Baseball Journal August 19-21, 2018

8-19-18

The Rangers played the Angels in Arlington.  Matt Hicks was doing the commentary with Jared Sandler.  Eric Nadel was out for the weekend.  It was overcast there, but they didn’t seem worried about the weather, especially after the two-and-a-half hour rain delay last night.  I couldn’t get that game to come in later in the night, but I wasn’t trying too hard either.  Too bad I missed it.  The Rangers won 11-6.

In the first, Roughned Odor drove in Shin-Soo Choo.  Ruggie has really got it turned on.  Late last night, Matt did a limerick in honor of Bartolo Colon, who was honored before the game.  He has the all-time record for wins for a Latin player.  Matt said he’d never worked harder on a poem.  He was still revising it right up until when he read it.

Yovani Gallardo started for the Rangers.  He struck out the side in third.  In the fourth, the Angels scored a run on a play at the plate.  The runner got around Isiah Kiner-Falefa taking the throw.  Shohei Ohtani, who hit a three-run hr last night, scored on a double play to make it 2-1.  The fans at the park suddenly applauded.  The announcers figured it was for the clouds completely covering the sun and providing some shade.

In the fifth, the fans were probably not quite as pleased with the weather.  Severe winds kicked up, even blowing a fair ball foul.  The guys had trouble keeping their notes from flying away.  Unsurprisingly, rain started up soon after, delaying the game for 20 minutes.  I took a nap.  Play resumed and a bit more rain fell in the sixth. 

In the bottom of the seventh, it was full-on raining again.  Ruggie came up with two on and jacked out a three-run homer.  The crowd erupted.  Jared Sandler gave a tremendous call of the play.  It was now 4-2 Rangers.  With the rain increasing, the grounds crew dragged out the tarp with two outs in the inning.  Matt and Jared admitted to being lost in predicting the weather, because Eric was the one with the magic weather app.  During the hour delay, Matt composed a limerick about the rain and Ruggie’s home run, which he read in the eighth.  In the ninth, Jose LeClerc made short work of the Angels for the save and a 4-2 Rangers’ win. 

That was a long broadcast, but I was busy during it writing.  About an hour later, the Chihuahuas played Las Vegas.  Steve Kaplowitz and Butch Henry were again doing the commentary.  A lovely cello version of the Anthem started the proceedings.  I could hear some dogs barking, so it was obviously a Bark at the Park game. 

In the first, catcher Raffy Lopez threw out a runner to end the inning.  In the bottom, Luis Urias was hit by a pitch and was then doubled home by Raffy.  Brett Nicholas drove him in to make it 2-0 pups.  Kappy had dropped an eggroll in the booth during dinner.  He was sure Tim Hagerty would be furious when he got back.  In the second, a single and an error by Forrestt Allday got the 51’s a run, but the batter was thrown out trying to advance to end inning, 2-1.  Javy Guerra came right back with a homer to make it 3-1.  In the third, a balk moved up Raffy on base, who was then driven in by Shane Peterson to make it 4-1.   

The fifth was special for a couple of fans as there was a proposal between innings.  (She said, “Yes.”)  In the sixth, Dusty Coleman made a diving catch in the outfield.  He’s been making some good plays out there for an infielder.  The 51’s scored later in the inning to make it 4-2.  Guerra did it again in the bottom by driving in two to make it 6-2. 

In the seventh, Patrick Kievelhan, former Chihuahua, hit a two-run homer.  It seemed to carry in the wind.  Another run scored on a double to make it 6-5.  Jerry Keel had been pitching since the fourth, but there was no relief in sight.  He came back out in the eighth and got one more batter before he was taken out.  Kazuhisa Makita came in and gave up a two-run homer and the lead, 7-6 51’s. 

It was looking bad in the ninth.  Allday was on first, but there were two outs and two strikes on Luis Urias, whose hitting streak was on the line.  He tripled to tie the score.  Ty France came up after an intentional walk.  He banged one off the wall to bring in Urias to win it 8-7.  Wow!  This call-up kid Ty is impressing the heck out of me.  Games like this are why I never get tired of baseball.

8-20-18

I’d been watching (well, mostly listening, because I was busy with work) Gibi on Twitch playing Fortnight for a while, when I checked the MLB website for the free game.  It was the Giants and the Mets and it just started.  However, I just couldn’t tune away from Gibi. 

Today’s stream was titled, “If I don’t win a solo match today, my family disowns me!”  She came in second in one match and screamed and fell out of her seat and kept screaming.  She started talking to herself, “Gibi, stop looting.  You’re going to get yourself killed.”  The funny thing was that she wasn’t listening to herself and continued to loot.  Gibi came in second twice, but didn’t win and her family disowned her.  I should have posted a marriage offer to give her a new family.  (I can already sense this blog is going to turn into a daily Twitch-watching summary in the offseason.) 

The game, meanwhile, moved pretty quickly and was already official by the time I tuned back.  I felt a bit bad for not watching, but I could listen to the red-hot Chihuahuas later anyway.  I looked at their schedule.  Oops.  They’re off today.  This was my only game.  Nevertheless, I regret nothing.  (Gibi was so fun today.)

Actually, my viewing of the game never got on track.  It was 1-0 Mets for most of the game.  This was the Giants’ feed of the game.  Rich Waltz and, former player, Javier Lopez were doing the call.  They were doing a good job.  Javy had a very relaxed, conversational style.  I came in in the middle of a discussion about position players pitching.  60 different players have done it so far this year.  They thought there should be an award for the best one.     

They had quite a bit of discussion on the Giants’ hitting woes.  They’ve tried all the “voodoo” stuff and a “Come to Bochy” meeting to break the collective slump.  Eventually, the Giants did manage to scratch out a run to tie it tonight.  Mr. Met was shown working the crowd.  Javy mentioned he was a Mets’ fan as a kid, watching them on WOR on cable.  (I saw them there too.)  Jon Miller came in to work with Javy later.  Even with the close score, I still wasn’t really paying attention.  I kept assuming it was going to be over soon.  It wasn’t. 

Let’s jump ahead to the thirteenth inning.  In the top of the inning, the Mets made two errors, had a wild pitch, and allowed a stolen base without a throw.  All that said, the Giants only scored because two fielders collided on an infield popup by Brandon Crawford that allowed Andrew McCutchen to score from third.  “It’s better to be lucky than good,” observed Javy.  The Giants won 2-1 in a tidy four hour, 20 minute game.  I think the only people left there at Citi Field were the group of Giants fans who came together on a charter bus from their hotel.

8-21-18

When I got into work yesterday, I asked some co-workers how the Chihuahuas’ outing went.  There was apparently a good turnout for it.  The hour delay wasn’t too bad and the rain was pretty quick.  I asked if Chico came by.  He did and played catch with one of them.  An opposing player even tossed a ball into their section.  The fireworks show was spectacular.  All that said, I-10 was indeed closed that night.  Getting back home, especially given the late start and the fireworks, was a long, difficult process for some.  I’m still okay with not going, though playing catch with Chico would have been cool.  

Before tonight’s Chihuahuas’ game, I heard a couple of interesting baseball interviews.  On El Paso Sportstalk, Tracy Ringolsby, Rockies reporter, was a brief guest.  Boy, is he smart about the team and baseball.  I wish Steve Kaplowitz had had more time with him.  Ringolsby also offhandedly dropped at the end of the interview that he knew Don Haskins well and had some stories about him, so he’ll be invited back.

Meanwhile on the Flying Squirrels’ game, they interviewed an umpire, whose name I unfortunately missed.  (I’ve got to start writing down names better.)  His knowledge of baseball was real deep and fascinating.  The announcer asked the ump to explain a “fourth out."  I’ve never even heard of this.  Even after looking at the Wikipedia entry, I still don’t understand it.  Did you know that there’s a difference between the “hitting stance” and the “batting stance?”  It makes a difference in calling high strikes how the batter stands when he actually swings, as opposed to how he just stands in the box.  And in answer to the question, “Do umps do makeup calls?”  The answer was a resounding “No.”  (They only do that in the NBA, which is a reality show, not a real sport.)

Tonight in El Paso, the Chihuahuas were taking on the Isotopes.  The Rockies affiliate featured one of their top prospects, Brendan Rodgers, and distinguished veteran, Matt Holliday.  Tim Hagerty was particularly excited to talk about Holliday during the game.  (Good to have you back, Tim.)  I missed the first half of the game.  Chihuahuas’ starter, Walter Lockett drove in a run in the second.  Matt Holliday drove in a run in the third. 

I basically joined the game in the fifth with the score 3-3.  In the sixth, El Paso got two runs, one on a double play and another on a single by Forrestt Allday.  The crowd hadn’t finished cheering when a large clap of thunder suddenly stopped play.  The umps cleared the field and the tarp came out as rain was incoming. 

During the one-hour, 21-minute break, I found out about Nationals giving up on the season and sending Daniel Murphy to the Cubs.  I’ve seen this guy do well in the playoffs.  This move might be a big deal later on.  Even more shattering was that they’d put Bryce Harper out on the waiver wire.  I’m not sure if it was surprising or not that he fell all the way to the Dodgers, who also refused to take him.  The Nats waited too long.  They couldn’t even give him at this point.  Now Harper just walks away.

Play resumed in El Paso.  In the seventh, Rodgers drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-4.  Shane Peterson made a sliding catch to end the inning and saved a couple of runs.  In the bottom, Ty France homered to make it 6-4.  Where did this kid come from?  RBI-landia?  In the ninth, Colten Brewer came on.  He put two on with nobody out, but got the next three batters without letting a run score.  6-4 Chihuahuas and 14 home wins in a row.  The fans are getting spoiled.