We've got an excellent game to look forward to tonight, my lovelies. With the on-fire Lee and Wang taking the mound for their respective teams, this game could very likely be boiled down to a good old-fashioned pitching duel. Here's the lines on the two aforementioned pitchers:
Wangster:
Record:6-0
Innings Pitched: 45.0
Hits Allowed: 38
ER: 15
ERA: 3.00
Walks: 18
Strikeouts: 32
WHIP: 1.133
Lee:
Record:5-0
Innings Pitched: 37.7
Hits Allowed: 19
ER: 4
ERA: 0.96
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 32
WHIP: 0.558
Those Cliff Lee stats are so ridiculous they actually make Wangster's line look mediocre - even though his year has been anything but.
Here's the lineup that will be trying to shake Lee up at last:
Former Demon Damon LF
Jeter Jeter Pumpkin Eater SS
Abrewhoo RF
Spirit Coordinator 1B
Matso Ball Soup DH
Melk-Man CF
Slumpy McSlumperson 2B
Mo-Ens 3B
One of Those Molina Boys C
Sidenote: I just wanted to mention how impressed I was with Joba's cool on the mound after serving up that painful 3-run homer to Delucci last night. He bounced back and got the next batter out and waited to wallow in frustration/pull his hair out (literally... in case you missed it) until he made it back to the dugout. He is but a mere mortal, not infallible as we all have assumed. He'll be back in fighting form in no time.
Back with some in-game updates in T-114 minutes!
8:18pm EDT: Cliff Lee sure is keeping up his end of the pitching duel. In any other game Wang's performance would be just dandy, but with Lee silencing the Yanks' bats those two runs he's giving up are two too many.
8:35pm EDT: This man is simply out of control
en fuego. It's the bottom of the fifth and he's only up to about 50 pitches. Wang, on the other hand, has thrown 86.
9:05 EDT: Grrrr... the Yanks almost got the best of Lee with base hits by Abreu and Shelley, but Matso Ball couldn't get either of them in to score. Score still 3-0 Indians and Wangster is back out to pitch the 7th. If he can't hack it, I think Ohlendork is up in the 'pen.
9:09pm EDT: 5-pitch inning for the Wangster - he's doing his best to give his team a chance to get back in this game. Now we just need a few HITS (preferably with some dudes in scoring position,
por favor?). They've got 9 more outs to score at least three...
9:31pm EDT: That Molina Brother just threw out Francisco trying to steal second, his second catch of a would-be base-stealer tonight. At least he's good for something.
6 more outs to go. GET IT TOGETHER.
Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaail.