Opening Day

I understand the Dodgers and Diamondbacks "officially" kicked off the season a week ago in Australia, and the Dodgers and Padres played on Sunday night, but despite the fact that the Dodgers have already played three games that count in the standings, Opening Day was really Monday, March 31st.

There's nothing like Opening Day.  I even capitalize it, as if it were a proper name.  It should be a national holiday.  Opening fucking Day.

I wasn't able to watch either of my teams live, so I decided to DVR the Brewers, and turn my phone, car radio and computer off until I could get home to watch it.  I was heading South on 76th Street around 4:00 when I observed two gentlemen walking out of Brewski's, and they appeared to be walking slowly, and instantly thought that meant the Brewers lost.  They weren't pumping fists!  There was no shouting!  Shit!  I figured that I thought of everything to make sure the outcome wouldn't be ruined, and I didn't think to not look at any human on my 14 minute drive home.  Hell, I even told the pretty lady that makes the Kool-Aid to not say anything or look at me when she got home, as I would interpret her facial expressions or tone of her voice as a clue that the Brewers had either won or lost.  Maybe I was overthinking this.   They could have been Braves fans.  Maybe they over ate.  Perhaps they weren't baseball fans, and just came for the Eggs and Bakey ...

I tried to put it out of my mind, as I was able to get home without knowing anything about the outcome, but all I could think of was that if the Braves ended up winning this game, the next time I try this, I have to arrange for someone to drive me home, so that I don't see anything.  As it turns out, I've tried recording live sports events in the past, but I can't remember having any success.

Since I'm not trying to fill 341 pages of a book this time around, let's cut to the headline :

Brewers shutout Braves, 2-0 !

Some notes from the game :

• The pitching was fantastic.  Gallardo went 6, only allowed 4 hits and walked 2, the bullpen allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way.
• Three Brewers collected two hits ... Aramis Ramirez, Jonathan Lucroy and Scooter Gennett, and it was Ramirez's big two run double in the 4th inning that proved to be the difference.
• Carlos Gomez did something today that I can honestly say I've never seen at the big league level.  He singled cleanly to left field to lead off the first inning, advanced to second on a Justin Upton error, and tried to advance to third as Upton held on to the ball.  Gomez was out by about 30 feet, no exaggeration.  If you want to chalk it up to Opening Day butterflies, so be it, but as it unfolded, I thought that the old Carlos Gomez had returned.  Thank goodness it wasn't costly.
• Ryan Braun received a very warm reception from the Miller Park crowd, in his first game back after serving a 65 game suspension.   This won't be the same on the road.  And Bill Johnson from 540 ESPN had an interesting opinion.  He feels that Braun could hit .400, slug 80 homers and drive in 225 runs, and would not be considered for MVP.  I agree.
• Francisco Rodriquez worked the 9th, with no real explanation as to why Jim Henderson did not get the ball.  Read this morning that it was a decision that Roenicke made at the end of Spring, but doesn't sound like his team was informed.  Many players were surprised.

Let's see if we can get another win tonight.

The Mets bullpen was terrible yesterday, giving up 5 runs in the last 3 innings, as the Mets lost in 10 innings, 9-7 to Washington.  One bright spot is that they hit three dingers, and the bats seemed to be alive.  They resume play on Wednesday.