As a pitcher, you know your team has let you down when you concede only
one hit for the entire game, and end up losing 2-1. And tonight, as
with much of the last series, the C’s offense and defense left the
pitchers hanging. Admittedly they were facing a rehabbing AA pitcher
(who inexplicably stayed in for seven innings – some rehab!), but
still, to end up with the same number of hits as you have errors is
just not on.

Pascuel ‘El Gigante’ Manzueta was godlike on the mound tonight,
throwing a no-hitter into the 5th, when a 2-out walk to Joshua
‘Elastic’ Banda was driven in by an uncharacteristic Geoff ‘Propane’ Strickland triple.

Manzueta was relieved at that point by Scott ‘please sir, can I have
some’ Moore, who threw two great innings of scoreless relief, striking
out four and giving up no hits or runs, and when ‘Fearless’ Affronti
drove in DJPJ to level the scores in the 8th, it appeared as though
another C’s last minute comeback was in the offing. Alas, with two me
in scoring position, the J-Train, Jermaine Mitchell, struck out
swinging to end the inning.

But hey, at least the scores were level… I mean, that’s a good base to work from, right?

Sure. Unless you have a Greg Dowling to let one runner on base, then an
Exxon Valdez error at third to let another runner on base, and then two
walks by reliever ‘My name is’ Earl Oakes, to allow Tri-City to take a
2-1 lead.

In the top of the 9th, needing a big inning to get back into the game,
Exxon Valdez struck out looking, then broke his bat on the ground in
protest, earning himself an ejection by the ump. Matt Sulentic followed
suit (albeit without the histrionics) by watching a strike three of his
own, and while Mike’ The Keg’ Klug got on base by virtue of a throwing
error, last year’s rube of the night, Tri-City closer George Delgado,
kept his cool on this occasion and got Greg Dowling to fly-out to end
it.

All told, miserable stuff with the wood, excellent stuff with the ball.
To think that the C’s lost this game 2-1 to a team that managed just
one hit is diabolical. When you realize they’ve lost 3 of 5 to a team
that has scored 1 run, 3 runs, 1 run, 5 runs and 2 runs, is enough to
make you want to go out and stab puppies in the eye.

The C’s started this season playing insanely good small ball, mixed in
with fabulous long ball, but right now it seems as if everyone on the
team has decided to start gunning for the fences.

People, get it together – low, hard, line drives. Deep singles. Keep
the base runners moving. Come on, you’re pros, you know this stuff.
Give the pitchers some breathing room, damn it.

Next home stand starts Thursday night, 7:05pm at Nat Bailey Stadium,
against the Eugene Emeralds. It’s a three-game affair, with Canada Day
fireworks on Saturday night and a nooner on Friday.

Must-see baseball from top to bottom!

Note:

June 28, 2006
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Vancouver 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 3
Tri-City 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 X 2 1 2
box | log
W: J. Freeman (1-1, 4.50); L: E. Oakes (0-1, 0.00); SV: G. Delgado (2)
HR: None.