tied a few records.
-Tied the record for most batters faced in a 9-inning no-hitter, with 36. (A.J. Burnett in 2001 and Dock Ellis in 1970 also faced 36.)
-Tied the record for most baserunners allowed in a 9-inning no-hitter, with 10. (A.J. Burnett also allowed 10.)
-Most pitches thrown in a no-hitter for which Baseball-Reference has pitch data, with 149.
-The Rays have now been no-hit three times in the last two seasons, the first time this has happened to any team.
-June 25th is the earliest date the fourth no-hitter of a season has been thrown since 1917, when the fourth of the season was thrown on May 5th.
Then in the Indians game, we got another home run from Carlos Santana. It’s his third in 13 games. With 90 games remaining, that puts him on pace to hit 24 for the season. That would be a record for a catcher in his first Major League season.
This one’s gonna be a bit rambling . . .
So I went to the game tonight. Great to see every part of the team be good at once. Kearns hit two home runs, and just missed a third. Westbrook struggled in the first, but then proceeded to completely shut down the Nats until the 8th (including setting down 13 in a row at one point.). (Okay, I lied about that 13 in a row thing. The line of zeroes at the bottom of my scorecard deceived me.)
And Carlos Santana made his major league debut.
That one.
Okay, so he didn’t do a whole lot. 0-3 with a walk. But he did reach twice on fielder’s choices.
The fireworks show was awesome. And loud.
So I saw an ambulance going into the players’ lot when I was leaving after the game. What happened there? I’m thinking they were there to take Strasburg to the hospital so he can get to work on curing cancer.
Why do people walk into the stadium in the fourth inning, and then not watch the game?
So how about Stephen Strasburg? 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, no walks, and 14 strikeouts (one shy of the record for a Major League debut), including the last seven batters he faced (which I believe is a record for a Major League debut. Dick Hall might have done it, but I can’t find a play-by-play of his debut game.).
And they were pretty spectacular strikeouts. The movement on this guy’s pitches is unbelievable. Seriously, look at this.
It’s like he’s using a Wiffle ball.
I would have watched the game, but for some reason MLB Network decided I should watch the Mets and Padres instead. I have no idea why; I’m not in the Pirates’ or the Nationals’ blackout area. What’s up with that, MLB Network?
So I watched the Indians game instead, and saw Tim Wakefield set the record for most innings pitched in a Red Sox uniform (passing Roger Clemens). And then the Indians lost. Bleah.
Mark Grudzielanek’s last major league extra base hit was a double on July 6, 2008. His last 31 hits have been singles. The longest such streak I can find is 56, by Jerry Remy in 1980 and 1981.
I was as upset as anyone when Armando Galarraga lost his perfect game on a bad call. Yes, Donald should have been out. Yes, Galarraga should have had a perfect game.
But the call should stand. The umpire’s authority on the field is absolute. We should not undermine it by overruling him – even if the umpire himself admits he was mistaken.
In addition to that, overruling the call would be the first step down a slippery slope. When is it okay to change a call? What if the Indians had put together some hits after Donald reached and managed to tie the game? Do we wipe that out? What about the bad call Joyce made in the bottom of the eighth, which led to the Tigers scoring? Do we change that, too? What if he had made a bad call in the first inning? Do we replay the entire game?
No matter what the situation, an umpire’s call should not be changed after the fact.
Now go vote for Shin-Soo Choo. You know he deserves it.
That was less than ideal. Upsides:
Okay, so they’re tied with four other teams, but still!
Baseball’s back, woohoo!
Here, have a video.