Baseball Before Bedtime: American Hearts

Phillies 5, Snakes 4: The Diamondbacks blew two separate leads and couldn't get back on top for a third. Chase Utley drove in the go ahead run in the eighth and my PPP pick Conor Jackson had two RBI. I'm not gloating though, as Jackson fell victim to the famous "Curse of CTC" and left the game after a nasty collision with Shane Victorino at first base. When I heard the news I insisted Victorino be deported, then someone said, "He's from Hawaii." I then said, "What's your point?" Brad Lidge stayed perfect for '08 pitching a scoreless 9th for his seventh save.

Indians 3, Yankees 0: Fresh of his WoW player of the month award Cliff Lee began stating his case for May and pitched seven shut out innings against the Yankees. Cliffy's ERA is now at 0.86. If he keeps this up for the whole season they're gonna pull some Bob Gibson shit and lower the mound. Chien Ming Wang didn't pitch terribly himself scattering 8 runners and 3 runs in 7 innings. The Yankees are now one game under .500. HEADS ARE GONNA ROLL.

Rockies 4, Cardinals 3: The house was Roxing (shoot me) out in Colorado as the NL Champs staged a 4 run 8th inning comeback off Jason Isringhausen. They managed only 4 hits off of Cards ace Adam Wainwright and were down by 3 before channeling the spirits of Rocktober (what are you waiting for please shoot me). The comeback featured two eighth inning triples and I'm sure an assload of thanking God and pointing at the sky and stuff.

Tigers 9, Red Sox 8: Clay Buchholz gave up ten hits, a walk and 5 runs in 4 innings. I don't think that qualifies as a quality start. The Sox trailed 8-4 in the 5th before mounting a comeback capped by by Mikey Lowell's game tying 3 run ding dong in the 7th and Dustin Pedroia's go ahead pinch hit single in the 8th. It was quite the exhilarating sport match. Then in the 9th, Matt Joyce led off the inning with a single against shutdown spaz, Jon Papelbon. A Julio Lugo error on the next play put two men on and then Curtis Granderson tied it with an RBI groundout. I could already hear the meatsticks in the bar across the street calling for Lugo's head before Placido Polanco's broken bat walkoff single. If you want to blame Lugo that's fine with me, but I'm going to pin it on the 18 hits and 22 total baserunners the Sox allowed. It was the first time in 20 tries the Tigers came back from a 2 run deficit after 8.

Oakland 6, Orioles 5, (10): In another rollercoaster game, the A's led 4-2 going into the 8th, before the O's scored 3 to take the lead. The A's then tied it in the bottom of the inning on a fielder's choice from promising newcomer Frank Thomas. The game went into extras until Mark Ellis sent everyone back into the frightening Oakland night with a walkoff tot. Baltimore keeps sinking, sinking, sinking.