Some notes Following the 1-0 Loss

Did I call it or what?  Another rookie pitches a gem against the Dodgers who failed to figure him out.  It was a disappointing loss and a wasted gem thrown by Chad Billingsley.  Josh Collmenter baffled the Dodgers through 6 innings of shutout ball, allowing two hits and striking out three.  Sometimes I wonder, what is worse, the advance scouting team or the players that fail to heed the instructions of the advance scouting team?

Also, just as I thought, Brian Runge called a game favorable to the pitching staffs of both teams.  A wide strike zone to say the least.

I am finding that the more and more I analyze the game, I truly believe that umpiring plays a major role on games’ outcomes.  It would behoove each organization to keep a book on each umpire and his tendencies and then attempt to line up pitching that will best take advantage of those tendencies.  For example, juggle a starting staff and attempt to pitch a sinkerballer in games umpired by a home plate ump that has a tendency to call the low pitches strikes.

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During the 7th inning of today’s game, Charlie Steiner and Rick Monday started talking about how the Red Sox-Yankees game is the lead game shown to most of the country on Fox and then Steiner mentioned that it will also be the ESPN game on Sunday night.  Their dialogue was as follows:

Steiner:  ESPN, they’ll never get enough of the Yankees Red Sox.

Monday: Of course, there’s never enough of those games.

Steiner:  You ever notice that Bristol, CT is exactly the same distance to New York City as it is to Boston?

Monday: You ever notice that anything west of the Hudson River doesn’t exist?

Touche´ Mo.  I couldn’t have said it better.

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Hallelujah!  James Loney had an extra base hit today, his first since April 6th.

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Billingsley pitched as well today as he ever has in his career.  It’s a shame he couldn’t get the win.  Throwing a one hitter over 8 innings work with 8 strikeouts.  He was absolutely brilliant.

I dare say it that the combination of Kershaw and Billingsley is as good as any 1-2 duo in baseball.  Add an effective Kuroda, Garland and Lilly and the Dodgers have the most under-rated starting staff in the league.  We’ll see how it plays out, but I think those five will keep the club in the race throughout the season.

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