Walk-Offs Are Neat

Tremendous game last night, even with the 8th-inning meltdown from the bullpen that I predicted as soon as Okijima went to a 2-0 count on Texeira. It was worth it though, just for the chance to see a walk-off in the 9th by my boy Jed Lowrie. There is nothing quite like celebrating a walk-off hit in the playoffs. Alex squashed my fun though, when she wouldn't let me drape plastic all over the apartment and spray champagne everywhere. I even offered her goggles, but it was a no-go.

And now here comes the typical bitching from the Angels after another year in which they win a ton of games and fall short in the playoffs. Maybe you only won so many games because you played in the shitty AL West, while the Sox played in a division where the 4th place team was 10 games over .500. Quotes from "BIG-GAME PITCHER" John Lackey:

"It's way different than last year. We are way better than they are. We lost to a team not as good as us."

"On Sunday they scored on a pop fly they called a hit, which is a joke. On Monday, they score on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball anywhere else in America [except in Fenway Park]. And Pedroia's fist-pumping on second like he did something great."

What a fucking baby. Those are the kind of quotes you would normally expect from a little leaguer after they lost the state championship or something. I love watching Lackey show up his teammates on the mound after they botch a ground ball too. It's safe to say that I officially hate John Lackey.

And Mike Scioscia....why is he still considered a great manager? Because his team got hot in the playoffs in what, 2002? It seems like every year in the playoffs he over-manages and makes some ridiculous call that totally backfires. To me, it seems like he's the kind of guy who wants to make sure he gets credit for a win, instead of just going out there and guiding the ship and letting his players do their jobs. He didn't think Aybar, who had the game-winning hit the previous night, could get that runner in from third another way? There's a reason it's called a suicide squeeze.

But enough negativity from me. The ALCS is coming, and you know it's a strange season when the one team I didn't want to play in the American League is the TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS. They remind me of the 2004 Red Sox, in that they're too crazy and/or stupid to realize the pressure of the playoffs.

Yes, I'm still calling them the Devil Rays, they can send me a bill for the $1 fine or whatever it is.