Extra Innings Live Blog

It isnt often that I have the time to sit back and just watch baseball, but tonight I have that time and I also have the Extra Innings package on TV and the MLB.tv package on the computer. So let's live blog what I see. I will be keeping an extra eye on the Cubs/Brewers because I have Marquis and Capuano in fantasy. Stay Tuned.

8:12 - Hanley Ramierz just tried to stretch a triple into a inside the park bomb and he was chucked at the plate, but you gotta love this kid, he really hustles it up.

8:13- Anthony Reyes' socks really mezmerize me.

8:15- Why is half the Padres starting lineup missing? Mike Cameron? Kouzmanoff? Good news for Marquis!

8:17- Between the flat brim hat and the socks, Reyes is really a fashion statement for bad baseball uniforms. LaRoche just smoked a ball to right, bases loaded for J Bay.

8:20- Adam Dunn just made a bad baserunning mistake. On second base, he went on contact on a ball back up the shoot, but Capuano made the stab and got him between 2nd and third. Jeff Conine with real nice baserunning got all the way to second after being the batter. I bet Derek Lee was a steal in many mixed fantasy leagues this year with his injury season last year. He's off to a red hot start. Nice at-bat by Bay to bring in the Bucs first run.

8:24-Nice job by Capuano to come from behind on Edwin E. Down 3-1, with a runner on 2nd, he gets two straight strikes for the K. Reyes goes 3-0 on X Man with the bags packed.

8:25 RBI Singles by Derek Lee and Matt Murton get Marquis a 2-0 lead in Chicago. Xavier Nady drives in two with a single back up the shoot. Reyes clearly doesn't have it tonight. Can the Bucs pour it on?

8:26 Ronny Paulino swings at the first pitch. Bad discipline from a guy not hitting his weight.

8:28 23 strikes, 17 balls for Reyes. Paulino smokes one but fielders choice made by Mighty Mouse Eckstein.

8:30 Reyes is not getting the outside corner tonight. I've counted at least three pitches that could have hit the black, all balls. Reyes approaching 50 pitches here in the first. I really like the Cubs home uniforms. Bautista strikes out swinging. 47 pitches. 3-0 Bucs.

8:33 Very nice at-bat by Russell Branyan. Makes Marquis throw nine pitches, fouls off a few and draws a two-out walk. MLB.tv's idea of a commercial break is showing us the PacMan screen. It's annoying.

8:34 Jeff Brantley says the rain outs have messed with his sons fantasy team. No kidding Jeff. Now Jeff and his play by play guy are arguing over whether Brantley is a "fantasy guy." Brantley sounds irritated. I am not changing the channel.

8:35 Did I mention I bet money on the Pirates tonight? I did. Money lined it. Dodgers as well.

8:38 I have never seen a pitcher more blatantly throw around a batter like Snell just did to Pujols. Wait, strike one. Strike two. I take it back Ian. Ball four. But it wasn't on purpose.

8:40 Eric Milton goes 5-plus, two runs but the Reds have given him no support. The relief is Victor Santos. Eric Milton to Victor Santos. Ugh, if you are a reds fan.

8:42 A terrible disgusted Jim Edmonds with a solid bat toss into the air after popping up with runners on the corner.

8:45 Back in 1978 Bob Forsch no-hit the Phillies for the Cards. This date in baseball history.

8:46 I dont get the non-bunt out of Duffy here. I cant, for the life of me, figure out Jim Tracy. Bad baserunning again in Cincy, as Fielder gets nabbed between 2nd and 3rd with no one out.

8:49 Thats why you bunt him over, there. Jack Wilson is the least clutch guy with RISP, but hes a ground ball machine, no reason there should be a DP there. Worst case scenario, Sanchez hits with two outs and a RISP. 4-0 Brewers, looking good for Chris Caps.

8:52 Scott Thorman just drove in a run with a pinch-hit ground out but he has dissapointed this year so far in replacing LaRoche.

8:55 Snell hitting 96 with his fastball and breaking off 83 mph slides. Filth.

8:57 The Cubs worker who goes and gets the foul balls that hit off the screen behind home plate, sprints out and back, both ways in full speed. Awesome.

8:59 It always strikes me as odd when tv crews show hot girls in the stands at games. Like, its not even hiding the fact that their creepy camera men and creepy producers are probaly talking through the headset about the girl or girls. Classless, yet enjoyable as a man.

9:01 Freddy on third, no outs. Three shots for the run. LaRoche, Bay, Nady.

9:02 Bay grounds to third, Freddy goes on contact. Rolen to Molina and the Pirates can get him in. Things are falling apart for Capuano in Cincy. Hardy makes an error, Phillips singles and Dunn reaches on infield single. Bags packed, no outs. Stinks.

9:06 I believe Brantley just used the phrase, "you usually can kiss the baby" when describing a foul ball straight back by Conine.

9:07 You would have to see this play to believe it. Bases loaded, no one out for Conine. He breaks his bat, humpback liner up the middle, Weeks goes up for it and it rolls off his glove into center. One run scores. I am about to kill someone because Weeks should have had it. Then, by the grace of god, they call it an infield fly!!!! I mean this ball wasnt 10 feet off the ground. Jerry Narron is losing it. Brantley goes "thats a bad call in little league." People are just bitter in Cincy.
9:10 Capuano is done, which I don't like. What I don't like even more is that the play has been ruled a pop out with the runners advancing. This is not what happened. This ball went off of Weeks glove, its an error. I may or may not be getting screwed out of an earned run here.

9:12 Bad to worse. Edwin singles, two runs score and Bill Hall boots the ball in center. It's likely he would have had a play on Dunn at the plate. If I am this mad, Chris Capuano must be losing it in the tunnel.

9:15 Oh, mama. None of the three runs against Caps have been earned. Now I just need the Brewers to finish this one off and I can get the win and the ERA help. Eat it, Brantley and Son.

9:17 My buddy Hauze balls gives me an IM that says Marquis working on a no-no through four. First batter of the fifth, double to right center. Thanks for nothing Hauze.

9:18 It is tee time in Colorado. Durham homers, Molina homers, Feliz doubles. 6-0. That oughta relax Barry Zito and his almost 9 ERA.

9:20 Wheels are coming off for Marquis and Todd Folgers Coffey. Marquis allows an RBI single to Clay Hensley. Folgers allows three base runners with eight pitchers, including two hit batsmen.

9:23 Jim Tracy must be beating his fist against the wall. Three at bats for Duffy, not once has he put the ball on the ground. 0-3.

9:24 I mean Bill Hall absolutely, positively, just smoked a ball into the left center seats for a grand slam. I cant describe how well he pissed on this frozen rope. What an awful inning for Folgers. Jack Flash with the Pirates 2nd triple of the night. Man on third, less than two outs with Sanchez then Bay.

9:27 Big spot for LaRoche. First and third, one out. Reyes is clearly tired. Time to break out Adam.

9:29 Soriano has left the Cubs game with a hamstring injury. We'll see what details the Cubs broadcast gets. LaRoche hits into 4-6-3 DP. This has to stop soon, we need him, badly.

9:31 Mike Gonzo comes into relieve Yates with runners at 2nd and 3rd and promptly walks the first two batters, then induces a an RBI groundout. 5-1 Nats over the Braves.

9:32 Great hustle by Matt Murton just got him an RBI. With runners at the corner, Murton hits a Taylor Made to short, but beats the throw over to first with real nice hustle. 5-1 Cubs. My fantasy pitchers are lookin' gooooood.

9:35 I dont care much for the AL but the Orioles just hung seven runs on the D Rays in two innings to come back from 7-1 to lead 8-7.

9:36 Matt Lindstrom is getting loose for the Marlins in Houston. I havent seen Lindstrom throw yet, but they say he hits over 100 mph. Fair to say I will not be changing channels much.

9:37 Ian...Snell....is....filthy. Alan sends me that message. Alan is smart. Michael Barrett just went deeeeep off Clay Hensley. This run support for my pitchers is crazy good.

9:40 Reyes is out. Russ Jerry Springer is in for the Cards. El Caballo with two runners on and one out. Another fantasy member. He pops out.

9:42 You can't beat Geico cavemen commercials. I mean it. You can't.

9:44 Do you think Chad Cordero will throw in every Nationals win? Manny Acta will just say you know what, hes our best pitcher. I dont care if its 3-2 or 10-0, hes throwing the ninth to make sure we dont blow this thing? Dodgers-DBacks underway, need Furcal and Gonzo for fantasy, Dodgers for my gambling habit. What kind of life is this that I am living?

9:45 Ugly play by Kennedy, Spiezio and Pujols on a Paulino pop-up. Spiezio falls, Kennedy and Pujols can't catch it. Whoa. Gary Thorne does play by play for the Orioles network? Is this on a nightly basis? Thorne is as good as it gets in the booth. Anyone know his status with MASN, let me know.

9:47 I know there are stats for everything somewhere or another, but I wanna see the stat of how many times Juan Pierre attempted to steal second after walking with no one else on and less than two outs. 80 percent of the time? 90?

9:49 Nice oppo poke by DeRosa over the Under Armour sign at Wrigley. 8-1 Cubbies. Did I mention Juan Pierre actually stole second? Nomaaaaahhhhh drove him in with a double. Things are looking up early.

9:50 Jason Marquis has two hits tonight. Guys a stud.

9:53 Cubs reporters asked Lou Pinella before the game, "rate your outfield arms." Pinella responds with, after a long pause and half smile, "you guys ask tough questions. I have come to that conclusion here in the first ten or eleven games of the season. why cant you all throw a softball right down the middle and let me whack the damn thing and forget all these intricate questions." Gotta love Lou. Orlando Hudson is hitting .412. Really?

9:56 Pretty sure its safe to say the Cubs will get Marquis a win tonight. Floyd goes deeeep into the night, not so much deep into, as he did go deep upwards, for a three run blast, his first as a cub. 11-1 Cubs. Floyd and Ronny Cedeno do a little jig in the dugout, not a good one. Trust me. 10 Earned runs charged to Clay Hensley.

10:00 Well the early games have really become blowouts and non-interesting so I am going to wrap this live run up. If you kept reading during the updates, thanks. I'll be back with a little final note about the Bucs after the game.