Here's tonight's galaxy of stars. Take your pick, they all contributed big time!
Jhonny Peralta, who's hitting right around the .500 mark in this series, had another huge night at the plate, getting the first hit of the night off of Tim Wakefield - a double off the wall in left. More importantly, his three-run bomb in the fifth turned out to be the game winning hit for the Tribe, putting them up six-zip at the time. The Sox would soon erase that goose egg though, with back-to-back-to-back homers in the top of the sixth. So Peralta's homer was huge.
Jhonny Peralta, who's hitting right around the .500 mark in this series, had another huge night at the plate, getting the first hit of the night off of Tim Wakefield - a double off the wall in left. More importantly, his three-run bomb in the fifth turned out to be the game winning hit for the Tribe, putting them up six-zip at the time. The Sox would soon erase that goose egg though, with back-to-back-to-back homers in the top of the sixth. So Peralta's homer was huge.
You can make a case that Casey Blake had the biggest contribution tonight, starting off the seven-run fifth with a solo homer for the first run of the game, and capping the rally with an RBI single for the seventh tally.
And then there's Paul Byrd. What an outing for five innings. You have to think if the Indians didn't spend 35 minutes at the plate on this cold and wet night in the fifth, Byrd might have had a better shot at extending his evening.Not pictured above - but in the picture every night - is Raffy Betancourt. Tonight all he did was get the last six outs of the game, four of them against the top four hitters in the potent Red Sox lineup.
Jensen Lewis was big again, building the bridge to Betancourt.
Honorable metion can also go to Adsrubal Cabrera, who had another RBI single in a big spot tonight and the best catch of the series so far with his leap to snag a line drive to end the seventh.
One last note on the game. I presume you all noticed Manny being a jackass yet again, while his team was getting their butts whupped. What a jerk!
I have to confess I broke a cardinal rule tonight. My high school baseball coach nearly took my head off one time when, with a big lead in hand in the bottom of the 7th (the final inning in high school) I started loading up our bat bag. Clearly the wrong move as our coach was a big believer in jinxes.
Tonight, lesson learned in high school or not, I started a draft of this victory blog post an inning before the last out was recorded. I looked the jinx in the eye and beat it.
On that note let me just say I've been at my job so long now I can probably do it with my eyes closed. I think we're going to put that theory to the test tomorrow morning.
Everybody enjoy the day off. Get some sleep. I'll put up something more substantial tomorrow after work.
PHOTO CREDITS: The Associated Press
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12 comments:
being a fellow Indian fan in Yankeeland, I remember all too well the back-to-back-to-back Yankee onslaught in 97 (i was there, it was ugly- if memory is correct one of them was by Strawberry).
Luckily tonight we had a cushion.
Maybe I am just a dreamer but I can't imagine CC throwing a 3rd dog. Beckett will be sick as usual but I hope CC can match & beat him.
I don't think Straw was on that team. The three were Tim Raines, Jeter and O'Neill.
Also, note Manny's HR celebration down 4 runs. Then read, "Manny being a jackass."
Let's hope for the pitchers' duel that game 1 was supposed to be so we can all get to bed at a decent hour if we're so inclined.
Personally, I kept trying to go to bed last night in the fifth but the Indians wouldn't let me. I was falling asleep studying for an exam and said, "OK, this is the last inning" and then it just kept going...
swarty:
I don't remember that one. It's probably internalized somewhere deep inside me and will escape its entrapment one day while I'm on a psychiatrist's couch.
jason: the watching-for-a-while thing just doesn't work. come playoff time, once you've started watching you are in it for the duration. if you should be doing something else, or have to get up really early, you have to have the discipline of a monk and not turn on your television. i, obviously, am nowhere near that dsiciplined.
Like FOX, Blake was my MVP of the game, and like Blake, I am not shaving (until the Tribe lose a series). I really can grow hair on my face.
I also broke my cardinal rule. I always keep my mouth shut (I believe this irritates people even more). I was getting text messages from my friend who is a SOX fan and I kept telling him it wasn't over. When it got to 7-0, I finally sent him a WAHOO! and the 3 HRs in a row. My stomach tightened, but was happy when Jensen got out of it. I was expecting Manny to get drilled in the 8th, but then thought why would we do that. Just get the win. Maybe CC will have the balls to drill him.
I felt a strong wind at my house every time Pronk came up. He is still hitless against Wakefield. Maybe Gomez should have played, but I understand you cannot mess with the line-up.
I have a feeling tomorrow night is going to be a classic. CC should rebound. He is at home and the crowd shopuld pump him up. Still a long way to go, but I feel damn good.
Bobby:
We don't need the crowd to pump CC up too much - that has been his problem. too tight. I hope he's relaxed and focused and then he'll go out and shut them down.
I have Red Sox fans all over my office and I haven't said a word. It's definitely the best way to go. It's still bugs them but you also aren't opening yourself to sucker punches if things go horribly wrong.
Maybe there will come a time in the game tomorrow when the obvious strategy would be to walk Manny. Then CC can drill him and be done with it. As Don Drysdale once said, why waste the other three pitches?
Well, I am in seminary, but am hardly a monk. At some point I just had to pick my priorities. I am also on-call for work and had my Blackberry by my bedside. I checked the score when I woke up at 2:30 this morning. I went back to sleep with a smile on my face.
I did make it to the end of the marathon on Saturday. Who knew that 1:30 happens at night too?
Hey Ron,
This is Alan (Stephen Lee's cousin). I wrote to your blog when you first started it.
1st of all, I would like to say that you're doing a fantastic job with this blog, attracting attention in the cleveland area and the nj area.
2nd, I have been rubbing it into Steve since he is a red sox fan.
3rd, Go TRIBE!!
Hope you will be in attendance at the Jake should they make the world series....
Hey Allen:
Haven't heard from Steve since fantasy baseball ended. Tell him I, and the Cleveland Indians, say hello
Good day-
Does anyone have recommendations for Manhattan bars that support the Indians?
I know that Blondies is the Browns bar, wondering if there are any others...
Thanks in advance!
Hey Expat:
I keep getting this question, Unfortunately, being on old guy who lives in the suburbs, I don't have an answer. I posed the question to people I worked with and psoted their answers on the blog a week or so ago. Below is the post I'm refering to. Hope it helps.
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I'm an old guy who doesn't go to sports bars anymore.
I work in Jersey City and my younger collegues had a couple of suggestions for you, though they are not necessarily Indians friendly.
P.J. Ryan's on Marin in JC was recommend as a good sports bar.
In NYC, McSorley's on 7th st. between 2nd and 3rd Ave, was described to me as a very anti-Red Sox bar. So you might get some comeraderie there.
Also Croxley Ales on Ave. B at 3rd St. in NYC was mentioned as a fun sports bar. Again no word on whether it would be Indians friendly.
I can't vouch for any of the above, just passing along from my younger co-workers.
You might also check out the Browns Backers Web site to find Browns Backers clubs in the NY/NJ area. Give them a call. I'm sure they are planning to meet up somewhere tonight as well.
Thanks Ron - appreciate it.
I've been meaning to check out Croxley ales - their location out in Rockville Center has a great tap selection.
The Riviera Club in the West Village is a big Red Sox bar, so go there at your own peril, fellow TFIYL-ers.
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