Monday, December 6, 2010

THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK...

Spencer and I met up yesterday to play our second and final PTP series. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, what happened is truly unforgettable. As Spencer went out to smoke and I went to grab my dice, one of his overgrown black labs (specifically, Maddy) decided to have a snack….ON MY F#@%ing CARDS! As we reprimanded the dog and forced her to give up her “treats,” she coughed up the remains of Shin Soo Choo’s card and some of Adam Lind’s numbers vs LH. Choo (now spelled Shin Soo "Chew") was salvageable with some tape and some squinting, but Adam Lind and his 35 HRs are gone.

So…Spencer was left remorseful, Maddy was left pouting and I just wanted to play PTP, as I intended to do, minutes earlier. So…Spencer agreed to bench a starter and I had Lyle Overbay fill in (somewhat admirably, actually) for Lind. I am going to email the PTP Guy and see if he can email me or copy me another Lind card. If he can’t do that, I am not sure what my options are, but I guess it’s a lesson learned.

Wow…how’s that for a bizarre play? Anyway…on with the actual baseball…

GAME ONE

Jason Kubel homered and drove in three runs, helping Nick win game one, 4-1. The starter, Scott Baker, cruised through a scoreless five+ innings before being drilled in the arm by a Scott Podsednik line drive. Nick’s solid bullpen helped secure the win, though, as Alfredo Aceves earned a hold and Michael Wuertz the save. Leadoff hitter Denard Span was all over the bases, stroking three hits and adding two steals and a run. Spencer’s lone run came on a Cesar Izturis base shot.

Nick 4, Spencer 1

WP – Baker LP – Blackburn SV – Wuertz

GAME TWO

Touchdown Tommy Hunter blanked Spencer through eight scoreless innings, while yielding just three hits. Mark Texiera burned his former team with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth. On the day, Texiera had two doubles, a HR and three RBI. Darren O-Day Erry-Day closed the door, securing the shutout, in the scoreless ninth. Spencer’s ice-cold offense spoiled a solid effort by starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who pitched a complete game (yielding just three earned runs).

Nick 4, Spencer 0

WP – Hunter LP – Sabathia

GAME THREE

Pinch hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. sac-bunted home Rajai Davis in the bottom of the eighth inning to help secure the win and avoid the home-sweep against Nick. An angry, half-eaten Shin Soo “Chew” bombed a three-run homer in the top of the eighth, just before being bested by Spencer’s crafty sac-bunt. Desperate to score runs, Spencer jostled his lineup around. It may have worked out. Evan Longoria embraced his leadoff role, hitting three singles, walking once, scoring a run and stealing a bag. Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo-homer for Spencer, while Nick Swisher and Pods each had two hits.

Spencer 4, Nick 3

WP – Phil Hughes LP – Frank Francisco SV – Papelbon

SERIES...Nick 2, Spencer 1

(Pictures of the damaged cards, to be posted soon...stay tuned)

2 comments:

  1. Sigh. In terms of stupidity, this trumps the ridiculous 3rd series played by Fish and Spencer because they 'forgot' they already played twice.

    Lab pups eat anything and everything. But rather than blame a the dog, I place blame solely on Spencer's shoulders, and his vile smoking habit that forced Nick to 'go outside to get his dice' AKA 'flee from the dog'.

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