Let it be said first and foremost, by glogging this game I am literally taking one for the team. The Pirates stink, yet here I am to recount all of the action in all it's relative glory.
For those who haven't guessed, I am covering the Pirates/Dodgers game for you, the dear reader, because I know that it will hold you in rapt attention, certainly more attention than it will hold me. What is better is that the game is in Los Angeles, so we will get underway at 10pm EST.
I have alot of material to go through so I will have plenty of things to talk about as the game progresses and if the game is anything like last night's fiasco, a 10-2 loss, I will have plenty of time to get it all in.
Chris Duffy is leading off for the Pirates and holy cow, it is an infield single. This constitutes a rally for the young Pirates, who enter tonight's action with a robust 6-9 record. My goodness, a passed ball sends Duffy to second and then the throw down to second base is off the mark and Duffy takes third. The Pirates have a guy on third after hitting a ball all of 65 feet maybe. Jack Wilson grounds out and Duffy scores on the play and early, it' s a 1-0 lead for our Buccos.
Remember how I quit my part time job a few blogs back? More on that in a second, as another ground out and a strike out, the Pirates lead the majors in strikeouts, and after half an inning it is 1-0.
Anyway, as I was saying about the part time job, remember how I left a few days back. I couldn't be happier about that decision right now, as otherwise I might have given somebody a death sentence the other night. The job you may remember was to take pizza orders for Vocelli Pizza, then send them to the appropriate store. Well a couple of nights ago, someone took an order for the Vocelli Swissvale location, which is a town adjacent to Pittsburgh. Anyway, the order was taken and it turns out it wasn't an order at all, it was an ambush, the driver arrived and was shot and killed for his efforts. Had I still worked there, it very well could have been me who sent him to his death, something I am sure would have weighed heavily on me. That is one of the disadvantages of having a centralized call location, the order takers do not know the terrain around the stores, sure the addresses will show up in the system, but actually having knowledge of the ground may have helped prevent that from happening. I know when I managed a pizza shop, the first rule of thumb for me with the drivers was, if it doesn't look safe, don't get out of the car, we will eat the loss on the order before we will put anyone in jeopardy like that.
Bottom of the first, two out for the Dodgers and Nomar Garciaparra is on second with a bloop double. Jeff Kent has just singled him in and as quickly as the Pirates took the lead in the top of the inning they have lost it in the bottom as we are tied 1-1. A ground out closes out the first inning and we remain tied at 1.
I guess now is as good a time as any to do a Joe Random update. My stay in the major leagues was a brief one, I got in all of two games, where I hit well, in my two starts I went 5 for 7 with 4 singles and a double and one run scored, but Ty Wiggington came off of the disabled list and I was sent back down to the minor leagues once again. In three games since I went back to the minors I have hit 2 more homeruns, so hopefully I will get called up again sooner rather than later.
Top of the second inning , we lead off with a walk to Adam LaRoche, which is impressive because he strikes out literally one third of the time, so the idea that he took 4 pitches in amazing in itself. What is not amazing is that Xavier Nady follows that up by grounding into a double play, so there are two outs and nobody on. Jose Batista records the Pirates second hit of the night, and this one gets out of the infield, and it is also a single but is immediately followed up with another ground out, so in the middle of the second inning it remains 1-1.
I hope everyone enjoyed the hockey glog the other evening, it turned out it was the Penguins only win of the series as they fell in the best of seven to Ottawa 4-1. It was a good season for the Pens, given how bad they have been recently, and the youth on the roster certainly bodes well for the future, so while I would like to see them still playing, I can appreciate what they did and how far they have come. Unlike the Pirates, who have managed to string together 14 consecutive losing seasons, which is why glogging this game is a bitter pill to swallow, yet I do it for you, the dedicated reader, and because it gives me something to do while in the comfy Renda Broadcasting studios.
Yes, it was the best day of the spring by far, a high of 74 degrees and nothing but blue skies, yet I opted to work, well I didn't really opt so much as someone called off and I said I could do it in a pinch. It is a change of pace from the morning show, as you produce three different shows, "The Handyman Show w/Jack Etzel", "Garden Talk w/Jane Nugent" and "Birds and Nature w/Scott Shalloway". All topics of which I know nothing about, so all I did was answer phones and push buttons. Afterward I figured I would get some production work done, I recorded 4 commercial feeds, 2 Clark Howard minutes, a commercial for 10000 Villages, and stole some more bumper music from my yahoo radio station for the morning show .
The Dodgers have a runner on first with a walk after two outs, but they record a fly out by Brad Penny, the Dodgers pitcher, so after two innings we remain tied at 1-1.
I could have went home today, but I still have work I want to get done, and no better time than this evening and no better place than at work. I have three podcasts to edit and post, and interview I have to dub from Friday's show for a client and 9 different commercial reads Lynn did that I have to dub for clients as well. I also want to hop onto Monster.com and make sure all is in order with my resume so I can print it out, I haven't updated in a while so I figure I might want to get it current, especially if I will be job hunting in the next few days.
Third inning underway and Brad Penny walks the Pirates pitcher Ian Snell to lead off the inning. We are all the way back to Chris Duffy, he of the infield single in the first inning. I could say we may be witnessing a rally here, but I don't want to get my hopes up.
I warn you ahead of time, I may step away from the game at some point to have a cigarette. We are not allowed to smoke in the studios, so I would have to trek outside for one, not that I am leaving at this very moment, but just in case I do leave.
Duffy flies out and Jack Wilson, he of the RBI groundout fame, singles to left and the Pirates have runners on first and second with one out. Up next is Freddie Sanchez, he won the NL batting title last year. Freddie grounds out to first, the runners do advance so they are second and third now with two out. As if to kill my limited enthusiasm, the announcers say that the current batter, Jason Bay is hitting .136 with runners in scoring position. Bay walks on four pitches, so the bases are now loaded for Adam LaRoche who comes to the plate, he the owner of 20 strikeouts in 50 at bats this year. The count goes to 2-1 and the thought of LaRoche taking another walk, while odd given his free swinging ways, would give the Pirates the lead. It happens, he walks Adam on 5 pitches, and it scores a run the cheap way, the Pirates lead 2-1. The Dodger's manager just came out and argued with the umpire over balls and strikes and he will be going home early compliments of an ejection, which means he can beat the traffic. Brad Penny finds another way to give up a run, this time a wild pitch and all the runners move up, including the one at third who scores, it is Pirates 3-1 now. Xavier Nady ends the Pirates inning by striking out, apparently he didn't get the memo that if he just doesn't swing, he will eventually end up on first base anyway. Still, the Pirates take a 3-1 lead after 2 and a half innings, on three singles, 4 walks and a wild pitch.
Ah, the glories of coffee. That and the junk food that passes for dinner that I brought with me this evening. I swear, some day they will cut me open and a gelatinous mass will just spill out, my only question is what color will it be. Good thing I waited till after dinner time in the EST before I wrote that, not that you should be eating dinner in front of my blog anyway, at least not without offering me some.
The Dodgers go quickly in their half of the third, three up three down as the saying goes and it remains Pirates 3 Dodgers 1.
We got three innings in in about an hour, hey, we may wrap this up by 1am, provided the Pirates swing the bats and don't just take pitches, though their chances of winning increase if they don't swing right now.
I hear the weather will be nice again tomorrow, so I am debating walking home from work. I figure it is about 6-7 miles, but with the weather the way it is, and my camera with me (I brought the diggy cam) I may take the opportunity to do some picture taking. Just haven't decided yet. After all, I did get here at noon, and I will be here until at least 11am tomorrow. That does make for a long day, though it isn't all work and no play, if it was I wouldn't be doing this.
The Pirates speed this game along by recording three straight outs, so in the middle of the 4th inning it remains 3-1.
Actually, I didn't bring junk food with me this evening. I did do the microwave popcorn thing, which means after I was done making it meant I did the burnt microwave popcorn thing. I also brought two chicken sandwiches for lunch, I fried the chicken myself this morning and put it on toast with hot garlic sauce. I used toast, because if you just do bread, the bread gets soggy with the sauce, so toasting becomes mandatory. I still have a couple of pasta bowls hiding in my cubby hole, which is basically the same room as where all of the broken stuff goes to die, we are pack rats like that, we don't throw stuff out until it collects the requisite amount of dust to be deemed not just trash, but classic trash. I suppose if I look around in there enough, I may find KC and the Sunshine Band.
Baserunner Alert!!!!!! Which in this game means somebody drew a walk, that somebody being Luis Gonzalez, and true to tonight's festivities, he takes second on a passed ball. I swear there must be a moratorium on actually hitting baseballs this evening. And it is another walk, a rally of sorts for the Dodgers without the benefit of a hit they have runners on first and second with one out . A groundout to short leaves the Dodgers with runners on first and third, but now with 2 outs. A flyout ends the inning and the Pirates escape the walkfest with no runs allowed, I guess then it would have been a runfest. In any regard, it remains Pirates 3 Dodgers 1. If this keeps up and the Pirates win, they may want me to glog all of their games. It can't hurt, save for meaning I would have no social life whatsoever, not that I have one now, but at least I have a choice. I choose to be bland.
Smoke break!!!!!
Holy cow, I missed a rally, the Pirates have runners on first and second with two outs, and Adam LaRoche at the plate. Adam takes full advantage of the opportunity, if you mean by advantage striking out to make it 21 strikeouts in 51 official at bats for the season and thus ends the top of the fifth inning. The two runners came from singles by Freddie Sanchez and Jack Wilson, not that it matters much.
The Dodgers kick off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single by the pitcher Brad Penny. I kick off the bottom of inning by getting more coffee.
For those who wonder what it is like to sit through a Pirate game on TV in the middle of the night, picture watching paint dry and between pitches you get to see replays of the paint drying and you get the gist of it.
Garciaparra singles with two outs and another rally of sorts, this time for the Dodgers, runners on first and second with two outs. Jeff Kent strikes out and the rally ends, the Pirates lead after 5 innings 3-1. Grady Little, he of ejection fame, should be most of the way home by now if he is smart and many of the Dodger faithful in attendance only wish they were as fortunate.
The Pirates marketing slogan this year is "We Wish". They knew better than to make the slogan "We Wish ________" because far too many people would be filling in that blank with less than pleasant thoughts after 14 consecutive seasons of suck. Xavier Nady hurts himself running out a ground ball, if he would have just swung and missed like he normally does at least he would still be healthy. Instead it looks to be a pulled hamstring. I would pull something too, but only if I was sitting at home looking at internet porn. In any event, the Pirates are retired in order 1,2,3 and the score remains 3-1 after 5 and a half innings of play.
During the commercial break, we pause to do the requisite save of the blog. The computers here at work will update at random, and when they do that they will sometimes reset and we all know the last thing you want is to miss out on all of the fascinating things I have said to this point. I saved you from that worry, now just to make a rather boring game interesting.
Luis Gonzalez leads off the Dodgers 6th inning with a double. Thankfully for that, it broke up the announcers doing, I kid you not, death notices on the air. Yes they were sending out condolences to a "Super Pirates Fan" whose wife passed away. A ground out moves Gonzalez to third and we have a legitimate scoring threat with one out. A sacrifice fly later and the score is now 3-2 with two outs in the sixth inning. A fly out ends the inning and after 6 innings it is 3-2. No new deaths to report.
The Pirates lead off the 7th inning with a single. That calls for a pitching change and a commercial break, which beats the announcers reading the obituaries I guess. Come to think of it, Rich Little was the MC of the Correspondent's Dinner in Washington DC this evening and his routine died of old age about 25 years ago. I wonder if he is a "Super Pirates Fan".
We are back from the commercial and the Pirates forgo the concept of a rally by grounding into a double play, so now we have no one on and two outs. That is a shame because Jack Wilson follows up the double play with a double. We all wonder what might have been, when really no wondering is needed, it might have been a run and we can't be having that, now can we? Instead a groundout closes the inning and the score remains 3-2 Pirates in the middle of the 7th inning. If there is a god, please, no extra innings. Though if there is a god, he might give me extra innings as a punishment of sorts, a sort of cosmic "Fuck you, Matt".
We start the bottom of the 7th inning with me slow cooking one of the pasta bowls. Sure, I could have used the microwave, but then I wouldn't be blogging, so instead I used the hot water spout on the coffee machine and just covered the bowl so they can cook in their own warmth. I could have ordered in this evening, but I am trying to watch the cash situation, and besides, I may go the combo lo mien route tomorrow night. If I blow my spending cash tonight, that is no longer an option.
The Dodgers do nothing, save for striking out twice in the inning, including on a pitch in the dirt and the score remains Pirates 3, Dodgers 2.
We go to the 8th inning, which means we are slowly approaching the end of this blog. And while we were in commercial, another of Rich Little's jokes died of old age. Truth be told, he was funny, when I was 5, but that was 32 years ago. Even the Pirates have won the World Series since then (1979), so you know it has been a long time. Heck, disco lived and died, came back, and died a second death since then. I shouldn't say that, the announcers will tell me Mr. Disco is a "Super Pirates Fan" .
Just to let you know I am still paying attention and haven't fallen asleep, the Pirates have runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs in the inning. A groundout to short ends that rally however and we remain 3-2 after 7 and a half innings. 9 more outs and I get to have a cigarette. Or as my head is singing right now, "I've got the cancer stick, I know if I can hit it once, I can hit it twice.......".
8 more outs, visions of old Marlboro ads are dancing in my head, as well as words like flavor, though truth be told, I am not sure what the flavor is, is that cancerous goodness? Who knows, I just know I like them.
Great, the Dodgers get a baserunner with a single with one out and I am once again fearing the potential of extra innings. A fly out eases my concerns somewhat, as we have two outs now and are one out closer to the end of the game, though I guess that statement would be true whether we play extra innings or not. Russell Martin looks at a called third strike and that is three outs, just one more inning to go and the Pirates still lead 3-2.
Hey, we are still on pace to get this game in in under 3 hrs, it is only 12:40am. By the way, happy Sunday!!!!
And the 9th inning (and hopefully final inning) is underway. As an added bonus, my neck just cracked. I can crack my own back and neck, which is a nice plus to have when one is single. Usually, my neck is a matter of bending my head toward my left shoulder and if I am relaxed (a big if, I hold stress in my neck and back quite well, almost like a camel holding water) , there will be a nice cracking sound right at the base of my neck. My back, I take my hands and place both of my thumbs on my spine and push in and can usually get multiple cracks, again if I am relaxed. The Pirates go in order in their half of the 9th inning, it remains 3-2 with just three outs to go before it is final. For the record, I got two pops out of my back as well as my neck cracking.
Bottom of the 9th, here we go. I haven't even looked to see how the fantasy team did this evening. I have had a better week, not great, but I was at least briefly as high as 8th place in an 11 team league. We lead off the bottom of the 9th inning with a walk. Well, I guess a homerun could end this the other way, with the Pirates losing, but hey, it still would end the game. Instead the batter tried to bunt the runner over to second, but the bunt went foul. A subsequent bunt by the batter doesn't work in the long run as the Pirates get the lead runner, so there is one out and a runner on first. Two more outs and we are done, woohoo!!!! Wild pitch and the runner takes second, a bad throw to second and the runner takes third. Runner on third now with one out. The tying run is 90 feet away and the cosmic Fuck You may be in effect. Sayeth Matt Pritt and it has happened, another wild pitch scores the runner from third. We are tied, and the batter strikes out, so there are two outs and we are one out removed from extra innings. A ground out ends it and the ninth inning is a microcosm of the last 14 years for Pirate fans as the Dodgers score a run without the benefit of a hit. We are tied 3-3 and we go to the tenth inning. I go to smoke because even cancer is better than the Pirates.
Okay, after rustling up some flavor and relieving myself of a couple of cups of coffee in the urinal, we are back. There are two outs in the top of the 10th and the Pirates have a runner on 1st base. Gee, while I was gone, Adam LaRoche struck out for the 22nd time this season. The runner is Jason Bay, who singled and he just took second on a passed ball, so in theory a single could score him. But that theory would require a hit and that doesn't happen, which is why baseball is not a theoretical game. Instead we live with a pop out to shortstop and the score remains 3-3 going to the bottom of the 10th inning.
Juan Pierre leads off the Dodgers 10th inning with a single. The winning run is just 270 feet away for the Dodger faithful and for the rest of us that would just as soon see this thing end. As for the game ending by 1am, that will not happen as it is now 1:21am. A flyout and we have one away in the bottom of the 10th. This seems to be as good a time as any to back up my blogging work again. A single and we have runners on 1st and 2nd with one out and here comes Jim Tracy, the Pirates manager, to make a pitching change and to give the announcers time to find more obituaries to read on the air. And five pitches into the pitching change, we have three baserunners instead of two and the theme for the evening, the walk, is back in style. That is the 5th one issued by the Pirates this evening, though you can toss in a couple of wild pitches as well for good measure.
The Pirates make another pitching change, and maybe some foolish managing as well, as they opt to go with 5 infielders and only two outfielders. Mind you a double play would still get them out of the inning without giving up a run and a medium range flyball may hold the runner at third. Then again, if the pitcher gives up a homerun nobody will catch it and that is exactly what he does, as Russell Martin hits a walkoff grandslam and the Dodgers win, 7-3. And people wonder why I won't pay to see the Pirates play, now you know and as they used to say on those stupid public service announcements, knowing is half the battle. Goodnight from the Renda Broadcasting empire everyone.
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