M's Complete Their First Sweep of the Season

April 24, 2003

So this game starts with Brutus and I taking a nap because sleep is pretty much the only thing that doesn't give me a headache what with my stupid eye being all dilated still and anyway, Little O led off with a double and then stole third but that didn't suck nearly as much as the homerun that Blake guy hit and it's now 2-0 Cleveland but Jamie Moyer recovered and got the next three guys no problem and then with 1 out, Randy Winn walked and then Bret grounded him to second and then Edgar singled which scored him and we head to the second trailing 2-1.

So then Jamie retires the side in order and we're down 1-2-3 as well, so let's just move along to the third where John McDonald singled and then Omar doubled again and then Blake struck out and Ellis Burks was intentionally walked which loaded the bases and then Garcia popped up and Spencer struck out and that was some pretty kickass damage control by our Mr. Moyer.

So bottom of the third, still 2-1 Cleveland, and Dan Wilson walked and Ichiro singled and a double play later, Bret walked but we are unable to score which made me kind of unhappy, and I was already kind of cranky what with my eye bothering me and all.  So anyway, fourth inning and Cleveland wastes Bard's single which cheered me up somewhat and then we're down in order which made cranky again.

Fifth inning and Ellis Burks doubled with 2 outs but they don't scare him and I actually meant to say SCORE him, but I bet they didn't scare him either and that struck me kind of funny so I'm leaving that just as it is, because evidently I am even MORE easily amused than normal when my eye is dilated and with 1 out, Dan singled and then Ichiro walked and then Cleveland made a pitching change and then Randy grounded the runners over and then Bret Boone singled which scored Dan and Ichiro both and we take the lead 3-2 and then we go to commercial where cows are talking about turning off the alarm clock and they kick the rooster which is funny not just because the rooster goes flying but because Homer will laugh himself sick over this every time he sees it.

So sixth inning and there is a basketball guy talking with Hendo and Rick and with 1 out, Matt Lawton walked, and then Randy Winn did this really intricate looking spit thing which was kind of disgusting and Cleveland doesn't score but WE DO because Greg Colbrunn singled and then Carlos Guillen, who BUTTONED HIS JERSEY THANK YOU GOD walked and then on what I think was a hit and run, Cirillo struck out looking and they threw out Colbrunn at second which made me say all kinds of bad words but then Willie Bloomquist singled and Carlos scored and we lead it 4-2 as we head to the seventh.

So then Giovanni Carrara relieved Jamie and with 2 outs, Blake reached on an infield single and then Burks reached on an infield single and John made a spectacular catch on Carlos's high throw and almost tagged out Burks which would've been good because their Garcia walked to load the bases and I thought Spencer might walk too because Giovanni went 3-0 on him but he came back to get him to ground out and I was very, very happy about this.

So then with 1 out Randy Winn singled and then an out later and Edgar is intentionally walked, like what a bunch of chickens but we are unable to make them pay and Brutus is meanwhile destroying my box of Kleenex, so eighth inning, and Shiggy relieved Giovanni, and an out, a single and a brilliant double play by Bret later, there is Kleenex EVERYWHERE and we don't do anything worth mentioning.

So ninth inning and there is a very jolly guy waving his daughter around in the air and it reminds me of last year when I had Dylan with me at the ballgame and Ben Davis came up to sign autographs and I was like totally waving Dylan around trying to get in front of everyone and we got right down there and Ben Davis is even more darling and more enormous in person but I digress and Jeff Nelson is in and a strikeout, a single, another strikeout and a grounder later, we have completed the sweep as we win it 4-2.  

"This is a great team, man. They get behind and never give up, acquired on waivers from Dodgers just as the season began.  I feel so blessed to come here, especially three days before spring training was over.  This is a team with a chance to go to the World Series." - Giovanni Carrara

"Not to make excuses, but we had a lot of injuries last year. I had a tough first half. Ichiro had a tough second half.  Cammy and Jeff (Cirillo) had tough years. Freddy had a bad second half. Oly limped down the stretch. We missed Nellie  for a month and a half. We missed Norm all year.  And we still won 93 games. I think if we keep this team healthy, we can beat anybody. We're no different. What's different about us from our 2001 team? I think our bench is better." - Bret Boone