Baseball Journal August: Shiyazh

link to video

8-21-26

It was the Reading Fightin Phils at the Portland Sea Dogs again with our perky female announcer (8-18-26) for the MiLB Free Game.    Seeing the stadium in the daylight (but overcast), it has a faux Green Monster in left field.    It was another full house of 6k+ and was a sell out to see Roman Anthony on rehab.    The Phils were in their alternate identity as the Luchadores.    I thought only home teams used alternate identities?

There were a couple of great diving plays in the fifth by the Sea Dogs, though the Phils had a 2-1 lead.    In the sixth, a single got turned into an out when the Phil batter was thinking double all the way and found the ball waiting for him at second with the fielder.    It wasn’t even close and the announcer was giggling.    This was followed by another great diving catch in the outfield by the Sea Dogs.    Anthony cranked a giant blast in the bottom, but the stadium held it.    It was still a sac fly to tie it at 2 after a triple by previous batter.

In the seventh, another woman came on to do the game call.    Had I not noticed that it was two women doing solo game call?    They did not sound that much alike.    There was a brief camera view of the booth while they were eating chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.    Kinda cute.    The Phils scored twice in the inning to retake the lead.    In the bottom, a Phills outfielder lost a ball in the lights and then there was an error, but it didn’t affect the scoreboard.    In the bottom of the eighth, Anthony gave one another ride, but it went foul.    That was pretty much it for the Sea Dogs, as the Phils won, 5-2.

Meanwhile, the Chihuahuas played Round Rock.    It rained like heck here in Las Cruces, out of nowhere, but it was dry in El Paso for the game.    It was another Harry Potter Night with the team wearing special jerseys, which were pretty cool.    There were 7,200 in attendance.   

The game started with a 2-run homer by Logan O’Hoppe in the first for the Express.    Broadcasters Tim Hagerty and Ian Napetian discussed the distance on the homer.    Tim mentioned that old-time announcers used to eye-ball the distance.    In the second, Chihuahua catcher Ethan Salas threw out another runner at second.    The kid has a bat and has some skills.   

In the third, Tim interviewed a young man who was the six millionth fan to come to a Chihuahuas’ game.    By unbelievable coincidence, he was also the first fan to enter the stadium when it opened.    The fan came in as a baby the first time and is now in high school playing ball.    After the interview, Tim admitted to Ian he wasn’t keeping up his scorecard.    In the fourth, O’Hoppe doubled in 2 runs to make it 6-0 and it was 8-0 by end of inning.    In the sixth, Round Rock had a grand slam to make it, 12-1.   

The Chihuahuas scored a few runs later and it was 12-6 Round Rock by the ninth.    Jose Leclerc came in and gave up a homer, and then a 2-run homer, and then a foul ball that knocked out a cameraman.    15-7 Round Rock was the final.

8-22-26

I was happily busy on Saturday afternoon on a date with Zanaya, though not with what I’d planned.    I’d thought we’d go to Aggie Volleyball and get autographs.    However, Zanaya was jealous of me looking at the girls playing, so that did not happen.    Admittedly, this was not an unfounded suspicion, though Zee is certainly attractive enough to play for the Aggie Volleyball team and be put on a poster.    I was iffy about going anyway, whether I was going out with someone or not.    I wanted her to go to see if she liked the sport.  I’d hate for this to be the coda for Aggie Volleyball this season, but that may be the case.                       

When I got home, I started listening to the Angels versus the Rangers.    The reception wasn’t good and neither was the baseball.    Through seven innings, it was 1-hit ball authored by Angels’ pitcher, Ryan Johnson.    The Rangers lost, 3-0, and only got that one hit.    Broadcaster Eric Nadel sounded disgusted at the end of the game and I think the crowd was booing in the background.    Eric finished with, “We’ll be back with the ugly totals next.”    At least it was quick at under two and a half hours.    The Rangers were not into it today.

The Chihuahuas against Round Rock game in the evening was another Harry Potter night.    Yes, really.    The team would be auctioning off their jerseys with an image of Hogwarts at night after the game.   

Trailing in the fourth, Dustin Harris tripled to clear the full bases of Chihuahuas.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty was very excited with the game call.    He hasn’t had much to cheer about lately.    It was 4-3 El Paso.    However, the Express tied it right back up in the fifth, though Clay Dungan made two great plays for outs.    Tim was excited on those calls.    He was into this game.

    

In the sixth, Dungan made another run-saving play, but a bases-load walk gave Round Rock the lead.    In the eighth, the Express took a 2-run lead.    The Chihuahuas got one back in the bottom on a sac fly.    Still down a run in the bottom of the ninth, Samad Taylor was picked off first during Ethan Salas’ epic at bat with 6 foul balls.    A popup ended it, 7-6 Round Rock.    It was at least an exciting game.

There was a late Cowboys versus Cardinals pre-season NFL game in Arizona.    Former Aggie offensive lineman, Shiyazh Pete, came in late in the fourth quarter again.    This time, however, there was a whole section of Navajo there for him.    They were even chanting for him to come into the game.    I was watching on a Mexican station and had the radio coverage on.    I did not know that Shiyazh was the first Navajo in the NFL.    The President of the Navajo nation was on the sidelines with owner Jerry Jones.    There was a mention of NM State on radio broadcast.

Shiyazh may have missed a tackle on a rushing play, but the running back, reversed course and ran it in for a touchdown anyway.    Christy Scales on the sidelines reported the fans going crazy for Pete when he came out of the game.    His teammates made a semi-circle around him and Pete held up his helmet to salute the crowd.    Christy was in tears watching this.    The whole broadcast crew thought he was a tremendous young man, which was my own experience from meeting him (2-24-23 was the first time I got to talk to him).    34-13 Cowboys was the final.    

8-23-26

The Chihuahuas went down 4-0 early to the Express for their Sunday series finale.    In the eighth, Jose Leclerc came in again and gave up 4 runs.    I don’t think this comeback is going to work out.    Pups lose 8-0.

Meanwhile, the Angels were playing the Rangers.    The Rangers called up Logan O’Hoppe.    This was not surprising given how well he was doing against the Chihuahuas with Round Rock, though that might not be a good gauge given the Chihuahuas’ pitching.    I was getting poor reception while at dad’s apartment and ended up listening to the end of the game back at my apartment.    The Rangers led 5-0, but Angels came back with 3 runs.    In the ninth, Angels got the tying run on after Mike Trout walked, but a strikeout ended it.    5-3 Rangers and they take the AL West lead with an Astros loss, though everyone in the division has a losing record.

The NBC Sunday afternoon game was between the Giants and the Red Sox and I was watching it with dad at his place.    The game started off overcast with a full house at Fenway.    Dad said the Giants’ starting pitcher was fat.    He’d been in the Little League World Series for Canada and was chubby then in a clip.

In the fourth, there was a challenge on a ball hitting the wall on a catch by the Giants.    You could hear the ball hit, though it looked on replay that it was a catch.    It was ruled to have hit the wall and then rebounded into mitt.    This drove in a runner at third to tie it at 3 and then the Red Sox went ahead 5-3.   

There was a view in the crowd of a lady wearing a “Yankees Suck” t-shirt.    Do Red Sox fans love their team more than they hate the Yankees?    In the sixth, a fan was ejected for interference on a foul ball.  The coverage lingered long enough on him to dox him. In the seventh, the Giants got a Little League home run off of an error on a throw to first and then a throw to third that went into the stands to make it 5-4 Sox.    In the eighth, some fans went tarps off in an upper deck section.  It was not a pretty sight.    Finally in the ninth, ageless Aroldis Chapman closed it out for a three-game sweep for the Red Sox.

   

Back at home, I switched on the Twins at the Padres on a Mexican station with the Friars up, 5-1, in the seventh.    For the Stretch, a female sailor sang God Bless America.  The section full of Marines stood at attention.  The Twins were in black and white uniforms.  It felt like an odd color choice for them.    

Oomph.    The crowd there in San Diego was kind of lousy.    It was kind of shocking.    The weather was perfect there (of course) and the team is competitive, so I don’t know why they weren’t showing up.    One of the Twins was using a pencil bat for Players’ Weekend.    That was the only player I saw doing something for it.    In the eighth, Fernando Tatis Jr. smacked a laser shot homer, his second of the day.    The Padres ran away with it, 8-1.

There was an ESPN Radio game for the Brewers and the Braves at the Little League Classic.    You could tell the Little Leaguers were there, because you could hear kids shouting in the background in the pregame and during the game.    They were giving out the other scores of the day.    The Phillies were down 4 in the ninth to St. Louis.    The Phils scored 6 runs to win it, 6-4.    Kyle Schwarber finished it with a 2-run bomb.       My poor Aunt Judy must be really upset with this loss.    Probably not as bad as Seattle fans, though.    They lost 19-2 to the Cubs.    Wait, didn’t they lose 22-0 last week?    Holy Cow!    Maybe the M’s should go back to using pitchers.    The Classic was a tight game.    Atlanta took a 3-1 lead, but the Brewers made it 3-2 in the eighth.    In the ninth, the Brewers got two on, but a great DP ended it, 4-2 Braves.

Baseball Journal August: World Series Reunion

 

8-16-26

Today’s noon Chihuahuas’ game against the Bees had an additional audience as the Free Game on MiLB.TV (darn it, I couldn’t see it) and as substitute programming for the Padres, while their game was in a rain delay.    I started listening to the game at home and finished it at dad’s apartment.    It was a busy first inning.    In the top, there was an obstruction call on a caught stealing.    El Paso manager, Pete Zamora, was ejected for continuing the argument about the call from the dugout.    The Bees would score 2 in the inning.

In the bottom, Ethan Salas hit a 2-run double.    Since coming to Triple-A, he’s been on a 14-game on-base streak.    Nick Pratto then slammed a 407’ 2-run homer out onto the street for a 5-2 Chihuahuas lead.    The Bees came back in the second with a home run over Big Dog House onto the street.    No distance was listed.    The ball seemed to be jumping today, 5-3.

In the fifth, Salas clubbed a 2-run homer to put the pups up, 7-4.    However, the top of the sixth was a disaster for them.    Pablo Reyes, a former Chihuahua, tied it with a loaded bases-clearing double.    Jeimer Candelario’s 3-run homer gave the Bees the lead, 10-7.    It was a 6-run inning and the Bees would ride that to a 13-7 win.    The Chihuahuas’ pitching just can’t hold a lead.

I walked down to my dad’s apartment to watch the Cardinals versus the Cubs.    Dad and I like both teams.    I thought I’d work on writing up the Aggie Volleyball Scrimmage while I was there, I just wish I’d brought my notes with me.    I had to walk back in the heat for them.    I noticed a big, black cloud overhead, but the sun was still out.

It was a full house at Wrigley for the game.    I was helping dad with his laundry and missed some of the beginning.    St. Louis was up 3-0 by the third.    Dansby Swanson got hurt taking his at bat and had to come out with a replacement finishing his at bat.    While this was going on, the Thunderbirds flew overhead.    There was an airshow going on in Chicago today.   

Everyone was still buzzing about Joshua Baez’s 3-homer performance yesterday.    Even the Chicago crowd had given the Cardinal player a standing ovation after his achievement.    (He went 0 for 5 today, but history is unchanged.)    The fourth inning was a big one for the Cards.    They got six runs, including a 2-run homer by Jordan Walker.    They’d had him mic’d up last inning in the field.    He’s pretty funny.    9-2 Cardinals.    Later, the Wrigley organist was playing O’ Fortuna.    It was a stretch, as you might imagine.      

Somehow, I finished the laundry and writing up the Scrimmage, while watching TV and listening to the radio.    When the Chihuahuas’ game over, I switched the radio over to the Rangers versus the A’s.    They were in the bottom of the seventh and I was just in time to hear a 2-run A’s homer off of Jakob Junis for a 4-2 A’s lead.              

       

In the ninth in Chicago, it was 11-3 Cards and the Cubs had a position player pitching.    The ump missed a strike call and player almost challenged it.    He got out of it only facing four batters with no runs driven in.    The Cubs managed a solo homer in the bottom with the Cardinals winning, 11-4.

I could tell it was clouding up and threatening outside.    It just started sprinkling as I left dad’s apartment.    I made a forced march home hoping I wouldn’t get soaked.    Luckily, it didn’t start raining until after I’d gotten home.    It was the best workout of the day.       

I turned on the radio and the TV, in spite of the incoming storm.    In addition to the end of the Rangers’ game, I knew that the Brewers were playing the Dodgers on a Mexican channel.    I tuned in for the bottom of the eighth, with the Brewers up 4-1.    However, the Dodgers had two on with one out and Shohei Ohtani up.    He grounded into a double play to end the inning.   

The Rangers ended up losing, 5-2.    It was bad road trip against bad teams and they’re now behind the Orioles in wild card race.    In the top of the ninth, the Brewers loaded the bases with one out.    An error on a grounder brought in two runs.    The Brewers’ would win, 6-2.   

The Mariners at the Astros was the NBC evening game.    Randy Arozarena homered in the first and the Mariners would take a 2-0 lead.    In the fourth, the M’s left the bases loaded.    To start the bottom, Jeremy Pena homered to make it 2-1.    In the sixth, Cal Raleigh dumped one into the Crawford Boxes, barely, to make it, 3-1 M’s.    An Astros’ homer to start the bottom of the inning made it, 3-2.    Mariners’ starter, Bryan Woo, made it out of the inning without further damage.

In the seventh, the Mariners loaded the bases again.    Raleigh popped out to end it.    In the eighth, the Astros load the bases with two outs, but a strikeout left them there.    The M’s closer, Andres Munoz, who had blown a save on Friday, held it in the ninth for a 3-2 win.    That was a cool, close game.        

8-18-26

I tuned in late to the MiLB Free Game between the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils at the Portland Sea Dogs, but it was pretty interesting.    Roman Anthony from the Red Sox was on rehab with Portland and there was a full stadium there to see him.    An enthusiastic woman was doing the commentary solo.    She was reasonably pleasant sounding, unlike most women sportscasters.    I liked her.   

The stadium in Portland, Maine was a one-level grandstand with just a wall in the outfield, but there was a lot of love in the stands.    This may have been the “charming dump” I was looking for in Minor League Baseball.    This facility is featured in MiLB promos.    The Phils again wearing their powder blue jerseys with “Baseball Town” in red.    Sharp.

In the bottom of the seventh, Roman was given a walk and the crowd booed.    He came out for a pinch runner.    The crowd still got their money’s worth.    Roman finished the night with 2 hits, including a 2-run homer, along with 2 walks.    He didn’t make an out.    In the top of the ninth, the Phils were batting, down 7-3.    Our perky announcer said about the first batter, “Full count; nobody out.”    He walked and the bases were loaded with two outs.    The Phils were down to their last strike, but singled in 2 runs.    With 2 on in scoring position, the Sea Dogs finished it, 7-5.      

The Chihuahuas were playing the Round Rock Express to begin the second week of their home stand.    I just wasn’t quite into it tonight, as the Express went up early.  The Chihuahuas dropped the game, 5-3.    Ethan Salas’ on base streak ended.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty sounded a bit depressed at the end.    Who could blame him?

8-19-26

The Chihuahuas faced the Round Rock Express in a weekday day game today.    It was 92-degrees at first pitch.    That did not deter 4,600 fans from showing up.    The pups started off hot, as well.    Bryce Johnson hit a first pitch home run 402’ to begin the bottom of the first.    The next pitch was another homer.    That one was by Samad Taylor.    There was also a double off the wall by Marcos Castañon that was tracked at 109mph.    2-0 Chihuahuas.

Broadcaster Tim Hagerty reported receiving a message that a couple of kids with their grandparents were listening to the game.   There were a couple of early pitch challenges.    I think it was about 50/50 on success.    There’d been more of them later.    If the ump’s calls are successfully challenged early, expect more challenges.    There was a discussion about which Carolina the Greenville Spartanburgers play in (South).     I don’t remember how that started.

A 2-run Express homer near the pole tied it in the third.    The Express scored again to take a 3-2 lead, but Carlos Rodriguez did threw out a runner at the plate.    A 3-run 400’+ homer by Logan O’Hoppe in the fifth made it 6-2 Express.    They added to it in the sixth, 9-2.

In the seventh, World Series winning Ranger pitcher, Josh Sborz came in for the Express.    He was on the mound when they won it in 2023.    He’s trying to work his way back from injury and back to the Major Leagues.    He had a scoreless inning.    In the eighth, the other half of the WS Ranger relief tandem came in for the Chihuahuas, Jose Leclerc.    He was just signed by pups yesterday.    What an odd coincidence.    Unfortunately, Leclerc allowed 3 runs, including another RBI by O’Hoppe.    A double play finally ended it, 12-2 Express.

In the top of the ninth, there was a sac fly by Cam Cauley.    That was his sixth RBI of the day.    The final would be 14-2 Express.    This was the Chihuahuas’ fifth loss in a row.    At least the game was quick at two-and-a-half hours, so I could hear the whole thing before going to work.   

There was a brief mention of an MLB game yesterday between the Brewers and the Mariners.    The Brew Crew had a shutout and also took generous batting practice with a 22-0 win.    They had two 5-run innings and a 9-run eighth off a position player.    Three Brewers had 4-RBI performances.    You don’t want to judge a team’s future based on one game, but no one’s going to be surprised if this isn’t the end of the M’s run for the playoffs.    (Or, motivates them to finally start winning, like the experts have been waiting for.)

There was no MiLB Free Game, so I listened to the Las Vegas Aviators playing the Isotopes in Albuquerque with our Aggie announcer, Russ Langer.    He was working solo on the road.    It was windy to start and then began lightly raining.    The crowd scattered for cover.       

There were some connection issues that kept dropping the broadcast, so I wasn’t following the game that closely.    It sounded like Russ had jumped out of his seat calling an Aviators’ home run late.    He was darn enthusiastic doing the play call.    In the eighth, Russ was excited that pitcher, Joe Rock, was facing a batter named Roc Riggio.    He declared it was “A Flintstones delight.”    In the at bat, it was a flyout.    The fielder fell down on the slick field, but still managed to make the catch.

In the top of the ninth, a runner seemed to forget the number of outs with a strikeout and got hung up off base for a double play.    LV was up by 4 in the bottom of the ninth.    The Isotopes got 3 singles to start the inning with no outs.    A DP drove in 1 run, but a flyball ended it, 12-8 LV.    In spite of the wind and rain, 7,000 came out for the game tonight in Albuquerque.

8-20-26

The MiLB Free Game was the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps versus the South Bend Cubs.    It was a happy crowd in the park and was Pro Wrestling Night.    There might have been a championship belt giveaway.    I noticed several in the crowd, unless fans brought their own for the evening.   

South Bend has a downtown ballpark with buildings in the background.    There was even a train visible in the background.    It’s a two-level stadium with a row of suites on the second level.    There was a large rolling hill in right field that kids were running around on.    Their TV broadcast was a nice production, especially for A-Ball.    Unlike most minor league teams, the Cubs have player names on back of their jerseys.

In the top of the first inning, the Cubs pitcher put two on to start, but came back with 3 strikeouts.    Good stuff.    In the top of the fourth, a Whitecaps runner was thrown out at the plate to keep it scoreless.    In the top of the sixth with two on, the Cubs’ pitcher uncorked a really wild pitch for a two-base error that scored the first run for WMI, 1-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Cubs tied it and took the lead, 2-1.    Elsewhere, the Cubs’ bear mascot (not Clark, I didn’t get his name) was wrestling with a luchadore.    The team actually has two bear mascots, which seems like overkill, but can you really have too many cuddly bears?   

It was still 2-1 Cubs in the top of the ninth, but with the bases loaded with Whitecaps and no outs.    A wild pitch brought in the tying run and another brought in the go-ahead run.    It looked like all 3 WMI runs off were going to come off of wild pitches, but then they got a run off a balk, and another off a single.    The pitcher couldn’t control his curveball.    A new pitcher finally ended the inning, but it was 5-2 Whitecaps and that was the final score.

Broadcaster Tim Hagerty reported there was light rain at the beginning of tonight’s Chihuahuas and Round Rock game.    It looked like more than a light rain to the south, but we didn’t get any in Las Cruces.    Tim was discussing the Spartanburgers team again with co-host, Ian Napetian.    Tim is fascinated with the team.    I’m fascinated with their concessions.    They’d better have a great burger there in Greenville if they’re naming the team after them.   

I wasn’t entirely paying attention to the game until late.    In the seventh, 3-2 Express, catcher Ethan Salas threw out a runner at second, but then airmailed another throw to second for an error.    He did get the inning-ending strikeout with a challenge.    I think there were 3 challenges in the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Clay Dungan hit a big 2-run homer that got a huge cheer from the crowd, which put the Chihuahuas up, 4-3.    Dustin Harris followed that with another 2-run homer off a new pitcher to make it, 6-3.    In the top of the ninth, the Express scored twice before the Chihuahuas got the first out.    Pitcher David Morgan then got a strikeout.    Manager Pete Zamora came out to get him, but Morgan said something to him while covering his mouth with his mitt before Zamora got there.    The manager turned around and left him in.    Morgan got a groundout to end it and end the Chihuahuas’ 5-game losing streak with a 6-5 win.

Baseball Journal August: Four Outs

 

8-11-26

There were 4 outs in Blue Jays/Red Sox game yesterday?    Nearly.    There were two Red Sox players on and one out.    With a flyball to the outfield, they both took off without tagging up.    The scoreboard was showing two outs incorrectly and the runners believed it.    The runner at first was doubled off for the third out, but the runner at third had crossed the plate before that.    Apparently, you have to make an appeal play to third to have that run not count and to then produce a “fourth out.”    The Jays had run off the field at that point and could no longer appeal.

What followed was a lengthy delay with the umpire addressing the crowd.    This is from the MLB story.

        

“What we have here is we have a time play,” crew chief Chris Guccione announced to the crowd, “meaning when the third out was made at first base with the runner not tagging up, the runner that was on third base also did not tag but crossed home plate before the third out was made at first base. So we're going to New York to do a rules check."

After checking in with the replay review crew in New York, the umpiring crew huddled once more with each manager and Guccione again addressed the crowd and television audience.    "After calling New York and getting it all straightened out, the run is going to score,” Guccione announced. “End of the inning. Two runs for Toronto, one run for Boston."

This is where the distinction of a “time play” is important, not a “force play.” This is based in Rule 5.09(c)(4), stating that when an appeal play takes place on an inning-ending play, “the appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out.”

My 1997 rulebook has this situation as Rule 7.10(d).    Anyway, the fourth out didn’t happen, but might have.    This rule hasn’t ever actually been put into practice.   

Tonight’s MiLB Free Game was an MLB Network production of a minor league “Field of Dreams” game between the St. Paul Saints and the Iowa Cubs.    They’re doing a couple of games at the stadium in the cornfield before the MLB game there in a couple of days.   

It was a full house of fans.    There was the old timey hand-operated scoreboard with kids in period costumes hanging the numbers.    The players were happy to be there.    They had a pitch clock for this game, but there was no ABS for challenges.    Unfortunately, I basically missed the game with work and distractions away from my desk.    There was a first pitch home run for the Saints that I missed right off the bat.    I also missed the 3 home runs in the fifth by the ICubs, which contributed to their 6-3 win.   

Part of the distraction was the local weather.    A thunderstorm from one direction met a huge dust storm from another.    It produced a mud rain that got my car the dirtiest it has ever been, along with every other car in town.    In El Paso, they got the dust storm, but not the rain, so tonight’s Chihuahuas/Salt Lake City Bees game was not halted.       

I didn’t really start listening to the game until late.    In the bottom of the eighth, Ethan Salas made a successful sac fly to make it, 3-2 Chihuahuas, but the pups left 3 on base.    In the top of the ninth, the Bees loaded the bases with one out.    A sac fly tied it and then a run got walked in to give the Bees the lead.   

Dustin Harris doubled to start the bottom of the ninth, but got thrown out by a risky fielder’s throw to third for a tagged out.    On from the fielder’s choice, Bryce Johnson stole second and was nearly tagged out.    Finally, Salas made a hard hit, but it was caught to end the game, 4-3 Bees.

8-12-26

We had day baseball between the Chihuahuas and the Bees from El Paso today.    It was hot out, so I was okay with being home listening to the game.    In the second, an RBI double by Rodolfo Duran drove in Ethan Salas.    The fielder might have been distracted by Duran’s shattered bat.    On a double steal, Duran took home to make it, 2-0 Chihuahuas.    In the top of the third, two errors, a hit, and a balk tied the game.    

In the sixth, the Bees got two on with no outs, but instead of bunting, they grounded into a double play to help the pups out.    In the bottom of the seventh, Mason McCoy homered.    The ball went over the line on the outfield wall and then bounced into the fielder’s glove.  Broadcaster Tim Hagerty wasn’t entirely convinced, but there was only a mild protest from the Bees.    3-2 Chihuahuas.    Two choppers over third base brought in two more Chihuahua runs in the eighth thanks to some good fundamental baseball.   

In the top of the ninth, the Chihuahuas made another error, which wasn’t so fundamental.    A single put two on with one out.  A comebacker to the pitcher with a good play at second, who then made the turn for a game-ending double play.     5-2 Chihuahuas, overcoming 3 errors in the game.    It was sunny out, but static on the radio late made me think there was a storm in the area.     The game was a quick 2 hours, 26 minutes with 4.5k in attendance.  

The MiLB Free Game was the Winston-Salem Dash at the Greensboro Grasshoppers.    It was another opportunity to see this years’ 1/1 draft pick, Roch Cholowsky, with the Dash again.    There was a giant apartment complex beyond right field there in Greensboro.    I was surprised there weren’t people out on their balconies to watch the game.    Kids were lining the left field wall in front of a hill looking for home run balls and tosses from the fielders.    I didn’t really get to see much of the game.    In the second, the Dash hit a 3-run homer and hit 2 foul outs to the first baseman.    They went on to win, 7-2.

8-13-26

Two good games were on tonight, but a long phone call and work got in the way of me listening to them.    Priorities!    (Actually, the phone call was important.)    The MiLB Free Game was the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts at the Montgomery Biscuits.    The Biscuits’ stadium was kind of a generic-looking stadium.    It has nice stands, but nothing in the outfield.    They did have a little train running around the concourse, which is cool.    I’m still waiting to see a truly crappy park filled with character.       

It was “Pink-out” night.    The Biscuits were wearing pink tie dyed/camo tops (take your pick).    They were also a giveaway to the crowd.    I got a chuckle out of the announcer calling a player “eye-barra,” which is an interesting pronunciation of “Ibarra.”    The Lookouts had an 8-0 lead in the fourth, but lost to the Biscuits, 13-9, thrilling the home crowd.    I missed a good one.

Meanwhile in El Paso, the Chihuahuas played the Bees.    Ethan Salas drove in 2 in the first with a single to give the pups the lead.    There was another balk call in the inning.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty was wondering why this keeps happening at Southwest University Park.    In the third, the Chihuahuas added 3 more to make it 5-0, but they lost Marcos Castañon, who argued an out call on base and threw his helmet, an automatic ejection.    Immediately following that, the team lost their bench coach, their manager, and their hitting coach for arguing.    Tim and Ian Napetian spent part of the next inning sorting out who’d gotten tossed.   

The Chihuahuas were up 7-0 early, but the Bees tied it later at 8 in the seventh.    Nick Pratto had the big blow in the bottom with a bases-clearing double after 3 singles.    Also in the seventh, a fan made an effort for a foul ball, nearly lost it, but held on.    The crowd let out a big cheer for him.    Tim reported that the team had let Miguel Cienfuegos let go (he’d pitched so well at the game I’d went to 8-1-26), but the bullpen held the lead for an 11-8 Chihuahuas win.    This was another bad time to miss a game.

The big news in the MLB tonight was the Field of Dreams game between the Phillies and the Twins.    Unfortunately, it was on Netflix and there was no radio call.    The Phillies clobbered the Twins, 7-1, with 2 homers by Kyle Schwarber.   

8-14-26

Tonight’s MiLB Free Game was the Double-A Chesapeake Baysox at the Reading Fightin Phils.    The Phils were wearing sharp “Baseball Town” powder blue jerseys.    It was a full house there, thus reinforcing the shirt message.    There was a shaded ground-level box seat section on first base line.    The stadium had seats right behind outfield wall with picnic tables behind them.    There was another picnic area down the third base line.    In the fourth, a Baysox player homered into the balcony over the bullpen.    It was an interesting park.    Baysox win it, 5-2.

In El Paso, it was the Chihuahuas against the Bees.    It was another Joe Musgrove rehab start.    He got 2 strikeouts in the first.    In the second inning, Musgrove gave up 2 singles and a home run for a 3-0 Bees lead.    The next batter hit a double, but was thrown out trying to make it to third.    It was 5-0 Bees in the fourth.    A runner thrown out at home in the inning and Musgrove was called for a balk.    What’s up with all the balk calls?    He came out in the fifth.

The Chihuahuas’ offense wasn’t exactly sterling tonight either.    In the seventh, Nick Solak broke up the no-hitter in progress.    I’m not sure if broadcaster Tim Hagerty was even mentioning it.    The official scorer was happy it was a clean single not requiring a judgment call.    The Chihuahuas then loaded the bases, but got no runs out of it.   

In the top of the eighth, the Chihuahuas threw out another runner at home, but the Bees scored to make it 8-0 in the inning.    The pups finally scored in the bottom on a single by Dustin Harris.    Rodolfo Duran hesitated around third, but made it.    The Chihuahuas scored a run in the ninth to make it 8-2, which would be the final score.    The large crowd there still cheered like crazy for that last run.

8-15-26

I was watching a Dallas Cowboys’ preseason game on a Mexican station this evening.    I was looking for former Aggie offensive lineman, Shiyazh Pete, whom I’d chatted with at some Aggie Sporting events (10-25-24 was one of them).  I saw him on the sidelines during the game and he played in the fourth quarter.    Even on a field full of big NFL players, Shiyazh is still easy to spot at 6’9”’ and huge.   

I think they were talking about him on the radio broadcast, which I was also listening to, but my Aunt Judy called while this was happening and I had to turn it off.    I got to tell her about meeting him.    Shiyazh is playing right tackle.    I think he helped get a couple of first downs in short yardage situations to end the game with a Cowboy victory over the Seahawks.    Honestly, it was a bit of thrill watching a college player I’d met play for my favorite NFL team (irony aside of a Navajo playing for the Cowboys).         

Meanwhile, the Chihuahuas were playing the Bees.    It was cloudy with heavy rain warnings on the radio, but nothing materialized over the park.    The pups scored one in the first off a Nick Solak sac fly.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty’s lineup card didn’t match the batting order.    He wondered if Solak batted out of order, but there was no protest from the Bees, so maybe there was a late change to the lineup.   

Dad called to mention the big news in the MLB.    Cardinals’ rookie, Joshua Baez, hit three home runs in his first three at bats in his debut.    This was the first time this had ever happened in MLB history.    (I saw Trevor Story hit two in his debut with the Rockies on Opening Day 2016.)    The Cardinals were playing the Cubs and won, 8-4.

Marcos Castañon homered in the second to put the Chihuahuas up, 3-0.    By the sixth, my radio reception was bad after the station had powered down after sundown.    It was 6-3 Chihuahuas.    There was something about a Bees’ home run going into the lawn seating.    The player wanted it and other players were negotiating for it.    It got tossed back on to the field.    Like I said, I couldn’t hear this drama play out well.       

In the ninth, it was 7-4 Chihuahuas, but the bases were loaded with Bees with one out.    Two runs scored on a single.    The bases were reloaded and the tying run was walked in.    A new pitcher got a strikeout, but then walked in the go-ahead run.    The Chihuahuas would lose, 8-7.

Somewhat dejected, I turned over the end of the Rangers versus the A’s.    I was greeted with a new voice along with Eric Nadel.    I never caught his name, but he was doing a good job.    It was 4-3 Rangers in the seventh after a 2-run homer by Wyatt Langford.

Jakob Junis, off of injury, worked a 1-2-3 eighth.    Catcher Austin Wynns threw out a runner in the bottom of the eighth and Jacob Latz got out of the inning scoreless.    Jarred Kelenic drove in an insurance run in the top of the ninth.    (I didn’t know he was on the Rangers.)    Latz finished it in the bottom, 5-3 Rangers, and that ended their four-game losing streak.