The time has arrived, Dear Reader, to ask which of us likes suffering more. Is it me, for continuing to write my way through a season that is developing into a train wreck? Or is it you, for actually coming back to read about it?
It is quickly becoming time to recognize that this might be a disaster. We might be off the rails and careening through a long, painful process of trying to figure out what went wrong. I’ve committed to the telling of the tale, so hold onto your handrails.
We began a four-game series at $24 and Some Change in Metropolitan Stadium with an 11-13 record and a chance to establish ourselves in the division. Four games later, we left Minneapolis with our tails between our legs, whimpering.
The series opener was decidedly inauspicious. Mike Cuellar once again pitched poorly, and we trailed 9-3 going into the 9th inning. This time he gave up 6 runs and 9 hits in 7 innings, so basically that’s no really good starts and six bad ones in seven tries.
If you play enough sim games, enough unlikely events will occur, however, and somehow we scored 6 runs in the top of the 9th to tie the game. Carlos Delgado struck the big blow, the tying three-run homer.
And then the game turned into a lengthy slog, staying 9-9 until the 14th inning. After a leadoff walk, closer Bob Woodward (who had been perfect on the season) came in and proceeded to walk the next three batters, forcing in the winning run. Just like that, the comeback was for naught, and we lost 10-9.
Seven strong innings from the man leading our pitching staff, Teddy Higuera, put us in good position in the second game of the series. But the bullpen, so recently a strength, couldn’t hold the lead. Joe Sambito gave up two runs in the bottom of the 9th, and we lost our second straight on a walkoff and again a one-run loss, this time 3-2.
Why did I pick this team to chronicle again? Sigh.
Forget about the bullpen being a strength anymore. Even when the offense picks up, the pen is finding ways to let us down. Desperate for a win and clinging to a 3-2 edge, Rod Beck took the hill for the third straight game but finally faltered.
Beck allowed 4 runs in the 7th to put us behind 6-3, yet we had another comeback in us with a 4-run rally in the 8th to go back in front. But with our best relievers tired, we turned to a couple of long men to hold the lead and they couldn’t do it. $24 put up 3 more in the 8th and held on to win 9-7.
Desperate to avoid the sweep, we instead fell flat. Burt Hooton got roughed up for 8 runs and yielded three homers, and our losing streak stretched to five with a 9-3 loss.
Nothing’s going right, and we’ve fallen into last place. Is it time to delete this blog and start over with a better team?
Back to interleague play for the next four games, matchups with a pair of fellow last-place teams: 69-92 25 different teams and 24 Pack of 24 Distinct Ales. At this point, we need anything to get back on track before this train wreck of a season goes down the drain. Even the metaphors aren’t working well, alas.
