Thunder Thigh Billingsley - Finally doing good things: Torto @ Carlo - Series Update

Another series update with Carlo, this time with the team actually being managed by Carlo.  And, after losing 2 out of 3 at home to Carlo's Nick Ewoldt led-squad, I was hungry to at least tie up the 6-game set.   Rolling dice on a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in the Starin Park pavillion, the only thing that could have made the setting better would have been the absence of that near-nude starving artist/homeless dude sunbather and that nosey cop.  So here are the results...

Game 1 (C.Billingsley @ R.Nolasco)
This might have been one of the quickest PTP games ever.  After nabbing a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a Toddfather Helton RBI single and then by a base clearing triple by the Panda, my squad added another run in the top of the 2nd on a 2-out RBI single from the ageless Miguel Tejada.  With a 3-0 lead at his back, the C-Bill cruised for the complete game, yielding only a 485-foot solo HR to Casey McGehee.  Other points of interest included Ryan TheRiot getting ejected for arguing strikes in the 6th. Not much to say beyond that.  Young Mr. Billingsley looked sharp for 9 innings.
WP - C. Billingsley
LP - R.Nolasco
HR - C.McGehee
Player of the Game - Chad Billingsley, CG, 6H, 2BB, 8K, 1 ER
Torto wins 3-1

Game 2 (R.Dempster @ J.Blanton)
More excitement in this one, but all at the end.  I jumped out to a 7-1 lead on the strength of 3-run shots from Helton and Werth, and a Pedro Feliz RBI-single.  Come the bottom of the 7th, Carlo's bats finally came alive.  He scored 2 on a Ryan 'Lutheran' Church pinch hit double, cutting the lead to 7-3.  Then in the bottom of the 9th, on the suggestion of Fish and Nick, Carlo pinch hit with Ianetta the Beretta with 2-men on.  He didn't disappoint, delivering a 3-run blast off of Huston Street, and cutting the lead to 1.  Then Carlo's top of the order proceeded to ground out to end the rally.
WP - R.Dempster
LP - J.Blanton
Sv - H.Street
HR - T.Helton (5), J.Werth (13), C.Ianetta
Player of the Game - Todd Helton, 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Torto wins 7-6

Game 3 (C.Zambrano @ D.Haren)
All kinds of no-hitter jinxing in this one.  With a 2-zip lead in the 4th inning (on a Martin Prado 2-RBI single), and my squad hitless, Carlo started up with the no-hitter talk.  Haren was lights out until he pitched 6 and a 1/3rd.  Then he walked the Panda, and J-Werth cracked a single, followed shortly after by a Angel Pagan base clearing triple to tie the game 2-2. From here to the end of the 9 frames, no one could get an advantage. Haren soldiered on past the 9th, while I went to my bullpen and pinch hitters.  Finally, in the top of the 9th, the bottom of the order came thru, finally tiring the marathon man Haren with on a Hank White (Henry Blanco) lead off single, and a pinch-hit walk to Gary Sheffield.  After an old Skippy Schu fielders choice, and a Haren wild pitch, Tejada drove in the go-ahead run on a sac-fly.  Brandon Medders (yes, I said Brandon Medders) came in for the save in the 9th, and brought down the heart of the order 1-2-3.
WP - R.Franklin
LP - D.Haren
Sv - B.Medders
Player of the Game - A.Pagan, 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI
Torto wins 3-2 in 10 innings

Torto wins series 3-0
Another great series against Carlo's squad, all games close once again. Good defense and rangey-ness.  And TONS of deep drives, but Petco Park's mammoth dimensions and -15' carry kept nearly all 'deep drives' in the park. My team did some good things at clutch moments.  Stay tuned for the series update from Fish, where my team did not do good things most of the series.