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*** DIRTY SANCHEZ STEAL GAME 2 *** Two oh-fers, puking superstar can't stop 9th inning magic
SANTA CLARA, 5/24/09: If there were some way for the Cleveland Steamers to predict the outcomes of these first two games against the Dirty Sanchez, it is reasonable to assume they would have packaged their 9-run 9th from Game 1 (in which they still fell short) and saved it for Game 2; of course the rally would have truncated by rule after the first two runs but the loss of individual stats would sting less with a win of the game...and an even series. While Leland Yow's club possesses offensive talent, defensive wizardry, deep pride and loud mouths, one trait they lack is clairvoyance, and it cost them a victory against the very vulnerable Dirty Sanchez.
A cool breeze whipped across Santa Clara county around 10:30 or so Sunday morning. Not because Mark Reynolds and the D'backs were visiting the nearby Coliseum either---that came later---but because of a collective sigh from the Steamer dugout upon learning the legendary Cav Manning would not play. Manning, long known for launching balls out of parks and bringing opponents to their knees, was spending his Sunday launching barf out of himself while on his own knees. Though talented enough to beat the Sanchez even at full strength, it would be fair to assume the Steamers did not mind Cav's bat and incessant prattle taking a week off.
For the 18 men who were present, there was a game to be played. Del Real started off the Sanchez scoring by singling in Yanez, who led off the game with a double, for a 1-zip Sanchez lead. Come the bottom 1st, the Steamers played small-ball themselves with a few well-placed grounders---with one out and the bags juiced Holley stepped into a gut-high toss and sent it high and far out of the yard, a no-doubt grand slam that quickly propelled Cleveland in front 4-1!
Neither team scored in the 2nd, the Sanchez looking especially unexciting on O, but just the opposite on D. With two outs and Lynas on 1st following an IF hit, Matsui drove one to CF that looked to be a sure RBI triple---one of those balls you know he will not stop running on. Lynas hesitated briefly at 3rd then dashed for home, but by that time Del Real had recovered the ball and erased Matsui at third base...before Greg scored! (right). That unscored run would haunt the Steamers by game's end.
"Hell no; I ain't lettin' (Matsui) take 3rd on me." -- Del Real, never known for his on-field bashfulness, following the above play.
Often, when Manning is unable to play, he will offer his services as umpire. Trust me---persistent nausea definitely would have trumped having to rule on 3rd inning plays today. In the Sanchez half, one in which they'd score 7 runs, Wagner was racing around to score when the throw came in to C Miceli. The ball beat Wagner to the plate by a wide margin but he dashed out of the way of Miceli's tag and scored! Or did he? Several Steamers, most vocally Miceli and Sacramento, argued Wagner went out of the base path to avoid the tag. The Sanchez' defense: "This is BAD ASS Baseball, what base path?" basically. Both opinions, needless to say, were biased. In the end, Dave's run stood, and the Steamers trailed 8-4.
If that was an umps' nightmare, soon came his
narcotic-induced hallucination---Yow's club, looking far sharper offensively
than in Game 1, put the first 5 men on base in their half of the 3rd with Sacramento up to bat, no one
out, bases full of teammates. He weakly grounded down the 3B line; DaRosa,
believing the ball would go foul, stayed at 3rd base where the ball got a piece
of him! Bush fielded it, tagged Ed, stepped on 3rd and threw home to cover his
bases (no pun intended). What's the ruling? A lengthy discussion involving
almost all players went down near "the spot of the foul". Ultimately, Lynas and
Yow recited the rule on such plays---once the ball struck the runner (DaRosa),
on base or not, he was out so long as he was in fair ground (which he
indisputably was). The other runners moved up a base, and anything Bush did
afterward was simply exciting practice. Wanting a double play somewhere,
anywhere, the Dirty Sanchez protested until technology proved the Steamers'
claim---Lanctot confirmed via his cell phone. DaRosa was ruled out and the ball died at once.
Sacramento took 1st base and the other runners moved up.
Holding the Sanchez scoreless in the 4th, Cleveland tied the game in their half on Kuzmiak's 2-run home run. They would scratch out another one to take the lead entering the 5th. Again putting up a zero defensively, in the bottom of the 5th BS Andraesen errantly threw to 2nd on Holley's bouncer, putting 2 in scoring position for exactly one hitter---DaRosa quickly singled home both, and the Sanchez trailed 11-8 after 5.
The Dirty Sanchez stagnant offense was in dire need of a little life at this point. The freshly-arrived Garewal was unable to provide it, leading off the 6th with a popout. But his teammates managed to pick him up and then some---hits by Yanez, Del Real and Andraesen plated two for the Sanchez; Wagner then singled to set up Flores with two men on. Much as Yow himself drove one past Del Real in the 9th inning of Game 1, Rob drove a shot to straightaway center field that Yow misplayed and the ball flew by him! Andraesen and Wagner scored easily as Flores chugged to 3rd. Adding insult to injury, the relay throw from the outfield landed squarely in the home dugout, and in came a smiling Flores--who had came to complete rest at 3rd base---with the 13th Sanchez run! If that were not rough enough an inning for the Steamer captain, Yow would do a mud-incited face plant near 1st base while flying out to close the home 6th.
The top of the 7th looked promising for Bernal's team momentarily; they appeared to have something of a 2-out rally brewing when Del Real and Bush singled back-to-back. However, Del Real took a wide turn around 2nd and Yow managed to deke him by looking at 3rd, but firing behind Dave to 2nd! Ripping a whole chapter out of Matsui's book, Yow's redemptive play lit fire under his players, who reacted with loud approval from their various positions as they ambled to the dugout. Holley would step up with one out and one on and launch a high popup; serendipity was on his side as the ball fell untouched to the ground for an RBI double! Within minutes, two more Steamers--#'s 13 and 14 for those scoring at home---would cross the plate, but the Steamer rally ended when Miceli was gunned down at 3rd base for the 3rd out.
"They're comin' to put out the fire, but it ain't happenin'." -- Lanctot, referring to a fire engine blaring down De La Cruz during the 3-run Steamer 7th.
SS Holley's long run and over-the-shoulder catch of Andraesen's leadoff 8th-inning foul to shallow right deflated the Sanchez, but Wagner and Flores followed with consecutive singles. Bernal popped out, bringing up Davis. Perhaps the unluckiest player in BAB 2009, Davis had smashed the ball 3 times in 4 trips...all into an enemy mitt. This time he belted one down the LF line that spelled RBI double at least...until, as if yanked on a string, the laser arched foul by less than a foot. Davis ended up popping out as well to close the road 8th. In the bottom half, Kuzmiak dug in with one on and two down with a chance to pad the one-run Steamer lead. Unfortunately, Sacramento could not throw a strike and Kuz went down via shocking PLK---the last outcome the Sanchez expected, but the best one they could have conceptualized (below left).
So they went to the 9th---Steamers 14, Sanchez 13. With one out, Yanez singled hard off Holley's mitt. Del Real grounded to 3rd; Steamer 3B Lynas dove and stuck it, but the throw to 1st skipped past allowing Yanez to go to 3rd. Bush then bloop-doubled home one run leaving two in scoring position for Andraesen, only 1-for-5 today thus far. He'd smack a base hit to score Del Real; Bush deked towards home drawing a throw which allowed Stoph to claim 2nd! Now in the lead 15-14, the Dirty Sanchez rally was only beginning with 2 in scoring position and only one out---so it seemed. Wagner fouled out for the 2nd out, then Flores drilled a line drive directly into Lynas' miniature mitt, fire breathing all the way. In order to take a 2-0 series lead, Bernal's men would have to repeat history by protecting a one-run lead on the road in the 9th.
The Steamers were sending the right men to the plate to at minimum extend today's game---Holley and DaRosa were 9-for-10 combined so far and the first two batters in the 9th. The former grounded out but the latter reached via clean single. Next, as hearts began to pound a bit harder, Lanctot popped out. Miceli followed up with his 4th hit to bring up Sacramento. After the rough pitch sequence to Kuzmiak one inning ago, Sac no doubt sought reparation. After popping one to shallow right-center that SS Yanez tracked down with a nifty basket catch, Sac no doubt sought more reparation.
But it'll have to wait until Game 3. About his team's narrow
triumph, Flores offered this summation: "All we need is one (run)." "My football instincts kicked in." -- Yanez, referring to his running basket catch to retire Sacramento in the 9th.
ANALYSIS by JOE DAVIS
The Dirty Sanchez should not have won this game, if you add up all that went wrong---having multiple guys thrown out on the bases, no Cav Manning, only a two-fer from Stoph and oh-fers from Skillz and Jimmy. All the crazy things that happened in this game---I loved the fire coming from both sides and I was pleasantly surprised Mike stood up as much as he did on the tag play with Wagner. If I was umping I would have called Dave out. Thank God I wasn't.
The Cleveland Steamers need the Torance from last series, the one who made 4 outs all series and out-ribbied half the league in 3 games alone, to return. If he doesn't dominate, they are that much more vulnerable. The Sanchez proved they can win without their best player lighting it up, but can the Steamers? Kevin Holley---not enough words to describe his progress. He's got Most Improved Player sewn up already; I knew that GS was gone as soon as he began his swing. The Steamers got some bad breaks; on Sac's tapper, Ed should have broken home right away; at worst it would have been a force-out at 3rd but the run would have been in. The throw going in the dugout when Rob had already stopped at 3rd base, Lynas not scoring before Torance' tag, Mike's tag missing Wagner by a hair---those are proving to be game-changing plays.
Who else thought Kuz was going to explode when he PLK'd? Sac wasn't faultless, but Kuz seemed to be waiting on a perfect pitch that never came. It worked last week but this time he wasn't so fortuitous. Jason, good to see him back, it'll be even better when he's ready to run for himself. I still say the opposing captain should pick pinch-runners, but that's for another day. Tito's strategy of lefty/righty/lefty is decent on the surface, but he has to be a better hitter and faster runner for it to matter; fatiguing the Steamers by forcing switches is less damaging than batting natural and roping 4 or 5 hits. He did the team a favor by giving it up after one at-bat...AND by ignoring his players and stalling to get Super Dave on the field. Dave's defense proved to be a difference maker---not only did he throw out Torance and save a run, but he also got Torance to do something later in the game he seldom does---think better of challenging his arm.
This series won't be the same until Minor and Soonam get out on the field. Just Soonie's luck he's out for two months and nothing happens. Then just before he's set to return...RIP!
And Skillz---what can I say. You have lost more hits to great catches and atom balls than everybody else put together this season. Hang with 'em. JD
"Uh...isn't that more argument AGAINST fixing it?" -- Wagner, to Davis before the game, after the latter suggested they fix the fence because "if we don't, somebody else will."
MORE NOTES
"Sniper got him." -- Flores, and others, after Yow hit the dirt running to 1st base in the 6th.
With this game the last for Flores as a BAB full-timer, he and Lynas went head-to-head as exhibition captains.
Not a misprint---Kuzmiak was only avaliable for 3 innings, as he had a wedding to attend. Garewal began with the Beer Runs and swapped to F&G to keep the lineups balanced.
That was about the extent of the excitement in this very
low-scoring game, the first one of 6+ innings since August 12, 2007 in which
neither club scored in double digits. Andraesen cranked a 2-run jack in the top
of the 3rd to break a 1-1 tie---and his teammate Yow thanked him by planting him
on his back with a shot up the middle
(see video, left)
4 batters later, perhaps the most memorable PLK in league history.
Now down 9 to 8, the stage was set for a Flores walkoff, but Beer Run BS Wagner
spoiled the fun with an incredible long running catch of his foul to shallow
left.
"Don't call your shot when I'm pitching, bitch." -- F&G pitcher Matsui, to batter Flores after brushing him back; Rob was openly going for a home run and pointed his bat a la Babe Ruth to indicate such.
AWARDS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Yow and Andraesen drove in 7 of the 9 Beer Run runs and each took BAD ASS of the Day. F&G 3B Bernal sucked in a searing line drive off Andraesen's bat that visibly pained him and left him with a swollen middle finger in the 6th; his effort was rewarded with a Gold Glove. No Small Penis was named.
MORE NOTES
"What are you, Jack Tripper from the beginning of Three's Company??" -- Manning, to Andraesen, as the latter ran through a flock of seagulls perched on the field with a goofy grin on his face.
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Lynas and Yow could not
further the rally and the Steamers left 'em loaded.
