A Close One

We lost again, and we only played 8 innings, but it was close. We struggled as we have many weeks, but kept it close, a 5-1 game as we had a guy steal home early on. The game was dragging, and I was in center, only seeing a couple grounders get through up the middle. I came up in the 2nd, and struck out looking for the third out. I was out of sorts, struggling to concentrate and swung at a high one (miss), had a bad swing at one mid and outside, and then watched a beautiful one come in across the plate, knee high. Grrrrrr

Then we started to hit. The next inning we got a few hits and the run. Then I came up to lead off the 5th and our manager said to square for a fake bunt, then pull back and swing. I didn’t. I’ve learned to build  a rhythm and so I waited, saw another pitch like the last one I let go and swung. Caught all of it, but it was out front of the plate and it wasn’t thrown hard. Still it went over the right fielder’s head and hit the fence for a double.

The inning before I’d pinch run for a guy and on a throw over, the first baseman, all 250lbs of him landed on me with his elbow in my shoulder blade. So I got a pinch runner, we scored a few and things were looking good. In the 7th I came up and hit a line drive single out into right and we scored to bring it to 6-5.

A close game, and despite giving up some hits, we managed to keep it that way to the bottom of the 8th. Including bases loaded in the top of the 8th with one out and us not giving up a run. It seemed like we might win. We got two on, 2nd and 3rd, then two outs. I was on deck, and they debated walking the batter to fill the bases, but decided not to with me on deck. The pitcher told me that later, but I think he was just being nice. He’s had good success against me, despite my 2-3 for today.

A slow grounder that the third baseman picked up and made a short throw to first, but it got picked up and the game was over. Still it was a great game.

The downside for me was that I moved to right in the 5th, and then there was a short pop-up. The 2nd baseman stepped onto the grass, bobbled and dropped it. As I shifted weight to try to grab it, I rolled the right ankle again. So I sat out the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. I’ve only missed one inning all year, so that was disappointing.