Base-Brawl & The Giambino

Two of baseball's greatest cities got to witness two of the wilder games of recent note.  After a wild Wednesday night and generally disappointing Boston Bruins' season, Coco Crisp decided to give the Chowds one more hockey game to witness.

Purposely hit on the thigh by Tampa's Shields in retaliation for his blunders on Wednesday night, Crisp decided to keep the blunders rolling by then charging the mound.  While I disagree to the decision to charge the mound, I give Coco a lot of credit:  It takes brass to charge the mound knowing the first guy to your defense will be Julio (115 pound) Lugo.

My opposition to charging the mound ( and trust me it has nothing to do with being a pacifist ) was that Coco was due to get plunked, he even went so far as to ask for it to insure no one else on his team took one in the ribs on his behalf.  He asked for it to protect his team, and in turn Shields protected Coco by hitting him in the thigh.  Coco goes to first base and the whole thing is over, however, by charging the mound Coco all but insured another flare up down the road.  Had Shields head hunted him, I would have agreed with Coco 100%. 

With the two teams battling for first place, Shields "decision" to hit Coco in his first AB is certainly questionable.  It is in no way, however, as questionable as Toronto 2B Inglett dashing off to third on a one out line drive to Melky Cabrera in short left center field.  Cabrera had such an easy double play in order that I honestly believe it was his own shock that Inglett had already rounded third that distracted Melky from making the catch, not getting the double play and leading to a 5 run Blue Jay outburst in the Bronx.  It was truly a ridiculous play:  One team's mental mistake leads to their opponent's physical mistake, it was truly ugly.

Ugly, for lack of a better word, is perhaps better defined by Cano's attempt to get a sacrifice bunt down.  A Sac Bunt.  Uglier than your grandmother's underwear.  But the Bronx's share of the day's insanity didnt end there.  The two greatest words since "Prevent Defense" rose up and bit Toronto on the butt with a 2 run lead in the ninth when ARod took second base on "defensive indifference" only to then be driven in by Godzilla bringing The Giambino to the plate in a one run game.

The rest, as they say, is history...history that came in the form of an 0-2 hanger that landed about 15 rows into the upper deck in right.  Adda, boy Jason...I say the walk off means you can keep the 'stache at least one more week. 

Bring on the Royals, Go Yanks!