TOP OF THE SIXTH: YANKEES 6 (5) – 4 RANGERS
Emily Jones is on Fox Sports Southwest saying:
“I walk into the clubhouse and try to talk a little Spanish to the guys, it’s always, you know, ‘Como estas?’ ‘Bien, y tu?’ And, for Bartolo, every day it’s just one thing: ‘Tranquilo’.”
“Tranquilo, indeed,” the guys say up in the booth. “No better way to describe Bartolo than tranquilo.”
Continue reading “Game 133 // Sixth Inning, Texas // Gleyber v. Elder”
BOTTOM OF THE NINTH: BRAVES 10 (4) – 9 MARLINS
The Braves have a World Series win in each of their three cities.
Boston. Milwaukee. Atlanta.
Now, after those lost years of late, they’re back in first.
And you’d wonder, after watching this game today, if they’re ready to break the One Trophy Per City Curse. Or if, after missing in the last thirteen playoff tries, the Atlanta thing will have them stuck. Until they move. Again.
But then. You realize they’re not in Atlanta. Continue reading “Game 132 // Ninth Inning, Atlanta // Winning in the Unincorporated Community of Cumberland”
BOTTOM OF THE FIRST: CUBS 5 (0) – 0 WHITE SOX
You know, we could talk about the ballgame. The Cubs, the Sox, the rivalry, the history.
We could.
But.
Look behind home plate for a moment. Continue reading “Game 131 // First Inning, Chicago // Behold, La Sape Est Arrivée”
FIRST INNING: METS 0 – 0 REDS
It wasn’t so long ago that the Mets were 13-4.
Then, you go watch them in New York. They lose 7-0. The next day, 11-0. Swept by the Braves. Swept by the Rockies.
And now, today.
Continue reading “Game 130 // First Inning, Cincinnati // The Mets Are Out of Order”
FIRST INNING: ROYALS 10 (0) – 0 ORIOLES
You’re at home. You’re 8-26 on the year. You have no hope.
But you’re facing the Royals. They’re just a hair better than you. It’s the first inning and something about every game is a new day.
And then, Jorge Soler comes up, takes a hack at a fastball over the plate, and Gary Thorne announces the beginning of the end of the Baltimore Orioles 2018 season.
“High in the air, that is deep center field, and goodbye home run.”
Continue reading “Game 129 // First Inning, Baltimore // The Orioles Are Dead”
BOTTOM OF THE NINTH: ANGELS 2 – 0 ASTROS
Two days in a row now, a ballgame has ended with a walk-off replay review.
Bottom of the 9th, home team down by two, a runner called safe.
Then, a challenge, a review, and a reversal.
And an umpire. One umpire. The same umpire. Crouching in position on Sunday, crouching on Monday, crouching and making a terrible call.
Cory Blaser—what’s going on, big guy?
Continue reading “Game 128 // Ninth Inning, Houston // Cory Blaser—What’s Going on, Big Guy?”
BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH: METS 11 (2) – 4 NATIONALS
The Mets, tonight, sat on the edge of a giant cliff. The letters SWEEP written into the dirt of the plains below.
The Washington Nationals poking them with a stick, their toes inching closer, closer, to the edge—to the point where that N.L East lead might collapse back toward the imaginary.
And then, this eighth inning.
Continue reading “Game 127 // Eighth Inning, New York // The Kings of Queens”
TOP OF THE EIGHTH: NATIONALS 7 (1) – 6 METS
The Nationals scored six runs in the eighth inning to make a stunning comeback against the Mets who so far on the season have beaten the odds to take the division lead and—
Forget all that.
Did you see what Bryce Harper did, in the third inning?
Continue reading “Game 126 // Eighth Inning, New York // The Broken Bat Home Run”
NINTH INNING: METS 3 (2) – 2 BREWERS
I need a resident Mets fan here.
Like those guys on Pawn Stars they bring in to give prices on Batman action figures and signed photos of The Monkees.
After a win like this, come down to the store and tell me: are you letting yourself believe?
Continue reading “Game 125 // Ninth Inning, New York // You Still Believe in Me”
