Jamie Moyer’s thrown 3,781.2 innings in his Major League career, regular season & postseason combined, but for the first time tonight he’ll take the mound in a World Series game. Matt Garza just wrapped up his first full season in the big leagues, and has thrown just 336.2 big league innings in his career, but like Moyer he’ll be making his first World Series start tonight. Sometimes life just isn’t fair.
Moyer’s last three postseason starts (dating back to ’07, obviously) have gotten progressively worse:
6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (’07 NLDS Game 3)
4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (’08 NLDS Game 3)
1.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (’08 NLCS Game 3)
Matt Garza, on the other hand, has gotten progressively better each time out this postseason:
6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (ALDS Game 3)
6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (ALCS Game 3)
7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K (ALCS Game 7)
It’s hard to imagine Garza pitching any better than he did against the Sox six days ago, but stranger things have happened. The cards are stacked against Moyer so severely that this game just might be a reserve lock. That’s why they play the games I guess.
The weather in Philly isn’t looking so hot, but there appears to be a big enough window for them to get the game in. ESPN’s Playoff Blog has an update saying that Rays’ manager Joe Maddon was informed that they hope to start the game at 9:30.
Feel free to use this as an open thread until the game starts. Play nice.
Tampa Bay
1. Akinori Iwamura, 2B
2. BJ Upton, CF
3. Carlos Pena, 1B
4. Evan Longoria, 3B
5. Carl Crawford, LF
6. Dioner Navarro, C
7. Gabe Gross, RF
8. Jason Bartlett, SS
9. Matt Garza, P (11-9, 3.70)
Philadelphia
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Jayson Werth, RF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Pat Burrell, LF
6. Shane Victorino, CF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Jamie Moyer, P (16-7, 3.71)
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