Another week, another new field. We have become so accustomed to GGP it is weird to play anywhere else. However, the West Sunset field is a favorite of mine, partly because St Ignatius keeps it in really good shape, and because it is relatively easy to get to from the East Bay, bypassing the long drive across the surface streets of SF. The weather was about what it usually is, 65 degrees, foggy, gray, somehow hot and cold at the same time.
We had 15 for a short time, so an improvement from last week, but still less than we should have, given that the summer slump should be over. Sean started for the visitors and Satch for the homers. Just like last week. This week for the first time, we got off to a lead and managed to hold it. I was pretty worried about the lineup I was facing though, anytime you have to face Aaron, Gabe, Sean, and Lynch, is never a fun time. That being said, the guy that probably did the most damage for the day was John McG, who had my number all day for big hits when they were needed—other than one strikeout.
We had a commanding lead for most of the game. After a close seesaw battle early on, we raced to what seemed like an insurmountable lead of 7-2. I was starting to see CG victory signs in my eyes, and I wholly admit to being overconfident. Baseball is always a terrific lesson in humility. They closed the gap around the 7th to 8-5. I was still cruising and feeling good, and HR asked if he could pitch, and I was equivocal about the whole thing, per the aforementioned overconfidence.
I went into the 9th, and I told HR that if I blew the lead, he could take over. And then I blew the lead. Not all my fault, we had more bad hops on this nice field than I have ever seen, but between the big hit, the dropped flies, the clanged ground balls, and the miscommunications; the visitors raced 6 runs across the board. The nail in the coffin was with two outs; Nick W hit a got to get it over fastball to deep left that went just beyond the grasp of Anna. I slumped my way to center field and motioned for HR to come in, but the team held me back and told me to clean up my own mess—but in a nice way. So I did.
I wish I could say that we roared back, but we were all pretty despondent at that point. We also had Good Aaron pitching which is never the right start for a comeback. We folded like a 7-2 off suit in Texas Hold'Em and the game was over.
Final- 11-8, Visitors
Highlights
* Hats off to a great team that never gave up, and made the most of the game
* Aaron made a couple of defensive plays that should not be legal in a game as sloppy as the MBC
* I told Sean that he was getting a fastball down the middle just to screw with him about the short porch in right. It mostly worked
* Aaron broke Jacob's new old bat on a knuckleball that he broke the knob of the bat clean off
* John McG was a hitting machine
* The concrete amphitheater style of West Sunset really amplifies the volume of the hits
* Too many lefties hitting over third base
* Case in point, Gaspar had the most Gasparian double of all time
* Brian Phelps made an appearance, and did all the things that he is good at
* Apologies to HR, I was blinded by my desire to win at least one of the game of the last three that I have pitched in
* In a show of sportsmanship, the visitors played with two outfielders in the 9th, but it did us no good
* While I was sorry to see Gabe leave early, it did make the lineup less scary
* Jacob had a super rough series of hops at 3rd, but handled it well
* After getting on base in the 9th, I swapped with Jacob to play defense, so he could hit; sure would be nice to play with full squads
* Cap tip to Nick W and Greg, who took it in the neck all game behind the dish
* When we say hold it, that means don't throw it
* Any single is a double when Aaron hits it
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