Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Blue Jays peskier than the midges

Certainly no Indians fan worth his salt is unfamiliar with the so-called "bug game," the game the Indians won over the Yankees in the playoffs last year.

Yankee fans will tell you with great certainty that the only reason the Tribe won that game was because Joba Chamberlain was mercilessly attacked by the Lake Erie midges.

Tonight - to great acclaim (it's all I've heard about for days) - The Great Joba made his first major league start, at home against Toronto.

Because he has been in the pen since he came up with the Yanks last year, Joba had to be stretched out innings-wise so he could take his place in the New York rotation.

So, Chamberlain went out to the mound knowing he would get yanked after 65 to 70 pitches, no matter what the inning and no matter if he's throwing a shutout.

The talk around town was that Joba would get at least four, and likely five, or even six innings so he could pick up the win.

The Toronto Blue Jays can read the papers too though (at least I suspect that most of them can), and they went up to the plate tonight looking to knock Joba out early - by keeping their bats on their shoulders.

After one inning, The Great Joba had logged three walks and 38 pitches, more than half his stash.

By the end of the second he was at 54.

After facing the second batter of the third inning, The Great Joba was gone. Sent to the showers with a 2-1 lead after four walks overall and 62 pitches.

And so The Great Joba's debut as a starter comes to a premature close thanks to a swarm of pesky Blue Jays who knocked him out by keeping their bats at bay.

4 comments:

bobbydb19 said...

Joba...Joba...

Rather watch the Yankee game (and watch them lose), then the crap the Indians are throwing on the field. Why use your bullpen? We have 15 straight games coming up. Why are we taxing our bullpen? I am sure some AA starter could have done just as well as Mastney.

the moose said...

bobby - totally agree with you I turnerd it off after watching super man hamilton hit a 0-2 pitch for a mammoth HR. Surely Indians management knew Westbrook was injured and could have planned better for a starting pitcher.

oh by the way I just watched the HEART of out order - 4,5,6 garko, peralta, and blake

pop out, K,K

turning on CNBC to watch clinton and obama

the moose said...

thats with the bases loaded and NO ONE out - but we got one run - rejoice

Ron Vallo said...

I actually made it through the commercial after the disaster that was the top of the third.

Already into the Texas pen, the Tribe has a run in and the bases loaded only to fail once again.

Still, I waited through the commercials only to see the first batter up in the bottom of the 3rd, Saltamalacchia, put the Tribe yet another run behind with one swing.

That was enough for me.