#127---CLE @ CHA, 4/11/2014

I must have started watching this game in progress and so used a scoresheet from the back of an OSU roster card (I collected a number of these at games, as the scoresheet was printed on the back of the free roster card and naturally I used my own scoresheet to score the game). But they made for useful throwaway scorecards when not wanting to use one of my standard sheets for a pitch-by-pitch account. I believe the design is from baseballscorecard.com.

Chicago took advantage of Cleveland wildness in the fifth, drawing two walks off starter Carlos Carrasco and two off of reliever Mark Rzepczynski (keeping score of many Indians games made spelling his name as natural as spelling “Smith”). The Indians did manage three runs in five innings against Chris Sale, but it wasn’t nearly enough

#126---CLE @ DET, 6/7/2013

One of the most frustrating aspects of being an Indians fan in the last decade was the matter of Ubaldo Jimenez. Acquired at a steep prospect price in a deadline deal to prop up a team that pretty evidently was going nowhere, he was hard enough to watch given his tendency to, well Ubaldo. Consider the price and it was impossible not to be infuriated just by seeing him on the rubber.

So it certainly felt appropriate to include a typical Ubaldo game. Three walks in the third, including one to Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded. Failing to record an out in the fourth inning, requiring lengthy work from the bullpen and needing 85 pitches to get nine outs. Wasting a decent offensive showing considering that Justin Verlander was his opposite number.

Note Rich Hill working in relief, surrendering a single to Francisco Pena but then picking him off. I’m not sure I’ve discussed my notation for this play previously--"CP” indicates a caught stealing/pickoff (e.g. one with the runner making a noticeable movement towards the next base before being picked off). I find the use of this notation (and “PC”, for a similar play in which I judge the pickoff portion to be more important than the CS, such as maybe just a twitch by the runner rather than a step in the direction of the next base) to provide more color by supplementing the standard “CS” and “PO” codes I use.

This was one of just thirteen major league appearances for Matt Langwell, all coming this season between Cleveland and Arizona. I’d completely forgotten his existence in less than four years until I picked up this scoresheet.

#125---NYA @ BOS, 9/11/2012

2012 was a lost year for the Red Sox, but the Yankees were just a game ahead of Baltimore in the AL East race when they came to Fenway to open a three-game mid-week series with a matchup of excellent starters in Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Lester. New York opened the scoring with an unholy combination of a Derek Jeter walk and a Nick Swisher double, followed by a Robinson Cano groundout. Boston would answer with two in the third, but Jeter chased Lester with a two-run ground rule double that skipped into the stands down the right field line in the sixth. Pedroia tied it with a homer over the Monster in the bottom of the frame.

In the seventh, Boston loaded the bases on an infield single, a Russell Martin muff of a sac bunt attempt, and another infield single (from Jacoby Ellsbury) off reliever Boone Logan. Joba Chamberlain was summoned into this one out mess and pinch-hitter Daniel Nava hit into a fielder’s choice at the plate and Pedroia popped out. There were no real threats until the bottom of the ninth, where Pedro Ciriaco singled with one out, Mike Aviles got an infield hit, and Jacoby Ellsbury lined one through the right side to give Boston a 4-3 walkoff win.

#124---Venezuela v. Puerto Rico, 3/16/2009 (World Baseball Classic)

This was the winner’s bracket game in the second round of the tournament, the winner punching their ticket to the semifinals with the loser having to get through the United States. Venezuela had one of their aces, Felix Hernandez, on the mound while Puerto Rico countered with Ian Snell. Snell stranded six runners, allowing a single tally in the third while fanning five. King Felix also ducked out of some trouble, leaving the game with runners at the corners, two outs and Carlos Delgado at the dish.

The score stayed 1-0 until the seventh, when Ramon Hernandez’ homer was awarded by replay. Francisco Rodriguez was summed to close with two outs, runners at first and second and a 2-1 count in the eighth, striking out Jose Lopez to end the threat. He then set down Puerto Rico 1-2-3 to clinch Venezuela’s first (and through 2017, only) berth in the WBC Final Four.

#123---Mexico v. Australia, 3/11/2009 (World Baseball Classic)

Just three days after the game in #122, Mexico and Australia were playing again, this time in a must-win game that would advance the winner to the second round and eliminate the loser. This time Mexico would return the favor and mercy Australia, first stringing together five hits for four runs in the third, then collecting another five hits including a two-run blast by Scott Hairston for seven runs in the fourth. After that, Karim Garcia made it his personal mission to end the game early, hitting a solo homer in the sixth and a three-run homer in the seventh to cap a 4-4 day with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI. Australia never really threatened offensively other than putting men at second & third with one out in the second and Rosenberg’s solo homer in the fourth, but by that point it was already 11-0.