Well, this week will conclude the first half of the baseball season. I am happy to say that I have managed to survive the first half but now we will be getting to the dog days of summer. I am planning to not attend as many games during the warmer months but we’ll see how that goes. I do have a room full of beer following my trip down south. This may also be the last bobblehead-free week of the season until September.
Game #79 Akron @ Harrisburg. Started the day getting a good grass cutting in. I will get to see some playoff baseball this year as Harrisburg has clinched the first half and guaranteed a spot in the EL playoffs which is already better than last year. I think Wilmington also clinched a Carolina League playoff spot so I’m not going to get shut out this season. With this game complete that also leaves me with one last team in the EL to see and that would be Hartford. Eli Morgan went for the Rubber Ducks against Tyler Mapes for the Senators. This game also featured a rehabbing Ryan Zimmerman. For the first 5 innings this was a well played game that moved at a brisk pace. Harrisburg held a 2-0 lead but in the 6th poor Harrisburg defense (losing a ball in the sun and dropping a double play ball) allowed Akron to tie the game. The game remained tied and went into extra innings where Harrisburg won 3-2 in 10. When I got home I also broke down and finally put the air conditioners in the window. It’s gonna get hot this week.
Game #80 York @ Southern Maryland. I get down to Waldorf once a year and this is also the last stadium stop in Maryland for me this year. Stopped in at Calvert Brewing for a cold one before the game. Mitch Atkins went for the Revs against Tyler Thorpe for the Blue Crabs. Thorpe struggled early but managed to limit the damage in the first inning only giving up 2 runs. He is not the first pitcher to struggle in the first but in the 3rd the Revs got to him in a big way. The highlight was Telvin Nash’s homerun to left center where the outfielders didn’t even bother turning around much less even move. Thorpe was lifted but the parade of runs kept coming. As his relief tired Wellington Dotel hit a bases loaded double that cleared the bases. Nash added another homerun in the next inning and at this point the Revs were up 14-1! Save some of those runs for tomorrow guys. I think this will win a Kevy for worst Indy ball beatdown and I do think Nash is the front runner for a Kevy for the best Indy ball hitter. York wins this one 14-1. Ouch. It’s been a long year for the Blue Crabs and it’s not likely to get better.
Game #81 San Diego @ Baltimore. Team #21 off of the board here. I am going to see the Padres later in the year in Philly since they will be the opponent for the Aaron Nola bobblehead but I was interested to see the reaction to Manny Machado. The previous night he got a standing ovation so I think it will be a bit more muted since this was a day game. I know that because I caught the end of the game and part of the wrap up show on my drive home from Waldorf. Matt Strahm started for the Padres against Dylan Bundy for the Orioles. Both starters have had issues with the longball and that carried over to today. The Orioles struck first plating a run in the first but things went downhill from there. Greg Garcia hit a 2-run shot (I was in line to get one of the dollar dogs when it happened), Franmil Reyes hit the first of his two the following inning (his second was a monster shot to left) and later Hunter Renfroe added one. The Orioles stayed close, (sort of) with a bomb from Jonathan Villar that landed in the Padres’ bullpen and a solo shot from Pedro Severino but they never could get over the hump. I am surprised that the Nationals let Severino go considering their poor play at the catcher position the past few years but I have never really been impressed by the GM’s ability to evaluate mid-tier talent but that is something for another day. Bundy lasted only one batter into the 5th and the Orioles pen did what it did best, which led to a 10-5 San Diego win. Oh and for the record Machado received a nice ovation when he was introduced from most of the 13,000 people in attendance when he came up to bat for the first time.
Game #82 Somerset @ Lancaster. Haven’t been over to Lancaster in a bit so it is time to get a game in there. Dinner was at Columbia Kettle Works. Was hoping Starview would be open (they were supposed to open last November) but still no dice on that. David Holmberg started for the Patriots against John Anderson for the Barnstormers. The last time I saw Holmberg was when I went to Louisville and he was knocked around. Tonight he was better. Now I didn’t think this would be an enjoyable evening for one reason: behind home plate is the defending Kevy award winner for worst umpire Nate Caldwell. But the Atlantic League has a secret weapon with the automated strike zone. Tonight was not a 3 1/2 hour, get everyone mad at him and his shifting strike zone night. No, no one got mad at him until Darian Sanford tried to score on a popup to deep second and got called out. From where I sat Caldwell got that call right and I was sitting right behind the visitor’s dugout. Holmberg got in some trouble but always managed to get out of it and kept Lancaster off of the board. Somerset wins this one 3-0.
Glad I went to the game and didn’t watch the Democratic debate. I am planning a drinking game and I flipped it on for a few minutes and I am pretty sure I would have had a problem waking up the next morning had I watched the entire thing.
Game #83 New Britain @ York. Stayed local for a Friday. Hit Mudhook during the day after I went to my niece’s art exhibit. She still has not learned how to spell uncle. Before the game I stopped in at Liquid Hero on a hot and muggy night. Duke von Shamann started for the Revs against Devin Burke for the Bees. Burke had a sparkling sub-2 ERA but tonight he stunk. Von Shamann spotted the Bees two runs before Telvin Nash hit a 2-run shot that hit the tree across Arch St. from the stadium. While von Shamann was hardly on point he got outs when he needed to while Burke struggled to make it through 4. His relief was worse taking a 5-2 game and making it 9-2. This game took forever. I left a 2 1/2 hours in and the 6th inning was not complete. I pulled the game up on the computer at home at 10:00 and it was finally wrapping up. Oy. York wins 9-5 and as a bonus High Point defeated Sugar Land so York is now only 3 games back in the first half. I can’t believe this but they actually have a chance to win the first half. If you would have told me that 2 weeks ago I would have asked you what you are smoking.
Game #84 Greensboro @ Lakewood. Off to New Jersey for this one. Took the long route there so I visited Death of the Fox in Clarksboro, Eight and Sand in Woodbury, Flying Fish in Somerdale, Spellbound and Village Idiot in Mt. Holly and Icarus in Lakewood before arriving. Also visited Red Bank Battlefield as well, stay tuned for the update to that page in the very near future. New Jersey is untapped territory for me so it looks like I’ll make a few more trips back this way to visit them, if only once a year. I’d also like to say that I hope Phillies’ GM Matt Klentak doesn’t listen to Philly sports talk radio, he has been getting slammed for not adding any pitching during the offseason. Yikes.
The weather forecast for this was not good to start but when you come this far I decided to stick it out. Turns out we only had a 45 minute rain delay. Tyler McKay started for Lakewood against Alex Manasa for Greensboro. Manasa struggled for the first two innings but only gave up two runs through them. McKay was good the first time through the order but Greensboro struck back to tie the game. Lakewood broke the tie plating one run before an Abraham Gutierrez insurance home run for a Lakewood 4-2 win. I saw something in this game I haven’t before. Lakewood center fielder Carlos De La Cruz stands 6’8! He is the tallest position player I have ever seen. It’s going to be hard to hit a ball over his head but he’s also going to need to hit better than .230 to move up in the system. He’s also going to need to put on some muscle, he’s skinny as a rail.
Game #85 Cleveland @ Baltimore. Team #22 off of the board. The new offense juggernaut that is the Orioles offense takes on the Tribe. The Orioles won the first two games of the series 13-0! Where has this been all year? Shane Bieber, who dominated the Orioles the last time he faced them started for Cleveland against Gabriel Ynoa for the Orioles. First, this was a gorgeous day for baseball, not too hot, not humid and with a very nice (and constant) breeze in the upper deck. Maybe that’s why this was a pitcher’s duel. While Cleveland plated 1 off of Ynoa they did not batter him around like other teams have but the problem was Bieber. He was dominant striking out 11 Orioles through 8. When the Orioles’ batters were not striking out they were grounding out meekly. Brad Hand closed it out for a Cleveland 2-0 win. Yep, the Oriole starter gives up only 1 run and loses the game. Fluky sometimes but not with this team.
On the docket for next week:
July 1 – Lynchburg @ Frederick
July 2 – Miami @ Washington
July 3 – Greensboro @ Hagerstown
July 4 – West Virginia @ Williamsport
July 5 – York @ Lancaster
July 6 – Kansas City @ Washington
July 7 – TBD
