Pedro and his wacky hijinks

Well, Pedro is back at it. No, not the real Pedro, video game Pedro. After D-Lowe gave up a home run in the first inning, I quickly became disinterested in the Red Sox game and decided to play a game in MVP Baseball 2004. I played the days game: the Red Sox at the Royals with a pitching matchup of D-Lowe vs. Chris George. The game started off on a good note, with Manny hitting a 2 run dinger in the first. By the time the 7th inning rolled along, it was 3-2. To start the 7th, D-Lowe walked the first guy then let up 2 hits to load the bases. Unlike Terry Francona, I sensed a bad thing happening and quickly gave D-Lowe the heave-hoe. In comes "Hard Throwing" Alan Embree. Single. Double. Ok, Ebree wasn't cutting it that day. I brought in Williamson and he got the job done to get out of the inning. Fast forward to the ninth. I get a couple of hits and yada, yada, yada, I tie the game. Williamson holds the Royals in the 9th and the game goes to extra innings. I bring in Timlin and Menblowza and they hold the Royals over the next 5 innings in a nerve-racking fashion.

It is now the top of 15th inning with Nomar, Manny, and D.O. due up. Royals closer Mike Macdougal is in his 3rd inning of work. Nomar Garciapopsup. Manny then proceeds to hit a 468 foot bomb into the fountains. I dramatically proclaimed, "Suck on THAT, MacDougal!" and I felt very satisfied. I promptly began to warm up Foulke in the pen. There were a couple more hits that inning, but I failed to score. Enter Foulke for the bottom of the inning. He gets 2 outs, then of course the inevitable happens. Benito Santiago hits a solo shot to tie the game.

Now it is the bottom of the 17th. I had just botched a suicide squeeze when Doug Mirabelli failed to get the bat on the ball. Foulke is in his third inning of work and is getting tired. He struggles his way to 2 outs with a runner on second. The next hitter hits a hard grounder to right field and the runner cannot score. Foulke is beat as is the rest of my bullpen. It is now time for the ultimate closer: Pedro Martinez. Pedro triumphantly waltzes to the mound to put an end to the threat. His first pitch is a high and tight fastball in which Desi Relaford nubs into left field for the game winning hit. Pedro curses the video game gods as the run comes home. Meanwhile, I am cursing Pedro and his uncanny ability to blow opportunities in which he used to thrive. I lay on my bed having flashbacks and Grady Little leaving Pedro in the game only to watch him let in run after run. The painful memories are enough to make a grown man cry.

I then realize this was a video game and I got up and ate a Smores granola bar.