Baseball Journal May 1-4, 2018

5-1-18

I found myself once again scrambling with work and peeking into several games tonight.  I came into work and immediately checked in Aggie Softball playing ASU.  This was originally scheduled as a double header, but was cut down to a single game earlier in the week.  I had sort of thought about taking this day off for the DH, but since I was taking next week off, I decided against it.  I could have seen this single game and been a little late for work, but didn’t even think of doing it.  This was terrible scheduling anyway with Aggie Baseball playing the rival Lobos here this evening (and probably not giving away admission to both games with one ticket). 

There wasn’t any radio or video of the game.  I just brought up the Statcast.  The Aggies lost 5-1.  At least it was a close game.  Victoria Castro’s home run was the only Aggie run.  Analise de la Roca started with Samaria Diaz finishing.  Kayla Green, again, did not start.  I think she’s okay, but I noticed on the program stats from last weekend that she’s pitched way more innings than any other Aggie pitcher.  Coach Rodolph may be resting her.

The MLB.TV free game was the Washington Nationals versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The big news of this game was that Bryce Harper was batting leadoff.  Apparently this is a desperate attempt to get him to see more quality pitches.  The game was a wipeout for the Nats, winning 12-2, but I really enjoyed the guys doing the commentary.  I think the color guy was F.P. Santangelo.  They were lively and informative. 

Max Scherzer started the game.  The broadcasters talked about him almost getting a perfect game last year, which was spoiled by a batter getting on by leaning into a pitch.  When asked later if he was angry, Max said, “I should have made a better pitch there and not let that happen.”  He’s always looking to improve on his performance.

I checked in on the Chihuahuas versus the Aces.  There were two highlights in the 7-1 Chihuahuas’ win that I heard.  One, I just started listening in time to hear pinch hitter Shane Peterson hitting a grand slam home run.  Tim Hagerty loved calling that.  The other highlight was Jason Vargas on the Aces not throwing a foul ball into the crowd.  This resulted in a lot of boo’ing from the El Paso fans.  When he came up next inning, Tim started, “I wonder if the crowd will remember . . .”  The crowd was already boo’ing before he even finished, and then cheering when he made an out.  This was reminiscent of future Dodger, Chris Taylor, beaning Chico the mascot and earning the fans’ amenity.

Meanwhile, the Aggies were playing the Lobos here in Las Cruces in baseball.  There was no radio, so I checked in via Statcast.  Later, when I was having dinner, I tuned into the TV broadcast.  The game was in the sixth, but almost over.  The coaches had agreed to a run-rule for the game (like I wish every game was).  The Aggies ended up winning 13-2 with the game finishing in the seventh.  Justin Dehn and Matt Perea did a great job pitching.  Of those 13 runs, there was only one homer and that was by Logan Ehnes. 

In the postgame interview, Coach Brian Green was asked about the Aggies getting a couple more hit-by-pitches during the game.  He said they had a saying and a philosophy of “We don’t move.”  Getting hit is a strategy move for the Aggies.  They must be taking lessons from program hit-by-pitch leader Fahren Glackin on the softball team.

I left the TV on and flipped over to the Dodgers versus the Diamondbacks.  Clayton Kershaw was pitching, and it was 3-1 Dodgers in the fourth.  Uniforms were rippling and trash was blowing in the outfield.  The roof was open and gusting winds were coming inside.  One questions this decision.  If you can shelter the game from the elements, why aren’t you doing so?  I didn’t really see any of the game, but it was a 4-3 comeback D-Backs win.

5-2-18

The good news was that there were two day games this week on the radio.  The bad news was that they were on at the same time, on the same day.  I decided to mostly listen to the Diablos (the Chihuahuas in their throwbacks) versus the Reno Aces.  It was another Baseball and Education day with thousands of kids in attendance.  I’d love to go to one of these day games and sit in that restaurant/bar in the outfield (with all the drunk businessmen I guess, maybe not).

Tim Hagerty mentioned that once that the Albuquerque team and another team both wore their throwback uniforms for a game.  I see Dukes hats around here occasionally.  There’s probably plenty more in Albuquerque.  I don’t think Isotopes is a bad name and it has a story, but Dukes was one of the best minor league team names ever (as was Diablos).            

The Diablos scored first early.  The Aces matched them.  In the fourth, Franmil Reyes homered to give the Diablos a 2-1 lead.  In the fifth, the Aces tied it again.  Cody Decker tripled in a go-ahead run.  (He’s not a likely candidate for hitting a triple.)  Next, Diego Goris lost an Anthony Recker popup on the infield in the sun and another run scored.  The next popup was caught on a good play, but it was 4-2.  In the sixth, Franmil did it again with a homer, 4-3 Aces.  The kids started chanting, “We want a hit!” in the ninth with two outs, but the Diablos lost 4-3.

One reason I stuck with the Diablos’ game was because when checked into the Rangers and Indians, it was 10-2 Indians in the fourth.  Both games were pretty speedy.  It was two outs in the ninth when I switched over.  The Rangers lost 12-4.  Tim had mentioned earlier that not only were the Rangers bad, but their entire farm system was crap.  This is setting up to be a bad year for them. 

5-4-18

I put on the Giants versus the Braves in the early evening at work, courtesy of the MLB.TV free game.  The Braves are leading their division right now, thanks to some good youthful talent.  Ronald Acuna Jr. was making his home debut tonight.  (And apparently that’s all I wrote about it at the time.  I may have typed this out last week in a rush.  Oh, well.  I think the Giants won this one.) 

Before the Chihuahuas game, Steve Kaplowitz asked Tim Hagerty for a “hot take.”  He said he didn’t like the movie, Pulp Fiction.  He just didn’t get it.  I missed last week’s take where he said something about In-and-Out Burger.  Tim’s living on the edge here in broadcasting.  The Chihuahuas were in Albuquerque to play the Isotopes today.  Since it was “May the Fourth be with you/Star Wars” day, the organ there was playing Star Wars music.  Here’s my “hot take.”  After three crappy Disney Star Wars movies, I doubt I’m going to see another until they put the Marvel people in charge of them.

Almost a year later, Tim was still talking about that epic game last June ***(6-24-17)*** that went five hours.  The Chihuahuas won it 13-10 in fourteen innings.  Neither team could put out a pitcher that could hold a lead.  Even in the last inning, the Chihuahuas started off with a 6-run lead, but the game ended with the tying run at the plate.  Today’s game I really didn’t hear much of.  There was no score in the fourth, when the pups loaded the bases, but the inning ended on a double play.  Cory Spangenberg hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Franmil Reyes hit yet another homer in the sixth, as the Chihuahuas won 7-1.

Meanwhile, the Aggies were playing Utah Valley in baseball here in Las Cruces.  It was a “Stuff the Skew” event.  I noticed there was a good crowd there on the TV broadcast.  They were even using bleachers next to the visiting dugout that I didn’t even know were there.  The announced attendance was over 2,100.  The grandstand is listed at 1,000 I think.  I don’t know where they put another 1,100 people.  Last time they had one of these events, they gave out free tickets at work, but that didn’t happen this time, so I didn’t even think about taking the night off.  It would have been cool though to be there with such a large crowd, like at that Oklahoma softball game (2-17-18).

I picked up the game on TV in the sixth if the Aggies up 4-3.  Kyle Bradish worked seven innings.  Brock Whittlesey worked the last two innings.  In the ninth, he let on two runners with one out, but struck out the last two batters to end the game.  The Aggies won 4-3.  What a great game for a big crowd.

Just to mention for history’s sake, there were two significant events in the MLB tonight.  Albert Pujols got his 3,000 hit.  The Angels were in Seattle, but I’m sure they gave him a good round of applause there anyway.  I belatedly tried watching for it, but totally missed it and even a replay of it.  Meanwhile, in a game played in Mexico, the Dodgers pitched a combined no-hitter against the Padres.