Bay Area Baseball

Always great to see pitching duels between two great pitchers. Yesterday we had Arizona’s Dan Haren and Boston’s Josh Beckett, and they lived up to the billing. Haren went 7 shutout innings with just 2 hits, 1 walk and 5 k’s. Beckett went 8 and allowed two runs on 2 walks 5 hits and 8 k’s.

The difference in this game, and what makes baseball special in my eyes in comparison to basketball or football or really any other sport, was something so minute that it didn’t even take place during the game. Red Sox 1b Kevin Youkilis was hit in the eye before the top of the fifth inning while taking a warmup throw from Gold Glove 3b Mike Lowell. He was forced to leave the game and was replaced by OF Brandon Moss. This ended up being a major change as the Diamondbacks would score first in the 7th on an rbi double by Chris Young setting up a 2nd and 3rd situation with D’backs 3b Mark Reynolds on 3rd.

D’backs catcher Chris Snyder hit a sharp groundball to Moss, who was playing medium depth, the ball was hit hard enough that he would have been able to throw out the runner Reynolds at the plate, but Moss mishandled it and was forced to take the out at first, allowing Reynolds to score. Had Youkilis been at 1st it can be assumed that he, the Gold Glover of last year, would have been able to cut down Reynolds at the plate.

Reynolds run would end up being the difference in the game.

This to me is the beauty of baseball, and, although it cost my team a win, it really exemplified why I love the game. In baseball more than any game out there, one single event can determine the outcome of a game. Although there were other factors that decided this particular game, this was one of the significant events that you can point to. In baseball you really can’t afford to miss any part of the game. One moment could decide the game, and it could be anything, at any time. A run scoring error in the first inning could be all the scoring, and if you miss it you basically missed the deciding play.

In basketball or football, while there is obvious significance to each play in the progression of the game, its unlikely that an early field goal or dunk is going to be the decided play in the game. Nobody talks about the two points scored in the first quarter of an NBA game and you can basically watch the first 46 minutes and see nothing of consequence. The same is true for football, to a lesser degree, as missing a first quarter field goal or touchdown isn’t all that big a deal because rarely do games end 3-0 or 7-0.

Also significant and unique to baseball is the fact that each play starts the same, with the pitcher throwing the ball from the mound to the plate. Anything can happen without warning, a ball can be hit 500 feet and there might be no indication. In football and basketball there is generally a progression inherent in the movement of the ball down the field or court that prepares the fan for what is about to happen. This is less pronounced in baseball and makes the pitcher-hitter battle all the more intriguing, and makes the game of baseball beautiful.

Notes:

SF Giants SP Jonathan Sanchez looks to bounce back after a tough luck loss vs the Cleveland Indians and Suprising SP Aaron Laffey (4-4, 2.98 era)

Padres SP Jake Peavy looks to improve today against the Twins after getting hit by the Yankees his last time out.

Oakland SP Joe Blanton tries to avoid becoming the majors second 11 game loser, he is 3-10 on the year.

UPDATE:

Fresno State trails 5-3 but has runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out in the third inning. Still a long ways to go in this one.

UPDATE

Fresno State now LEADS 6-5 after a 6 run 3rd inning after a 3 run HR.

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