NLDS Headlines

NLDS COMPLETE
Giants 3, Braves 1

Today's headlines from the NLDS

"Giants torture fans for five days, pour champagne on each other, fly home on chartered jet."

Jerks.

"Giants barely survive series against injury-plagued flawed wild card team, win mostly thanks to errors, prepare to face best baseball team of last 15 years."

Um.

"HOLY CRAP WE WON!"

YAY!

But the most fitting has to be:
"Giants blow NLDS to Braves, losing heartbreakers in games 2 and 3, demoralized and offensively impotent in Game 4...wait, what? We won?"

Because this series was very much like previous Giants adventures in heartbreak. A game 1 win to get our hopes up. An unbearable game 2 loss that we HAD. And then a terrified shaky performance in game 3 that comes crashing down when Eric Hinske (according to Jamie, he looks like the guy from King of Queens) hits his soul-crushing 2-run homer to take the lead in the 8th. In the top of the 9th, our leadoff hitter popped out. Travis Ishikawa pinch-hit and the count went to 2-2. Then 3-2. And then...he walked. Ok. But then a strikeout to Torres. And when Freddy Sanchez swung and missed at the first two pitches, the ending was all too familiar, and all too certain. But then....it didn't happen. Sanchez singled. Huff singled. Posey hit the ball to Brooks Conrad on purpose because Posey is perfect and all things he does are perfect. The ball went through Conrad's legs, and Sanchez scored the winning run. And Wilson didn't blow it. What universe is this?

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROddpJabPIEepUNzsmPezZ7N_dmJMpcqHVZal_PRgm6neGeTk&t=1&usg=__WdZxjjdtnwkWvZsIY9_gWyuaVJ4=
vs.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTttLvqQ3SBJQ6KP2mrx6DqssTSXYmHbmSmaF6dhsIP6vHwEz0&t=1&usg=__9g1F3FTadkNw2iYalUio4kEbUNQ=

Crazy. Maybe they are the same person? Maybe the King of Queens dude hit a homerun off Sergio Romo? Maybe I could hit a homerun off Sergio Romo? Maybe my great-great grandmother from the old country could hit a homerun off of freakin' Sergio Romo??

Moving on.

Last week I meant to have an email about my selections for the NLDS roster. I never got a chance, but here's what I was going to write:

"No matter what the Giants do about Zito, the most important thing is that they put Cody Ross on the team. If they do, I have no doubt that Cody Ross will hit a game-winning single in Game 1, an RBI popout-error thingy in Game 3, a game-tying HR in Game 4, and then the series-winning hit, which will probably end up between short and third and cause Derek Lowe to utter numerous obscenities."
Dated: October 7

Some NLDS notes:

Total Earned Runs allowed by starters: 3
Total Earned Runs allowed by Romo: 3

-How hilarious is Brian Wilson? Here's a quote from yesterday. "First of all, I was hoping it wouldn't be a one-run game, but of course it's a one-run game, because it's always a one-run game. So then I'm just trying not to make it interesting, but of course it gets interesting because it always gets interesting. But then you make your pitch, and after that, you do what you want....that's baseball, and that's what we play."

(He then turned to Buster Posey, who was next to be interviewed, and said: "Hey, buddy. Nice job.")

-The only time either team had a lead of more than 1 run at any point in the series was when the Giants led 4-0 in game 2. Of course, they then lost.

-How sorry do you feel for the Phillies, who have no idea what they're in for? At some point, Roy Halladay is going to have a 4-pitch inning. Pat Burrell will fly out to left, Juan Uribe will try to pull an outside curveball and ground out to short, and then Cody Ross will take 1 pitch and then pop out to second. The Philly fans will go crazy. And then Timmy will strike out Utley, Howard, and Werth on 9 straight changeups in the dirt, and Philly fans will be like "wait, what? Are they good or not? We can't figure it out! Should we be worried? Why is their closer dying his beard? If they never score any runs, how did they get to the NLCS? Jeet yet?"

Sorry, Philly. Can't help you. But yes, you should be worried. Because we are magic inside. You are not. You are just a baseball juggernaut. You have great starting pitching, we have great starting pitching. You have a great offense, we have great starting pitching. It's going to interesting. Or we'll get swept. Whatever. Bring it.

Today's Poll Question
Did you think we were going to, you know, completely blow that series?
A) No. Because I didn't watch.
B) Only in 3 of the 4 games.
C) Only when the Giants were hitting. I kept waiting for them to score negative runs.
D) Is it over? I'm still under my couch.