6/20/21 GGP #3

Roundabout game-time I was torturing the kids in the car about having to come play baseball with me for Father's Day after we got back from our camping trip....but of course, I knew that was a pipe dream, because at 3pm we were somewhere around Rio Vista, stuck in the 4-way intersection.  Still better than 80 any day of the week.  Mike L was there, and he filed this report:

Week 3 in Golden Gate Park, and while the weather looked more like Week 2 (a bit gray, but not too windy), the game itself shaped up to be a cleaner affair with more than full sides on each bench. 

It started as a matchup of veteran right handers, with Sonny spinning balls off the mound for the visitors while yours truly (Mike L) took the bump for the home team. All in all, a solid start for both of us. I was able to hold the visitors mostly in check through four innings, exiting down 2-0 on the strength of a fourth inning that saw Urano and Adam both do what they should have done with pitches right down the pipe - smoke them up the middle for a hit. Those hits plus some stolen bases and a couple of errant throws erased my attempt at four clean innings but left us in good condition overall. 

That’s because once I was out of the game our offense got to work, stacking up four runs in the bottom of the fifth to give us a lead with Mitch, Greg, Marcy, and Me all reaching base before an out was recorded, and reaching home safely before the third out was made. 

The beneficiary of those runs was Sean, who followed me on the hill and quickly claimed the title ‘King of the Comebacker’, as hitter after hitter knocked one back at him (including a life-threatening line drive from Bob), and as expected Sean handled them all with ease. I think there were 5 (could have been 6) comebackers over Sean’s four innings. Including one where he caught Liam (how had arrived late from high up in the mountains) leaning off third to help erase a threat. 

Sonny bowed to Phelps after 5 solid innings, turning it into a battle of the lefties as we headed late into the game. We were able to tack on a run against Phelps (Greg driving in Mitch) which proved handy as ultimately the visitors were able to scratch 3 runs across against Sean to tighten things up. 

But that is as tight as they would get, as Chris came in looking sharp to get the last three outs - a single the only blemish on the back of his baseball card for the day. All in all, a fun day at the yard, a nice sub-3-hour game, and plenty of good spirits as we all enjoy the post-pandemic life. 

Highlights: 

·       We would have had a runner thrown out at the plate for the second straight week, as Mitch came charging hard on a liner to left as Urano charged hard around third. Sadly, the relay was not to be, as Tony started to throw before he ever had the ball fully in his glove. Probably could have stopped, looked at it, added some Pelican Grip, then thrown and still gotten the out…. 
·         James hit a prodigious blast just foul down the left field line that came up about three feet short of landing in the middle of a family picnic….
     The McGrath boys both banged doubles deep into the gap for a nice Father/Son Father’s Day combo 
·         Marcy had a solid day at the plate, roping a line drive to third that unfortunately was right into Bob’s glove (6 inches either way it’s a hit!) 
·         Adam continued to square the ball up, and this week he actually got rewarded with hits. 
·         T-shirt Mike was a vacuum at third, which was much appreciated by his fellow shorts-wearing pitcher… 
·         We had a few groups of family and friends as spectators which is always nice and is a perfect lead in reminder to bring the family out for the 4th of July. The doubleheader and BBQ are a GO and we will be circulating the sign-up sheet soon!