8-7-17
While waiting for tonight’s West Coast Chihuahuas’ game, I checked out the MLB free game. It was another Padres’ game. I came in in the eighth with the ‘Dreys down 7-3 to the Reds. Carter Capps was on the mound, just called up from the Chihuahuas, and I finally got a good look at his unique delivery. Cincinnati announcers, Thom Brennaman and some guy who sounded like a cowboy, had a long discussion about it and congratulated Capps on making it back to the big leagues. They also discussed the cowboy’s sleeping habits, and they commented on the poor pace of tonight’s game. In other words, Capps loaded the bases and took a long time to do it.
Capps was pulled for Phil Maton. I had to walk away for a few minutes, but when I came back I saw a Reds player high-fiving his teammates in the dugout. One look at the score and the cleared bases, gave me a good idea what had happened. It wasn’t till later that I was informed by Tim Hagerty, that it was former Chihuahua and Maton’s former teammate, Patrick Kivelhan, who had hit a grand slam off him. The Reds struck out the side in the ninth to finally end the game. 11-3 Reds final.
I came into the Fresno Grizzlies/El Paso Chihuahuas game a little late. The bases were already loaded with Grizzlies in the first. Already? Chihuahuas’ pitcher, Michael Kelly, did not start the game well. Kelly began with a hit batter and followed that with five walks and three runs, before he was finally pulled. After the pitching change, his replacement was charged with an error that allowed two more runs. It was 5-0 Fresno after one.
Two Chihuahuas were hit in the second, but neither scored. In the bottom, after five runs, we had our first hit of the game, a run-scoring double, 6-0 Fresno. Don’t say it’s over. To start the third, the pups scored and then loaded the bases for Jabari Blash. Boom! Grand slam! It was 6-5 Fresno with an improbable game line of 11 total runs and three total hits. BP continued as the Grizzlies added a run in the bottom, 7-5.
Kaboom! Rocky Gale hit a solo shot out of the park in the fourth. This was only his second home run of the year to give you a good idea of the quality of tonight’s pitching. Peter Van Gansen was sacrificed in to tie the score at seven. Let me catch my breath. The Grizzlies retook the lead in the bottom on a solo home run, 8-7. In the fifth, Blash scored on a fielder’s choice, 8-8. In the bottom, the Grizzlies did not score! Finally!
With some small momentum, the Chihuahuas took the lead in the sixth via an RBI single and a bases loaded hit by pitch, 10-8 Chihuahuas. There was another scoreless bottom of the inning! It was too good to last. In the seventh, fans, no doubt understandably disgruntled, started getting on catcher, Rocky Gale, after two wild pitches and a passed ball. Tim stood up for Gale and his record as a good defensive catcher saying, “The fans are uninformed.” (That may be about as angry as Tim will likely get over the air.) After the runners on got moved up, a fielder’s choice would score one. The scoreboard operator then committed an error with the count, and the inning suddenly ended on a strikeout that only the players and ump seemed aware of. 10-9 Chihuahuas.
Haboom! (I’m running out of interjections.) Franchy Cordero hammered the first pitch of the eighth for a homer. The second home run of the inning was a three-run shot by Rafael Ortega. 14-9 Chihuahuas. This set off the crowd chanting loudly afterward. I couldn’t figure out what they were saying and didn’t get an explanation. The hecklers also started chiming in on every pitch. This no longer seemed liked a family-friendly event. In the bottom of the ninth, some of these guys sounded really angry. The game ended with a whimper and a moan and probably some raspberries. 14-9 Chihuahuas final. I’m guessing none of the players stuck around for autographs. And can you believe this epic game time was done in three hours, four minutes? That’s only seven innings in a typical American League game.
8-8-17
The Braves did not get off to an auspicious start in their game against the Phillies on the MLB free game. A Braves player tripped on the foul line coming out the dugout and had to be helped off the field and was out of the game before it started. How do these things happen? Their luck didn’t improve during the game. In the bottom of the first, the Phillies pitcher made an awkward catch on a grounder and a bad throw and still started a double play. This was mostly due to a great catch and throw by Phillies shortstop, Freddie Galvis. However on the next pitch, Freddie Freeman hit a homer, so it wasn’t all bad to start the game.
Work kept me from watching most of the game. I did notice that the Braves were playing Matt Adams in left field, which didn’t seem like a good fit. They also had Brandon Phillips at third base, who did look pretty good there. Once again, new Suntrust Field looks very nice. Not a full house, but there were plenty of happy kids and families. I saw Freeman make a great heads up play in the ninth. Not being able to get a runner at first on an infield single, he threw from his knees to get a runner trying to take home. In the end, it was a 5-2 Phillies win. The Phillies have Braves number this year according to the Braves’ announcers.
The Chihuahuas were playing the Tacos in Fresno tonight. The Tacos are the Grizzlies’ alternate identity (until they change their name to the Surfin’ Bears, as I’ve suggested). I saw a kid at an Aggie baseball game wearing a Taco’s hat a couple of times this year. Really. Jordan Lyles made his pitching debut for the Chihuahuas tonight. While it wasn’t as bad as yesterday’s starter, Lyles didn’t make it out of the third after giving up four runs. After two double headers and two short starts, this can’t be good for the bullpen.
By the fifth, the Grizzlies were leading 4-2. I’m not sure I heard this right, but I think Tim Hagerty called a player going into the netting to make a catch. I must have been busy. More clearly, I heard Tim calling the Tacos’ pitching coach being ejected from the game during a mound visit. After the bases had been loaded, the coach came out, loitered on the mound for a long talk, waited for the ump to come out and break it up, and then gave the ump his two-cents about what he thought about his strike calling. The ump gave him his change and showed him the door. The talk didn’t help anyway, the Chihuahuas tied the score.
El Paso lost the lead, but got it back in the seventh on a sac fly and a wild pitch, 6-5. The Tacos’ pitcher was Jordan Jankowski. No relation to the Chihuahuas’ Travis Jankowski. Meanwhile, Brian Rodriguez had another great long outing (though a bit impromptu), going 6 2/3 and giving up two runs. The pups tacked on another run in the ninth. Adam Cimber came on for the save. A pinch hitter came up wearing #2. There was no #2 on the roster. Tim didn’t know who it was and neither did the PA, since the player wasn’t announced. These alternate jerseys might have caught the Tacos a bit short on wardrobe. “Whoever it is, goes down on strikes,” said Tim. Chihuahuas won 7-5. That’s two come-from-behind wins while manager Rod Barajas has been on vacation.
No comments:
Post a Comment