On Supressing the Urge to Kill

Thanks the ever-amazing @ChadMoriyama

So that wasn't very good.

It would be all kinds of simple to just blame that on JP Arencibia not catching the ball a bunch of times, and call it a day, but that would probably be pretty lazy.  After all, Dickey certainly walked a bunch of guys, and the Jays didn't exactly have a base-runner after what seemed like the fourth inning, from within my drunken haze.  The 4th is right around when Masterson seemed to find himself a bit, as far as control went.

I don't think there's any real need to play the blame game here-- there are 161 more games to be found within this season, and even the best team this season is probably going to lose somewhere around 60 of them.  We'll not worry about something so menial as a loss.

As far as some specifics, I suppose we'll go bullet-point by bullet-point:

• JP Arencibia/ Henry Blanco: I don't think this was really all that much of a surprise, and we'll be seeing Henry Blanco fairly often when it makes sense.  It's going to make sense less often than we think, however.  For example, anytime there's a day-game following a night-game, the backup catcher tends to get one of those starts.  Assuming Blanco catches every other Dickey start this year, a quick look at the schedule suggests that Blanco will play two of three in the upcoming Boston series.  Dickey will throw game three (Sunday) of that series.  If Blanco is to catch Dickey and only Dickey, we'll see JP catch in both Friday night and Saturday afternoon's games.  Not saying that such a thing can't, or shouldn't happen, especially this early in the year, but it's something to think about.
• R.A. Dickey: It gives me diabetes to think of all the little variables at play here.  I just have faith that he'll figure it out.  JP's still learning and adjusting, and I'm sure Dickey is too.  I don't think he's ever pitched in a sold-out dome stadium before, but things seemed to iron out a bit after three innings.  Again, long season.
• Sergio Santos: That slider.  Probably going to .gif a few of those later if I don't see it done already.
• Brett Cecil: Did I see 94 on the gun?
  
   Mother of God, I did.  9 of 11 pitches were thrown for strikes too.  Not exactly nibbling though.  Take what you can get, I suppose. 
• Adam Lind: I'm getting tired of shitting on this guy.  I really am.  I'm even trying to be nice to the guy, pointing out all of the positives from within the sea of negatives.  With that in mind, let's flash back to the 3rd inning of yesterday's game.  This is how the Jays' half of the third inning began.
• - M. Cabrera singled to right, M. Cabrera to second on right fielder D. Stubbs' fielding error
• - J. Bautista walked
• - E. Encarnacion walked, M. Cabrera to third, J. Bautista to second

Within those two walks, Masterson is gifted two called strikes from the umpire, and is just generally all over the fucking map.  To this point in the game, Masterson had thrown 60 pitches, 27 of which were balls, before retiring a batter in the 3rd.  Naturally, Lind fucking flails away at the first pitch, which, also naturally, is outside the zone by a good 5 inches.

I just want Josh Willingham on my team.

Quote of the night comes from a guy on the internet, concerning the Lind GIDP-- "[S]tandard Asdrubal making the ball hit right at him look impossible."  Really.

See you guys later tonight.