I’m scared. It’s May, and Chan Ho Park hasn’t pitched himself out of a job yet. His line wasn’t spectacular last night, and he didn’t get the win, but he’s looking at least servicable this season, which frightens me. If we manage to get to the playoffs, and he’s still in tow? Yikes – that makes my hair stand on end. Doug Brocail is looking like the Doug Brocail pre-2004 so far this year. His stats aren’t terrible (2-0, 4.91, 10K, 10BB), but they won’t win any Cy Young awards. He also doesn’t have that feeling he had last year. I’m not advocating dumping him, but I worry when he comes out of the bullpen now. Park had a really cool play during the game, a ball pinballed straight up in the air after kicking off his ankle, or leg or something like that. Park barehanded it coming down and tossed out the runner by half a step – was a very nice play. I actually wanted him to stay in the game when he was pulled, and THAT is the scariest thought of all. :)
Offensively, I thought we had the game wrapped up early. It certainly felt like it when we went up 3-0 after 1, and 4-0 after three. Park was pitching well (!) and we seemed to be hitting the ball well. Park got in a minor jam, and Brocail let several inherited runners score to tie the game, but Matthews came through in the 7th with his first home run of the season; a game winning home run.
Both us and the Angels seem to be putting some distance between ourselves and the A’s/Mariners. The division was all knotted up within a half game of each other awhile ago, and after last night’s play, we’re 1.5 behind Anaheim. Oakland is 5GB, and Seattle is 6GB.
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