By Lenn Robbins
Wednesday was a perfect night for a ballgame. Clear skies. Seventy degrees. Got a No.7 express train out of Grand Central for Citi Field? Even got a seat!
Lenny the Loser? Nope, Lenny the Lucky.
David Peterson, a rising 26-year-old pitcher for the Mets, is on the mound against the Brewers, who had lost 8-of-9. Peterson is 3-0- with a 3.00 ERA but he’s struggled a little of late. I take the Mets moneyline, Pete Alonso to go yahd and Peterson, less than six strikeouts.
Peterson hits the second batter he faces. He hits a second batter in the fifth. Mets pitchers hit three batters, more than runs scored in 10-2 loss. The Brewers haven’t scored 10 or runs since April 26.
Alonso puts the polar in Polar Bear by going 0-for-4 with two pop foul outs and a strikeout.
Peterson strikes out three, so I’ve got that going for me, but I’m already toast.
Lenny the Loser.
But wait. NBA Finals Game 5 was a different story. I take Andrew Wiggins, over 4.5 rebounds. He grabs 13. Marcus Smart, over 13.5 points. He scores 20. Golden State moneyline. Warriors win, 104-94.
Lenny the Lucky.
I call a friend who’s big into investing. Very aggressive.
“Coinbase!” he shouts into the phone. He’s always shouting. “Crypto’s the wave of the future! Market lost four percent on Monday! It’s bottomed out! Coinbase! Did you hear me?!!!”
Sometimes I suffer from selective hearing.
For example, the wife suggests a vacation. Get away for a few days. Enjoy each other’s company. My antennae immediately go up. “Enjoy each other’s company?” She hasn’t enjoyed my company since the last season of Downton Abbey.
I accidentally forget to remember to tell her and opt for some shares at $ 56.60 over vacay. It’s down to $50.25.
Today the gorgeous bride asks about that vacation.
“How about we go to the movies,” I say. “The new Downton Abbey movie is playing.”
She looks at me with the hairy eyeball. Did she just mutter, “Putz,” as she walked out of the room?
Game 6 is my chance at redemption. I’ve got Boston giving the 3.5 points, Jaylen Brown over (24.5 points) and Klay Thompson (who is 14-of-34 from 3 over the last three games) over (19.5 points). Thompson is 14-of-34 from three over the last three games.
This is how a winner thinks: You can make a case (well, I can), that the Celtics beat themselves in Game 5. They missed 10 free throws. What is this, Rec League ball? They committed 18 turnovers. My dog takes better care of her chewy toy. And they lost their cool in a 104-94 loss.
Back home in the Gahden, here comes Lenny the Lucky. The next time I write it will be from my private yacht in the Exumas, anchored just a few hundred feet from Johnny Depp’s smaller yacht, the Vajoliroja. Maybe I’ll invite Amber Heard to come along.
That should smooth things over at home, right?