Seattle: 41-67
Orioles: 51-56

GAMES

Game 1: Jarrod Washburn* vs Garrett Olson*
Game 2: Felix Hernandez vs Jeremy Guthrie
Game 3: Carlos Silva vs Daniel Cabrera

Garrett Olson is sort of Baltimore's Jarrod Washburn without the burdensome contract. He doesn't throw too many strikes, he doesn't get many groundballs, he doesn't miss many bats, but he doesn't do any of those three horrendously either so he ends up just being thoroughly mediocre. Sounds like an exciting match up does it not?

Guthrie's strikeout and walk ratios have regressed a bit this year despite a few more missed bats and the same number of overall strikes. He's allowed a few less homeruns though so he's roughly average this year.

Cabrera's throwing a few more strikes this year and getting a few more groundballs, but he's also missing no bats and allowing more line drives than before. 5.66 tRA. Another fantastic pitching duel surely awaits.

Likely Starters:
C Ramon Hernandez
1 Kevin Millar
2 Brian Roberts^
3 Melvin Mora
S Juan Castro
L Luke Scott*
C Adam Jones
R Nick Markakis*
D Aubrey Huff*

Adam Jones stops by to say fuck you that's what. I hope he remembers our unheard cries for him from 2007.

I know he doesn't.

CONTEXT

There's a curious aspect to human endurance that is exemplified in many disparate ways but is probably most relatably illustrated with an athletic analogy. I used to do a fair amount of long-distance running back in college. Nothing competitive, it was just the best option to get reliable exercise stuck on an urban campus. There's a saying in running that "the last mile is the hardest" that I always found almost completely false. Personally, I found the second or third mile always the hardest, but nevertheless; the last mile was always the easiest. Why? Because the end was finally in sight.

Be it running a marathon or even something as simple as carrying something heavy across a moderate distance, you'll usually notice that you get an extra little bit of adrenaline as you near the end. It's only natural, the body holds back from giving 100% since it doesn't know just how far it's going to have to go and when it sees the end coming up soon, it's able to release that reserve in order to make sure the goal is accomplished.

The downside is that sometimes that end is an illusion. Sometimes you expel those last bits of get-up-and-go in the final mile, finish the marathon, and then find out that you have to go run a whole 'nother damn race. And that moment of realization, that "oh god are you serious? I cannot do this." moment? That can be downright soul crushing.

This, this was supposed to be the end, the finish. This was to be the first start of Jarrod Washburn's that was not made because he was now wearing some other uniform. It's been 30 months that have felt like 300 and we had hope that it was finally over. We saw the finish line, ran toward it with glee and then had Lee Pelekoudas just tell us to keep running with no promise as to when, or even if, it will end. I am so goddamn happy that it's Friday.

THIS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Dave
Hair of the Dog Brewing. Portland, OR

With all due respect to Sam Adams Utopias and it's 25% ABV, Hair of the Dog Dave, if you're able to find it, clocks in at 29% (yes, 58 proof). Produced by taking Hair of the Dog Adam, itself a fine treat, and freezing it in order to reduce the water volume by two-thirds, Dave is the heartiest beer that I've yet to see, hear, encounter or even spread made up rumors about.