9/5/19 San Quentin A's vs. MBC

There was another game that was not covered here, but stood in infamy as classic con from the cons.  The quick and dirty was that the MBC was winning, the inmates cajoled the team into playing one last inning, and then "rallied" from behind and in the final wisps of the game stole victory and forced a tie, due to the most flagrant incorrect call from an umpire (a real umpire, not a inmate!).  Nick W blocked the plate with the ball in glove, tagged the runner, and somehow, the runner was still called safe.  Brian Phelps felt that this was tragedy on the grand scale, and put together a Shakespearean description:

To be safe, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the walls to suffer
The ups and downs of outrageous misfortune,
Or to take Arms against a singles or double,
And by opposing end them: to tie, to weep
No more; and by a tie, to say we won
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
That ump is error to! 'Tis a injustice

Blocked was the dish. To tie, to weep,
Chance to end a Dream; aye, there's the rub,
For that sweet taste, what dreams may have come...

Needless to say, a rematch was in order.

Here with the summations, in order, of the final game are Chris Powell, John McGrath, Dan Chang, Sean Presley with the zinger, and Mitch Burnham.

The short version is we lost 5 - 3.

Some details:

- Plate Ump was all over the place.

- I got a called strike 3 in the 1st on a ball at my feet with Mitch on 3rd, 1 out and a 1 - 2 count.

- Sean pitched all 8 innings, and an amazing game (picked off 2 people).

- Mitch made some amazing catches in center to rob a number of hitters (received a game ball).

- The defense was solid.

- Dan got tattooed in the wrist by a rocket off Austin's bat.

- One rough inning where 4 runs scored (a couple errors but mostly good hits).

- Mitch was 0/0(?) with 3 runs scored. I was 3/4 with 3 RBI

- Nick had a nice play in the outfield, hit the cut and Greg threw the runner out at the plate.

----

Speed kills

We would have had an out at 3rd on a great Brian (LF) to Chris to Dan relay and a second OF assist from Nick in RF if their runners were no so goddamn fast (and a 3-3 score - maybe)

Nick also almost got someone stretching a RF single into a double, but the sun angle was deadly for the recipient of that throw

We didn't get a lot of hits and a had a few too many Ks, but truthfully we did pretty well all in all and the ump was a factor with a mondo/erratic zone or maybe strike acreage

Last, very nice post game huddle and comments and another heartfelt prayer from Brandon to close it out in the twilight

----

Stellar defense in the outfield, Sean was a workhorse on the mound, I got a serious hand job, wrist still sore, but at least I made it out of prison, and yes, I put some ice on it. 3B is no joke, but I'm starting to get a feel for it. 

That said, we played a pretty good game considering Chris went 6 for 4 and collected all 6 of our 4 hits and knocked in 8 of our 3 runs.

My own reflection two games in is this is some serious home field advantage like Ive never seen.

----

Glad you got your first san quentin hand job....

----

Sean picked off a pinch runner I believe which is somehow very satisfying even watching it from center. Then we did botch a pickle, but to be fair that guy was a jack rabbit.

Brian had a perfect bunt hit that went about 5 feet and sunk into the silt.

Correction I went 1/1 with three walks somehow, even with that wild zone. Better to be lucky than good.