Longoria would have had to throw it through the base runner. Maybe if Navarro and Longoria both had the presence of mind to go around the runner, but even then, it just was going to fast, I don’t think he had time to move to the side, cock his arm and make a throw.
As for blame, you really have to go back to Balfour’s wild pitch and Navarro’s errant throw that put the runner on third in the first place. Without that the bases don’t get loaded and who knows what happens? Those last couple of innings were pretty wacky, starting with the bad throw to third by Ruiz that caromed off of Upton’s leg and allowed the tying run to score.
I’m not a Cubs fan but there is a lot of truth to that statement. I’ve noticed that after a dramatic play-off series (e.g., the Cubs-Marlins and Red Sox-Yankees in 2003 and the Red Sox-Yankees in 2004), the World Series seems like an anticlimax. Although, I think the fact the following WS was usually either a 4-game sweep or a 5-game near-sweep had a lot to do with it.
Blanton shocked me. Well, his home run shocked everyone, of course. But, how he was able to mow the strong Rays lineup down really shocked me. I loved it! But, I was surprised!
I’m really hoping the Phils win it at home. being approxiatemly 40 miles away, i can just imagine the good time we’ll have here. I really wish i could be in philly tomorrow to enjoy game #5.
Yeah. I’m usually not too down on umpiring on the field, because as indicated above, umps have to get in position for the expected play, and so if the fielders make a great, unexpected play, it’s just the nature of the beast that you might not see it. (That said, there seems to be more of that going on in this series than in the season.) But the strike zone last night was terrible – not just too short, but very inconsistent to the sides.
This quite literally gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
I am so, so, so excited for tonight, even though I won’t be able to watch it (unless I waver and skip the first meeting of a new class). This literally hasn’t happened before in my lifetime, and I’m ridiculously happy about it.
Not saying any more because I don’t want to jinx anything. Let’s go Phillies!
The main talk here in Tampa (and the rest of the area) has centered on what’s wrong with the Rays. The Phillies and the country aren’t seeing the Rays that we saw all season; they seem almost a shell of themselves, like they spent it all on the seven game series with the Red Sox. This wasn’t as evident until last night when the country got to see what the Phillies can do when they’re firing on all cylinders. Blanton pitched well and the bats woke up, which you had to expect sooner or later.
I hate to say it but this series is over. Our 4-6 spots are ICE cold and we’re up against the best pitcher on the Phillies staff. I hope Philadelphia has the champagne on ice for tonight’s game. My cap is off to the club.
That said, the other thing being talked about here is what total jackasses Philly fans are. Got a taste of this at the first two games down here, where there weren’t nearly as many Philly fans as there were for Chicago or Red Sox, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for, mostly, in mean-spirited asshattery. So now Maddon’s and other Rays families that had the audacity to go the game were rained with obscenties, threatened with physical violence. One nine year old kid had a beer dumped on him. Maddon’s granddaughter was pelted with opened mustard packets. Because of the Eagles and the Flyers, there is a special spot reserved in our bile ducts for Philadelphia. They’re behaviour is sort of like “Manny being Manny”. We know it’s going to happen, but that doesn’t excuse the boorishness of it.