Rays 9, Rangers 0: Kelly Shoppach, Home Run Hero?

Dr, Pepper IS the one-of-a-kind fan favourite, that is TRUE.

Momentum is a tricky thing to talk about in baseball. A favourite aphorism of mine is Earl Weaver's "Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher," because, well, yeah, totally. What if the next day's starter is almost entirely untested rookie? Then you would probably be boned, right? Sure, he had looked awesome in the very limited action he had seen so far, but could anyone have anticipated a two-hitter in Matt Moore's second career start? Or, putting that unlikelihood aside, even, how about two home runs from Kelly Shopach, he of the .176 batting average and .607 OPS? All of that was pretty neat, but neatest of all was an early home run from Johnny Damon, who, after all these years, I still find particularly, especially neat. C. J. Wilson, who has one of the best post-home-run headshakes in the game, was shaking up a storm yesterday, and I never would have guessed, man, I never would have guessed. 


I would also like to mention that while Josh Hamilton is getting a lot of flack from baseball nerds for bunting while down a million runs, the third basemen was playing way off the line, and although it was scored a  sacrifice, Hamilton was bunting for a hit, so settle down, internet: they needed baserunners, and he was trying to get on.  


In the end, though, Hamilton was left looking like this --

I'm ronery . . . so ronery . . .

-- and one can only assume that, wherever he was, our dear friend and resident Rangers fan, Chinballs, wasn't looking any happier. 


Poor, sweet Chinballs . . .


KS