Friday, September 25, 2009

Game 154 Thread: Sept 25 @ Pirates, 4p

Pittsburgh breaks out its finest security measures to herald the Dodgers' arrival into town for a four-game series

Jon Garland (11-11, 4.02) vs. Jeff Karstens (3-5, 5.53).

DODGERS MAGIC NUMBERS: 1 to make the postseason; 3 to win the NL West

COMMENTS: The Dodgers' march toward the postseason is getting so intense (a phenomenon foreign to Pirates fans), that increased security detail for the team is in order. Trade imbalances and disparities between bigger economic powers (Dodgers, $100M payroll) and "developing" markets (Pirates, $49M payroll) will definitely be topics for heated discussion over the course of this four-day summit. That, and the fact that one more Dodger victory secures postseason play for our boys in blue.

photo: Keith Hodan / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

121 comments:

Ryan said...

Look at the size of that cop front right.

That poor horse is going to have 2 herniated disks after luggin' his a** around all day!

rbnlaw said...

Tonight, we clinch. . . at least a play-off birth.

I'm working way too hard right now.

Kyle Baker said...

Furcal
Ethier
Manny
Kemp
Loney
DeWitt
Hudson
Ausmus
Garland

karina said...

Does anyone have updates of the Beard?

karina said...

Also, does anyone feel anxiety? i can't wait 'till 6:30

Kyle Baker said...

@ Karina

Little bit of a tight hammy, same as a couple weeks ago. He could pinch hit if needed, or probabyl even play, but he'll sit as precaution and to get Joyce DeWitt some ABs.

Kyle Baker said...

Lots of anxiety. I'm pretty much just sitting around hitting refresh on a bunch of baseball-related websites.

Steve Sax said...

I'm not anxious.

I'm just bored of waiting for the game to start.

Nostradamus said...

I wouldn't say I'm that anxious, but I'd like the boys to be able to clinch on the field, not with an atlanta loss.

rbnlaw said...

I'm busy as hell and full of anticipation for when I can get home and crack into #1 and check the game. Then off to play in the highly competetive Fountain Valley Friday Night Co-Ed Softball League.

It's the sport of kings, you know.

Kyle Baker said...

I'm not anxious like "I'm scared to death we'll get our ass kicked and fall out of contention for the playoffs." More like "I have the day off, have finished my chores, have Sammy on ice, and now am faced with the prospect of doing nothing at all for another 35 minutes because I'm not in the mood to vacuum."

Kyle Baker said...

RB-

It's hot as blazes out there. What are you thinking? I just about spontaneously combusted lugging in the Sam Adams 12ers I got on sale at Von's for $10.99/ea.

Kyle Baker said...

Wait, does the GT headline feature the actual, correct name of the team we face tonight?

LLCoolL said...

I'm sporting my Playoff (Amanda) Beard now. I hope I don't jinx them. But how hard can it be to beat the Pittsburgh Padres?

Nostradamus said...

@LLCoolL

That's a fine lookin' Beard you're sporting there, dude.

Nicely filled out, if you don't mind my saying.

rbnlaw said...

Running home now. Hope to catch the beginning.

rbnlaw said...

DB,
I play in Fountain Valley, close to the beach. It'll be 73 by game time.
Plus, the more I sweat, the more pitchers I can order.

Hey, Comfort Eagle just came on my iTunes. Cake is so cool.

Kyle Baker said...

Ahhh, got it RB. Exercise so you can tipple more! It's a wash.

If, er, softball is exercise. I mean, to me it is. But so is golf to me.

karina said...

"have Sammy on ice", i hope it's not a person because as Delino said earlier, it's really scary to have people frozen.

Kyle Baker said...

Karina (tonight you will be referred to as Katrina, for cheap giggles)-

Sammy= Samuel Adams, the beer from Boston.

Nostradamus said...

@Karina

It's not that scary if he's a brewer/patriot

Kyle Baker said...

Jints watching:

2b - Velez
RF - Winn
3B - Sandoval
SS - Uribe
LF - Bowker
1B - Ishikawa
C - Posey
CF - Rowand
P - Lincecum

Will Lincecum bounce back?

Buster Posey [insert joke here] catching. This team is teetering on the brink of falling off the wrong side of some metaphor.

Will Braves make a run of it?

Play ball!

Kyle Baker said...

Mr. C-

It is if you're not sympathetic with the American Revolution.

My life is full of ironies.

Nostradamus said...

@db

I can appreciate the symmetry.

Sure, he was a firebrand rebel, but his barley soda is delicious, so call it a wash.

Kyle Baker said...

Well said, Mr. C.

Plus it was only $10.99 for 12. They're paying you to drink it!

Steve Sax said...

Yay, Dollhouse returns tonight!

Kyle Baker said...

Katrina:

More on Beard here:

http://tinyurl.com/ydl52rr

NicJ said...

The pirates amazingly bad record of late worries me that this will be a tough series.

karina said...

McCutchen has the potential to become a Dodgers killer.

Steve Sax said...

WTF DeWitt?

Kyle Baker said...

Beard Lite! You're reminding me of Coors Light.

Kyle Baker said...

Great take on Bills:

http://tinyurl.com/y8c5fup

NicJ said...

It's a good thing the pirates will probably trade him away then.

Steve Sax said...

Is Joyce DeWitt or Blake DeWitt playing tonight?

Kyle Baker said...

Joyce DeWitt after a late night driving home.

Nostradamus said...

Atl already up by 2. Our destiny is most likely in our own hands.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Joyce DeWitt makes up for his antics, and Orlando Hudson tries to prove Fangraphs right.

Kyle Baker said...

All is forgiven, Joyce.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

We never saw that from Pee-Wee when he was here.

Kyle Baker said...

I can't keep yelling "Joyce" because it's my sister-n-law's name and it confuses us all.

karina said...

Aww, Young Panda grounded out.

Kyle Baker said...

Garland, are you Padilla in disguise?

Kyle Baker said...

I'm watching the Yank-mes, and I'm watching us.

And never the 'tween shall meet.

Fred's Brim said...

gadzooks that drives me crazy - you do the hard thing by getting the second out with nobody scoring and then give up a hit with 2 outs

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Two errors, three unearned runs.

At least DeWitt won't see third in a while.

NicJ said...

The dodgers have Lakeritis. Stop playing
down to opponents!!

Fred's Brim said...

Did anybody answer DB's question about using our oppopnent's name in the thread title? Who is responsible for this?!

Kyle Baker said...

Exactly Nic! That has frustrated me re Lakers since I was 10. Anger...not diminishing...thirst...rising.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

FB - I was wondering that too. Whenever the Sons take an opponent lightly and feel no need to follow the good luck gameplan, the Dodgers lose.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Urge to kill...rising

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

What the hell is this? Starter by committee? Seriously?

Fred's Brim said...

keep taking against scalabrini here

Kyle Baker said...

FB, it's even trickling over to the Yankees game where BoSox are reeling and Lester just got nailed in the knee on a come-backer. What hath this GT headline wrought?

Fred's Brim said...

or not

Fred's Brim said...

hustlin, hustlin!

Nostradamus said...

CS then a double.

Classic.

Fred's Brim said...

is this ump extra vocal or is the crowd that quiet?

Fred's Brim said...

clean it up!

Kyle Baker said...

Rox up 1-0 very early on. Fun with scoreboards.

Kyle Baker said...

Who the fuck is Veal? We should eat this weak-ass calf guy for lunch, perhaps parmesan style.

MR.F said...

Him?

karina said...

Where is September Furcal? are they sure they're playing the Pirates?

Kyle Baker said...

Pissing me off. I'm going to have to turn it off and have a walk for awhile. I waited all day for this weak-ass attempt.

Fred's Brim said...

please take some pitches

Fred's Brim said...

Steven Jackson? this guy's been mediocre on my fantasy football team this year

Fred's Brim said...

so impatient!

Orel said...

What's up with the Pirates' starter-by-committee approach?

Fred's Brim said...

time for some runs - lets tie this up this inning

Fred's Brim said...

the by-committee pitching is interesting. i think we need to be more patient against it. If they can throw strikes, it's good. Guys can't adjust to pitchers they dont know or dont see twice.

Fred's Brim said...

this seems like a good time for Thome, but Joe doesnt think the same way

Fred's Brim said...

ugh

NicJ said...

I think I'm going to check out till the 9th, just like the dodgers.

Fred's Brim said...

cmon James, we need a good inning from you

karina said...

I'd call "by committee pitching" as auditions for 2010.

Fred's Brim said...

James, I dont like where this is going

Fred's Brim said...

finish this! you did the hard part, now get the last out

Fred's Brim said...

yes! we've gotten a few third out Ks on that pitch tonight

top of the lineup up now - something's gonna happen here, gotta be patient though

Fred's Brim said...

*sigh*

Fred's Brim said...

really, James?

Fred's Brim said...

my greatest memory of Delwyn Young was seeing him buy blunts at the gas station next to Dodgertown after a spring training game

Fred's Brim said...

ok Scott - 1 to go

Fred's Brim said...

Belli(orig.) coming in to get the last out and the win when we score 4 in the top of the 9th

Fred's Brim said...

that's very positive thinking from you Fred!

Fred's Brim said...

thanks FB! I really think we can do it, even though we havent been all that focused or patient this game. This team has shown so many times that a win is always possible

karina said...

I can't believe Pirates pitching has allowed just one run, therefore i believe they'll score 4 or 5 runs.

Fred's Brim said...

cmon Belli! one more strike!

Fred's Brim said...

Manny and Kemp almost crash but Manny makes the catch for the third out. Maybe Manny can't hear very well

Fred's Brim said...

agreed Karina - i think we have been impatient (we havent drawn a single walk tonight) and a little unlucky.

Fred's Brim said...

ugh that was hanging like Brooks from Shawshank Redemption, but Matty took it :/

Fred's Brim said...

this ump's zone has been all over the place tonight

Fred's Brim said...

sheesh that was weaksauce. I hope that's the last one of those duds we see until 2010

karina said...

Fred's Brim, why don't we keep our optimism-idealism for tomorrow?

Fred's Brim said...

yep we'll be better tomorrow and Sunday. The only thing that can delay it is bad weather. We can blame tonight on using the opponent's name in the thread title :)

If you can watch it on TV, look for me behind the Dodger dugout tomorrow and Sunday - i'll be wearing my Assassin's Circle prize!

karina said...

I checked, no Dodgers baseball for me this weekend, but if someone is kind enough to provide stills of your awesome Assassins' Circle Prize...

karina said...

Cubs 0-Giants 0, bottom of the 4th.

karina said...

Cubs 1, Giants 0, bottom 6th

Does San Francisco have a hockey team? if so, how good is it?

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Karina - Sort of. The San Jose Sharks are the de facto Bay Area hockey team.

Nostradamus said...

@karina,mlasf

And they're good, but always seem to underachieve.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I know, Mr. C. I covered the Kings last season for my blog. The Sharks looked really good, but they were just inept compared to the east-coast teams. Hockey is the only sport where the east coast is truly superior to the west (though Detroit is technically in the Western Conference).

Kyle Baker said...

What a buncha rubbish!
What a buncha rubbish!

At least most everyone else that matters also sicked hind teat tonight, too. Phiws went down, Jints...Rox won but that kept Cards down...we'll get 'em tomorrow.

My long walk away from the sucking benefited my blood pressure. Also helping is the Cakebread pinot noir from 2003 that I found in the bottom of the heap and the Cuban I just fired up.

Nostradamus said...

@MLASF

The 'Wings sort of unofficially own the western conference these days. As far as hockey talk, though, I'm just a simple caveman. I'm knowledgeable enough to enjoy the games, but not enough to be a die-hard.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Mr. C - As am I.

Kyle Baker said...

Mr. C-

'Wings = ManU

Nostradamus said...

@db

I hear ya. Had to knock down a Czechvar for each unearned run.

Wolfie goes tomorrow, and he's been steady. The offense can't go narcoleptic 3 nights in a row, can it?

Nostradamus said...

@db

You begin to see the pattern in my fan affiliation (correctly, I might add).

Kyle Baker said...

re: offence

No, it can't. We'll take 'em. Read horror story of all the security the team had to jump thru just to get to the hotel. Late night, tough couple of games...I can sympathize with the lads. Wish I were there tomorrow to cheer them on and yell rude, yet witty remarks at their players and/or fans.

FB, we need a weather report tomorrow morning. This has me worried.

Kyle Baker said...

Mr. C:

I'm expecting big things out of Torres and Stevie G tomorrow, fantasy team-wise. Went long on them v. Hull.

Kyle Baker said...

Crusty, out.

Nostradamus said...

@db

Hull has looked dreadful so far. I predict good things from the Reds. Kuyt's had a nice start, as well.

Kyle Baker said...

I have Torres up front, so his hat trick will do me well.

Nostradamus said...

@db

That crazy Spaniard did alright.

Nostradamus said...

@db

Your blues caught a bit of a snag, though. Cech uncharacteristically put your lads in a bad spot.

Kyle Baker said...

Cech ain't been right after that head kickin' he took.

Frustrated by the loss, but nonetheless a good start to the campaign. And I had goals from Stevie, Drogs, and the Torres goals so I'll be fine, fantasy-wise.

Kyle Baker said...

Meanwhile, in the Gunners match:

"Damien Duff has had a bang to the head and he looks dazed. The Irishman may not be able to carry on..."

No shit. He's injured more than Beard's hammy.

Kyle Baker said...

Scoreboard watching..Braves already up 4-0 on Nads. We're going to have to clinch the old fashioned way, it seems.

Kyle Baker said...

Nats coming back and making a game of it - 6-4 Chopheads.

Kyle Baker said...

Good story on Martin's decreased offensive production:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4505639

Josh S. said...

Please make a new post, guys! It's like we're wallowing in sadness.

Kyle Baker said...

Braves up 9-4 now...close to game over.

Kyle Baker said...

Josh-

We can make a new GT using this one. Everything below this:

==================================

Kyle Baker said...

In fact:

Furcal 6
Pierre 8
Manny 7
Kemp 9
Blake 5
Belliard 4
Loretta 3
Martin 2
Wolf P