Light week this week as I make my final preparations for both my Memorial Day BBQ and my yearly Big Baseball Trip. A lot of planning goes into the trip and admittedly I haven’t put in as much as usual so hopefully I won’t get hung out to dry. Of course this year’s trip covers some familiar ground so that may not be so bad, plus I now have a smartphone so I can do all of the stuff normal people do.
It’s finally feeling like summer now, or at least late spring. I don’t think the cats appreciate it too much. I woke up Monday morning with one laying under a window and another laying in the middle of the floor. They could always go down in the basement, it’s nice and cool down there, but I’m not leaving the light on for them. Now I don’t like the heat as much as well to sleep in and at least the bonus was that I was up and at ’em before they could wake me up. But much of the week was really nice with weather so I’m not complaining too much.
Game #49 What a difference a week makes. Last Monday in Harrisburg I was bundled up in 49 degree and below weather. This Monday it feels like summer and I got the shorts out. A pleasant walk to Gift Horse for a pregame brew before getting Atlantic League team #7 off the board with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Only Sugar Land left to see and they’ll be in town in June. It has not been a good year so far for the Revs but the Blue Crabs have the exact same record, so either this one would be two evenly matched teams or I would be in for some bad baseball. Can’t complain, got a free ticket since I brought a food donation. Dan Minor started for the Revs against former Pirate Brandon Cumpton for the Crabs. Minor was good throwing strikes and only give up one run. For Cumpton it was a different story. He got hit hard with Telvin Nash and Henry Castillo doing most of the damage with 2 doubles, 3 HRs and 5 RBIs between them. One of Castillo’s two homers left the park and hit a car in the Queen Street lot I heard. That was a bomb he hit! The lead was big enough to absorb a Blue Crab 3 run shot from Tony Thomas and York wins 7-4.
Game #50 Again took in the Blue Crabs and the Revs and again stopped in at Gift Horse for a beer. On the surface this one looked like it should be a slugfest. The Revs started Troy Terzi against Michael Kelly for the Crabs, both of whom had ERAs over 7. Once again baseball proves to be a funny game as this was a pitcher’s duel. Terzi’s only mistake was a solo shot by Josh McAdams and Kelly escaped a few jams putting up blanks. But it seems that it is not just the Revs that have bullpen issues. Ryan Chaffee came in for the Crabs and proceeded to not only give up the lead but he gave up 4 runs. He was so anxious to get off the field that he met the pitching coach almost halfway to the baseline to give him the ball and I don’t think he cared for the “See ya chief” soundbyte played either as he entered the dugout. Now, you might be wondering why it wasn’t the manager, well Crabs manager Stan Cliburn was ejected in the 2nd arguing with the 1st base umpire. Now normally I would have left the game by then but the game moved at a good pace I wound up sticking around for the rally and at that point I decided to stick around to watch Josh “Judge” Judy nail down the save. There’s a bobblehead opportunity for ya Menzer! York wins 4-1.
Game #51 Down to Frederick to get Carolina League team #7 in with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Only Potomac, Lynchburg and Down East left and I’ll get Potomac and Down East in on the trip. Stopped at Idiom Brewing, one of the new spots in Frederick. Nice place but you need to know it is there. Alex Lange went for the Pelicans against Cameron Bishop for the Keys. It has not been a good start for Lange who entered the game with an ERA over 10 despite a good 2018 season in Myrtle. Could I get a second straight pitcher’s duel? It was for a bit. Lange was yanked in the 6th up 1-0 but his relief flat out stunk. 8 runs later Frederick was up, in large part to Trevor Craport and his 5 RBI night, this one was over. Frederick wins 8-2. Myrtle is now good. There’s not much help for the Cubs on this team.
Game #52 New York @ Baltimore. I considered skipping this one but I’ve kept missing Masahiro Tanaka when I’ve seen the Yankees and he took the hill for the Bombers in this one, so down I went despite the forecast for thunderstorms. I was hoping that since the game started at 12:35 I could be at least back to my car by the time they hit, or at least it would wait until it was an official game. Dylan Bundy went for the Orioles, haven’t seen him yet this year either. Tanaka struggled early but this is the Orioles and they only got one run when most teams would get more after loading the bases with no outs in the second. Tanaka came together, even after being hit by a line drive and pitched a solid game. Bundy for the first four innings was on cruise control, especially since Orioles-killer Gleyber Torres did not start. But then New York got to him. And they got to his relief. At that point the sky was beginning to darken to the west so I headed out. Imagine my surprise when I got in my car (in the rain) and the game was tied at 5. Yep, Trey Mancini got an RBI single and Renato Nunez hit a 3-run bomb to tie it. But Mychal Givens came in and proceeded to give the Yankees the winning run by walking him in. Apparently he dropped a pitch that should have been strike three on the pinch-hitting Torres but it was called a ball. Yep, the Orioles keep finding new ways to lose. It was probably for the best as the grounds keeper was out conferring with the ump so rain was imminent downtown. New York wins 6-5.
Game #53 Lancaster @ York. Got another grass cutting in before heading out on my yearly trip. Everything is done though I am sure I’ll have plenty to catch up on when I get back. Made a stop in at Gift Horse before the game. Kyle Davies went for the Barnstormers against Matthew Grimes for the Revs. At the start this one looked like it would be another quickie. Well, not to be. The third proved to be a comedy of errors as hit after hit after hit was compounded by poor defense and mental lapses. Lancaster plated 4 run. The comeback began in the 5th and in the eighth the Revs got the bases loaded against York County native Cody Eppley. Eppley let a run score with a wild pitch but wiggled out of it with a one run lead. Eppley then got the Revs in the 9th to hold on for a 4-3 Lancaster win and the first win in the War of the Roses. At least the K-man struck out so I got some free mozzarella sticks at Rutter’s.
Game #54 Miami @ Washington. Down to DC to pick up a Ryan Zimmerman Captain America Bobblehead and get team #19 off of the board. Only 10,000 for this one so tickets were purchased in advance. Stopped in at Right Proper Brewing’s Brookland location for a pregame brew before making the slow and arduous journey to the Anacostia Metro station. Sandy Alcantara went for the Marlins against Patrick Corbin for the Nats. This one started quick as both pitchers worked quickly and were effective. That was until the 4th when the Nats broke through plating 5 runs, with the big hit coming from Yan Gomes and his bases clearing double. Yep, Yan Gomes, who is one of the leaders in the clubhouse for a Kevy for Worst Major League Hitter. Now of course the Marlins are bad, they might be the only team in the bigs worse than the Orioles. They never got it together and Corbin wound up going the distance for a Washington 5-0 win. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a big league complete game shutout.
Game #55 Lancaster @ York. First updated my autograph pennant, lots of new faces on the team and I was hoping to figure out who the one autograph I couldn’t figure out to whom it belonged to sorted out. Didn’t happen. Welcome, I think you are my first Europeans, but do know I’m apparently big in China. Not that I am happy about that, I’m not here to appease the CCP. Duke von Schammann started for the Revs against the ordinarily named John Anderson for the Barnstormers. The first few innings were relatively smooth but then the skies darkened. Long rumbles of thunder could be heard and then the rain started falling. That’s when the Revs problems began. Lancaster plated 3 in the 4th chasing the Prussian (I don’t know if he’s Prussian but I gotta give someone a nickname besides Shoes) and I was out as well. In this case reading the tea leaves did not work. The groundscrew was behind the tarp and someone removed the cover but game continues. I headed home, to prep for my Memorial Day BBQ. The Revs fought back tying the game at 4 and sending the game into extra innings. Unfortunately Lancaster wins in 10, 6-5 to take a 2-1 lead in the War of the Roses. Bad day for the Rev’s Henry Castillo with a Golden Sombrero.
On the Docket for the next two weeks for the baseball trip. No post next week since I’ll be in South Carolina. I know you all just wait with baited breath for this, especially my new French audience.
May 27 – Memorial Day BBQ no game
May 28 – Binghamton @ Richmond
May 29 – Columbus @ Norfolk
May 30 – Wilmington @ Fayetteville
May 31 – Salem @ Down East
June 1 – Potomac @ Myrtle Beach
June 2 – Augusta @ Columbia
June 3 – Augusta @ Asheville
June 4 – Charleston @ Greensboro
June 5 – York @ High Point (morning game)
June 5 – Norfolk @ Durham
June 6 – Myrtle Beach @ Winston-Salem
June 7 – Driving Home, no game, if only Hagerstown was home…
June 8 – TBD, probably a day of rest
June 9 – TBD, maybe Greensboro @ Lakewood
