Game 1 of the NLDS started out exciting enough. Exciting enough that when Mark DeRosa hit his two-run homer in the second inning, I spilled my full plate of nachos on the floor and I didn’t even care.
But that was about all the excitement I was going to get all evening it would seem.
Cubs starter Ryan Dempster was one strike away from pitching 5 shutout innings against the Dodgers tonight. Maybe in the back of his mind, that’s what Lou Piniella was thinking when he kept him out there. I’m normally the kind of guy who likes to keep a guy out there when he’s pitching a shutout but even I would have considered some bullpen relief before this point. TBS broadcaster Ron "Mr Obvious" Darling told us "It looks like it’s not Dempster’s night tonight".
No, it wasn’t. Four earned in 4 2/3 innings but also 7 walks. He was lucky he got away with what he did.
Kudos to Geovany Soto, by the way. Yes, he was 0 for 3 behind the plate but he had his work cut out for him behind the plate. He trapped countless balls in the dirt (and a couple high ones). With our wild pitching tonight, he did a tremendous job.
The best thing to do is to forget game 1 and go on to game 2.
Off-topic: I have the utmost respect for Tony Gwynn and for the most part he says things that are reasonably intelligent but am I the only person who thinks he doesn’t have a voice for TV broadcasting?