Rangers 8, Blue Jays 7 (F/13); Rangers 12, Blue Jays 6: Sadness Brooms

first base coach Torey Lovullo speaks for me on this issue

John Farrell has taken a considerable amount of criticism for the pitching moves that, one could argue, ended up costing the Blue Jays the two-run led Omar Vizquel, of all people, had staked them to in the top of the thirteenth inning Saturday evening, but I have nothing to say about that other than this: if he'd burned a starter, like many thought he should have, and Josh Hamilton had still hit a walkoff, which he very well might of because he is actually the best, that would have been construed as dumb too, so whatever. What I wish to focus my attention on here instead, albeit briefly, is home plate umpire Marty Foster's ejection of Henderson Alvarez on a hip-high two-strike pitch with J. P. Arencibia set up low and inside after, I grant you, back-to-back-to-back home runs. But that last bit is circumstantial, a word that I am not really using right. It was the must egregious ejection of a Blue Jays starter since the time Roy Halladay got tossed by Phil Cuzzi for hitting a Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray in the back with a curveball in the middle of his Cy Young award-winning 2003 season, my favourite pitcher-season ever, for those of you scoring along at home (maybe Bill?). Ridiculous stuff, man; just ridiculous. I am told that on certain replays, a baffled Arencibia can be lipread as asking Foster, "Are you drunk?" I am kind of amazed he didn't get run, too, if that is indeed the case.


Then today Yu Darvish was good, not great, while Kyle Drabek was horrendous, not bad, and there you have it. 


Hell of a road trip, fellows!


KS

Maybe I Should Predict Getting Swept Before Every Series - Mets 8, Rangers 5

HEH, had it the whole way.

Well, that was unexpected.  I went into this weekend expecting the worst, with the Mets sending out their youngest arms against one of the most potent offensive teams in the game, and certainly wasn't hopeful about the series, especially after Friday night's 8-1 pasting.  However, I didn't count on Josh Hamilton being a for-real vampire and Lucas Duda showing up all "oh hey guys, learned how to hit last night, watch this," on Saturday.  

Yes, I know that Jon Niese might be a jackrabbit disguised as a Major League pitcher and K-Rod continued his slide with two more runs allowed in a none-save situation yesterday, but the fact of the matter is that the Mets went into the home of the AL West leaders and took two out of three.  Can't do much better than that.  

With the Mets having faced teams like the Angels, A's and Pirates in recent games, it had been a while since I saw games against a offense like the Rangers, where 5-run innings are not really that big a thing.  It's exhilarating to watch, in some sick way, knowing that no lead is safe, and oh boyyyy here comes Manny Acosta again!  

ONTO DETROIT!