8-28-25
The Chihuahuas were playing the Rainiers in their big series tonight. However at work, there was a leftover feast of Raising Canes from a meeting. I got a full meal that I was busy preparing when the game started. I missed the top of the first where Rainiers scored a run off a runner that got on via an error. In the second, which I also mostly missed, the Chihuahuas scored 4.
When I was finally settled and ready to listen, it started raining in El Paso. They stopped play and the tarp came out. I kept an eye on the Gameday coverage and maybe an hour later, play resumed. It must have been a pretty good shower there in El Paso. I was surprised it didn’t rain at all here in Las Cruces.
The Chihuahuas resumed scoring the third, as Mason McCoy singled in a run to make it, 5-1. It still sounded like there was a great crowd there. Were fireworks scheduled? They’d have to wait awhile for them.
Tim Hagerty and Carson Harper were calling the game. Tim seems to really appreciate having someone to talk to in the booth and loosens up considerably. He mentioned that the storm had knocked out 600AM over the air and that the game was Internet only. Tim said, “So if you ever wanted to let out some expletives . . .” Carson mentioned they were broadcasting from a couch. I’m wondering how that arrangement worked. Were they in the lounge instead of the pressbox?
Jackson Wolf worked five innings for the pups and only gave up 1 run. The Rainiers scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh. Tyler Wade made a jump catch at third on a liner that might have scored two and ended the inning. 5-3 Chihuahuas. In the eighth, Rainiers loaded the bases with two outs. The Chihuahuas made a pitching change and got out of it.
In the bottom of the eighth, Carson mentioned that there are springs in catcher’s masks now. I assume it’s the hockey-style masks. There was also a 30-second drone delay in the game. More importantly, the pups stranded a couple of runners in the inning.
Ron Marinaccio came in for the save. I suddenly lost the Internet radio call. It was something on their end. Maybe that was for the best. The Rainiers scored 2 to tie it. I got the radio call back. In the bottom, Yonathan Perlaza singled and tried to advance on a flyball and was thrown out. Into the tenth, the Rainiers scored 4 in the tenth and won, 9-5. Chihuahuas are not doing well in extra-inning games.
8-29-25
These losses have taken a toll. The Chihuahuas were now in third. In a reversal of yesterday, it was raining here in Las Cruces, but not down the road in El Paso, so there was no problem playing the game.
The Rainiers came out and loaded the bases in the first, but only got a run in, 1-0. In the second, Tim Locastro stung a three-run homer to give the pups back the lead, 3-1. I was talking to my dad while it was happening, so I had to read it on Gameday. In the fourth, there was a play at the plate on the Rainiers. Locastro threw out the runner with a great tag by Luis Campusano as catcher. Upon replay, broadcaster Tim Hagerty was skeptical they actually got him.
“Ball don’t lie.” In the fifth, the Rainiers got that run back and more with a double bringing in two runs to tie it and then take the lead, 4-3. It wasn’t raining there, but the wind was blowing hard from storms in the area. Fly balls were an adventure.
In the bottom of the fifth, the pups had a leadoff triple, but left the runner stranded. That was unfortunate. The Rainiers added 3 more in the sixth and 3 more in the ninth. It was 11-3 in the bottom of the ninth. 11 batters and 6 runs later, it was 11-9. The Chihuahuas finished the game with the tying runs on base. Tim, the crowd, and myself were getting excited, but it was not to be.
8-30-25
It’s the first full day of College Football and the start of the Labor Day weekend. I have no intention of blogging the season other than Aggie Football and mentioning the odd game here and there. As evidenced by the last few entries, I’m just about out of gas to do the rest of the baseball season.
I thought I was going to watch a couple of the morning games with dad, but he went out and did something with his neighbor, Lamae, and he said he didn’t want to go get lunch. When I called back later about coming over, he was still out and was at Whataburger. I decided to drive over to the Downtown Mall, where I picked up some interesting comics at Coas and Zia Comics ***(to be discussed sometime later).*** For my lunch, I stopped at Long John Silvers, which I hadn’t been to for a while. It was as deliciously decadent as ever.
On the Aggie Coaches Show, Football Coach Tony Sanchez made the telling comment about transfers, “It’s hard to keep your players when other schools can buy them.” Not to mention, as Aggie Soccer and Volleyball seemed to have found out, it’s hard to pay transfers to come to NMSU without any money. The Coach further noted that many departing players were going to be backups on their new teams. I’d think if your goal was to get to the NFL, you’d rather start at a small school than stand on the sidelines at a big school. If you’re any good, the scouts will find you, but only if you’re actually playing.
The Aggies’ first opponent was the FCS program, Bryant. The ESPN ticker had the Aggies as 19-point favorites. For the radio broadcast, Jeff Matthews replaced the irreplaceable Jack Nixon. Jeff is a long-time area sports broadcaster, so it’s still a familiar voice on the play-by-play. (Though I’m wondering if he’s near retirement by this point.) Him and color commentator, Corey Lucas, did misidentify Wave the Wonder Dog on the field. They named the two previous tee-retrieving dogs fumbling around for a name. They must not have seen Wave’s merch. The dog needs to fire his agent and hire me.
The Aggies did have a transfer in for quarterback with no competition, Logan Fife. He tossed a 55-yard bomb in the first quarter that led to the Aggies’ first touchdown, though the PAT was blocked. It was only the 9-3 Aggies at the half. I missed much of the second half. The Aggies won, 19-3. Their defense was stout tonight. The offense did not play up to the odds makers’ expectations. Last years’ opener was more of a struggle against an FCS team. Next week will be more of a test.
Earlier in the day, I saw former Aggie running back, Star Thomas playing for Tennessee and doing well. Good for him. Alabama was upset by Florida State in one of the evening games. Another game had the other New Mexico team playing on the road. UNM was taking on Michigan in Ann Arbor on NBC, no less. I had to watch some of this and I saw the best part. Inside the MI 20 and at 4-th and 1, the Lobos went for it . . . with a trick play that resulted in an easy touchdown. I was elated and then they forced a fumble on the kickoff for good measure.
The cameras panned around the shocked faces of the Wolverine fans, which was worth whatever happened next. 17-10 MI was as close as it got. The Wolverines scored a quick touchdown before the half, and after that, doubled up the Lobos, 38-17. UNM still probably covered.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series was at the road course in Portland. Connor Zilisch led almost the whole race. He had some difficulty at the end with some damage to his car, but still managed to regain the lead and win. The Kid is seriously impressing.
I joined the Chihuahuas and the Rainiers in progress. (I was trying to keep track of too many events.) Broadcaster Tim Hagerty’s 9-year old son, Carson, joined him on the game call. Well actually, Carson took over the broadcast and there wasn’t any game call for an inning. This kid is a natural on the radio. From talking about himself, it’s clear he wants to be a pro football player and then go into the booth. I can see it happening.
Unfortunately, the Chihuahuas were once again done in and buried. It was 10-3 in the ninth when they brought in DH Cody Roberts to pitch. He came out shooting peas at 90+mph. “I did not see this coming,” Tim was absolutely shocked as Roberts blew away the first batter he faced. Succeeding batters took him more seriously, but Roberts worked a scoreless inning. Like yesterday, the Chihuahuas did make it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. They scored 1, loaded the bases, and got 2 walked-in runs. 10-6 Rainiers was the final.
On Mexican TV, the Chihuahua Dorados were playing the Juarez Indios. (They’re probably not changing their name to the “Guardians” any time soon.) This was the championship series for whatever level of Mexican League Baseball this was and they were tied at 2 apiece. There was a huge crowd at the stadium in Juarez filling the grandstand and the outfield bleachers. The roar from the fans was continuous, along with a blare of horns. Much of the crowd was wearing Indios shirts. Their Super Chicken-like mascot was wearing a Superman shirt.
It was a close, tight game early on that went back-and-forth. It was 4-4 in the eighth, when this big fat guy came up for Chihuahua. He must have been the DH; there was no position on the field he could have played. He crushed one to right. It cleared the fence, the track behind the fence, and went into the bleachers. It must have been well over 400’. That gave the Dorados a 2-run lead and they’d add on to win, 9-4. There was no celebration afterward, so I guess its best-of-seven. This game also finished after midnight.
At some point, I tried to listen to the Rangers and the A’s, but I didn’t get anything out of it except that the Rangers won. The last football game of the night was Idaho versus Washington State. WA St escaped embarrassment and won, 13-10. I only mention this game because it was 7-0 until late in the third quarter in a display of offensive futility.
8-31-25
Sunday, I woke up on time (unlike yesterday). I had decent motivation. ABC was showing Nebraska playing Kentucky at a Volleyball tournament. I got see more of my favorite non-Aggie volleyball player, Harper Murray. I would not leave any of my favorite Aggie Volleyball girls for Harper . . . but I’d certainly cheat on them with her. Come on! I hope Harper is majoring in Theater, because I’d pay money see her as Lara Croft in a movie. Start working on that English accent, sweetheart.
The match itself, I was not taking notes on. The women announcers annoyed me and after yesterday, I may have been burned out on sports in general. Nebraska went down two sets to start, but came back for a sweep the hard way by winning the next three. Kentucky has a long losing streak to Nebraska, so it was a bit heartbreaking to watch.
Yeah, I was burned out. The Chihuahuas and Rainiers game came on. By the fifth inning, the pups were down 2-1. I gave up and went for lunch at Freddy’s. I was sure it was going to rain in the morning, but it never did and had cleared off by the time I left. The Grilled Cheese Hamburger with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Concrete was delicious. I returned in time to hear Tim Hagerty signing off with the final score, 2-1 Rainiers. I’d heard all of the scoring in the game. That would have been a crushing defeat to have listened to all the way through.
No problem. I got more baseball on tap. I flipped over to hear the Rangers at the A’s . . . and the local affiliate wasn’t carrying the game. I guess that serves me right. (The Rangers won.) The Chihuahuas’ station did later pick up the ESPN game between the Braves and the Phillies. I had it on, but didn’t really listen. The Braves won, 3-1.
There was also a Notre Dame/Miami Football game on with both teams ranked. Miami pulled off the upset, but I wasn’t really watching it, either. There was a Hot in Cleveland Marathon on the Catchy Comedy channel and I couldn’t hardly tune away from it. That show was absolutely hysterical. A few moments being doubled over laughing was my definite highlight of the weekend.
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