Another live blog from the Ginger Beard of Javier Vazquez's gem. Kids, don't try this at home.
7:00 : Time for the second running diary of The Braves Drinking Game. Things could be a little strange since I have to watch it on WGN, the local Chicago network, and so will have to deal with the Cubs announcers. In order to compensate, I have elected to begin the game with a Sparks. If you are unfamiliar with the beverage, it is a “premium malt beverage with natural flavor, certified color & FD&C yellow number five”. Also, it is 6% alcohol by volume.
7:02 : Just heard that Javier Vazquez is pitching. He is the ideal pitcher for the BDG. I like where this is going.
7:05: A few more rules for tonight's game. Back when this game was created, we would always drink to a Pete Orr sighting. Now, we have decided on Eddie Perez. He always looks happy, so I can drink to that. Since it is an away game, we will also be drinking to any Braves fan in the stands.
7:06 : Even though Zambrano is going on short rest, it will be tough without Chipper. Seems like a pretty telling sight that Conrad is playing 2nd and not KJ, even though Zambrano is a righty.
7:08: Zambrano working very quickly. After a McLouth walk and Prado sacrifice, McLouth almost gets picked off of second. Anderson grounds out to second, allowing McLlouth to make it to 3rd with 2 outs and McCann up to bat.
7:09 : And the Braves take the lead! McCann RBI single to right.
7:11 : The Cuban Missile strikes out on a high fastball. Not a bad inning by Zambrano, but the Braves get a run.
7:12 : After running the count full, Fukudome strikes out to start it out for the Cubs.
7:16 : A nice defensive play by Escobar to get Theriot.
7:18 : And Vazquez gets the strikeout on Lee to end the inning. Solid first inning by the Bravos, hopefully they can keep it going. Vazquez looked pretty solid, and maybe the offense will be able to get another run or two off Zambrano.
7:20 : Kotchman starts out the 2nd by grounding out to first. Some great defensive first basemen in this game with Kotchman and Lee over there.
7:21 : Since Frenchy somehow hit the ball to opposite field, everybody loses the Frenchy Mini-Game.
7:22 : I think Conrad gets a x3 multiplier. He was hitting well in AAA, but hasn't looked awesome.
7:23 : Well Conrad shows me. After a solid 9 second hit, I think Conrad might deserve a x2 multiplier. Sadly, Vazquez follows him with a groundout to short to end the inning.
7:26 : And the Cubs clean-up hitter starts out the bottom half of the 2nd with a single to right.
7:27 : Ramirez just misses a double by pushing it foul down the right field line. Scary moment.
7:28 : The Cubs announcers just describe Ramirez's swing as “very violent”. Interesting way to describe a talented hitter's swing. He ends up with a single to bring up Soriano. He's pretty fast, so it could be tough to double him up.
7:32 : And Soriano strikes out for the first out of the inning. Cubs fans boo him, which they probably should. On top of a disappointing year, that was a pretty poor at-bat. More than a few Cubbies are probably annoyed he is under contract for a while.
7:35 : One of the guys playing the BDG just burnt popcorn. This is miserable. And he has had less than a beer. Yes, not even a beer.
7:37 : Great over the shoulder catch by McLouth after a long at-bat by Fontenot. Koyie Hill, the back-up to Geovany Soto, comes to bat.
7:40 : Hill runs the count full with 2 outs, putting the runners into motion early. Hill gets the RBI after a solid at-bat. McLouth makes a decent play to hold Ramirez at second, but he could have been caught in a run-down.
7:43 : Zambrano up to bat, but this is no easy out. He is a solid hitter that really likes to take his cuts up there.
7:44 : Vazquez strikes out Zambrano to end the inning.
7:46 : McLouth grounds out to short to start out the Braves half of the 3rd.
7:48 : I just found out KJ went on the DL for a wrist injury. Either way, Prado is usually the starter and he singles to right. Anderson will probably just ground into a double play anyway.
7:50 : Well he struck out. That's a little better. He has to be the worst 3 hole hitter in any game tonight.
7:52 : McCann doubles to right to bring in Prado from 1st. He really is great to have. The Cuban Missile up to bat now.
7:54 : Escobar whiffs badly on the same pitch twice. I wish the cameras had stayed on him long enough to capture his reaction.
7:57 : After his 5th strike out in 10 batters, Vazquez retakes MVP of the BDG from McCann. He follows up the strikeout to Fukudome with a great defensive play.
7:59 : And Vazquez retires the side quickly. Another good inning for the Braves.
8:01 : Kotchman takes a walk on 4 pitches to bring up Frenchy. The guesses are a double play to short and a single to left.
8:04 : And he strikes out on a pitch at the eyes. Should have known.
8:05 : Conrad almost gets a seeing-eye single, but Fontenot tracks it down. Still advancaes the runner. Maybe Vazquez could help himself out here.
8:06 : Vazquez grounds out to end the inning. Zambrano has slowed down a lot, maybe we can get to the bullpen pretty early tonight.
8:09 : The Cubs announcers began the inning by talking about how impressive Vazquez has been this year. Hopefully more people will look past his records and into the other stats to see just how incredible he has been.
8:11: Prado catches a little flair to 3rd to get the first out of the inning. On the next pitch Conrad makes a great diving stop on a ball off the side of the mound to get Ramirez.
8:13: The WGN cameras show a guy creepily stroking the arm of a girl who looks incredibly uncomfortable. I'll drink to that. Soriano up to bat.
8:14: Soriano singles on Vazquez's 65th pitch of the night. Of those 65, 50 have been strikes. That's an amazing rate.
8:17: Fontenot grounds out to end the inning. The Braves bring the top of the order up, maybe we can get an insurance run or two for Vazquez.
8:21: And Zambrano quickly retires McLouth and Prado to start the 5th. I don't know if WGN completely lacks a trivia game or if we just missed it. Either way, I'm fairly disappointed.
8:22: Anderson walks to bring up McCann. A two run homer here would be awesome. Instead he just misses a double down the line and strikes out looking on a great pitch to end the inning.
8:27: McCann starts out the bottom of the 5th with a great/lucky play to get Hill, which is followed up by a nice diving play by Escobar to get Zambrano.
8:28: Also, Zambrano is a switch hitter?
8:29: Another quick inning by Vazquez. And a Natural Light commercial!! “natastrophe- the unfortunate loss or destruction of one's Natty Light”. Do you really need to advertise for beer that costs under 70 cents per can?
8:31: WGN gives out a player of the game in the 6th inning. Does that make sense to anybody? And it was given to Zambrano, not Vazquez. Everything about that situation is incorrect.
8:33: Kotchman hits a looping single with one out. Same guesses for the Frenchy Mini-game, and again nobody wins. Still, he hits it to right again, so maybe that's a good sign for him.
8:35: I'll drink to Brooks Conrad not wearing batting gloves. Good for him.
8:38: But Conrad strikes out. The announcers seem to think Zambrano is done for the night, which is probably good for the Braves.
8:39: One of the guys playing the BDG just said “the only way to eat a Pop-Tart is get the unfrosted kind and put butter on it.” I am appalled.
8:42: Vazquez gets the first batter of the inning to ground out. Even though Theriot is on my fantasy team, I want nothing more than for him to strikeout every time he gets up for the next couple of games.
8:46: And Vazquez gets Lee to strike out. I missed the third out.
8:49: Another Natty Light commercial!! “natapult- the act of launching a Natty Light as to eliminate time or movement.” God Bless America.
8:50: Cox sends Vazquez up there. I guess it makes sense, he's looked great and was leading off the inning. I can't see him going more than 7, though, with Gonzalez and Soriano in the pen.
8:51: The WGN cameras just showed a little kid with a Red Sox hat and Cubs sweater. I can't blame him for that, but I can blame his parents. He should be a fan of one or the other, not both.
8:55: And McLouth gets a one out double. We really should be able to get him home with Prado and, I guess, Anderson up. I still don't like Anderson there.
8:57: And Prado hits a looping flyout to right. Please prove me wrong, Anderson.
9:01: Anderson gets one friendly call, and then an obvious one to run the count full. After fouling a few off, he flies out to left to end the Braves threat. And now we get the traditional Take Me Out to The Ball Game. By some guy I have never heard of. Whatever.
9:17: After a brief hiatus in which I missed the entire 7th inning, I return to see Vazquez has kept it together. After 108 pitches, he is probably done. McCann almost beats out an infield single, but is somehow called out. I disagree, but neither McCann nor Hubbard were too angry about the call.
9:20: The Cuban Missile hits a little flair to Lee for the second out of the inning.
9:21: And Kotchman taps out to the pitcher to end the inning. From the way the announcers were talking, Cox will send Mike Gonzalez in for the 8th. Gonzo is a solid player for the BDG.
9:24: The always crazy Milton Bradley takes the first pitch of the inning to left, but Anderson snags it for the first out of the 8th.
9:26: A fly out to left notches the 2nd out of the inning. The Cubs announcers are criticizing Gonzo for his delivery, but I have no doubt in my mind that both of them would bend over backward for the chance to have him as their closer over Gregg.
9:28: Theriot gets a good bounce off the right field wall to grab a double off of Gonzo. Immediately afterwards, Lee flies out to Prado to end the inning and the threat. Let's see if we can an insurance run or two.
9:31: And everybody loses again. Shockingly, nobody guessed infield single to short. There cannot have been very many of those this year, right? For anybody?
9:33: And Conrad lays down a beautiful bunt. After a second straight infield single, Diaz comes up with a great chance to add a few runs.
9:34: But, instead, Diaz pops up trying to sacrifice. I would rather let him swing away than bunt. He knows how to hit and runs hard, so it would be tough to double him up. If you want to bunt throw Blanco in there, or maybe even a pitcher. Diaz cannot practice bunting often, if ever.
9:36: And McLouth flies out to left for the 2nd out of the inning. Hopefully Prado can get us something out of this inning.
9:38: Prado runs the count full, letting Frenchy and Conrad get a running start. Both can move, but Fontenot makes a diving stop to just beat Prado at first. Headed into the bottom of the 9th, Braves lead 2-1.
9:41: Soriano comes in to try and pick up the save. It will not be an easy task with the cleanup hitter(whose name I can't spell) Ramirez and Soriano up for the Cubs.
9:42: And the first batter for the Cubs lines out to deep center. One down.
9:47: Where the hell was Escobar on that Soriano single? He wasn't even on the screen. Was the Cuban Missile playing him to that much of a pull?
9:50: Braves win!!! Solid inning by Soriano, and Vazquez finally gets a win. It's a shame they only got 2 runs, but I guess we can get away with it while Vazquez is on the mound. And any win the Bravos get with Chipper out is a huge plus. Well that brings us to 1-1 on the year while writing a running diary of the BDG. I plan on doing this more, so maybe this could become like Frenchy's Turkey Underwear.
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