Swirled Series

[billroper]

Well, you can't call it the Toilet Bowl, because that's a name more suitable for football. But when the Cubs and the Pirates are engaged in the Battle For The Basement of the National League Central, you've got to have some kind of toilet related name for it. So Swirled Series will have to do.

The Cubs lost to the Pirates yesterday to claim the basement. But today, Rich Hill proceeded to pitch the best game of his life, striking out 11 in 7.1 innings of work, and the Cubs led 1-0 after seven innings on an unearned run that had scored on a passed ball. By the end of seven innings, Hill had thrown 101 pitches. Ten pitches later, the game was tied and shortly after the pitching change the Pirates had taken the lead on what looked to me like it should have been two unearned runs, although ESPN is claiming that one run was earned.

Given the general incompetence of the Cubs hitting, it looked bad. But the Pirates also changed pitchers going to the bottom of the eighth and the new pitcher was not nearly so effective as Zach Duke had been. Actually, he wasn't doing too badly, but he got yanked after a bloop single and a bunt single. The next Pirates pitcher fell down trying to field a sacrifice bunt attempt that was mysteriously scored as a hit, loading the bases. And then Derrek Lee got his birthday present with a grand slam to give the Cubs the lead. They scored twice more for a 7-2 lead that proved to be safe in the hands of Bobby Howry.

So the Cubs are back out of the basement for now, but another game against the Pirates is scheduled for Thursday.

Comments

[patoadam]

You know a lot about baseball. Can you explain how come the American League has won most of the World Series, but the National League has won most of the All-Star Games? The obvious answer is "The Yankees", but even if you ignore all the World Series the Yankees have played in, the American League is still ahead.

[billroper]

Without looking things up (that is, speaking off the top of my head), the most likely reason for the NL domination of the All-Star Game (until just recently) is that the NL integrated more quickly and deeply than the AL. This gave the NL a much deeper talent pool for the All-Star Game.

World Series are short series, so any given series can be won by any given team (witness Twins over Cards in 1987). But I'd suspect that the NL has had more parity over the years than the AL, and parity is -- on average! -- bad for a league's chances of winning the Series. To win the Series, your league only needs one really good team. :)

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

The Tigers are working on regaining their classic form by throwing away games right and left, surrendering a double digit lead over the Sox. We haven't given away first place, but we're sure working on it.

[catalana.livejournal.com]

Hmm, "Yay, we're no longer last!" is lacking something as a chant...

[billroper]

You obviously aren't a Cubs fan. :)

(And I'm a Cardinals fan, so I'm in such trouble for that remark...)