Great day at the ballpark. Perfect weather, nice breeze, enough clouds to provide intermittant shade without being cloudy. Couldn't ask for a better setting.
Disappointing result, of course. The strike zone seemed rather uneven, to me, and there seemed to be an awful lot of displeasure directed towards the home plate ump.
Two things that I just didn't get:
1) Why was Vicente Padilla left in the game so long in the 7th?
Padilla seems to be this year's version of Ismael Valdes in 2002. He'll generally keep you in games, but he won't go deep, and he'll start going south in a hurry somewhere in the 85-90 pitch range.
Padilla was pulled after 89 pitches, but he didn't look good from the start of the 7th. After a four pitch walk to start the inning, and then going 3-0 on the next batter, I said (and brother Ben can attest to this), "This will be his last batter if he loses him."
Joaquin Benoit was getting ready in the pen, and after the walk, I was sure Padilla was coming out.
He didn't. But then after the first HBP, I thought, this has to be it...Benoit's ready, he's got to come in now.
But no...Padilla was left in, and hit another batter, forcing in a run.
With Padilla struggling so obviously, on a warm day in a tight game, I don't see how he could have been left in that long. After the two leadoff walks, he should have been pulled.
2) Why, oh why, can't we leave a reliever in for more than one inning? Joaquin Benoit was great, getting out of a bases loaded, none out jam with just one run by getting a GIDP and a K.
So why not leave him out there for the 8th? He's throwing well, he's rested...let him go another inning, rather than go get a different pitcher and run the risk that that guy won't have it today.
Maddening, that that run Cordero allowed ended up being the difference, although it looked like Dumpmaster had tied it up in the bottom of the inning.
Anyway...despite the loss, still a very nice day to be out at TBIA.
And with Oakland losing to Toronto, the Rangers are still tied for first place.