Hafner, Westbrook make dream a reality
After Monday's nightmare, I was determined to stay awake at all costs to see the Tribe take on the first place Angels. I was well rewarded for any lost sleep.
It was a pretty good pitcher's duel for most of the game between Jake Westbrook (1-1, 2.76) and the Angels' Ervin Santana (0-0, 3.00). Jake made a big mistake on a 3-2 pitch to Bad Vlad who deposited the ball over the fence in the sixth. That was Jake's only bad inning. He gave up three runs on three hits in the sixth. Take that away and he pitched a 4-hit shutout.
Through eight innings, the Tribe bats continued their cold spell, especially with runners on base. Then the ninth inning came and again fans pulled out their rally caps as we were down 3-2.
Former Indian, Justin Speier had closed out the eighth, retired the first two batters in the ninth and had the Tribe down to their last strike. But on a 3-2 pitch, he walked Asdrubal Cabrera and faced a showdown with Pronk. The showdown didn't last long. Hafner cranked the first pitch he saw a mile over the right field fence to put the Tribe up 4-3.
On a side note, do you know how difficult it is to see something like that when the rest of the household is sleeping and have to find a way to cheer quietly?
Then the bottom of the ninth came and it felt eerily familiar. The same three (Matthews, Guerrero and Anderson) that inflicted suffering on Monday were back. But instead of facing Borowski, out trotted Westbrook to go for the complete game.
Matthews singled, but Vlad, who already had two hits on the night, hit into the Angels' third double play of the night. Anderson flied out to Grady and Westbrook had the team's first complete game of the season.
Following the final out, I simply turned off the TV, smiled and went to sleep. The dream was complete.
It was a pretty good pitcher's duel for most of the game between Jake Westbrook (1-1, 2.76) and the Angels' Ervin Santana (0-0, 3.00). Jake made a big mistake on a 3-2 pitch to Bad Vlad who deposited the ball over the fence in the sixth. That was Jake's only bad inning. He gave up three runs on three hits in the sixth. Take that away and he pitched a 4-hit shutout.
Through eight innings, the Tribe bats continued their cold spell, especially with runners on base. Then the ninth inning came and again fans pulled out their rally caps as we were down 3-2.
Former Indian, Justin Speier had closed out the eighth, retired the first two batters in the ninth and had the Tribe down to their last strike. But on a 3-2 pitch, he walked Asdrubal Cabrera and faced a showdown with Pronk. The showdown didn't last long. Hafner cranked the first pitch he saw a mile over the right field fence to put the Tribe up 4-3.
On a side note, do you know how difficult it is to see something like that when the rest of the household is sleeping and have to find a way to cheer quietly?
Then the bottom of the ninth came and it felt eerily familiar. The same three (Matthews, Guerrero and Anderson) that inflicted suffering on Monday were back. But instead of facing Borowski, out trotted Westbrook to go for the complete game.
Matthews singled, but Vlad, who already had two hits on the night, hit into the Angels' third double play of the night. Anderson flied out to Grady and Westbrook had the team's first complete game of the season.
Following the final out, I simply turned off the TV, smiled and went to sleep. The dream was complete.
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