July 24 2007

Central Park. 6:30pm. Vs Burnaby Brewers.

The weather was hella better than the June 24th rained-out affair which this midweek make-up game was a result of. We tried four different wordings of that previous sentence to strive for the best clarity, and that was the best we could get. Ugh.

Game started in the Brewers favor, with two runs scored in the first inning with a potential third run thrown out at the plate by a heads-up Heatley who had a strong game.

Several Indians had a strong game at the plate, hitting the ball hard; unfortunately, several of the hard-hit balls found a fielder's glove or grass on the foul side of the line. Their players, on the other hand, had hard-hit balls that kept finding grass in the area between the infield and outfield.

In the fourth inning, this blogger found out that we were only playing seven innings, irregardless of time. Something we felt should have been well announced by somebody before the game so all players are in the know. This comes after our last game played only went seven innings due to lonnnng innings in the first half of the game. Our several nine-inning games to start the season - along with our wins - seem like a distant memory.

In the top of the sixth, we were batting and down 3-1. A couple of players did rally caps and that is undoubtedly what sparked a rally, capped by a bases-loaded after-the-pitch try-to-catch-the-runner-too-far-off-the-base catcher's throw to third which got by the third baseman allowing the runner to score to tie the game.

However, in the bottom of the same inning the Brewers moved two runners across the plate, setting us up for a dramatic top of the seventh comeback. To be or not to be? It wasn't to be. We moved one runner across the plate, and then the third out was made. A 5-4 loss. Bah humbug.

Of note, after a beaning this game Kelly has now been beaned three times in the past two games. In other words, that's three times in 14 innings. Wait a sec... We're quite sure it was at least the third inning last game when his first beaning occured (since it happened after his drill-the-pitcher at-bat), so make that three times in 12 innings. That's once every 4 innings. Keep up the good work Grace!

Today's iPod.
The Brew Crew had runners in scoring position and less than two out when a ball was popped up in foul territory a considerable distance past first base. Heatley followed it with speed, kept track of the fast approaching fence, and made an outstretched on-the-move catch before quickly turning to ensure the runner at third stayed put. Kudos.
After Heatley's rain-out performance on June 24th earned him the iPod that day, this is his second iPod at Central Park in exactly a month. Double Kudos.