Liveblogging: 2007 World Series, Game 3


5:00 PST: Live from, uh, Victoria, British Columbia, it's Saturday night--and Game 3 of the 2007 World Series here at JLT/JLT: Clutch. Or rather, Two and a Half Men, which is just finishing up on our local Fox affiliate. I hear Charlie Sheen talking now, but in mere moments, it'll be Jeannie I'm-not-even-gonna-bother-trying-to-spell-her-last-
name-anymore's voice coming out of my TV. Exciting stuff, indeed.

5:02: There she is! Like clockwork. Fox is playing some uber-cheesy montage about World Series history. Or something. I'm not really paying attention, and, honestly, I'm not really that psyched about this game or this series anymore. But that could change! The NL upstarts could get their groove back with a few (they hope) games back in Denver. I don't have a good feeling about it, though, and I'm so not looking forward to watching Schilling, ManRam, Ortiz, Francona & Co. spraying champagne all over the place again--or reliving that J-Pap jig. God, I really hope Don Mattingly or Joe Girardi (or Tony Pena--yeah right) gets my Yanks back on track next season. In the meantime, er, go Rockies!

5:09: Mark Grace on Brad Hawpe: "It's almost like he's trying to strike out." That's how bad the Rockies look in this series...

5:11: Oh, Girardi's there guest-commentating, too. I just noticed this!

5:12: In other news: Oregon beat USC, 24-17. I thought the preseason #1 ranking was a bit much for this Trojans team, but now I'm not so sure they're even the fourth-best team in the PAC 10 this year.

5:17: They're announcing the Rockies' starting lineup. The rally towels the Coors Field crowd are waving are looking way too much like white flags right now.

5:20: JLT/JLT favorite Carrie Underwood just did a terrific job with the nat'l anthem. I hope that's not the highlight of the telecast.

5:25: McCarver fun fact: The Rockies' offense produced twice as many strikeouts as hits over the first two games in Boston. Before the series started, I thought the assumed effects of the eight-day lay-off were being overstated. I was very wrong.

5:30: At least, I'm reminded as Ellsbury announces Boston's line-up, Matsuzaka will have to hit so long as he's in the game and Ortiz will have to play first. Expect plenty of Rockies bunts-for-hits down the right side of the infield.

5:33: With the Rockies in their first World Series, the Marlins having won two champions, and the Diamondbacks having won one, I'm left thinking about how unfortunate the poor Devil Rays have been compared to their '90's expansion team peers. If they'd ended up in the National League, like the other three clubs, they would've at least seen the playoffs by now and possibly gotten lucky/hot and advanced. Instead, they're doomed to play bottom-feeder/record-padder in baseball's toughest division.

5:36: Game's on. Speaking of bunting for a hit, Ellsbury--perhaps unintentionally--just did.

5:40: Another hit that didn't leave the infield. Pedroia's at first, Ellsbury's at second. Decidedly not the start the Rockies were looking for at home.

5:43: Josh Fogg strikes out Ortiz. Terry Francona wonders if he made the right call.

5:47: ManRam pops up to left. Two outs. Fogg's ability to pitch around those two hits should be telling of Colorado's chances in this ballgame.

5:50: Lowell pops up to center. No damage yet. Let's hope that's a good sign.

5:53: On Matsuzaka's first pitch of the World Series, Kaz Matsui turns a single into a double thanks to a J.D. Drew misplay.

6:01: Couldn't do anything with it, though. Inning over.

6:07: McCarver is discussing what rank in the military Varitek would be if he were in the military. Or something? The verdict is Sergeant Major. Two outs in the Red Sox 2nd, and as I type, Julio Lugo just hit a double.

6:10: Matsuzaka struck out to end the inning, and McCarver answered my question from the other night--the league Matsuzaka's Seibu Lions were in did use the DH, though the other Japanese league evidently does not. Good to know.

6:14: Matsuzaka couldn't get a hit last inning, but he hits Garrett Atkins to open the Rockies 2nd. Dah-dum-cha!

6:15: Brad Hawpe is so pressing. He strikes out again.

6:17: Out #2: Torrealba pops up to ManRam in left.

6:18: And...another runner is stranded. Inning over. "This is ouuurrrr country..."

6:22: Ellsbury legs out a double to start the 3rd. "Fastest kid alive." "What?" "That's the fastest kid alive."

6:24: Pedroia bunts safely. Runners first and third, no outs.

6:25: Ortiz drives Ellsbury in, Pedroia to third. 1-0 Red Sox. Yeah, Francona probably made the right line-up call...

6:27: Manny's intentionally walked. Lowell's at the plate with the bases loaded. 2-0 count...

6:28: *sigh* 3-0 Boston. This is starting to look eerily like the '04 Series.

6:31: Matt Holliday just threw ManRam out at the plate on an outfield hit by OMV. Some silver lining, I guess.

6:34: Oh, shit! Matsuzaka with a 2-run single through the left side of the infield. 5-0 Red Sox.

6:37: Ellsbury with another double this inning. Julio Lugo scores. 6-0 Boston. Josh Fogg is done. So is this series?

6:41: Franklin Morales, who totally melted down in Game 1, comes in, and Pedroia grounds out to third to end the inning. Finally. This game is probably already over, though.

6:52: 1-2-3 inning for Matsuzaka. *yawn*

7:00: Morales does the same. Maybe that will lend the Rockies some momentum in their half of the inning. Probably not, but I'm trying to retain some semblance of optimism here.

7:12: I want an animated gif of this kid they just showed in the Coors crowd. He looked comically possessed--and happily oblivious to what's happening on the field. Two down in the Rockies' fourth. The home team looks entirely void of anything like momentum, and the CO fans seem largely out of it already. Not that I can really blame them...

7:17: Does a 2-out walk equal momentum? I think not. Especially when ice-cold Brad Hawpe is at the plate. And, of course, he popped up to shallow right-center before I could even finish typing this.

7:21: J.D. Drew leads off the 5th inning with a double. I think, at some point, him and Brad Hawpe must've bumped heads to some Freaky Friday-esque effect.

7:31: Morales looks pretty good so far tonight, though it's likely too little too late since the Rockies' bats are legitimately lifeless. Inning over, with no additional damage and Drew stranded at second.

7:39: I missed what happened because I was making soup (Campbell's Gardennay Sweet Pepper and Tomato), but the Rockies now have runners on first and second with 1 out. I'm not holding my breath (it's not possible to hold one's breath and eat soup at the same time), but perhaps something will come of this.

7:44: Nope. Stranded 'em both. The soup's tasty, though.

7:53: Another very good inning for CO relief pitching--1 (Ellsbury), 2 (Pedroia), 3 (Ortiz). Just sayin'. Not that it actually matters, at this point.

7:58: Youkilis in for Ortiz at first. If you answered, "Who cares?" then you, my friend, are correct.

8:03: The Rockies get another runner on, via a Matsuzaka walk. How much you wanna bet they strand him?

8:05: Hmm, another walk. This might get slightly interesting. Emphasis on the "might." And the "slightly."

8:06: Except that Matsuzaka's out, so probably not. I didn't catch who Boston's bringing in to pitch, but unless it's Gagne, the Sox 'pen will probably end this would-be rally before it gains any steam.

8:08: It's Lopez, and--OMFG--Brad Hawpe actually got a bloop hit. 6-1.

8:11: Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong. 6-2. This is starting to look like an actual competition as opposed to just a beatdown. Another pitching change...

8:15: It's Mike "Nope, I Haven't Retired Yet, So There" Timlin.

8:17: Wow, that looked gone! But it wasn't. Two outs.

8:20: Another close one--a rocket line drive that Lugo lept to catch before it could escape the infield and score at least one runner. Inning over. Still a four-run game.

8:23: Matt Herges is on the mound for CO, facing ManRam to start the 7th.

8:27: Struck him out, and then struck out Lowell. Nice start for him.

8:30: And he does the same to Drew.

8:36: Matsui bunts for a hit to start the Rockies' 7th. We'll see if they can keep it going...

8:37: Matsui steals second. Colorado suddenly looks hungrier, and more convinced that they have a shot in this series, since before the 5th inning of Game 1.

8:39: Tulowitzski gets a hit, runners first and third. Boston's bringing in Hideki Okajima, who's been lights-out lately, from the 'pen.

8:43: THREE-RUN HOME RUN, MATT HOLLIDAY!!! 1-run game. This isn't over!

8:47: Another hit, this one a Helton single to left! Still no outs!

8:51: Okajima strikes out Garrett Atkins. One down.

8:57: Another K. That's more like the Okajima we're used to seeing. And more like the Brad Hawpe we're used to seeing, at least in this series.

9:00: Inning over, but at least it's interesting again.

9:05: Brian Fuentes is in to start the 8th, facing OMV.

9:06: OMV grounds out. One down.

9:07: Fuentes (inexplicably) walks Lugo. Coco Crisp, still on the Boston roster lest we forget, comes to the plate to pinch-hit.

9:09: Crisp singles to center, runners on first and second, Ellsbury comes to bat. Things are suddenly not looking good again.

9:11: Another hit for Ellsbury, another Red Sox run. 7-5.

9:12: Pedroia drives in a pair. 9-5. Game over?

9:15: Regardless, why the hell is Fuentes still in there?

9:16: Youkilis grounds out. ManRam steps to the plate.

9:19: He pops up to left to end the inning. Can CO bounce back? I don't have an 8 ball handy.

9:20: One out in the Colorado Eighth. Missed how it happened (sue me). That other Manny is now pitching for the Sox.

9:26: Willy Taveras lines out to Pedroia. That's two.

9:27: Fox shows a fan with his hat turned inside out. The only problem? That hat in question is bright orange. Who is this man rooting for? The Phoenix Suns? The University of Illinois? At any rate, Kaz Matsui hits a two-out single.

9:30: Oh, it was probably a Broncos cap (sorry, I'm slow), which is more acceptable, I guess. Tulowitzki walks. Holliday comes to bat. J-Pap's coming out of the bullpen. Fox is going to commercial. I'm going to go brew some coffee.

9:35: Holliday swings at the first pitch. It looked like it might be gone off the bat, but missed by a few feet in deep left. Inning over.

9:39: Mike Lowell opens the top of the 9th with a base hit off LaTroy Hawkins.

9:42: I'm not sure what just happened because I went to get and mix my coffee, but now Lowell's at third and there's one out.

9:42: Varitek scores Lowell on a sac fly. 10-5.

9:42: Lugo grounds out, inning over. CO gets one more shot to avoid going down 3-0 in the Series.

9:48: Helton pops up to right. 2 chances left.

9:50: Atkins grounds out to third. Brad Hawpe's up last, er, next. I meant next.

9:53: Hawpe stretches a double into a triple. The game's not (technically) over yet...

9:55: Torrealba grounds to short. So, that's a wrap. I've decided not to bother live-blogging tomorrow's Game 4 because the Rockies look doomed to be swept and I don't really feel like watching Fever Pitch 2. My predictions, in sports and plenty of other facets of life, are frequently wrong, of course, and should the Rockies win tomorrow, I will probably go ahead and give it another shot for Game 5. Otherwise, I'll focus my efforts on the soon-to-start basketball season(s) and rooting against the Patriots. Thanks for tuning in. Good night, and--unless you're a Red Sox fan--good luck.