Outpost Mâvarin: EMPS: Mostly Say Hooray For Our Side (Part Two)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

EMPS: Mostly Say Hooray For Our Side (Part Two)

I'm breaking my EMPS entry into two parts this week. This is Part Two. Scroll UP for Part One.

As I mentioned in the entry I'll be posting about two minutes after this one, the theme for this week's EMPS is Sides. The term applies in a couple of ways at a baseball game like the one John and I attended tonight as our 31st wedding anniversary celebration. The right and left sides of Hi Corbett Field, and ballparks generally, are referred to as the "First Base side" and the "Third Base side," or the "home team side" and the "visitors' side." And of course we take sides at sporting events. We're supposed to "root, root root for the home team," right?

But tonight it looked as though we were heading for "If they don't win it's a shame." Toros starting pitcher Vince Davis gave up four runs in the first five innings, and the Toros batters only managed to score once in seven innings.

Lino Garcia doubles, eventually going 4-4 on the night. But Toros batters
score only one run in seven innings.

So. Bottom of the 8th, down 3 runs. John's talking about going home. Then:

Two out, bases loaded, team down 1 run to 4. Wally Backman Jr. evens the score
with a 3 RBI triple! "Wally! Wally! Wally!" the crowd chants.

Suddenly it's a ball game! And the relief pitcher, Andrew Snowdon, celebrates his first professional ball game by striking out four batters in two and two-thirds scoreless innings. Way to go, kid! These late game heroics lead to a classic bottom-of-the-ninth battle, which I persuade John to stick around for. With Toros at second and third base, the Calgary Capitals intentionally walk Josh Womack, who has no hits on the night. Jose Valdez, also hitless, steps to the plate.