ATH Express

I didn’t get a chance to post my “And That Happened” recaps this morning, but I’ll offer some quick hits regarding last night’s games:

Andruw Jones went crazy against the Angels last night, hitting three homers. Which is the same number of homers he hit all last year. And which, for the season, puts him at .250/.348/.581. That sound you hear is me banging my head against the wall in the realization that he, and not Jeff Francoeur, could have very easily been manning right field in Atlanta this year. Rangers are in first, now, kids. They’re for real, and my pre-season prediction that had them winning the west still looks prescient. Sure, it was a wild-ass guess, but that’s what we call prescience before the fact.

Oliver Perez is back, and better than ever! Oh, wait, He walked seven guys. Dodgers: how do you lose a game to Oliver Perez when he walks seven guys?

Chris Volstad and Wandy Rodriguez each pitched five-hit shutouts. It is such a bizarre coincidence that anything so mind boggglingly improbable could have happened purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God.

Jose Contreras apparently spent his rehab time earlier this season working with Ponce de Leon. And in this crazy, mixed-up world, isn’t it refreshing that you can still count on some things in life? Thing like the Indians sucking?

Prince Fielder legged out an infield single that drove in the go-ahead run and which caused the U.S. Geological Survey and several local fire departments to go on high alert. See, because he’s a big guy and there was a lot of thigh-friction and . . . ah, well, never mind.

The Tigers finally figured out how to beat Zack Greinke. Leyland: “When you are going against a guy like Greinke, you know that you are going to have to get a great game from your starter. If you give up three or four runs, he’s going to beat you, so I was very happy with what French did tonight.” Thank goodness for the Tigers that Greinke still pitches for the Royals, so three or four runs aren’t all that distinct a possibility.

You always want to win games, but I bet the Reds are just as happy to finally see an effective Homer Bailey (6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6K 0 BB) as they would have been to see a victory.

Once again, sorry for not having the full ATH glory, but sometimes life and work and stuff intrudes, ya know?


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Bob Timmermann
14 years ago

No ATH? I want a full refund! Nay, I demand a full refund. Nay, I demand a full refund with interest and a gift card to use at an Old Navy.

RoyceTheBaseballHack
14 years ago

Re: TEX-LAA Wednesday night. As Shyster’s unofficial Ranger’s Desk correspondent, I feel the need to expand on a few aspects of this game:
– As much of a homer as I’ve become for The Rangers, I have to concede that Guerrero and and Torii Hunter, two notorious Rangers-Killers, were not in Tuesday’s line-up.
– From 1600 miles away on TV, Santana looked flacid and lost.  How he lasted as long as he did, or why he was left in as long as he was, is beyond me.
– Andruw Jones’ recent demeanor at the plate is 180 degrees from earlier in the year. For the first few months of the season he looked serious and sometimes overwhelmed. For the last two weeks, he’s looked like an 8 year old kid who just got a new bike for Christmas.
– Padilla being hit pretty hard in the palm by one-hopper was a little scary, but it turns out he’s fine. Up to that point, he was throwing brilliantly. In fact, he has what looks to me like an off-speed slider that comes over in the low-80’s, and when he’s “On’, it’s largely unhitable. He threw it fix or six times last night and got a strike every time. I’m not Padilla’s biggest fan, but when that dude is on, he’s damn good.

Wooden U. Lykteneau
14 years ago

Were there any pics of the fans laughing at Ryan’s elbow injury? Or did he turn an ankle?

Ross
14 years ago

Thank you, Douglas Adams.  Thank you.

Dave
14 years ago

I will never forget the Metrodome-roof-aided inside-the-park HR for Prince Fielder. One of the greatest moments in baseball history.