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.
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