CASPER
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This and every weekday a.m. during baseball season, let's rise and shine together to recap the most recent diamond doings. Roll Call starts high atop the pitcher's mound at AT&T Park, where Randy Johnson(notes) and another tall pitcher combined to make high history.
Game of the Day
Giants 11, Nationals 7
Height of their craft: Giants' giant Randy Johnson and Nationals right-hander Daniel Cabrera(notes) combined for the tallest starting pitching match-up in major league history.
Johnson, at 6-foot-10, and Cabrera, at 6-foot-9, measure a combined 163 inches, which beats by an inch the Cabrera-Mark Hendrickson(notes) duel of 2004, which nobody should otherwise remember.
How's the pitching up there?: For Big Unit Johnson, not bad. He struck out nine in recording career victory No. 298, though he lasted only five innings and allowed three home runs, including one of a pair hit by Ryan Zimmerman(notes), who continued his hitting streak to 29 games. Mr. Coffee still has yet to take notice in Ballplayer Heaven.
"He's a big man," Zimmerman said of Johnson. "I've got legs and arms and everything coming at me. His slider looks pretty good, just like it does on TV. I can see why he's been so good."
For Cabrera, it mattered not how tall but how bad. He allowed eight runs — three earned — over 4 2/3 innings. Sure, the defense was faulty, but Cabrera allowed eight hits and six walks. He also had a wild pitch and a hit batter. It's funny that we have made a big deal of Johnson's height through the years and Cabrera is only an inch shorter. It might have something to do with Cabrera being no good.
Here are the full scoring lines for both:
Pitcher.................. HT ......IP...ER...H...BB...K......FG.......FT.......PTS...REB...BLK...Fouls
Randy Johnson ... 6-10....5.0....4....8.....0.....9.....7-14....9-12.......23.......12.......6......4
Daniel Cabrera ... 6-9......4.2....3....8.....6.....3.....3-10....3-7..........9.........6........1......6
* * *
Feelin' Rundown (shorter pitchers, shorter recaps):
Indians 9, White Sox 4: If I could scream at you through the Internet like Mad Money's Jim Cramer, I would keep harping on Carl Pavano(notes) as a good buy. There's no better pitcher in baseball with a 6.45 ERA. ... Did the Indians bring up Matt LaPorta(notes) because of his clubhouse presence? Is he in charge of carrying around the suitcase that holds Eric Wedge's old mustache? Why are Ben "I left my bat in San" Francisco and David Dellucci(notes) playing instead?
Braves 8, Mets 3: I can't understand what the other NineMets have against Johan Santana(notes). He seems like a nice guy. He makes up little handshakes for everyone. He pitches great, too — better than most. But the offense doesn't hit for him, the defense doesn't catch for him and don't even mention the bullpen. Dang, I mentioned it.
Reds 13, D-backs 5: Wile E. Taveras goes 5-for-5 in leading the Reds' rampage against Jon Garland(notes). Another home run from Adam Rosales(notes), who would make Pete Rose proud with his unorthodox home run sprint around the bases. ... Josh Wilson(notes), who is not a pitcher, pitched as A.J. Hinch joined the "Aw, heck, this one's over, let's use a position player on the mound" club. ... Micah Owings(notes) to face his old club today. No, not Georgia Tech.
Game of the Day
Giants 11, Nationals 7
Height of their craft: Giants' giant Randy Johnson and Nationals right-hander Daniel Cabrera(notes) combined for the tallest starting pitching match-up in major league history.
Johnson, at 6-foot-10, and Cabrera, at 6-foot-9, measure a combined 163 inches, which beats by an inch the Cabrera-Mark Hendrickson(notes) duel of 2004, which nobody should otherwise remember.
How's the pitching up there?: For Big Unit Johnson, not bad. He struck out nine in recording career victory No. 298, though he lasted only five innings and allowed three home runs, including one of a pair hit by Ryan Zimmerman(notes), who continued his hitting streak to 29 games. Mr. Coffee still has yet to take notice in Ballplayer Heaven.
"He's a big man," Zimmerman said of Johnson. "I've got legs and arms and everything coming at me. His slider looks pretty good, just like it does on TV. I can see why he's been so good."
For Cabrera, it mattered not how tall but how bad. He allowed eight runs — three earned — over 4 2/3 innings. Sure, the defense was faulty, but Cabrera allowed eight hits and six walks. He also had a wild pitch and a hit batter. It's funny that we have made a big deal of Johnson's height through the years and Cabrera is only an inch shorter. It might have something to do with Cabrera being no good.
Here are the full scoring lines for both:
Pitcher.................. HT ......IP...ER...H...BB...K......FG.......FT.......PTS...REB...BLK...Fouls
Randy Johnson ... 6-10....5.0....4....8.....0.....9.....7-14....9-12.......23.......12.......6......4
Daniel Cabrera ... 6-9......4.2....3....8.....6.....3.....3-10....3-7..........9.........6........1......6
* * *
Feelin' Rundown (shorter pitchers, shorter recaps):
Indians 9, White Sox 4: If I could scream at you through the Internet like Mad Money's Jim Cramer, I would keep harping on Carl Pavano(notes) as a good buy. There's no better pitcher in baseball with a 6.45 ERA. ... Did the Indians bring up Matt LaPorta(notes) because of his clubhouse presence? Is he in charge of carrying around the suitcase that holds Eric Wedge's old mustache? Why are Ben "I left my bat in San" Francisco and David Dellucci(notes) playing instead?
Braves 8, Mets 3: I can't understand what the other NineMets have against Johan Santana(notes). He seems like a nice guy. He makes up little handshakes for everyone. He pitches great, too — better than most. But the offense doesn't hit for him, the defense doesn't catch for him and don't even mention the bullpen. Dang, I mentioned it.
Reds 13, D-backs 5: Wile E. Taveras goes 5-for-5 in leading the Reds' rampage against Jon Garland(notes). Another home run from Adam Rosales(notes), who would make Pete Rose proud with his unorthodox home run sprint around the bases. ... Josh Wilson(notes), who is not a pitcher, pitched as A.J. Hinch joined the "Aw, heck, this one's over, let's use a position player on the mound" club. ... Micah Owings(notes) to face his old club today. No, not Georgia Tech.
