Opening Night

Last night was the opening night of the 2007 MLB playoffs. It did not dissapoint either. We had an answer to the question on everyone's minds after Monday night, a pitching clinic, and an exciting game from the desert. If last night was any indication of how the rest of the playoffs are going to be, we are in for a wild ride.

 

First of all, the question on everyone's minds after Monday night was, will Colorado be able to keep up this winning streak they have been on? Will there be a let down in game one of the NLDS? How long can this possibly last? Well, apparently it can last at least another game. The Rox went to Philly and stole game one right out from under the Phillies. It was a good game for them as well, in the stats area I mean. They allowed only four hits, had no errors, and Jeff Fracis was pretty amazing in the pitching category last night too. It wasn't a no hitter, but it was plenty enough to get the job done. He kept Philly's three best hitters in their places by making them go 0 for 11 with eight strikeouts. Maybe I will have to change my prediction on this one?

 

In my opinion the most impressive thing of the entire night was the show Josh Beckett put on in game one of the Red Sox/Angels series. He put on a clinic. After allowing a leadoff single, Beckett put away 19 straight hitters. Not a pleasant evening for the Halos. They allowed only four hits total, and this marked the first shut out by a Red Sox team in the post season since the the 1975 World Series. I don't think many predicted this to be a tough series for the Red Sox and by the looks of what we saw last night, it wont be.

 

In the last game of the evening Chicago traveled to Arizona to play the Snakes in game one. This game was kind of a grind it out, do your best to get through it and hope you can squeeze a couple runs in before it goes to extra innings. Well, this one didn't have to go to extra innings thanks to some poor relief pitching by Chicago and some opportunistic Diamondbacks. In what can kindly be described as a questionable call, Lou Piniella, the Chicago Cubs manager, pulled Carlos Zambrano to "save his arm for game four." Marmol went in and immediately game up two hits to the Diamondbacks that proved to be the difference in the game. Meanwhile, Webb, for the D'Backs continued for one more inning, and the strong bullpen of the D'Backs held on for the victory in game one. Following the game Piniella was asked if thinking ahead to game four cost the Cubbies in game one. Pineilla retorted with "I'm not accused of anything, sir," Piniella said. "I've got a good bullpen here, OK? And I trust my bullpen. I'm bringing back a pitcher on three days' rest on Sunday, and I took a shot with my bullpen. It didn't work today. They've done it all year. I've got confidence in them -- period, end of story."

 

I don't know if Lou realizes this, but the series is the first one to win three games. If he makes many more decisions like this one, the Cubs curse could continue…again.