Day 2 – Notes On Progress

I’ve now finished my second 24 hours of cleansing fast and have started day 3.  I guess I’m going to call each day from noon to noon, instead of wake-up to wake-up.  Which means I’m about 6 hours into day 3 as of the start of this post (a little after 6pm).
The day was mentally difficult because I took my wife to my sister’s house so they could spend the afternoon wine tasting and nibbling.  My sister is a member of several wine clubs and this is something they both enjoy spending an afternoon (or day) doing.  Normally, I just kick it at her house with her husband (Art) or whomever is there on the day while the ladies are out and about on their tasting travels.  Per usual, we watched sports.  In this case, the SF Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8 to 5.  (Yea!  Go Orange and Black!!)
Anyway, my sister is a vegetarian and always has “healthy” stuff around the house.  So, yeah, it was a hard visit to get through.  I took a bottle of V8 Strawberry / Banana juice along to get me through.  The bottle is 6 –  8oz servings and each serving is 110 calories, so I had about 700 calories out of it.  Now that I’m home, I’m having a bottle of my veggie juice and later I’ll be having another bottle of blend (3 heaping tablespoons of roughage and about 24oz manufactured juice, “shaken, not stirred”).
The bottom line is I’m tired, hungry and a bit snarky.  Other than that, though, wonderful!  (See, snarky – LOL)  I guess I should stay in the house and try to avoid people until these first few days pass, but that’s not how “real” life is lived.  So, I’m just going to have to muddle through.
Other notes:  I got a calorie deficit headache today (this morning).  When I got home after walking the dog I started to get a powerful (terrible) headache in my frontal lobes (and above both my eyes).  Fortunately, I was able to drink a large (12oz) glass of OJ and it went away.  Obviously, a cautionary message from my body about not having a “breakfast” drink before the walk.  My fingers, wrists, ankles and feet feel great!  No swelling at all during the day.  That’s a good sign for my heart as it means I’m not retaining water (fluids).  Also, my left side (kidney) is much less painful, but I’m still having pain in my groin – although, even that is less than it’s been over the last weeks.  I guess it’s possible all of the pain is some kind of inflammation which the acidic juice is helping with.
And, of course, the good news is the morning scale:  369lbs.  That’s down 2lbs from yesterday and 11lbs from 20 July.  Keeping that in perspective (since 2lbs/day is unrealistic long term loss), I’d say I’m just about out of processing food weight (food in my stomach) and saline overage water weight.  From now on the weight loss per day should be leveling out at 1lb/day, but this will be “more” actual weight loss which won’t suddenly come right back as soon as I begin eating again.  From experience, my “normal” weight re-gain is about 1lb/week.  So, a 20lbs loss would take me about 5-6 months to regain.  Again, this does not include the 5-7lbs of processing food weight which I re-gain almost immediately (2-3 days).
As for drinking juice – my primary physician, my wife and my brother are all convinced drinking fruit juice is bad for me.  They are convinced juice fructose is just as bad for me as drinking sugar water.  My head agrees with them (mostly) because I understand chemistry.  My body does not.  Nor does my personal experience.  If I drink sugar water, I feel “sweet”, eventually sickly, and then bloated and craving pure water.  This is also what happens when I drink any kind of “soda drink”.  This rarely (almost never) happens when I drink juice (not “juice drink / added sugar to flavored juice”) or whole milk.  If I drink too much juice, I pee and I get fluid diarrhea.  What I’m saying is although my head recognizes the chemical similarities, by body somehow recognizes they are different.  I do not dispute the amount of calories.  Only that they are “worthless” calories.  I have a feeling when all is said and done, this argument will end up being like the eggs will kill you / no they won’t, whole milk will kill you / no it won’t arguments which have happened since the 1970’s.  Anyway, I drink manufactured / processed fruit juices – as well as juices and smoothies I make at home.
So, those are my thoughts after day 2 and in the middle of day 3…
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On This Day In:
2017	Happy 8th Anniversary
2016	Happy 7th Anniversary
2015	Happy 6th Anniversary
2014	Happy 5th Anniversary
2013	I Resemble That Remark!
2012	Happy 3rd Anniversary
2011	Is America Safe Tonight?
2009	Hello world! (See how it all began…)

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Orange October (IX) – Giants Lose Game 2 In Bullpen Collapse

Well, it looks like we’re in for one heck of a World Series!!  In what can only be politely called a “collapse” by their bullpen, the Giants gave up five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to the Royals and Kansas City never looked back rolling to a 7 to 2 victory.
The Royals pitching, particularly the bullpen, looks formidable with everyone throwing heat in the 95+ mph range and off-speed in the low 90’s.  By comparison, low 90’s are what the Giants were throwing as their top end pitches.
The disappointment of the game was a squandered first inning, lead off home run by Gregor Blanco.  It was a thing of beauty.  We touched the Royal’s starting pitcher (Yordano Ventura) just as frequently as they got to our starter, but in the end, Ventrua outlasted Jake Peavy and the K.C. bullpen was “all that and a bag of chips”.   Real deal…
So, the Giants leave for home with doubts and the Royals leave for San Francisco with hope.  There is a saying in sports that you can’t have a great Series until both teams have lost a game at home.  Now we find out if the Royals can turn the 2014 Series into a great Series.  The next three games are in S.F.  I’m still predicting a 6 game, 4 to 2 victory by the Giants.
But it’s back to being interesting…
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
By the way, this post is my 1,901th post – not counting pages.  What a long, strange trip it’s been…  I’m looking forward to 2,000.  🙂
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On This Day In:
2013	Complacent Reality
2012	Two-minute Sex
	Just Staring, Why?
2011	A World Of Difference

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Orange October (VIII) – Giants Win Game 1 Of 2014 World Series!!

With another dominating playoff pitching effort, Madison Bumgarner followed his team mates to an impressive 7 to 1 win over the Kansas City Royals!  The Giants can now play loose in Game 2 and try to steal another out-of-town win.  The Royals, on the other hand, are in their first MUST win game of the World Series.  They do NOT want to travel to San Francisco for three games behind two games to none.  In recent history, the winner of game one has gone on to win the series in 10 of the last 11 series.  Bumgarner is 60 wins and 3 loses in his career in games when his team has given him a three run lead.  The Giants provided the three run lead in the top of the first inning!!
The Royals will now be facing the Giant’s Jake Peavy with their fast ball flamer – Yordano Ventura.  He of 100+ fastball fame.  Peavy, who joined the Giants for the second half of the season, has been an emotional spark for a team which had fallen into a major slump.  Peavy is now an elder statesman, but he still has demonstrated great command and competitiveness.  So far that’s been enough to make up of an aging arm and decreasing mph fastball.
The good news is that if the rest of the team can supply half tonight’s output, Peavy and the bullpen should have enough to bring us home with the heavy (2-0) advantage.  Even if we return home with a split, we will stand a great chance of holding serve and Bumgarner can close out the Series in Game 5 (at home).
Man, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s game two!!
I AM ORANGE INSIDE !!
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On This Day In:
2013	Trying To Capture Serenity
2012	Above The Vaulted Sky
2011	Active Learning

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Giants Win Game 3 Of The 2012 World Series 2 To 0!!!

Go Giants!!!!
We are ORANGE inside…
Comments and observations:  Well, the boys from S.F. now have a historically significant edge in the 2012 World Series.  Despite a tremendous pitching effort by the Detroit #3 pitcher (Anibal Sanchez), Detroit scores no runs and the Giants get their second shutout on the way to a 2 to 0 win and a 3 to 0 lead in the Series.  To put this in perspective, NO team has EVER come back to win the World Series after trailing 3 to 0 in games played.
There are four games left if the Series were to go to the full seven.  To lose at this point, the Giants will have to play .000 ball (lose 4 of 4), while the Tigers will have to play 1.000 ball (win 4 of 4).  To add more perspective, both teams are .500 ball clubs, so a change of this magnitude, while not impossible, is extremely improbable.  The odds are the Giants will win one of the next four and the Series.  Simplistic, but probable.
At this point, the question is can the Giants sweep (win game 4 to close out the Series)?
As mentioned in my prior blogs about the 2012 Series, it is difficult for a team to win three in a row let alone four in a row.  While I certainly want the Giants to sweep, it seems likely that the baseball gods will favor Detroit and the Tigers will win the next game.  If that happens, I would expect the Tigers to wallop the Giants and really run up the score.  At that point, Detroit brings in its best starter for Game 5 and if they can pull out that win, the Series will return to S.F. for the final two games and we have the potential for a Series for the ages.
More likely though, is S.F. starts our best pitcher (Matt Cain) in Game 4 and the Giants close out the Series with a four game sweep.  Four-0 or 4-1, the Giants still take the Series after facing the team with the best pitcher and the best hitter in baseball!!!
Go Giants!!!!
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2012 National League Champions – San Francisco Giants!!

Go Giants!!!!
We are ORANGE inside…
Bring on Detroit!!!
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Learning To Count

Last weekend I finished reading “Perfect Figures“, by Bunny Crumpacker (2007©).   This is a history story of how civilization developed numbers and thereby learned to count.  Obviously, there is a lot of supposition in here, because no one was really around writing the history of the “discovery” of “1” and “2” (and so on).  In any case, the book is a fairly good read and seems to make a lot of sense.
Essentially, our current numbers seem to have mostly evolved from other cultures and words used to express numerical concepts (values) and then over time were mispronounced until we arrived at today’s word (pronunciations) for the values.  What I found most interesting was the concept of “many”, as in, “1”, “2”, “3”, many…   Many seems to be the universal expression for more than we care to count at the present time.
Another interesting point was the documenting of a perception I’ve had for a number of years, but never really knew how to explain, that is, my inability to count past four to six items.  One number is more or less easy to count and remember.  So are two or three numbers.  But, when I get upwards of four numbers, I start to want to write them down or find some other way of assisting my memory.  According to the author, this is universal in our species and hence the cross line in to five by lines and the switch to “IV” for “4” in Roman numbers.  Four line (“IIII”) somehow starts to fool the human eye and five lines is “forget about it” (“IIIII”).  The interesting thing (for me) was that I had personalized this and thought it was only me.  I’d never heard anyone else complain about not being able to count by ones, so I assumed I was the only one with this problem.
“Perfect Figures” is full of historical anecdotes and cultural references which made the book even more enjoyable for me as I enjoy glimpses into understanding other times, nations, cultures and languages.  I would like to give this book an unqualified “highly recommended” review, but for some reason I’m hesitant.  Although the book is fairly short (about 260 pages), it took a long time to read (almost a month).  I enjoyed reading most of it, but I never felt compelled to get back to it like I do most books I end up being totally “into”.  Normally, I’d have expected to pour through this book in a day or two.  But I didn’t.  The closest I can describe it to is like an old friend who you only want to visit with a half hour at a time.  You “feel” like you should spend the whole day with them, but in the end, you spend a half-hour and say, “No, I’m good.  See you in a couple of days…”
Be that as it may, I did enjoy the book and do highly recommend it to anyone interested in a lateral view of numbers and counting and an understanding how mankind “may” have learned to count.
Other Notes:
Just finishing my third day of vacation.  I’m planning to catch the new “Spiderman” movie and just relax.  I’ve spent the last four days working on my “Honey-Do” list.  I’ve finished the floor trim in the bedroom we just installed laminated bamboo in.  I’ve also helped a workman I hired for a couple of days take care of some other jobs: we removed a falling down metal shed from the backyard and hung a swinging gate on the side of the house (which used to be a solid fence).  He also did some ground leveling and removed an old wall heater from our hallway.  All in all, a VERY productive few days off!
Last but not least, my Giants have now won four straight series since the All-Star break and have the “hated” Los Angeles Dodgers coming up this weekend.  Go Orange and Black!!
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A Little Farther

 

Talent only goes so far, but faith gets you a little farther.  I take it as a reminder of why I’m out here.  It’s, ‘Remember what kind of gift you have, and most of all, don’t let your team down.’
—   Brian Wilson,
Closing pitcher for the SF Giants, describing the crossed-arm gesture he makes after the end of a game
(Quoted in “A Band of Misfits“, by Andrew Baggarly)
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Why Not?

As soon as we’re born, we’re dying.  So why not live all-out?
—   Brian Wilson
Pitcher for the SF Giants
(as quoted in: “A Band Of Misfits“, written by: Andrew Baggarly)
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miSFits

This book review is a bit late because life has gotten in the way…
Last Sunday (8 May 2011), I completed the book: “A Band of Misfits“, by Andrew Baggarly (2011©).  Baggarly is a sports columnist (and SF Giants beat reporter) for a local Bay Area newspaper.  The book is a collection of stories which follow the championship season (2010) of the San Francisco Giants.  The book is a fast, fun read.  The stories add a sense of humanity to the players which rarely comes out of a shorter form of writing – like a daily column.  You may get the same picture if you follow the column every day, but I’m not sure how many folks still do this.  To be honest, I’ve never done this (follow a columnist) until about a year ago, when I began regularly reading a pro-football columnist (Peter King) in Sports Illustrated.  Since I don’t get the paper or read Baggarly’s column on-line, I can’t comment on if the book is a mashup of his columns or if the stories are extra material that never quite made the column.  Either way, they are stories worth reading.
Anyway, as one of the many old-time baseball fans who jumped on the Giants bandwagon last year, I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the book and reading about the lives and foibles of  some of the players.  I heartily recommend this book to any recently returning baseball fan!
Superman
Yesterday, Donnie and I went up to Fairfield to visit my brother Sean.  While there, we watched a movie titled: “Ip Man“.  The movie is a semi-autobiographical (dramatized) accounting of a famous martial artist from the early 1900’s.  Ip Man was a proponent (and master) of the Wing Chun (“Eternal Spring”) form of Kung Fu.  In later years, he was a sifu / instructor to Bruce Lee.
Some martial arts movies are great for martial arts and terrible movies.  This is not one of those movies.  This has both great fights and a great story presentation in movie form.  The acting is very good for a foreign film.  I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense for “foreign” films.  I mean it in the sense that, I don’t have the cultural background to relate to the nuances of most non-American films.  For example, there are multiple instances in the film where someone says the southern style of Kung Fu is for women.  Unless you know Ip Man himself taught the form was derived from a legend of a female who defeats a local warlord in battle, the comments appear to be a fairly common sexual slur.  I did not realize this until I did a bit of research about Ip Man and Wing Chun on the internet after viewing the movie.
If you like great martial arts flicks or if you’re interested in a small window of Chinese culture, this is a very enjoyable movie!  Check it out!
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It’s Hammerin’ Time!!

I went to the theater today to catch the latest Marvel Comics movie: THOR.  The movie is supposed to be the first of the summer’s blockbusters and it’s a fairly good rendition of the comic book character into the realm of film.  It is an action film.  It is a special effects film.  It is a good comic movie (much better than DareDevil or Hulk 1).  The problem is I think it tries to do a little too much.  I felt as if it should have been a heroic Norse god movie or a Earth super-hero movie.  Instead it tries to be both and from that attempt, both sides are just not quite right.  Don’t get me wrong.  It has funny moments, but they are almost predictable “alien on Earth” moments / lines.  Somehow, it’s entertaining, but not quite satisfying.  (And that’s before you start to think about holes in the plot…  Just remember it’s just a comic book movie…)
I recommend it and I will certainly buy it when it comes out on DVD, but it’s a chocolate sunday without the cherry on top.  It leaves you wanting a little bit more.
As a childhood comic book collector we are definitely in the golden age of comic book movies.  Multiple Superman and Batman versions; Spiderman (X3); X-men (X3) with another on the way; Hulk (X2); Wolverine; Fantastic Four (X2); and a number of other minor comic characters.  I’m looking forward to the new X-men, Captain America, Green Lantern and the Avengers – all coming soon.
Orange Inside
Hil and I have spent the last two evenings watching two 9th inning Giants victories.  Last night’s was a come from behind win; tonight’s was a get ahead, they draw even, we win it in the 9th.  The torture is back!!  Go Giants!!  The National League West leaders (Colorado Rockies) are in town with a four game lead (now cut to two).  The Giants have had pretty good pitching so far this season, but not great team defense or offense.  Now, we’re starting to come back to form.
Happy Mothers Day!
Tomorrow (Sunday) is Mother’s Day. Everybody please remember to give your mom a call and / or drop by to see your mom.
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Playoff Fever Gets the Best of Me…

Victory in the World Series got the best of me and I decided to take the day off of work to attend the Giants victory parade in San Francisco.  Being the conscientious parent that I am, I brought along my daughter Sarah.  She, in turn, invited along some of her friends.  Before I knew it the whole thing had gotten out of hand and I was surrounded by about 800,000 of my closest friends.
I asked for leave at work and called in sick for Sarah – and off we went…
The following are some of the photos.  All of the good shots were taken by Sarah.  All of the bad/fuzzy ones were by me.  In fairness, she was using a real camera.  I was using my phone.
The photos start off with our 45 minute (!!) wait at the BART station in North Concord / Martinez to get tickets.  I’ve then added some shots from the train showing how the train went from empty to packed in only 4 stations – North Concord, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek.
I’ve then added some crowd shots from where I was at the Powell & Market Cable Car turn-around / BART Station.
Then come Sarah’s photos from the Civic Center – where the parade ended, in front of San Francisco City Hall.
Finally, there’s a photo from a Mr. Luis C., a friend of mine who is one of the most devoted Giants fans I’ve known for some time.  He sent me a picture of his “shrine”, which was set up when the Giants clinched the title by beating the San Diego Padres.
Sound delicious?  Enjoy…
Sarah and me at the North Concord Bart Station Sarah and her friends – waiting in line for Bart tickets Sarah with her friends on the Bart going to the Parade North Concord Bart Station – Line to get tickets to SF Bart train when I got on at North Concord Concord Station – 1 Stop after I got on Bart Train – Filling by Pleasant Hill Station (2nd Stop) 92 Year Old Giant Fan Going to the Giants World Series Victory Parade Bart Train – Packed by Walnut Creek Station (3rd Stop!!!) Fans at Market and Powell Street Fan in Orange Tux!! Parade crowd in front of the old Hibernia Bank Bldg View of the Parade Crowd Tim Lincecum Poster on the parade route Tim Lincecum At the Giants World Series Victory Parade Cody Ross At the Giants World Series Victory Parade Huff and Burrell at Giants World Series Victory Parade SF City Hall with Banners Giants World Series Champions Banner at SF City Hall Luis C’s Giants Altar – the real reason we won
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SF Giants – 2010 World Series Champions!!!

Well, the SF Giants did it!!!  They won the first two games of the World Series at home, then they went to the Rangers home park, dropped one and won the next two.  They completed the Series with a dominating 4 wins to 1 loss.  The Game 5 score was 3 to 1.
Tim Lincecum faced off against Cliff Lee, who prior to facing the Giants had been 7 wins and 0 losses in post-season play.  Against the Giants (and the Lincecum lead), Lee is now 0 wins and 2 losses.
Brian (“Fear The Beard”) Wilson closed the game with another brilliant strike out.  The Series MVP was Edgar Renteria who capped his Series tonight with a three run homer in the top of the seventh inning.  The Rangers avoided a third shutout with a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all they had and it wasn’t near enough to extend the Series and take it back to San Francisco for Games 6 and 7.
Four wins and we’re Champs!!! Four Awesome Wins!!! 2010 World Champs!!! And 4 makes Champs!!! SF Giants WS Champs Cap – SWEET!!! A reminder to “Fear the Beard” Props to the Closer – Brian Wilson!!
What did we learn: The Giants pitching is MUCH better than the Rangers hitting.  The Rangers pitching is not as good as the Giants.  Paper lineup advantages don’t always win on the field.  When a team beats you 4 games to 1, you need to stop saying “the best team doesn’t always win“.  The “better team” just put a good old-fashioned whuppin’ on ya – and you weren’t the “best team”.
We love you 2010 San Francisco Giants – World Series Champions and thanks for the torture!!!
Until next season, one last time:
I AM ORANGE INSIDE!!!
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52 – 54 – 56 – 58

Just a curiosity…
52 – years since the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco
54 – 1954 was the last year the Giants won a World Series (in New York)
56 – years since the Giants won a world series
58 – 1958 was the year the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco
No significance.   Just a curiosity…
Go Giants!!!  I AM ORANGE INSIDE!!!
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Giants Win Game 4 In Shutout 4 to 0!!!

Bumgarner’s Heat is Orange and Black!!!
Giants Win Game 4; Shutout in Texas 4 to 0!!! One Win To Go!!
The Giants won Game 4 of the 2010 World Series the way they’ve been winning all post-season – dominating pitching, excellent defense and timely big hits.  Tonight’s game was only the second Ranger shutout at home this season!!
Yesterday I posed the question – do you go for broke and pitch Lee with short rest and take a chance he’s still ready for another short rest to end the World Series if it gets to Game 7?  The Rangers decision was NO.  Lee will start Game 5 and face Lincecum.  The problem is, now you are down 3 games to 1 and you have to win ’em all to take the title.
The flip side to this question is the assumption Lee would have won tonight’s game.  Given Bumgarner’s performance, that is not a very strong assumption.  It’s likely Lee would have lost anyway and his aura of invincibility would be completely shattered.
Leaving aside the Lee issue as something now lost to the vagaries of baseball’s “what-if’s”, the more pressing issue for the Rangers is now who they will use in their middle-inning relief role.  They have been using Alexi Ogando, but he appeared to injure himself (his left side) on his sixth batter.  Up to then, he had retired the first five batters faced with little problem.  If Ogando is now out for the remainder of the Series, it seems even a more remote a possibility the Rangers can hold off the Giants for three straight games.  Time will tell…
What we’ve learned after four: Our 1 pitcher is as good as theirs.  Our 2 and 4 pitchers are much better than theirs.  Our 3 pitcher is not that much worse than theirs.  Our fielding / defense is as good as theirs.  Our hitting is as good as theirs.  Our base running doesn’t seem any worse than theirs.  They may be faster, but they don’t get on as much and don’t get hits with men in scoring positions.  All in all, big advantage to the Giants.
It’s hard not to count the chickens before they’re hatched, but I can’t see how the Rangers can pull this back without one of the biggest collapse’s in modern sports history.
Prediction: Giants in 5.
Go Giants!!! I AM ORANGE INSIDE!!!
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No Sweep – Rangers Win Game 3 by 4 to 2

It goes without saying that at World Series level of play, it is VERY difficult to beat any other team three times in a row.  This is demonstrated by the rarity of sweeps (winning 4 games in a row) – primarily because you’ve got to win three before you can get to the fourth successive win.  Up two games to nil, the Giants didn’t get it done today and the Rangers are now back in the Series.
The Rangers get a single and a walk early and then one BIG home run by Moreland to go up early 3 to 0 in the 3rd inning.  They held that for another two innings until their best hitter (Hamilton) added an insurance HR in the 5th inning – 4 – 0 Rangers.  The Giants made a push with two solo home runs by Ross and Torres in the 7th and 8th innings (respectively).  But, for SF, it was too little, too late.  Game ends, Rangers 4, Giants 2 – Rangers win.
The good news is that although Sanchez did not have a particularly good game, he only gave up two big hits (out of 6 total hits), the Rangers still did not touch him a lot – and certainly did not demonstrate they were the “feared” dominating hitting and running machine they were purported to be prior to the start of the Series.
The big question now is whether despite today’s win, will the Ranger throw Lee back out for Game 4 tomorrow?  Had they lost Game 3, it is almost certain the decision would have been yes.  But are they in any different position?  If they don’t give it to their best pitcher and lose Game 4, they will be down 3 games to 1 and need to win EVERY game – THREE IN A ROW.  (Remember the lead paragraph to this post?)  If they use Lee and win, they have breathing room to lose one of the last three, but they will almost certainly need to use Lee again (certainly in Game 7) and again it will be on short rest.  Will Lee be effective on short rest?  Will he be effective on short rest twice?
Do you have faith in your whole staff?  Do you believe you can win a critical game without your best playing?  Do you save your best for a potential Game 6 or 7 which you may not reach if you don’t use Lee in Game 4?  And so, you roll the dice – play for the Game or play for the Series…
We’ll know the Rangers’ decision and the results in about 24 hours from now…
GO GIANTS!!! I AM ORANGE INSIDE!!!
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