It’s Game Two of the El Paso Chimichangas versus the Albuquerque Isotopes series. Ha, ha, just kidding. The Chihuahuas were actually in their throwback identity as the Diablos tonight. They’ll be going with Chimichangas next season for alternative uniform day. Deadpool will be the special guest mascot. (I don’t why I write things like this when I know I’m going to be horrified when it actually happens.)
Ryan Howard would be in tonight’s lineup. Were it not for the late season playoff implications of this series, this would be a bigger story. Tim Hagerty was eager to talk to him as soon as he’s made available to the media. Howard had to feel old when El Paso starter, Kyle Lloyd, said he’d been a fan of his since he was a kid.
The game started well for the Diablos with a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning. That’s first base getting the grounder to shortstop covering second to the pitcher covering first. In the second, Lloyd would face Howard and strike him out. In the bottom, the Isotopes pitcher committed a pitch clock violation. Tim noted these had been pretty rare this year. He speculated that there was looser enforcement of the rule. In the bottom of the second with two on and two out, Paul Strelzin’s “We want a hit” was played. A bunch of kids joined in, but no one scored.
Lloyd got the first Diablos’ hit in the third. In the fourth, he struck out Howard again, but Jordan Patterson would homer off him, 1-0 Isotopes. In the bottom, Isotopes’ catcher, Tony Wolters, might have trapped a loose foul ball with his mask. El Paso manager, Rod Barajas, called it, but the umpire didn’t see it or didn’t think it happened that way. That would have been a detached equipment penalty and a moment of squee for baseball rules geeks.
While I was away from my desk in the sixth, the Diablos got on the board via an RBI double by Christian Villanueva. Rafael Ortega would sacrifice him in to give El Paso a 2-1 lead. In the seventh, Lloyd struck out Howard for a third time. I’m starting to think that Lloyd might have Ryan Howard fan as a kid, but maybe he wasn’t a Philadelphia fan. Tim mentioned during the inning that Jared Weaver announced his retirement today. His one game with the Chihuahuas earlier this season was his last. (I’m too lazy to look up when that was. I think it was a couple of months ago.) Lloyd was pulled after putting on two Isotopes. Barajas lingered on the mound to argue with the ump, but no one was ejected. (I sense one is coming before the end of the series.) Jason Jester got the final out.
I noticed in the eighth that the crowd, which was probably good-sized, seemed really tense as the score remained 2-1. Buddy Baumann came out in the ninth for the Diablos to try and close it. Ryan Howard grounded out to start the inning. It wasn’t his night. There was a single by Wolters. The crowd became very quiet. The next batter struck out on a foul tip. The fans rose and clapped on the next batter when he got two strikes, but he singled. Wolters took a chance and made it to third. Tim reminded everyone that lots of different strategies were now in play with the tying run at third. At this point, I’m quiet and listening. I only started breathing normally again when the final batter struck out. The Diablos won 2-1 and took over second place in the division over the Isotopes. That’s two close, tight games. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
8-17-17
Game Three of the Chihuahuas versus the Isotopes. Jabari Blash got the scoring started with a solo home run in the second. That was his twentieth, to lead the team. Later in the inning, Chihuahuas’ pitcher, Jordan Lyles, managed to work a walk on a 3-2 count. The pups had another chance for more in the third. Franchy Cordero hit the chalk on the foul line for a double. He made an out trying to take third on a fielder’s choice. Tim Hagerty conducted an impromptu lecture on baseball theory about making the first (or last) out at third base. In this case, he thought it was okay, since Franchy was a quick runner and that some teams don’t want players second guessing themselves about going or not going. Blash would later hit a double and there were runners on second and third, but a strikeout ended the inning, 1-0 Chihuahuas.
In the fourth with two on and no outs, nemesis Isotope Jordan Patterson drove one in. Ryan Howard was able to sacrifice in the other. A third run scored on a double, 3-1 Isotopes. In the bottom, Travis Jankowski, even though the game wasn’t half over, was having a bad game at the plate. He argued balls and strikes after his at bat and got tossed before manager, Rod Barajas, could save him. No problem, the Chihuahuas still had plenty of outfielders on the bench. (This is a bit of a sore spot for me. Releasing Colin Cowgill and keeping your hitting leader, Nick Buss, parked [I should be shot for that pun] feels like bad personnel management.)
Franchy singled in a run in the fifth. The crowd really started getting into it and later jeered the umpire for a bad balls and strikes call (and probably also the ejection). Tim loved the passion. Franchy stole third to avenge his earlier out and actually knocked the base loose. Blash got on from a hit by a pitch, but no other runs scored, 3-2 Isotopes. No other offense generated until the top of the ninth, when Ryan Howard finally got a hit, a double. He was brought by a double by Tony Wolters (and Tim indicated that Howard even had trouble scoring on a double). The Isotopes would score two in the inning and end up winning 5-2. The Chihuahuas are back to third place. They left 12 runners on base in the game. Jordan Lyles at least had a decent game, which is encouraging.
The Rangers and White Sox were the MLB free game. I was criticizing the game selection earlier in the week, but looking at the standings, there actually aren’t a lot of meaningful games at the minute. Some head-to-head matchups in the September between the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers may be interesting. I joined this game in the sixth with the Rangers up 8-5. I saw Elvis Andrus shatter his bat hitting a grounder. Half the bat went towards the shortstop, who fielded the ball. The other half went towards the first baseman, who caught the shortstop’s throw for the out. That’s some concentration there.
In the seventh, the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs. A foul ball just went into the stands and a fan interfered with the left fielder getting it. I don’t think the fielder would have got it anyway. The fan couldn’t hold on to it and just ended up with a sore hand. The Rangers only managed to get one run in off of a walk, 9-7 Rangers. In the eighth, Elvis splintered another bat off a different pitcher. He needs a new supplier. Alex Claudio came in for the save. He gave up a home run and a hit, but finished it, 9-8 Rangers final.
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