It’s April now. Hooray!
The week started off with the car getting its regular service, right in time for baseball season. We’ll see how long it takes me to get the next 10,000 miles on it. I like to get this done around this time of year just to make sure that everything is in good shape for the upcoming baseball season. I’ll be back probably in late July for the next one. Made my weekly Monday stop at Gift Horse before settling down for the last three consecutive nights at home for awhile.
Thursday was Game #2 bringing the Yankees to Baltimore for the Orioles home opener. I always hold my breath for this one since the weather at the beginning of April is never guarenteed. Not too bad this year, not as nice as Saturday but it isn’t freezing cold either. The Orioles seem to be able to play the Yankees tough, they did last year and they won the opening series in the Bronx this year. Saw the Clydesdales outside of Camden Yards, hooray!
Alex Cobb went for the Orioles against James Paxton for the Yankees. The Orioles got on the board in the first with Jonathan Villar tucking one around the right field foul pole and then Paxton messing up loading the bases, balking in a run and then having a wild pitch score a run. Cobb was not great making two oopsies to Gleybar Torres (I saw him with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans!) and Gary Sanchez before being yanked. Then Mike Wright came in and did what he did best, getting two baserunners and then giving up a 3-run bomb to Torres. Look, I like Wright. He tossed me a ball when I made the long drive up to Syracuse when he was with the Norfolk Tides but he just is not getting the job done. The damage was done and I left with the Orioles down and the Yankees padded their lead in the 9th. This was what I have been expecting from the Orioles. New York wins 8-4. And the Orioles couldn’t even score one more to get me 50% off from Papa Johns.
Friday’s games were postponed due to the rain. That allowed for a potentially unique day for me.
Saturday gave me the first opportunity to quadruple dip. Started in Frederick for Game #3 with the Winston-Salem Dash coming to town. Got down in plenty of time and enjoyed a chicken BBQ I bought for lunch. I was happy to see that D.L. Hall, the Orioles top pitching prospect was pitching for Frederick. John Parke pitched for the Dash. Well, Hall struggled. And he worked slowly, extremely slowly. Like so slowly I didn’t think I would be able to see parts of 4 games today. Fortunately he was relieved after 3 innings but the fellow that came in afterwards did little better though his defense did not help since his right fielder dropped a ball which allowed a run to score. Frederick had some luck of their own when the Dash’s right fielder (a former Altoona Curver player) lost a ball in the sun leading to a run. But it wasn’t enough and Winston-Salem wins 4-1.
Since Frederick was rained out on Friday the Game #4 followed. Didn’t stay long for this one. Jake Elliott went for the Dash against Cameron Bishop for the Keys. After 1 it was 0-0 and I left. Winston-Salem won 8-5 in 8 innings.
Then I made the one hour and change drive to Harrisburg to take on the Senators and Baysox for Game #5. Would I make it? It is an approximately a 1 hour and 15 minute drive between the two cities. I skated through the lights around Dillsburg and got onto 581 with the game entering the 7th and final inning of a tie game but Bowie got some runners slowing the game down. The game went to the bottom of the inning as I crossed the South Bridge and turned onto Market Street with one out. I parked 2 batters in, it would be close. The next batter came up as I neared the stadium. I had no idea what the situation was but did not hear a loud roar so the game was still going. With Rhett Wiseman stepping to the plate with the bases loaded and one out I walked through the gates. I made it. A few minutes later he hit a sacrifice fly to give the Senators a 6-5 win. It wasn’t much but I saw a piece of the game.
Game #6 followed, a ending a long day of baseball. Dillon Tate went for Bowie against Mario Sanchez for Harrisburg. Bowie struck first plating a run in both the first and second. Things were going well for Tate until Drew Ward hit a bomb to deep right center plating 3. Rhett Wiseman added another later and Harrisburg wins 4-2. It was time for a beer. I did forget, a Senators baserunner was hit by a batted ball. I think that is the first time I have ever seen that.
We also had another Weenie Boy folly. The subject of the TV show Happy Days came up in conjunction with Henry Winkler’s appearance of the Dan Patrick Show this past week. Well he thought his character in the show was Bonzi! The hits just keep on coming.
Sunday ended the baseball week with the first game of my Sunday package with the Orioles for Game #7. A very nice day down at the Yard to watch David Hess for the Orioles square off against Domingo German for the Yankees. I’ll start with something nice. The game was scoreless after 1. Then everything unraveled. The Yankees hit 7 home runs. 7! Gary Sanchez hit 3 2-run bombs. Clint Frazier hit 2. Gleyber Torres hit one. Hess gave up 4 runs and had the best line of the day. Mike Wright came in and did what he did best. When he was yanked the Orioles newest acquisition Dan Straily came in and continued the trend. O’s manager Brandon Hyde waved the white flag and brought in second baseman Hanser Alberto to pitch, who gave up another bomb to Austin Romine. Yep, not much good to say about this one for the Orioles as New York wins 15-3. Oh an German took a no hitter into the 6th. It’s going to be a long year in Baltimore.
On the docket for Next Week (weather permitting as always)
April 8 – Scranton @ Lehigh (Roman Quinn Bobblehead)
April 9 – Oakland @ Baltimore
April 10 – Fayetteville @ Frederick
April 11 – Asheville @ Hagerstown
April 12 – Pittsburgh @ Washington (Juan Soto Bobblehead)
April 13 – Pittsburgh @ Washington
April 14 – Pittsburgh @ Washington
