A walk-off win is always nice. I suppose. But my sense of baseball priorities feels warped now. I used to think my first priority when watching baseball was to enjoy the game. Being in a playoff race can certainly aid that, but it should never be a requirement. Last night was an enjoyable game of baseball on just about every level. Both starting pitchers threw with command and strikeout stuff. There was a late-inning comeback fueled by Diamondback mistakes and fundamental hitting from the Giants. Moises Alou won the game twice: once when he hit the home run, and also when he ripped a line drive into the ribs of Brandon Webb, who pitched like the Cy Young award winner he probably is. It was one of the better games of the year when stripped of its context.
That's just it, though. Context, context, context. In August, a win like that would have made me do the Peanuts dance on my coffee table. With the Giants not in the playoffs, and not really fielding a team right now that can get me excited about the future, I gave a firm fist-pump after Moises's home run. The firm fist-pump is both dorky and underwhelming, and I feel ashamed. There are only a few games left in the season, so each pitch is a gift from the baseball gods. That was still a heckuva win.
In three months time, all of us would burn down a retirement home if it allowed us to catch an inning or two of the Caribbean World Series. I'm rooting for the Astros to continue gaining on the Cardinals so we can squeeze out a 162nd game of this season. Because, heck, maybe Fred Lewis will use that game to hit his first home run, and maybe it will be an inside-the-parker. Maybe Billy Sadler will strike out the side on nine pitches. I'm starting to freak out that the season is about to end, so I need every game I can get.
Also, my contract with SportsBlogs Nation pays me several thousand dollars for each gameday thread, so the makeup game is the difference between getting a new alligator suit or having to settle for silk. Laugh if you want, but there's nothing like going commando in an alligator suit. So scaly.... You have your way of getting closer to nature, I have mine. Four or five more games. Go team.