Not a formal dynasty post (will begin as soon as I catch up to real life)...
My Cubs are in the 2nd game of a three-game set against the Astros. I use Xcell's sliders, timed hitting, variable pitching HIGH and strike zone and vibration OFF...
Game breezes through the 5th with the Cubs and Astros tied 0-0 (happens to me a lot in this game). Bottom of the 5th, top of the order for the Cubs...
...Tom Goodwin singles to left. A screaming double to right by Alex Gonzalez knocks in Goodwin and the first run of the game...
...Through 5 innings, Matt Clement has struck out 4 and walked none (another problem here). Top of the 6th, Richard Hidalgo fights off an inside pitch from Clement and looks to be a single to center field. Goodwin takes a step back, then flies to the ball and catches a shoestring catch...
...Top of the 7th and two outs, Berkman rifles a shot in between second and first. Bobby Hill dives early, knocks the ball down and rifles to first on his knees and gets Berkman easily...
...Bottom of the 8th, 1-0 Cubs. Bobby Hill singles down the right field line and looks to be two. Hidalgo cuts off the line drive and holds Hill to a single. A sacrifice by Clement moves Hill to second. Goodwin flies out to right field, moving Hill to third. Alex Gonzalez walks. Mike Lowell (acquired in a trade with Florida for K. Farnsworth, A. Alfonseca, Lenny Harris and Juan Cruz) singles home Hill to make it 2-0. Going into the 9th...
Matt Clement has nine strikeouts through 8 complete. Will face Hidalgo, Asmus and the pitcher's spot in the 9th, then the top of the order if anyone gets on.
Hidalgo (0-2, 1 K) works the count to 3-1. Clement goes sinker, low and away and he taps it past Clement...Gonzalez moves quickly to his left, and gets Hidalgo by a step and a half - ONE OUT!
Asmus (0-2) strikes out on three pitches - TWO OUTS!!
By now, I am shaking a bit and still ticked at the fact that I couldn't get my VCR to record the festivities...
Pitch hitter, Morgan Ensberg. Ensberg faced Clement when the Astros hosted the Cubs last week (3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI in an 8-1 Astro victory). Ensberg swings and misses at a fastball right down the middle of the plate. (I've been trying to hit corners since pitch 55 in the 7th, but I can only hit the corners about a 1/3 of the time now). Ball one on a pitch way up on his chin. Ensberg ready, and the pitch...SWACK...a drive to right center field...Jose Guillen is on his horse...
...It looks to drop over Guillen for a hit...the screen flashes...OUT!...PERFECT GAME!!!!! The announcers talk impassionately about the "pinnacle of baseball, a perfect game!
I don't really know what happened that last play. It didn't look like Guillen got there in time, but I found out just before starting the next game that Guillen is out for 60 days due to a broken ankle. I couldn't see a replay and he played the whole game. He must have hurt himself on that last play.
I'm starting to think it helped to have the computer give Guillen an injury on that last play.
Nonetheless, Matt Clement goes 9 innings of perfect baseball, strikes out 10 with no walks. He throws 79 pitches with 59 strikes and 20 balls.
The next game, Clement throws one-hit ball through seven, gets tired and gives up a 3-run dong and two solo shots on consecutive pitches in the eighth to lose to the Yankees, 5-2...
My Cubs are in the 2nd game of a three-game set against the Astros. I use Xcell's sliders, timed hitting, variable pitching HIGH and strike zone and vibration OFF...
Game breezes through the 5th with the Cubs and Astros tied 0-0 (happens to me a lot in this game). Bottom of the 5th, top of the order for the Cubs...
...Tom Goodwin singles to left. A screaming double to right by Alex Gonzalez knocks in Goodwin and the first run of the game...
...Through 5 innings, Matt Clement has struck out 4 and walked none (another problem here). Top of the 6th, Richard Hidalgo fights off an inside pitch from Clement and looks to be a single to center field. Goodwin takes a step back, then flies to the ball and catches a shoestring catch...
...Top of the 7th and two outs, Berkman rifles a shot in between second and first. Bobby Hill dives early, knocks the ball down and rifles to first on his knees and gets Berkman easily...
...Bottom of the 8th, 1-0 Cubs. Bobby Hill singles down the right field line and looks to be two. Hidalgo cuts off the line drive and holds Hill to a single. A sacrifice by Clement moves Hill to second. Goodwin flies out to right field, moving Hill to third. Alex Gonzalez walks. Mike Lowell (acquired in a trade with Florida for K. Farnsworth, A. Alfonseca, Lenny Harris and Juan Cruz) singles home Hill to make it 2-0. Going into the 9th...
Matt Clement has nine strikeouts through 8 complete. Will face Hidalgo, Asmus and the pitcher's spot in the 9th, then the top of the order if anyone gets on.
Hidalgo (0-2, 1 K) works the count to 3-1. Clement goes sinker, low and away and he taps it past Clement...Gonzalez moves quickly to his left, and gets Hidalgo by a step and a half - ONE OUT!
Asmus (0-2) strikes out on three pitches - TWO OUTS!!
By now, I am shaking a bit and still ticked at the fact that I couldn't get my VCR to record the festivities...
Pitch hitter, Morgan Ensberg. Ensberg faced Clement when the Astros hosted the Cubs last week (3-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI in an 8-1 Astro victory). Ensberg swings and misses at a fastball right down the middle of the plate. (I've been trying to hit corners since pitch 55 in the 7th, but I can only hit the corners about a 1/3 of the time now). Ball one on a pitch way up on his chin. Ensberg ready, and the pitch...SWACK...a drive to right center field...Jose Guillen is on his horse...
...It looks to drop over Guillen for a hit...the screen flashes...OUT!...PERFECT GAME!!!!! The announcers talk impassionately about the "pinnacle of baseball, a perfect game!
I don't really know what happened that last play. It didn't look like Guillen got there in time, but I found out just before starting the next game that Guillen is out for 60 days due to a broken ankle. I couldn't see a replay and he played the whole game. He must have hurt himself on that last play.
I'm starting to think it helped to have the computer give Guillen an injury on that last play.
Nonetheless, Matt Clement goes 9 innings of perfect baseball, strikes out 10 with no walks. He throws 79 pitches with 59 strikes and 20 balls.
The next game, Clement throws one-hit ball through seven, gets tired and gives up a 3-run dong and two solo shots on consecutive pitches in the eighth to lose to the Yankees, 5-2...
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