OK, so maybe they are starting to get over the “playing down to their competition” deal. The newly anointed “COMEBACK KIDS” showed a different side today – instead of getting down THREE and getting it all back and then some in ONE inning for the victory, the M’s scored THREE in the 1st (but then so did the Sox) and, it was a back and forth battle for FOUR hours and SEVEN minutes of a NINE inning game. Immense Kudos to the bats and the pen in this epic series 🙂
ON the MOUND
Today was the shortest outing of Kuma’s career . . .
He gave up THREE runs in the 1st (more than he had given up in his past FIVE games). Kuma also hit back-to-back batters in the 1st – after not hitting a batter all season. Just was not his day and, apparently, the Red Sox are his nemesis – his last shortest outing was against them (THREE innings) at Safeco Field last July . . .
TWO.ONE innings ~ SIX hits ~ FIVE earned runs ~ ONE walk ~ ONE strikeout
} Dom just keeps racking up the wins (7-2) – he went TWO.TWO though he walked THREE, he also struck out THREE and did not allow a single hit or run
} Joe and Danny each allowed hits, but no runs, in their combined TWO innings and Danny’s assist on the DP to end the 7th is a highlight not to be missed (see IN the FIELD)
} Charlie has a rough start to the 8th, giving up a run on TWO hits but, Tom bailed him out – and the M’s still had the lead heading to the 9th
} the Nando experience was a bit more white-knuckled than we like but, in the end, the arrow flew for the 38th time this season
AT the PLATE
Another RARE starting pitching struggle called for the bats (and the PEN) to carry them . . .
and that they did – finally getting runs on the board early and continuing to add on and on in this back and forth battle to eventually earn the SWEEP with EIGHT runs on THIRTEEN hits
~ Robbie, Zu and Chris D were the only starters w/o a hit (though Chris recored an RBI, scary moment as Robbie left the game w/dizziness – later confirmed as flu-like symptoms)
~ Dustin just keeps killing it – another THREE hits including a double, a triple, an RBI and THREE runs
~ Austin, Kendrys, Kyle and LoMo all with TWO hits and at least ONE run/RBI (Kyle w/TWO each)
~ Chris T stole a base but, both he and Zu were also caught stealing
IN the FIELD
* Zu allowed a PB, which makes THREE in his last TEN games when he’d only had THREE all season previous
* Only ONE double-play but, it was a DOOZY – with ONE out and runners on the corners in the 7th . . .
tweets of the game . . .
Compass Rosy 