Cards 2 Pirates 1

Some observations from my perch up in 331 tonight:

• They let me into the game with my Irate Fans shirt. And people tend to notice it a lot less when you aren't in a group full of guys wearing the same shirt. Which just means I need to get my friends some shirts.
  
• Somehow between beer and All-Star ballots (I think my friends and I took a full stand's worth) I missed the starting lineups. Which made it that much more incredibly shocking to see Joe Randa batting fifth and playing third base. Jose Castillo hasn't won a player of the week award in two full weeks, what has HE done for us lately. Note to Jim Tracy: just because Joe Randa is #5 doesn't mean he has to start at position 5 (third) and bat 5th in the lineup. Just so you know.
  
• Freddy six and Craig Wilson seven, now there's brilliance from Tracy. They have homes for people as certifiably insane as him.
• I did my duty as an Irate Fan to cost the owners as much money as possible by screaming the answer of the "Know Your Buccos" (Q: Which current Pirate was acquired by the Buccos in July 2004? A: Jose Bautista) question to the guy answering it a section away, ensuring that he got the Home Plate Club tickets. I wasn't sure he heard me, but he gave a glance up to our section and I got an incredibly dirty look from the scoreboard MC. It was a strangely satisfying experience.
  
• Sheesh, Carpenter was on tonight. Everytime I looked down someone was striking out. We wondered why they yanked him after 7 innings. The answer is that it takes a ton of pitches to strike 13 people out. Just how good was Carp tonight? Good enough that even with Joe Randa batting fifth he went after Jason Bay everytime up and coerced him into 2 Ks.
  
• Of course on the night that Ollie shows his best control in years, his only walk ends up being the deciding run. Still, 77 strikes in 110 pitches is pretty damn encouraging. He seemed to be able to reach back for a little extra when he wanted a strikeout, though "a little extra" only means 93 these days. Every comeback has to start somewhere, I just wish we didn't have to say that once a month for Ollie.
• In the Roberto Clemente book, Clemente says that the best way to break out of a slump is to go up to the plate and swing the bat three times every at bat. If you get 12 swings in a game, he reasons, it's not a stretch to think you can get a hit from one of them. So... that's my advice to Ronnie Paulino. SWING THE F@$#ING BAT! I can only imagine what posses a man to look at strike three in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run on third and Jose Hernandez in the on-deck circle while a struggling closer is on the mound. I don't know if Ronnie realizes it, but if he walks there, Jose K is up (speaking of which, just what the hell happened to Castillo tonight, did he run over Tracy's dog or something?) and the game is just as over as it is if you swing at strike three in the dirt. But you can't hit the ball if you don't swing. I know he's just a rookie and it's a tight pinch to be in, but sheesh, what a bad way to lose.