Ismael Valdes got screwed. Once again he pitched well enough to win (he probably should have 10 wins by now), but was let down by someone else on the team. In fact, Valdes retired something like 17 or 18 batters in a row at one point.
We did end up winning the game – today mostly by the long ball. Raffy got another for 3 in the series – one in each game. The Menchman got two this game, and Todd Greene also chipped in. Was a nice offensive output. Would have been better if we could have keep the Cubs off the board so Valdes could get a win. Other than Kenny Rogers’ re-emergence this season, I think Valdes is our best pitching story. I really hope we reup him for next season.
After the game, we fired Oscar Acosta – given his remarks in the newspapers, I’m not surprised. The picture painted in the papers makes him seem like a real hard person to get along with.