Lefty Mark Malaska pitched 5 strong innings, giving up one hit and striking out 6. The heavily freckled and baby-faced Jack Cressand pitched the 6th, 7th, and 8th. Cressand was visibly pissed off and scowly when he gave up a two run homer to the slightly unattractive John-Ford Griffin in the 6th, but had better luck in the 7th and 8th, giving up two hits and no runs with one strikeout. Unfortunately, Griffin tied the game up with his dinger.
Pawtucket got all revved up in the 8th inning, scoring 3 runs on two homers (thank you Shawn Wooten and Jeff Bailey) offa Jason Arnold, about whom I know nothing.
Cla Meredith alarmed the few remaining spectators when he allowed 2 runners to score in the 9th, but the odd-looking former KC Royal Desi Relaford grounded out to end the inning. PawSox win, 5-4.
As far as the Syracuse pitchers... their starter, a small child named Jamie Vermilyea, did not make it out of the 3rd. I predicted his early departure in the second inning and I was very excited about being right. There are few things I like more than being right. This Vermilyea kid is a righty with a weirdish high sidearm delivery. I don't know what he was throwing but he had trouble finding the plate.
Francisco Rosario came in for him and although I KNOW last time I saw Rosario he was hitting the high 90's, he seemed to be throwing a lot of junk tonight. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT??!
Tim Bauscher, whose tousled hair and carefree smile add a few MPH to his repertoire, did not pitch tonight.
Other things:
1. Behind home plate with charts and graphs and radar gun tonight were Lenny Dinardo in a Pixies shirt he probably never washes and Tim "Chandler Bing" Kester.
2. Some guy with one of the most elaborate scorepads I have ever seen (seriously, he must have been an accountant) came by and ask me to help him score the last few outs, as he had missed an inning or so. I filled him in and as he walked back to his seat he said "You have beautiful eyes". He smelled bad.
3. My mother let me use her high powered binoculars and oh my god. They make mine look like a Cracker Jack prize. I saw Charlie Zink in the bullpen holding a "cigarette" under his nose... I'm sure he's got plans with Abe Alvarez tonight. If you know what I'm saying, and I think you do.
4. Yes, I have a tendency to keep an eye on the bullpen. Normally there is not much of anything going on but sometimes you see some interesting stuff. In my imagination I am a hideous redneck reliever... kind of a flamethrower with a control problem.
5. George Lombard hauled ass to 3rd twice tonight... in the first on a centerfielder error and in the 4th with a straight triple. His success relied much upon his thick, powerful thighs and rakish good looks.
6. Lucky and I used to like to call these guys the "Sky Chefs". Poor Ken Huckaby was catching tonight.
7. No Machado tonight, as he has been called up. The line-up will be missing his high on-base percentage, his slightly above-average fielding, and his soft, dark, Venezuelan eyes and long black lashes.
I'll be back at the park tomorrow night.
