Jim Leyland may have wished the world had ended at six this evening, one hour and five minutes before game time.
But it didn't. And they played. Neither team televised. But TV or not TV, that wasn't the question.
Let's enumerate the weirdness that took place at PNC tonight.
The game was a sellout, on Neil Walker Bobblehead Night. That's not weird, but sellouts in Pittsburgh are rare. The only other one this season was opening day.
Max Scherzer, after pitching five strong innings, got whacked in the sixth. Single, single, double, sac fly, sac fly, single, all hit hard. The inning ended with the Tigers down only 3-2. But the offense had spoken; here's your two runs, Max, now make 'em stand up.
Pirates reliever Jose Veras, who had never batted in a major league game (lifetime average .000), walked on four pitches to open the seventh. Ryan Perry gets the cornfield just for that; never mind the two singles he then gave up to load the bases.
Matt Diaz singled in two off Daniel Schlereth. 5-2 and, they way they've been not hitting, they're doomed. But let's move on.
Diaz is on first, Jose Tabata is on third. Lyle Overbay strikes out, Diaz takes off for second, stops, gets in a rundown, and five throws are needed to retire him. Meanwhile, Tabata heads home, and scores before the third out is recorded. Run counts. Not that it mattered at this point in the game.
They managed to load the bases in the ninth. Ryan Strikeout, the potential tying run, struck out. That's not weird; it just gave the night a proper epilogue.
Two things made Jim Price more angry than I've ever heard him on the air, even during 2003 (43-119), and this latest run of very bad baseball.
The ineffective bullpen, and the bungled rundown. NO! he shreiked when Jhonny Peralta threw to first instead of trying to cut down Tabata heading for the plate. As close as he's ever come to sounding like Ron Santo.
What he said ... since that Monday rainout, they've been playing like the Twins were when the Tigers swept them in Minnesota.
Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Broomed out of Pittsburgh? Very likely, way more likely that the world ending on cue.
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The baseball fan has been wondering all weekend. Say you live on a time zone boundary. Not near one, but right on one. The gravel road that runs past your house is also the county line, and also where Eastern Time ends and Central Time begins. Does that mean the other side goes first, can you watch, and what would you do with a one hour heads-up?
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