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‘ Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing? ‘

(As You Like It)

                                             

Sounds almost contemporary those words, right?  But that’s the exact quote with its message for us tonight.  We should not be greedy…we’re home and dry…but it’s the Padres…and there’s still HFA…and we have a local boy debuting on the mound, and he’s an Ivy Leaguer.. he must be smart, right?  This is not Cuban prisons we’re talking here…still, he’s not at 99 far as I know, which counts most?

 

GAME TIME

1

First Pitch – Princeton vs Princeton??  Hard to believe, but true…K…he’s off and running..Hit.. Hit..1st and 3rd, 1 out…unlucky, how will he handle it? Headley up..K’s..another K !! strikes out the side..in retrospect better than a 1,2,3 for him – got the confidence now of being in a mess and pitching out of it.  Low to mid nineties, good command, great start.

Schafer walk, steals 2nd..1 out..Freddie K, Gattis flies out

2

1,2,3 for David…Gattis nice catch 3rd out..

Mac, 1 for last 15, K’s.. 1,2,3…both Princeton guys pitching well

3

First time through their order Hale has struck out 5… we have a change up!  2 out double down the line..K for 3rd out.. why am I getting quite irresponsible thoughts of this guy in the post season?  anyone else? he’s looking the part..

Hale, first at bat, 1 out, ground out..

4

Walk..first chat, Mac out…Headley steals..K, 1 out..ground out..K for strike 3, runner stranded after lead off walk and steal.. David around 70 pitches, 8 strike outs!

we still have no hits..Justin!! lead off homer…first rbi in 19 games…Mac, 1 out 2 run homer!                                                   BRAVES 3-0

5  

9 strike outs…Alice in Wonderland time?  he’s going to win this…  IOTP?  yes, so?  they’re sitting him, what a debut, Braves record for strike outs…Hug from Freddie!!   Glavine says no way was he this polished on his debut.. 87 pitches, 4 hits, 1 walk, 9 k’s…wow

1,2,3..

6

Ayala pitching..memories of Stanton K..  1,2,3..

Kennedy makes marvelous, and necessary, grab on screamer right back at him from Mac…first and 2nd, no outs, wasted..

7

2 0n, no outs, c’mon…bases loaded, no outs…all so-so singles…JuP bobble goes unpunished…Avilan in..infield hit, Simmons saves run, one scores..force out at plate, 1 out, still loaded, Carpenter in…   sac fly, 2 out.. Carpenter throwing 97… phew, ground out, 3 out, we need to score more for Hale..                                         BRAVES 3-2

Vincent pitching for Kennedy… undistinguished 1,2, 3..

8

Walden pitching.. Headley homers off first pitch, bummer for Hale…Downs in, Forsyth drives in 2 out go ahead run, both charged to Walden..        PADRES 4-3

Gregerson pitching, hot stuff…Joey T strikes out, he is not helping his cause lately, not impressed..Schafer 2 strike outs, 2 walks..   Upton flies out..

9

Loe on, dear dear…great play by EJ, 2 out…1,2,3   my apologies to Mr Loe…

Street pitching, here we go…Freddie grounds out, Gattis K’s..Mac grounds out, we get Kimbrelled …                                                                                FINAL   PADRES 4  BRAVES 3

 

Finally our bullpen blows a solid lead and our anemic hitting can’t add on…not to be wise after the event but the pen has been creaking at the seams lately, showing signs – walks, jams, deep counts,base hits, escapes…we can’t expect that to last forever and tonight was the night – such a shame it had to happen on Hale’s debut…but if you had to choose between a loss with a great outing by him or a win with a mediocre start it wouldn’t have been difficult would it?  One twenty times more important than the other in the longer term…

 

we will again take consolation from the Master..

 

We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.