HotCuts & Bridges

We went to the game together on this day, May 13, 2017.  Along with us, all arriving by golf cart, were my cousins, Jason and Kyle.  We sat in section 154, row 11, seats 1-4 as the Cardinals won 5-3.  Carlos Martinez pitched well enough, contributed two hits, struck out nine.

As you readied yourself for another flight to St. Louis, you sent this text at 10:09 central daylight: MileHighHotCut. This is the fifth time Kershaw has been tabbed for the spotlight start.  It is the second HotCut of the year for Tyler Chatwood.  The game starts tonight at 19:40 cdt.  No day games today.  I am nervous with anticipation, though.  I've got my cousin arriving any minute; then about forty-five minutes from now I'll leave to pick you and Jocelyn up at the airport. * We're flipping across games.  Josh Tomlin, mound dipper. ...  Kennys Vargas singles, first and second, top 4, two out.  ...  Garza goes 1-2-3, top 1, in Milwaukee against the Mets.  Harvey is clean-shaven, sweating, and dipping.  Thames, 7.  Hernán Pérez singles.  Shaw, 7, and Harvey is through the first.  ...  But it's 1-0 MIL, bottom 2, first and second, two out.  Harvey had fielded a dribbler and went 1-5 for the second ou...

You sent the HotCut text at about 17:00 central daylight:  "Another CapitalHotCut". But it was postponed.  We watched some Astros at Yanks.  Now Dodgers at Rox.  Utley turned 50.  I texted you.  B said, "Man, Utley's so old he looks like a base coach."  Colorado leads 2-0 and Jeff Hoffmann looks good ... fastball, slider. There was another catcher's interference , McCann / Ellsbury.  I suggested the rash of catcher's interference was due to catchers getting excited about framing pitches and prematurely reaching out to grab them.  After all, if the hitter's gonna swing through a pitch what difference should it make if the pitch is caught an inch, two inches, three inches deeper behind the plate.  These catchers aren't just catching the ball, they are becoming part of the pitch, and they are sticking their hands into the hitter's swing-field more and more. Keuchel is stymying the Yanks, 3-1.  He is throwing a bunch of offspeed ...

At 7:17 central, 5:17 pacific, you issued word:  Gotta be a CapitolCut.  The series started with two games in Baltimore but it shifts to D.C. tonight, Miley and Strasburg, at 18:05 central. I have Giants at Mets on the radio, WOR out of New York, Howie Rose and Josh Lewin.  Posey homered for the third straight game—he has five home runs and eight RBI—but the Giants trail Tommy Milone and NYM 3-1.  I heard Bruce homer, I heard a Granderson RBI double. ...90 minutes elapse... Top nine in Flushing, Familia trying to close out a 3-2 game.  Nuñez sends a grounder to third, this could be the game, Wilmer throws...high to second...Panik is safe there, Nuñez on first.  One out, Pence up.  He singles.  Panik comes around to score, the Giants have tied the game at three, and here comes Posey.  Familia is the seventh Mets pitcher to work today.  Milone went 5 IP, 2 ER, 87 pitches.  Then the parade began:  Salas 1 IP, Edgin 1/3 IP, R...

At 9:04 this morning, you announced a DoubleCut.  The first game brought back the scheduled duo from last night: Arrieta and Senzatela.  The back-end will feature John Lackey and Kyle Freeland. I listened to portions of the early afternoon day-bill.  Arrieta wasn't very good.  The worst start of his career occurred in Colorado in 2014 or 2015.  Nine runs.  He gave up nine runs today too but only five were earned.  His game score was 14.  I heard Charlie Blackmon triple.  I heard Mark Reynolds doing damage.  Mark Reynolds is batting .336.  He has 12 home runs and 30 RBI.  Move over Todd Helton!  I heard reference on Cubs radio to CarGo's struggles.  Carlos González was 1-for-4 to raise his average to .194.  Strangely, I have no recollection of hearing Ian Desmond bat.  I recall Kris Bryant being lifted prematurely, seemingly so. Ron Coomer, a.k.a. the CoomDog, on the Cubs broadcast suggested this might simp...

The Rockies train kept rolling when you sent me the following at 9:47 central daylight:  Another MileHighHotCut.  And moments later you added this for emphasis:  !!! Jake Arrieta and the Cubs got on a plane early this morning to fly to Denver for tonight's game against Antonio SenZatela and the Colorado Rockies. ... We did some Yanks at Reds.  Rookie Davis was struggling, Tanaka looked alright.  But I switched to Nats at O's, in time to see Harper take a ball four and Ryan Zimmermann fan on a change from Kevin Gausman.  Now it's Daniel Murphy with two on and two out.  The Oriole broadcast likes what it's seeing from Gausman—this could be his inflection point, nowhere to go but up after getting tossed for hitting Mookie Betts with that 76 m.p.h. curve in Boston. I switch to the Mets.  Pence flails at a deGrom offering, down on strikes, completing a fanning of the side.  Commercial break in progress.  It is not a full slate today—t...

B and I were up on the WU campus walking June on a magnificent May day when I heard the knock in my pocket, hoping for a 'Cut and getting it:  TwinCityHotCut.  I had the game on MLB.tv but I admit to snooZing.  I heard the Benintendi homer and later saw his double.  I watched Sale attack but then I also watched him nibble and get squeezed on some close outside pitches to Grossman and Sanó in the fifth.  I saw Sandy Leon homer, the third Big Erv had allowed, much to his surprise and dismay.  It looked pleasant at Target Field and the ball was carrying out.  It's 7-6 now, a close 'Cut although Boston has seemed to be in control most of the way.  Matt Barnes came on and didn't get an out but it's still 7-6, Kimbrel on, man on third, one out, bottom seven.  I've turned it off of the TV and have it on the radio.  Meanwhile, the Blues are in the second intermission, tied with Nashville.  Mauer caught looking, Mauer incensed. On the AM d...