#253---CLE @ OAK, 8/17/2013

Even when Ubaldo Jimenez was good for the Tribe, as he was in the stretch drive of the 2013 season, it wasn’t pretty to watch. Jimenez went 5 2/3 of one of the worst no-hit bids possible, having walked five, hit a batter, and made 105 pitches; as soon as Josh Donaldson singled to break it up and plate Oakland’s first run, Jimenez was gone. Cleveland rolled 7-1 behind homers from Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. 

#252---PHI @ WAS, 5/6/2012

 

As soon as I saw what happened in the bottom of the first inning, I knew I had to post this scoresheet. With two outs and nobody on, Cole Hamels decided it was a safe time to play “Veteran Redass Cowboy” and plunk hotshot rookie Bryce Harper. Harper took third on Jayson Werth’s flyball single to left, then stole home. Unfortunately, the cosmic justice didn’t extend to the game’s outcome, although Harper would collect two hits (including what I assume was a hustle double on a fly to shallow left) and lay down a bunt fielded by Hamels, perhaps with an eye towards a possible collision. 

But the Phillies broke open a 3-1 game with a six-run ninth, including Hunter Pence’s second two-run shot of the night. Hamels actually flied out to leadoff the ninth, apparently set to go for the complete game, but after the outburst John Mayberry pinch-hit for him his second time up.

#251---CHA @ CLE, 3/5/2011

 I usually don’t have a ton to say about spring training games, but I like posting them anyway, especially when I’m doing my scanning/writing in January or February as I am now, and spring training games look awfully enticing. Maybe the most notable thing here is that Chicago third basemen combined for three throwing errors?

#250---WAS @ CLE, 6/13/2010

The box that I use to mark special notes says “LIVE”, which means I attended this one in person. And for good reason--it Stephen Strasburg’s second big league start, following up on his domination of Pittsburgh. Travis Hafner pulled a homer off him, but otherwise he allowed just one hit. In the sixth, a pair of walks drove him from the game after going 5 1/3, walking four in total, and fanning eight on 95 pitches. Washington’s two-out rally in the sixth netted four runs; Cleveland mounted a ninth-inning rally, it was much too little.