Baseball Journal May-July 2023 Part 1

As usual, I make notes whenever I see or hear something interesting happening in ball game.  This is what I’ve noted so far in the season.

 

5-30-23

Chihuahuas vs Las Vegas Aviators.  I stayed late at work this night to hear the end of this one.  The pups had the lead early, but the Aviators came back and took a 2-run lead, 7-5, in the fifth.  Then the Chihuahuas put up 4 in the seventh to retake the lead, but LV scored in the bottom to make it 9-8. 

 

Okay, the Chihuahuas put up 6 more in the eighth to go up by 7.  Oh yeah, well the Aviators scored 5 in the bottom and hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth.  They came up just a run short, as the Chihuahuas won, 15-14.  The fans there were going crazy in the ninth.  The game finished in just under 4 hours.  It’s hard to complain about pace of play when the teams combined for 29 runs.

 

5-31-23

Chihuahuas vs Las Vegas Aviators.  The Oakland A’s are on pace for one of the worst records ever for a season.  Don’t look for any help coming from their Triple-A team, the Aviators.  They lost again to the Chihuahuas, 20-5.  23 hits for the pups.  Jose Iglesias had quite a night.  He when 5 for 7, with 8 RBI’s, and 3 home runs.  The Aviators most effective pitcher was their DH, who came in for an out in the eighth and for all of the ninth and didn’t give up a run.

 

5-31-23

Chihuahuas vs Las Vegas Aviators.  The pups scored 12 unanswered runs in this game.  The Aviators didn’t score until the eighth and lost 12-2.  The crowd in Sin City went wild (no sarcasm).  Credit to the Las Vegas crowds through this series.  They’ve been large and loud.

 

6-2-23

Orioles vs Giants.  LaMonte Wade Jr. hit the 100-th Splashdown homer into McCovey Cove.  The coverage showed the first one, which was, of course, hit by Barry Bonds.  Two small boats went after it.  A guy with a net snagged it, as the other boat flat out rammed him.  But, Orioles win tonight 3-2. 

 

Padres TV broadcasts have been taken over by the MLB.  Interesting.  In tonight’s game, Rougned Odor had already hustled in the Padres’ only run earlier.  In the eighth, he pulled up lame on a single, as the outfielder let the ball get past him.  Ruggie hobbled along the basepath and slid in to make it to second.  What a gamer!  Cubs did beat Padres, 2-1.  Brutal.  

   

The marquee matchup of the night was the Yankees at the Dodgers.  The blue crew handled them 8-4.  The pinstripes did make a late charge with a 3-run homer by Josh Donaldson in the ninth.

 

Lastly, Las Vegas finally beat the Chihuahuas, 10-4.  It was a back-and-forth game actually, but the Aviators finally busted out with a big inning to win it. 

   

6-4-23

I finally got to see Aggie alum, Nick Gonzales, in action today with the Indianapolis Indians.  He’s now sporting a mustache and batting leadoff.  This Indians team has declined to change their name.  They’ve partnered with a local tribe to give them some backup.  During the game, an Indians player ran into the home plate ump while crossing the plate.  The player grabbed him and held on to keep him from falling over.  After, the ump patted him on the head for the effort.  Also, the Indians have a great broadcast team.  They’ve paired up an older and younger guy, who play off each other well.  I was impressed.

 

6-6-23

Chihuahuas vs OKC Dodgers.  Tim Hagerty was interrupted during his broadcast by a lady in the suite next door wanting him to put birthday wishes up on the video board, mistaking him for the PA.  (This type mistaken identity also happened to Adam Young at Aggie Baseball.)  Unfortunately, this happened as he was trying to call an inside the park home run by Luis Liberato.  Next inning, Tim got information from the lady, though with some difficulty due to a language barrier, so that he could properly wish the person happy birthday over the air.  Tim was giddy tonight as a storm blew through and delayed the game, but the pups won, 15-5.

 

6-7-23

Dodgers vs Reds.  Phenom Reds’ call up, Elly de la Cruz’s, second game brought his first home run in the first inning.  It was nearly a blast out of the stadium.  The Dodgers went up 6-3, but the Reds tied it in the third.  In the bottom of the ninth, Will Benson hit a 2-run homer to win it, 8-6, for the Reds.  It was his first MLB homer as well.  It was also the Reds’ second walk off win in a row over Dodgers during this series.

 

6-8-23

Chihuahuas vs OKC Dodgers.  Two nights in a row the pups tied the score in the ninth to force an extra inning.  Yesterday, rehabbing Nelson Cruz drove in a game-tying run, though the team lost in the tenth.  Today, the dogs got the tying run in the ninth and won it in the tenth, 4-3.  The Dodgers are the best team in the PCL and the Chihuahuas are playing them tough.

 

6-9-23

Chihuahuas vs OKC Dodgers.  Chico had the play of the game tonight.  He caught a foul ball late in the pups’ loss.  The crowd started yelling for it, but he wouldn’t part with the ball.  The PA eventually came on and started chiding him before he relinquished it to a kid.

 

6-10-23

There was a drone delay in El Paso during the Chihuahuas game tonight.  Players were cleared off the field.  You never know when a drone might be armed with Hellfire missiles.  Less funny, there was a fan injury delay in St. Paul on Stadium’s Saturday MILB Showcase game.  A ball tossed into the stands caused a fan to fall over the rail over a concourse next to the dugout and on to the concrete.  They didn’t show anything other than the EMS workers there taking a gurney into the tunnel.  Some of the fans around applauded, so the broadcasters thought the person was still conscious.  I didn’t see any news about it the next day.