Game #78 West Virginia at Hagerstown. Some of the minor leagues keep weird schedules and in this case it gives me an extra opportunity to see the Power. It seems like with July 4th the regular schedule has been turned on its head for 2 weeks. Series are starting on Sundays or Saturdays. It’s weird. Stopped for some deep dish pizza at Uno’s in Hagerstown before this game. I have found that I love deep dish pizza. Anyway I don’t see the Power that often much less see them win much. On the surface this game looked like it should be a fairly easy win for the Power. Gavin Wallace started for the Power with a 6-1 record against Jackson Tetreault and his 1-7 record but I do not have good luck seeing the Pirates’ Class A team. It started well, Oneil Cruz reached on an error and scored on Rodolfo Castro’s triple. The good times ended there. Hagerstown scored 2 in the 1st, Kameron Esthay added a home run in the second and another was added in the 5th. West Virginia did not get its second hit until the 7th and they did add two in the 8th to make it moderately interesting but this was just not their night (and I was not shocked). Of course this was better than watching the Pirates get beat down in LA. Hagerstown wins 5-3. On the positive side clouds moved in around gametime and a nice breeze picked up making the game much more pleasant to watch.
Game #79 Richmond at Harrisburg. I was considering relaxing at home today but I found this ticket in my envelope and with no time left to exchange it I didn’t feel like eating it so to City Island I went. It was a decent crowd, especially with a huge fireworks show planned, but I expected more people so it must have been the 95 degree starting temperature. I’m not a huge fireworks guy, I mean you see one show you’ve seen them all though I will stick around for a July 4th show if its convenient. The game started well for Harrisburg getting 6 runs in the first and forcing Richmond starter Chase Johnson from the game after getting only two outs. He wasn’t helped by his defense which committed 2 errors behind him which allowed 3 runs to score. Senators starter Tyler Mapes was hardly in control either, wiggling out of several jams but was unscathed until the 5th inning. The Flying Squirrel bats woke up and began hitting Mapes hard scoring 5 runs, highlighted by a Jerry Sands homer that just got over the left field wall. Richmond added a Dylan Davis solo shot in the 7th to tie the game. Richmond though was doomed as they ran out of pitchers and outfielder Caleb Gindl had to come in to pitch in the 10th. Harrisburg walked it off on a sacrifice fly to win 7-6.
Game #80 Sugar Land at York. It may have been hot out but I decided to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time: walk to the ballgame. In part it was motivated by the crowd coming and the potential lack of parking, which turned out to not be a problem since I park where the average Revs fan doesn’t. It was a pleasant walk though more than a bit muggy and I had hoped that Collusion would be open to stop for a cold one but it wasn’t. I arrived just in time to see the Human Cannonball do his act. I would say that was enough to scratch it off the ol’ bucket list but he’ll be in Harrisburg in August for a game I’m attending so I guess I’ll get to see him again. On a positive note this was probably the biggest crowd for the Revs all year, nearly 6,000 fans. On a negative note there was a very dark set of clouds to the north and lightning was occasionally visible. The game started and the Revs took a quick 2-0 lead off of Skeeter starter Matt Sergey highlighted by a monster homerun from Michael Burgess to right field. Revs starter Robert Carson was cruising along until the 5th when he surrendered a 3 run shot over the Arch Nemesis to Skeeter Anthony Giansanti. That was it for the scoring. As lightning and thunder became more prevalent in the 6th I made a bee-line for the exit and it was well that I did. It started raining as I neared my house, so if I had waited I would have either had to sit around at the stadium or get drenched walking home. The game wound up being called in the 6th and the July 4th fireworks were shot off about 15 minutes early. They might not have been, that could have just been Lewis down the street having fun for all I know. July 4th is one night here in the ghetto that you don’t have to jump when you hear a loud bang. The cats though don’t know what it is and sought shelter under the living room coffee table.
Game #81 Hagerstown at Delmarva. Stamp number 5 on the Birdland Passport. Stopped at Eastern Shore Brewing in St. Michaels as well as RAR in Cambridge before getting into Salisbury. Also took in the new Harriet Tubman National Historic Site outside of Cambridge. In Salisbury I visited Evolution, 3rd Wave (just up the road in Delmar) and Tall Tales before heading to the stadium to get a Trey Mancini bobblehead. You might laugh but some of these go for over $50 on eBay and some of the popular players for the Orioles can go for even more. Gotta get there early. Not only can you stand in the stairwell (or sit if you want to on the steps) but you are also in the shade and that can be a big deal, especially in July though it wasn’t on this day. Delmarva got off to a blistering start but has come back down to Earth lately. I don’t know if it was any promotions as I don’t think too many players have moved up to Frederick or if it is just the league catching up to them. They had thrown a nine inning no-hitter the night before against the Suns but lost both the no-no and the game in the 10th.
Anyway, there has been one common theme in the last few years with my trips here and it is rain. The weather forecast from the day before was doom and gloom, 95% chance of thunderstorms. It was much better when the sun came up but a nice storm went through a few hours before gametime and it also rained off and on through the game., sometimes heavy. Granted I was not staying for the entire game but this did make it kinda miserable. The game moved pretty quickly for the first 3 1/2 innings. Both starters, Kyle Johnston of Hagerstown and Jhon Peluffo for Delmarva were on. Then Johnston hit a snag and he was not helped by his defense allowing 6 runs in the 4th inning. Hagerstown came back in the 5th for 3 runs thanks to some sloppy Shorebird defense but it was not enough. Delmarva tacked a few extra runs on and won 9-3. Neither side was happy with the home plate umpire but Hagerstown’s manager was ejected late in the game. I was long gone by then. It is a long drive home and the play by play man for the Shorebirds used to work for the Revs. He has the same kind of sense of humor that I do and I like him. With thunder, lightning and rain all around it was an easy decision to leave. I did get to witness a beautiful fire-red sunset over the Nanticoke River at Vienna. I wish I had my camera for that one. I did get to see Orioles Supplemental 1st Round pick Cadyn Grenier get his first professional hit.
Game #82 Trenton at Altoona. Back heading out to Altoona for another bobblehead, this time Josh Harrison. I usually only head out this way once or twice a year and at least I can take different routes to get here. This time I decided to hit a few new breweries that were just out of the way. Stopped at Cushwa in Williamsport, Maryland followed by Berkeley Springs in Berkeley Springs, WV and last was Olde Bedford in Bedford, PA. My aunt got a gift certificate and a growler from Berkeley Springs and gave it to me to use, so thanks! The only question is when am I going to drink it. Tuesday looks like a good day. I used the directions for the old location at Berkeley Springs only to find no brewery. Fortunately the gas station at the bottom of the hill had wi-fi and I got the real location.
The game was a back and forth affair. One side would get up and the other would come right back. Neither starter, Altoona’s Cam Vieaux or Trenton’s Trevor Stephan were sharp. Vieaux managed to settle down and went 7. Stephan was lifted in the 6th after giving up 5 and losing control (and it could have been worse as Altoona’s Stephen Alemais hit liners up the middle that Stephan caught not once but twice and if he hadn’t would have scored at least one more run). Altoona tacked on an insurance run in the 8th and won 6-4. I did appreciate that this game was played in a little over 2 hours. With a long drive home that is always appreciated and I had daylight on the drive until after Lewistown. Oh, and I finally saw Altoona’s Cole Tucker have a big game going 2-4 with a double, triple, stolen base and 2 RBIs. I was starting to wonder if this game would ever come. I was starting to think he would be a less-hyped version of J.P. Crawford.
Game #83 Harrisburg at Bowie. Made the easy drive down to Bowie on a Sunday. Admittedly I was not staying for long on this one as one of my dad’s high school friends has a picnic and this was the date set. I got my Trey Mancini bobblehead, took in 2 1/2 innings and left. Eating crabs is serious business, especially in Maryland so they understood. When i left Bowie was up 3-1. Baysox starter Luis Ysla was blowing heat by the Seanator hitters, except for Austin Davidson who hit one to right-center. Nationals catcher Matt Wieters was rehabbing with the Senators and looked a bit overmatched. Guess he’s ready to head back to the big club. Senator starter Tyler Mapes continued his strugges from Tuesday giving up 6 runs through 3 and even though the Senator pen gave up 2 more runs the damage was done at this point. Bowie wins 8-4. Traffic coming back was bad and I can only imagine it was going to get worse but with crabs in my future I soldiered on. And the crabs were good. Thanks Shabe!
On the docket for next week:
July 9 – New York at Baltimore (double header!)
July 10 – off day (this is my All Star Break I guess)
July 11 – Brooklyn at Aberdeen
July 12 – Buffalo at Lehigh
July 13 – Richmond at Trenton
July 14 – Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
July 15 – Texas at Baltimore
