Monday, April 24, 2017

El Paso Diablos vs Tacoma Rainiers 4-19-17 Part 2

Continued from Part 1

It took me long enough in this recap to get to the first inning.  Actually this game was the best part of being at the game.  Chuck and I were both keeping scorecards, but he’d forgotten to bring a pencil, so I lent him my pen, which had consequences later. 


Chris Heston started the game for the Rainiers.  This was a bit of a surprise for me, since I didn’t know where he’d gotten to lately.  The last I’d heard of him, Heston had pitched a no hitter for the San Francisco Giants in New York.  There was some brief hope he’d be the next great Giants pitcher.  I was using that winning image as my wallpaper for a while.  Likewise, I’d watched Rainier second baseman, Gordon Beckham, play several times for the White Sox, and he was one of my favorite players on the team.  (And now, WGN America doesn’t even show baseball games.) 


The night started well for the Diablos as pitcher, Tyrell Jenkins, had a clean inning to start the game.  In the bottom, Franchy Cordero led off with a triple and was driven in by Corey Spangenberg. 1-0 Diablos.  The top of the second had three plays I’m still in shock over.  The first batter grounded to Spangenberg at third, who dropped it.  As I was looking down to write “E5” on my scorecard, I looked up and saw that he had thrown out the runner.  ALWAYS WATCH THE ENTIRE PLAY BEFORE MARKING IT.  Jenkins walked the next batter.  He then picked off the runner, who hadn’t even strayed far enough to try to dive back.  It seemed like he tripped or came off the bag.  Jenkins walked the next batter.  He picked him off and the runner was diving back.  Two pick offs in a row?  Every time I think I’ve seen everything in a ballgame, I’m surprised shortly thereafter. 

The bottom of the second didn’t have much action, but I did suddenly see Chico in the upper level Westar Bank section casting a fishing line down in to the lower level.  I’m not sure what was going on there.  Also, a huge military cargo jet flew over.  It just seemed to defy gravity.  The biggest play of the entire third inning was a foul ball that fell into a nearby section and was dropped by a fan, who was boo’ed.  The people next to us were pretty loud and having a good time with audience participation.  They got right into the “We want a hit!” chant.  When the player at bat got a free pass, they changed to “We’ll take a walk!”  Dance Cam between halves featured a couple of attendants dressed as Diamond Girls dancing to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

Clank!  Rainier Daniel Vogelbach bounced a two-run home run ball off the sign on the Big Dog House in right field.  Jenkins finished the fourth inning with a strikeout and two on in scoring position.  1-2 Rainiers, and that could have been worse.  The Diablo half of the fourth started off with a great Rainier defensive play, as DJ Peterson caught a foul ball going into the third base camera well.  OMG, are the fans in front of us using a selfie stick?  Sitting at a ball game, you need a selfie stick, really?  I’m just embarrassed.  Thankfully, the players didn’t notice. 

Spangenberg had a great diving stop and put out to start the fifth.  Meanwhile, catcher Tony Cruz earned his pay, getting hit on a backswing.  No obvious harm done.  Diego Goris tied it for the Diablos on a monster solo home run into the centerfield green seats (the elevated lawn overlooking the field).  Back in the old Diablo days, players hitting a home run would stand beside the stands by the dugout with their helmet out.  Fans would line up to give them tip money for the shot.  (I’m thinking probably a couple of phone numbers too.)  Yes, really.  Tips for home runs.  Cruz then doubled (I told you he was fine) and Franchy singled him home to give the team the lead.  3-2 Diablos.  

Chuck had gotten up to get a meal in this inning, and I continued his scorecard for him.  Of course, the hardest play of the game to score came up.  Rainier catcher Tuffy Gosewich attempted to pick off Carlos Asuaje on second.  The throw went into centerfield.  Asuaje hesitated for a second, then broke for third, where he was put out by the centerfield.  I have this as a Caught Stealing, but I think the official record disagrees.  Needless to say, the third base umpire was not a popular person after that play.  Thereafter, he got a steady stream of abuse on any call involving him, perhaps correctly.  In the sixth, the Rainiers answered with a run driven in to tie the score. 

In the top of the seventh, I ran out to get a drink refill and a pizza pretzel.  I still kept up with the game, via radio and a TV monitor by the concessions (clever).  I did miss the grounds crew dragging the base paths and doing a dance routine to Seals & Crofts’ “Diamond Girl.”  I think the PA called them the “Diamond Boys.”  The significance of this goes back the Diamond Girls that used to perform at Diablos games.  They were the team cheerleaders in little shorts and tops in team colors.  I think they were high school girls.  They’d sashay to the top of the dugout and perform a cheer routine to the song.  It was attention-getting.  I’m sure there are plenty of El Paso high school cheerleader girls, who’d be happy to perform this summer, if given an outfit and some direction.

Meanwhile in the Diablos’ half of the inning, a single, a sacrifice, and a hit by Spangenberg brought in Cordero to give the team a 4-3 lead.  The top of the eighth featured some kind of ice bucket Diablos’ trivia challenge with the loser getting wet.  In the eighth, the wheels came off for Rainier pitching.  Nine men came to the plate with five of them scoring.  However, this was not without controversy. 

Goris’ apparently hit a bases clearing double to center, only to have one of the runners called back to third.  The ball had bounced out of play and was ruled a ground rule double.  The crowd muttered in confusion, not having the radio call on like I did.  The new “pitch-less” intentional walk sent a runner to first without any preamble.  Tim Hagerty on the radio seemed to disapprove of the new rule.  I’m not sure what the fans thought. 

With the bases loaded, Asuaje sent a high fly ball into the near unobservable left field corner.  It looked out, but the third base umpire ruled it fair.  Chuck, using a pen, scratched this into his scorecard.  The video started to show a replay, and then immediately stopped before showing the ball in flight.  Meanwhile, the umpires convened and then sent the runners back to the bases.  You can imagine the crowd’s reaction, even knowing that was probably the right call.  Chuck’s scorecard was wrecked.  Back at the plate, Asuaje did go ahead and rap a two-run single.  9-3 Diablos. 

The ninth inning entertainment featured a girl in an NM State shirt playing a balloon-pumping game.  Good to see we weren’t the only Las Cruces natives in the park.  The Rainiers did score one run to bring the final score to Diablos 9, Rainiers 4.  The most exciting moment of the inning was actually a foul ball that hit the roof.  Experienced fans started yelling immediately and about three seconds later, the ball rolled back off and into a, thankfully, deserted section.  It’s that proximity of danger that makes the game so involving.  I give my star of the game to Diego Goris, mostly for his home run.   


After unfortunately having to end my brief affair with our usher, I went to the bathroom.  Again, I hit my head on the shelf over the urinal.  Next time, I’m using a toilet in a stall.  If traffic getting to the stadium was bad, we had no idea how much worse it would be on the way back.  Construction shutdown two lanes of the interstate, and it took a half hour just to get past it, and then another half hour to get home.         So the trip was bad, we missed the giveaway, and I didn’t like the expensive, ballpark food.  But gosh darn it, we had a great time.  Credit the great game and the atmosphere, including the cute girls and throwback uniforms.  Good show Diablos.  I’ll probably be back again before the construction finishes in another year, but I’ll certainly enjoy it more when it is done.  



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