Some people like to see a game where runs are scored every inning, everyone in the lineup has at least two hits, and the winning team is the one who gets to bat last. My favorite game is one in which every batter up has the potential to provide the game winning hit. The game tonight wtih the Blue Jays was my kind of game. Especially since my team won!

     The two starting pitchers took different routes, but they both reached the same destination at the end of eight innings – no runs allowed. Ricky Romero of the Jays scattered 8 hits over the 8 innings, with Albert Pujols garnering half of them, but he held the Redbirds scoreless by causing them to strand 11. Cards co-ace Chris Carpenter was much more dominant, only allowing 4 hits to Toronto. His teammates rewarded his good effort by coming up with 3 singles in the top of the 9th off the Jays closer, Kevin Gregg, with the game winner being provided by the Cards hottest hitter, Matt Holliday, who has certainly gone from goat to Hero over the last several games.

     The thing that attracts me to scoreless games is that tension that is created each time a batter comes to the plate, especially late in the contest, knowing that one swing of the bat can totally affect the outcome. I think this type of game had to be the origin of the ABC Wide World of Sports slogan -” The thrill of victory or the Agony of Defeat” – since the winning team has the Thrill, while the losing team gets the Agony.