Saturday, September 1, 2018

Baseball Journal August 28-31, 2018

8-28-18
The story of the night was the Richmond Flying Squirrels.  (Disclaimer: your baseball story of the night might be completely different and probably is.)  Once again, it was a light baseball night for me.  I tuned into the Squirrels early in the evening.  Yesterday, they thought they were far away from setting an ignominious record for scoreless innings.  Well, there they were in the sixth inning, still scoreless and now holding a new record.

The crowd there seemed well aware of the situation.  In the bottom of the sixth, when a runner got to third, they actually cheered.  In the seventh, the Squirrels got runners on second and third with nobody out.  After a pop-up out, catcher Jeff Arnold came to bat and ended the streak at 33 1/3 innings definitely with a three-run homer. 

Unfortunately, the Squirrels’ losing streak continued.  The next inning there was a play at the plate with Arnold and the runner was ruled safe.  The Reading Fightin’ Phils would go on to win.  The announcers doubted the call at the plate, but there’s no replay in Double-A.  “We need cameras first,” said one of the guys.  The play and the result also ruined the storyline for the night.  The announcers were too depressed to do their usual haiku afterward.

There was a big matchup in the MLB between the A’s and the Astros fighting for first in the AL West.  I probably would have been more interested in the game, except the MLB.TV free game had me under a local blackout for video.  Yes, Houston is “local” to me in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the sense that we’re on the same continent.

I didn’t really like the Astros’ radio call, so switched to the A’s, which was a little less grating.  They were reporting a sellout tonight in Houston.  Probably not coincidently, it was the fourth time this season the team had offered replica World Series rings.  The other three times were also sellouts.  For their own team, the announcers reported that there’s another city council proposal for a new stadium.  Good luck on that, unless you guys win a World Series yourselves this year. 

The A’s announcers also promoted a “town hall” meeting between ownership and the fans.  They said that several fan suggestions had been implemented at the park from previous meetings.  Given that Oakland’s other two pro sports teams are deserting them, this is the A’s opportunity to own the town.  With enough community outreach, maybe they can get a new stadium. 

As for the game, it was close and tense.  The Astros had loaded the bases when I started listening and then the stream suddenly stopped like last night.  Reloading the page didn’t help; it would repeat the last minute I’d heard and stop in the same place.  I gave up after a couple of tries, figuring I’d already missed the drama of the current situation.  Between weirdness and the blackouts, this really isn’t selling the MLB.TV service to me.  The A’s ended up beating the Astros 4-3.  It’s a one-game lead for the Astros for now.           

I turned over to the Chihuahuas’ game.  They were in Fresno, playing the Grizzlies, who may be their opponent when the playoffs start.  I struck by a couple of things I was heard in the background.  On a routine flyball out by the Chihuahuas, there was the sound effect of Apu from The Simpsons saying, “Thank you.  Come again.”  The PA announced that anyone retrieving a foul ball could bring it to the service desk and receive a prize, “And you get to keep the ball.”  

Tim Hagerty was talking about the team’s impromptu airline arrangements to get to Fresno.  He received a phone call from airline while he was on the air, which he couldn’t take, obviously.  He hoped they were letting him know that his bags had finally arrived, “Otherwise, I’ll need to do some shopping tomorrow.”  As for the game, I’d tuned in in the middle of an inning, but wasn’t sure which one or what the score was.  After the Chihuahuas’ second error of the game let in a run, Tim finally reported that it was 8-0 in the third.  Suddenly, I had other things to do and watch.  I came back for the end.  The pups did make a bit of a comeback with the final being 9-4 Grizzlies

8-29-18
Oh, no!  Tonight’s Dizzykitten stream is her last until she comes back from Korea.  Thank goodness, I’m off next week too.  I’d miss her if I was here at work without her stream.  Not sure which Korea she’s going to.  If it’s North Korea, Trump and the US Seventh Fleet may have to go there to get her back from Kim Jung Un.  If it’s South Korea, she obviously has elaborate plot to kidnap K-Pop boy band BTS.  (BTS will refused to be rescued.) 

Oh yeah, baseball.  The MLB.TV free game tonight was the Cardinals versus Pirates.  I missed the play of the game in the fourth, or should I say hurl.  Matt Carpenter barfed at first base and had to leave the game for nausea.  The Cardinals’ announcers mentioned that the team has had a bunch of injuries, which has resulted in a bunch of call-ups.  If the Chihuahuas make it to the PCL Championship, this might be helpful.  The Pirates won 2-0 and the Cardinals lost their lunch.

I came into the Chihuahuas/Grizzlies’ game in the sixth, as the pups were in the middle of sending eight-straight batters in a row as they batted around.  Ty France singled in a run, Shane Peterson hit a three-run homer, and Raffy Lopez tripled in two runs, which led to a 6-0 lead.  Starter Colin Rea pitched five scoreless innings.      

However, the Grizz made a comeback in the eighth.  They loaded the bases and a run was walked in.  Kyle McGrath came in and struck out the side, but gave up a double that scored two more runs to make it 6-3.  Rowan Wick came out in the ninth for a no-drama save.  Chihuahuas won 6-3.  That’s a team record 80 wins.

8-30-18
It was a little strange to hear Aggie Football on a Thursday at 5:00.  They were playing Minnesota on the road.  This was a “money game,” though not a “big money” game for the program.  The Aggies did give them a game for about a quarter and a half.  Matt Romero’s first interception led to a 7-0 lead for MN.  But after a subsequent fumble recovery by the Aggie defense, Romero hit Izaiah Lottie on a fade in the endzone to tie it.  To start the second quarter, the Dylan Brown hit a career-long 45-yard field goal to give the Aggies a 10-7 lead. 

The Aggie defense came up with a big sack next, but right after, gave up a big play.  That series lead to another Golden Gopher touchdown, 14-10 MN.  Romero was nearly intercepted again, but the officials waved it off.  Aggie special teams got off a tremendous fake punt to keep a drive going.  The team went down to the MN 21 and went for it on a fourth and one and didn’t make it.  I’m not going to say the Aggies would have won this game, but that coaching decision probably took points off the board. 

The Gophers would score another touchdown to make it 21-10.  The Aggies went three and out, which was bad, but the runback for another touchdown was likely backbreaking.  The half closed out at 31-10.  The rest of the game, which I admittedly didn’t listen to (I was busy at work), the Gophers pretty much ran it out.  48-10 Minnesota was the final. 

The shocking difference in the stats was the running game: Aggies 38 yards, Gophers 295.  The sacks were 4 to 0 in Minnesota’s favor.  As Jack Nixon observed, the Aggies were one-dimensional on offense, actually out-passing MN, but it made them way too predictable.  Turnovers were even at 1.  I am encouraged by that.

I did start watching the MLB.TV free game between the Tigers and the Yankees in the second half.  It was 7-5 Yankees in the top of the ninth with Dellin Betances in to close.  After one out, I stepped away for a minute.  When I came back Victor Martinez was getting congratulated in the dugout.  He’d just hit a tying two-run homer.  Next up, Niko Goodrum hit a solo, go-ahead homer which would be the 8-7 Tigers game-winner.  Both shots just cleared the short porch in right field.  Heh, heh, heh.  When they were designing the new Yankee Stadium did anyone say something like, “Hey, other teams might be able to take advantage of this design flaw.”


I listened a little to the Chihuahuas and the Grizzlies.  The Grizz led 3-0 for much of the game.  They added a couple more in the eighth.  The pups scratched out a run in the ninth.  Brett Nicholas struck out to end the game with a 5-1 loss.  He tossed his bat and tried to argue his way into an ejection for some reason.  Tim Hagerty made an interesting statistical observation during the game.  El Paso and Fresno probably have that best current lineups of the contending PCL teams.  However, in the baseball, the best teams only win about 60% of the time. 

8-31-18
After listening to an Aggie Volleyball match this morning, going to an Aggie Soccer match this afternoon, and listening to another Aggie Volleyball match this evening, you’ll forgive me if I’m a bit sports-ed out.  Not to mention, I was running our month end processing tonight.  I wasn’t even interested in tonight’s Chihuahuas/Rainiers game when I saw the 6-1 Tacoma score after seven innings.  I almost didn’t listen.  What a mistake that would have been. 

In the top of the eighth, the umps got together and chatted.  Tim Hagerty didn’t know why until Chihuahuas’ reliever Carter Capps threw his first pitch and was warned about his delivery.  Capps has had run-ins with the umps before about his hop-step, but hadn’t been called on it in five previous appearances.  His catcher, Raffy Lopez, immediately turned around started arguing, which was grounds for a quick ejection.  Manager Rod Barajas was also tossed right after.  Capps had to change his delivery and couldn’t pitch.  After walking a batter, he had to be taken out.  Brad Wieck finished the inning.

In the bottom, Ty France cranked a two-run homer to make it 6-3.  How about this kid?  Wieck polished off the top of the ninth and went two shutout innings with six strikeouts.  Tim said at the time, “If the Chihuahuas come back and win this, they should thank Wieck for these shutdown innings.”

We went to the bottom of the ninth down three.  On the first pitch, Brett Nicholas hit a solo home run to make it 6-4.  Dusty Coleman doubled and Auston Bousfield singled and moved him to third.  Nick Shultz then hit a sacrifice to bring in Dusty and make it 6-5.  Are you believing yet?  Forrestt Allday walked.  Carlos Asuaje flied out.  And look who’s up next.  Ty France pounded a ball over the center fielder’s head, bringing both runners, and winning the game 7-6!  “It’s over!” yelled Tim. 

The Chihuahuas had a 4:00 am plane ride to get to El Paso this morning.  Tim admitted to being exhausted even only calling the game, much less playing.  The two ejections might have lit a fire under the dogs tonight and got them going.  That’s 17 home wins in a row. 


I’m off next week.  No posts, but I will hopefully come back several reports from live events, including today’s.

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