29ERS Over Beers After Close Late Innings

Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that almost every time. Enough of an early lead to relax the dugout, followed by some nail-biting-ish quasi-excitement towards the end. It got juuust close enough that I felt the ol' jock tighten a smidge, but it's like I always say, "If your jock's not tight, you're playing too loose." But it probably just means you need to do a wash. DJ . . . do a wash.

DJ riding toward the laundromat, bats tucked snugly behind him

I gotta give some credit to the grit the Beers showed, too. Most of you know how easy it is to get down after giving up an early lead, especially a lead that's been manufactured by errors (I don't think there was an RBI until the sixth run came in), but they rallied back at us. Zack pitched well, often navigating The News' Alan's bizarre strike zone (ball zone?) while limiting the hard contact and getting, *cough*, occasional help from his infield (more on that later). That is, until they started tagging the ball, and they did. On Saturday we'll be on their turf, and that really is where they like to swing it. 

The hole there. That's it. That's the strike zone. Just the hole, nothing else. Hole.

Miles came in, and, bless him, Miles went out. This, no, this I can't say was the umpire's fault. Some days you just don't clock into the office right. 'Sappens. It was a disappointment in some small way that the game got as close as it did because I think many of us were ready for DJ to make his pitching debut. I'm down to see it in a close game, too, because why not. I love the predictability of winning as much as the next 29er but you know you'd get a little giddy (McCauly might even get a lil boner) if things were shaken up a bit.

Bobby came in and quieted things down with a nine-out (?) save for his seventh in five games. It's possible, folks, just trust me on this one. He also started a clean 5-4-3 on a hard-hit ball down the line off a backhand. I don't have the book so I can't say exactly who did what and to whom or when but I can crack off a couple of highlights, starting with . . .

SURPRISING NOBODY the Spitz® brand Sunflower Seeds Big Bag™ Cracked Pepper Flavored PLAY OF THE GAME: You ... you knew it was going to come down to this. In the first inning, James Sinclair hit the exact same up the middle low screamer and I dove for it, knocking it down and then "throwing" it like how I would imagine a tipped cow might throw a baseball "toward" first base. 

That ... did not turn out how it looks in my mind before I go to sleep and pray to the lil baseball angels to turn me into Brandon Phillips. Or Javi Baez. Shit, I'll even take Brandon Hicks I'm really not picky but just anyone who can make that play. I got a chance to redeem myself, and by extension, all of us, really, a few innings later when Chad was on first and James again hits the quick low two-hopper just right of the second base bag. I reached out and in an instant couldn't believe it was in my glove but the feeling fleeted WHEN THE BALL MAJESTICALLY FLOATED FROM MY GLOVE TO RICKEY'S. Rickey throws onto first, James throws his helmet. 

Sometimes it's fun to rob guys you like, but let me tell you, NOBODY likes hitting into double plays. Even if they're (the double plays) as goddam sexy as that one was. We even got a "FUCK YOU, Rickey . . . fuck you, too, Ray" from the Beers dugout. Usually that means the 29ers have done good things.

***

The Toyota Corolla "Let's Go Places" DRIVE OF THE GAME: You saw it, and you friggin loved it. Miles absolutely crushed a ball for a stand-up triple into the right-centerfield gap. That ball was nutted, annihilated, rocked, popped, as Miles might say, EEUUGGHHhhgHG'd, roped. I've seen plenty of you guys hit balls hard, but this one got small very, very quickly. At Willard that's a home run. I need to mention that he pulled the ball, too. Miles' pulled ball season counter is now at: 1. Keep it up, skip.

***

No player of the game this time. Team effort, all that. But I want to tell you guys, if you like this #content, keep a good book. Put a star or a little circle on especially noteworthy at-bats. If you're in the dugout and someone makes an incredible play in the field, make a note of the inning and who hit it. Not only am I usually in the field and don't carry a notebook in my back pocket but I'm usually a sixer deep by the time the 7th rolls around. Help me help you. 

 Beers again next week. Let's get it. I'm starting the official lobby for a DJ start right now, with a little Gantz sprinkled in. Let that gather some momentum til Saturday. And have a good practice tonight. I'm mired in papers and finals for the time being. But for now it's time to switch on that Giants game.

NEXT GAME

Saturday 20 May

@

The Oakland Beers

12 Noon /// Lowell Park

/Extremely monster truck voice AND IT'S GONNA BE A SCORCHER

One last thing, because the Beers ALSO have both red jerseys and grey jerseys and have not committed to any kind of systemic way of when they wear which, bring both your GREY AND YOUR RED jerseys on Saturday and we'll wear whichever color they're not wearing. It's happened before where everyone's in the same red jersey and it sucks. You don't know who's a baserunner and who is Cam playing right field for the other team. (Jk.)