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April 19, 2012: Nationals vs. Astros

By Maggie on April 22, 2012

What’s worse than losing a game 11-4 in an UGLY way? Losing a blog post because WordPress is having issues. That’s right – this is attempt number two after having written everything and put in pictures and EVERYTHING. So we’ll make this a quick version of that more extensive post that has been lost to the black hole of the internet.

So Edwin Jackson started out well – he had a strikeout to start the game. But then he allowed 6 runs on base, and 5 of those runners scored. Ouch. Luckily, after that he pitched another 4 innings of 1-2-3 out baseball to make things less painful for the Nats fans in attendance.

Helping EJax out was the offense. Adam LaRoche had some great base running in the second inning (assisted by a wild pitch, and a big hit by Wilson Ramos), and then Ryan Zimmerman came through in a big way in the third with his first HR of the season. This brought the score to Astros 5, Nationals 4, and it seemed like a comeback was in the works!

Unfortunately, this is when things got confusing. At the top of the 6th, before his spot in the hitting rotation had even come up, Jackson was taken out of the game in favor of Tom Gorzelanny. This proved to be a big mistake, because Gorzelanny allowed 5 runs in the 6th inning, and another in the 7th, bringing the score to 11-4 Astros (the score which would prove to be the final). Does anyone out there have any idea what happened?

It was National High Five Day at the park, which was pretty cool, because I’m a fan of high-fives. Not so cool was the complaining by a guy sitting behind me. He went on for about 15 minutes about how there are no real Nationals fans because no one is actually from the Washington area, and that it was pathetic that the stadium was empty. Two things: there are plenty of people who are Washington-area natives (myself included), and if you consider that there was a Caps playoff game that night (a weeknight), and some people may be holding off on attending games until they figure out if this Nats team is for real.

So – you’re all Nats fans – what do you think? Is this complainer right? How many Washington DC-area natives do you know that are fans of the local baseball team? Do you think attendance will pick up later in the season?

Full album here.

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April 14, 2012: Nationals vs. Reds

By Maggie on April 21, 2012

I have a very busy spring ahead of me, and this last Saturday wasn’t much different. I had three items on my agenda: visiting the zoo in the morning, baseball game in the afternoon (main goal: Strasburg bobblehead), and birthday party in the evening. Since my afternoon and evening agendas overlapped quite a bit, I had to split my time. This meant arriving early for the game in order to guarantee getting a bobblehead, and leaving about halfway through to make my next event. But the time I had at the ballgame allowed me to get in some quality portions of the game, and to appreciate what’s happening with the Nationals this season.

Before the game even started I was hanging out with some Nats fans (including @tracytran, who sold me my ticket), talking about the team, and what we thought of the way things were going so far, and our hopes for the future. In the middle of that discussion, we were approached by the Nat Pack who asked if we wanted to participate in a trivia game on NatsHD. Tracy and I agreed, and played “Ross or Ryan” (Detweiler or Mattheus) with Clint. Apart from the first question (who wears #48?), most of the answers were not things that either of us readily knew because Ryan Mattheus and Ross Detweiler aren’t given the Tiger Beat treatment the way that Zimmerman and Strasburg are. Through sheer luck (50/50!), I ended up winning the game, and was given a prize pack which included a knit cap, a frosty mug and an Ian Desmond bobblehead. Since I already had a Desmond bobblehead, I gave mine to Tracy so he could complete his collection.

On to the game – we sat up in section 222, which has a nice view along the first base line, but not so far in the outfield that it’s hard to see. We were a little worried after the top of the second when the Reds scored their first run, but with some timely walks, a hit by Flores and great base-running by Jayson Werth, things were tied up 1-1 at the end of that inning. In the third inning, LaRoche smacked a double and batted in two runs that would be enough for the Nats to win.

The third inning is also when I think the crowd started to notice that Jackson was pitching really well. With the exception of the 8th, he would continue to take down the Reds hitters in order, 1-2-3. It was really an impressive outing, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to see all of it. And while I’m praising Jackson’s performance, I think now is the time to mention my ESP. During the third or fourth inning, I turned to Tracy and said, “Since Gio had his first hit ever at the home opener, I think Edwin should get a hit in this game to balance things out.” I had promised myself I would stay through the president’s race, and so was actually walking towards the metro when I heard the cheers for Jackson as he made his first hit of the year!

And that’s it. I watched the end of the game in awe from the bar where the birthday party was being held. I actually drew the attention of the entire table to what was happening when I noticed that Jackson was still pitching in the 8th. I’m pleased to report that after his amazing complete game, everyone at the table was talking about the Nats and the fantastic start to the season they were off to. And because I have no pictures from the bar, here are a few more pics from the game.

Full album can be found here.

N.B. – I held off on writing this post until I had time, which meant I had the opportunity to go to Jackson’s second outing at Nats Park on Thursday which wasn’t quite as good. I’ll address that game in a post tomorrow.

April 13, 2012: Nats vs Reds

By Ashley on April 17, 2012

Friday the 13th. You never quite know what to expect when that day rolls around. Usually, it’s a typical day except you have something to blame if anything goes wrong. My evening with the Nats didn’t start off well – our regular lot (HH) was charging $10 for parking (double last year’s price of $5, which is still posted on the Nat’s website) and the Half Street Fairgrounds bouncers were harassing us about carrying water bottles. Neither incident put me in a good mood whatsoever. However, once we got inside the park, things changed for the better.

First, my husband bought me a fried pie from Box Frites. On the spectrum of commercial fried pies, it tasted much better than it looked, but didn’t quite measure up to the Varsity (but really, what could?). Overall, a B+ pushed into A- territory by the decadent caramel sauce. The filling was wonderful (I tried the apple, he tried the mixed berry. We didn’t share).

Next, we got to watch Jordan Zimmermann play. This First Lady loves the tall socks and the good arm. He’s a fast pitcher too – the 7th inning stretch was somewhere around 8:45. At that point, the Nats were down by one, but they soon tied it up with a homer from Nady. Also? The Reds pitcher was in for one batter before he was yanked – Nady. I guess it’s bad form to give up a run on your second pitch.

The Nats outfield was pretty solid other than back-to-back errors in the 7th. The team seemed very cohesive too – the atmosphere at the park was more an expectation of winning than of clinging to the faint hope of a win smothered in a blanked of acceptance that the team will lose.

Sadly, even though the Nats came back spectacularly in the 13th, I was in bed asleep by that point. Maggie texted me to see if we were still at the game, but several late nights in a row had done their work and I was out. Next time Nats, next time…

More pictures here.

Friday the 13th

By Maggie on April 13, 2012

Tonight’s game went on WAY too long. On Friday the 13th, the Nats took 13 innings to win it, improving to 6-2. Ashley was there and will have a proper game post later, but here’s the walk-off single from Jayson Werth as seen from Maggie’s couch.

April 12, 2012: Nats vs. Reds (Home Opener)

By Maggie on April 13, 2012

There is nothing like opening day at baseball – the crack of the bats, green fields, movement of bodies. Add to that beautiful weather, and there’s not much more you can really ask for after a long bleak winter. And when your team has already spent a week on the road, it’s easy to understand why Nats fans were a little impatient to see our team after the performances that they had put on earlier in the season. Any time a team comes back from a road trip 4-2, your fans will be eager to see if that performance can be replicated at home. And Nats fans were in for a treat.

It wasn’t a good win, but it was still a win. There were lots of good things about it – Gio’s lights out pitching with 7 Ks and 0 walks, LaRoche knocking a 2 RBI single to get the first runs of the game on the board, a fantastic 10th inning by Craig Stammen to keep the Nats in the game, and some smart baserunning by Ryan Zimmerman to close things out.

But there was some ugly too. This was not Ryan Zimmerman’s game. In addition to a throwing error in the third, there were 2 hits that went down the third base line that flew right between Zimmy and the foul line. The people in Maggie’s section kept wondering if those would be counted as errors against #11, but we’re thinking he was just lucky he didn’t get any sort of touch on those balls, or else they WOULD have been counted against him.

Tyler Clippard seemed to struggle a little in the 8th, but worked his way out of the jam, but Brad Lidge could not say the same. Everyone in Nats Park was hoping for a clean 9th, and to go home happy, but Lidge walked Votto, allowed a double, intentionally walked to fill the bases, and then allowed a hit to a guy whose BA at that point was .071. Ouch. Brad is lucky that the next two hitters returned hits that were catchable, because if the Nats had well and truly blown their lead, things would have been ugly in Southwest DC.

As for what’s new around the park…we can’t quite tell you yet. Maggie and Ashley met up before the game to enjoy $5 beers (no change) at the Scoreboard Walk (and had time to say hello to some twitter friends) before the game started. Ashley and her husband Drew started making use of their “Eat for the Cycle” cards (Pro tip: you have to ask for one – they’re not just sitting out near the registers), and Maggie and her dad went for old favorites, ordering a half-smoke with chili and cheese and a hamburger and peanuts, respectively. We’ll try to sample as much of the new offerings as possible throughout the season and let you know what got bumped off the menus to make room.

But for now, let’s celebrate the Nats being in sole possession of first place with their 5-2 record. Even better? The Mets and Phillies are starting a series, and will hopefully sabotage each others’ attempts to climb in the standings. Keep your fingers crossed that the Nats can enjoy the view from the top for a little while longer.

More pictures from the game are here.

April 4, 2012: Nats vs Red Sox (Exhibition)

By Ashley on April 5, 2012

Welcome back to…

Spring! The cherry trees were in full bloom and military helicopters flew by the stadium regularly. What else says spring in DC?

Ballpark food! $5 pregame beers are back, along with Shake Shack (that delicious burger), and Box Frites (not pictured are our garlic fries). Your First Ladies will try to sample some of the new food options, but sometimes you have to go with what you know. Of note, prices have gone up again on some items.

Racing Presidents! We thought Teddy might have a chance in the preseason, but no luck. He was helped out by the bunny (who tackled Abe, Tom, and George), but got distracted by two jugglers right before the finish line.

Fabulous weather! The field started out completely in the sun, but the shadows stretched long as the game played out. Ashley’s new seats are over in left field… a girl could get used to this view.

Silly games between innings! So far the best new game was “Stealing Second”. The contestant has 45 seconds to run from center field to 2nd base, switch the base out, and run back. If he does it, he gets to keep the game used base. Nifty.

Great catches! Derosa was right in front of us in left field, and we got to see several nice snags. The infield wasn’t too bad either!

Home runs! Ramos got things started with a 3 run homer, and Desmond answered with a solo in the next inning. It wasn’t quite enough to put us over the top, but it was lots of fun. And very promising.

Dramatic 9th innings! The Nats had a chance to tie it up in the 9th with 2 outs, Desmond on 2nd, and a nice long line drive by Espinosa. Desmond ran as hard as he could, but the ball just beat him to the plate (at least, that’s what the Ump wanted us to believe…). I wasn’t disappointed that we didn’t pull out the tie (no extra innings in preseason), because the game was just so much fun. (Picture courtesy of Drew).

First impressions? I think the Nats will be a fun team to watch this year. Then again, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself when you’ve skipped work to go watch your team on a gorgeous spring afternoon.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a bonus post – the Wounded Warrior Amputee vs DC Celebrity Softball game.

Full set of pictures can be found here.

2012 Pre-Season Predictions

By Maggie on April 4, 2012

With the start of the season fast approaching (Yesterday was the last spring training game? Tomorrow is opening day? Eep! Where has the time gone!), it means that the First Ladies are back with their pre-season predictions. As members of the DC-Internet Baseball Writers of America, we participate in a survey every spring and an awards vote every fall. We tend to like the predictions best because it’s something we can watch and judge ourselves against. As a note, most of these predictions were made while the First Ladies were out of town, so if things seem slightly off…we’ll just blame foreign air. Here’s our thoughts on this spring’s survey (which can be found here).

1) Who will lead the Nats in home runs in 2012?

Ryan Zimmerman

Zim seems to be back and healthy this spring (we’re very thankful for that), so with a full season ahead of him, we’re pretty sure he’ll make a mark. And with that lovely extension – he’ll want to prove he’s worth every penny and more.

2) Who will lead the Nats in RBI?

Danny Espinosa

This is one that after watching the Nats-Red Sox game we’re beginning to question (Wilson Ramos looked REALLY good). But now is not the time to go back on guesses. After a fall that looked more crash-and-burn than rookie of the year, we think Danny will come back to the season with something to prove, and that may manifest itself in pushing guys across the plate.

3) Who will lead the Nats in stolen bases?

Roger Bernadina

This is another hopeful pick. With the Shark back on the Opening Day roster, we’ve got high hopes that he’ll stick around for a while. And when you’ve got Bill Ladson trying to force the name “Speed Racer” on twitter…well, he’ll have to live up to that somehow. If the Shark doesn’t get a chance to munch on bases this year, expect to see Ian Desmond in this spot.

4) Who will lead the staff in wins?

Jordan Zimmermann

This was probably the easiest call we made. J-Zimm is back and fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. He has no innings limit (unlike Strasburg), and based on the glowing reviews of his shortened season last year, we can’t wait to see what kind of magic he makes.

5) Who will pitch more innings for the Nats this season? (Wang, Lannan or Detweiler)

Ross Detweiler

This was more strategy than anything else. By the time we made our guesses, Wang had already been injured, and he has a history of being a delicate flower. That leaves the choice between Lannan and Detweiler. Lannan had options left, and considering the shocking fact that the Nats exercised these and are having him start in Syracuse, this pick is looking pretty good so far…

6) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season? (Ankiel, Bernadina, Harper)

Roger Bernadina

This is another shot in the dark, and here’s the reasoning: Ankiel is injured, and also old (and seems to be a placeholder for Harper). Harper is starting out in the minors, and while he will likely get to the Majors this season, he’s not going to play every day. That leaves Bernadina – who is on the opening day roster, and will likely fill in for both Ankiel and the also-injured Morse, before slipping into a more utility-outfielder role.

7) Date of Bryce Harper’s Major League debut?

June 2

Fact: Maggie guessed this without looking at her calendar to see if there was a game being played that day, or even what day of the week that was. Turns out it wasn’t a terrible guess – it’s a Saturday game at the start of a homestand against the Mets. It potentially gives the team enough time with Harper in the minors to delay him being a Super-2, and would give the fans a lot of chances to see Harper play.

8) Which minor leaguer are you most interested in keeping tabs on this season (not Harper)?

Anthony Redon (or Matt Purke)

Rendon has a chance to make a splash this year. He was highly touted and while his position (3B) is fairly locked up at the big leagues, it will be interesting to see him develop starting at Potomac and working his way up. Other than Rendon, we’re eager to see what Matt Purke can do. Lefty pitchers can be VERY interesting.

9) How many all-stars will the Nats have? Who?

2: Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg

If Zimmerman bounces back from his shortened season the way we hope he can, he’ll be back at the all-star game. And what sort of NL manager would be able to resist the name-recognition and electricity of Strasburg on their pitching staff?

10) Total wins and what place in the division?

85, 2nd

This is where Maggie and Ashley had their only real disagreement. Maggie was more optimistic with 88 wins (probably because she was on vacation when she made her picks), and Ashley was more realistic with 82 (she was traveling for work). We’ve split the difference at 85 and will keep our fingers crossed that this is enough to get the DC boys of summer into second place.

Essay: What is the single most important development for the Nats this season?

We read this as more of “will the team need to develop over the season to be a winning team”, so here’s that answer:

The team needs to stay healthy. Physically, this includes trying to avoid silly injuries early in the season that could be avoided, and not overworking injury-prone players. Mentally, the team needs to keep up camraderie in the clubhouse and not get caught up in the early-season hype until they’ve proven themselves on the field.

So…with all that said – what do you guys think? Are we totally off base? Agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments.

April 27, 2011: Washington Nationals vs New York Mets

By Maggie on April 30, 2011

Game: #023 – Nationals vs. Mets
Starting Pitchers: Tom Gorzelanny (0-2, 4.96) vs. R.A. Dickey (1-3, 4.10)
Final Score: Nationals: 3, Mets: 6

Wednesday night was game 23 of the Nationals 2011 season. 23 is Maggie’s lucky number, but luck wasn’t enough to turn the game around. It was an odd kind of night, and since neither Maggie nor Ashley stayed for the entire game, we’ll review the most interesting points.

1. Rain delay. And not just a rain delay – a tornado warning delay. Obviously a funnel cloud did not appear over the stadium, but there was storm damage in other parts of the area (and a lot of damage and loss of life in other parts of the country). This sort of dramatic weather does not provide a cheerful setting for a baseball game. It was interesting that fans were not encouraged to get under cover. Although we did not think of it at the time, if there really were tornadoes in the area we probably should not have been hanging out in the Red Loft. However, we did get to watch the Giants take on the Pirates during the delay – the previous Nats opponent versus their next (after the Mets).

2. The rain delay gave us plenty of time to sample some tasty food. Maggie tried the jerk chicken from the Jammin Island BBQ stand up near the Red Loft, which came with two sides (fried plantains and another she wasn’t sure what it was – a little salty, sort-of like fries? – but also very tasty). Just spicy enough, and a lot of food for $10. Ashley went with the old standby of nachos from Hard Times Cafe, and a Blue Moon beer, which sadly, did not come with an orange slice. Later in the game Maggie tried the chocolate chip cookie dough Dippin Dots, but decided they are not nearly as good as cookies & cream.

3. Another advantage of the rain delay is one more chance to see the grounds crew in action. Ashley decided that if she ever wanted to completely switch careers, it’s something she might consider.

4. We made our way up to our seats, and Maggie grabbed a stack of All-Star Ballots. Vote early, and vote often is her motto. Also – you can vote for Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham (ex-Nats whom we love) on the American league side. And if you want to copy Maggie’s style, be sure to write in Wilson Ramos as all-star catcher. That kid’s got promise!

5. A shout-out to the George Mason trumpet ensemble, who performed a stirring version of the national anthem. Someday Maggie will actually get around to uploading all her game videos to youtube, and that one will be featured proudly.

6. Rick Ankiel’s at-bat music is hilarious, and Ashley made the comment that she felt like she should have glow-sticks and rapid dance moves. Yes, we’re digging his rave-a-licious tune. (Sorry – no pictures of players at bat for this game. There were folks sitting directly in front of Ashley and blocking her view of the plate. This also made it tough to keep score…)

7. We met up with Clint and the Nat Pack just before they found the section where they gave away the umbrellas that will be given away at Saturday’s game. You know Clint is a good guy when he a) remembers random fans who say hi a lot, and b) remembers their little brother, who was at the game where he and Maggie got the lucky seat up grade. This is also why he has had that job for so long.

8. On the drive home, Maggie heard the play called as Jose Reyes tried to turn a double into a triple, and threw a tantrum when he was called out after being called safe. Further review of the play showed that he should have been safe (and thus, the tantrum was justified), but moments like that make Maggie sad when she has to leave a game early.

(full album from this game can be seen here)

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April 17, 2011: Washington Nationals vs Milwaukee Brewers (Game 1 of Doubleheader)

By Maggie on April 18, 2011

Game: #014 – Nationals vs. Brewers
Starting Pitchers: Jason Marquis (#21, 1-0, 3.26) vs. Yovani Gallardo (#49, 1-1, 4.62)
Final Score: Nationals: 8, Brewers: 4
Nats New Record: 7-7
Play of the Game: Danny Espinosa hits a 3-run homer in the fifth inning.
Player of the Game: Ian Desmond – broke out of his slump in a big way – gets himself a ground rule double (which turns into a run on Pudge’s homer), and then a dinger in the 8th inning.

Favorite Non-baseball Moment: Early in the game, Screech – who was celebrating his birthday – and a few mascot friends handed out cupcakes in the press box. Because my seats are in the section just below the box, we heard an announcement around the second inning that Screech was giving all the journalists Georgetown Cupcakes. April (my game buddy) and I were SO jealous.
Who was there: Maggie and mutual friend of hers and Ashley’s, April.

What did we eat: April tried out the Big Kid Dog, and Maggie had a falafel. Aprils hot dog was a little warmer than the one that Maggie tried, so said it was better. Maggie’s falafel had too many vegetables (she should have just asked for only lettuce as a wimpy eater). Later, April had a cinnamon curly W pretzel, and Maggie got hungry and got chili nachos from Hard Times Cafe.
President’s Race: The Un-Racing sausages had an early lead, but Screech’s mascot friends stopped them, and then the Rushmores caught up, and Teddy body-slammed one of the sausages into the ground. A truly epic stop by Teddy, which allowed George to take the win.

Other Observations:
- Adam LaRoche tried to do a back and forth 3-6-3 double play in the third inning, and the ball didn’t get back to first base in time for the second out. Really disappointing.
- Mama Screech was in attendance at the game, supporting her son on his 6th birthday with a cake. The Mama Screech costume cracks me up, because it’s such a terrible re-working of the original Screech costume. But really – what else are you going to do with a fat Bald Eagle furry costume that looks like a beanie baby?
- Ian Desmond wasn’t the only one breaking out of a slump – Michael Morse had a pretty decent game too, and his hit, combined with Ian’s were the 2 guys on base when Pudge stepped up to bat. Pudge’s hit just barely cleared the fence into the stands. The funny part was that on twitter earlier in the game, everyone was saying, “Oh, I called Danny’s home run.” NO ONE called Pudge’s. I think more people made comments about him being likely to ground into a double play than possibly hitting one out.
- Nyjer Morgan made a pinch hitting appearance in the 6th inning. Reports said mixed boos and cheers, but from where I sat, he seemed to be roundly booed.
- Jason Marquis pitched for 7 innings and did an admirable job. He even had a decent hit, which contributed to every National in the lineup getting a hit, and by getting a quality start, made sure that every starting pitcher for the Nationals had a quality start thus far.

- The ninth inning took what seemed like forever to finish. The bullpen didn’t seem quite so sure of themselves (perhaps worried about how things would go with a second game starting soon), and it was a long inning. Long enough to allow the wave to go around the ballpark a few times!
- Due to a previous engagement of Maggie’s, we weren’t able to stick around for the second game. It seemed that leaving after the first had finished was not just our plan – what seemed like half of Nats park streamed out around 4:40 when the last out was recorded. Maggie wishes she had been able to stay – a true doubleheader is rare, and would have been fun (if a LOT of baseball).

(full album from this game can be seen here)

April 14, 2011: Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies

By Maggie on April 15, 2011

Game: #012 – Nationals vs. Phillies

Starting Pitchers: Jordan Zimmermann (#27) vs Cliff Lee (#33)

Final Score: Nationals: 0, Braves: 4

Nats New Record: 5-7

So, last night was the first “official” 2011 Phillies invasion of DC. A hashtag went out on twitter pleading for help to #savenatsparkapril14th. Maybe it worked? Or maybe more Phillies fans have gotten jobs since the last time they invaded, because not only was the park not sold out with Phillies fans, I saw only 6 buses, as compared 25 or so last year. Phillies fans were loud, but they didn’t drown out the Nats fans in attendance. Add to that a pitcher (Jordan Zimmermann) who had a performance that wasn’t embarrassing (a problem at previous “invasions”), and in fact, went toe to toe with a World Series-caliber pitcher. A pitcher who Lee himself said that Zimmermann had, “the best fastball I’ve ever seen.”

Really, apart from the pitching, the less that is said about that game, the better. There were a few hopeful moments on defense, and a couple of good hits from the offense, but not enough to make up for the number of poor plays that were made. Luckily, there’s more to talk about than just the game. My sister and I had a chance to visit Das Bullpen, the new biergarten across the street from the Half Street entrance to the Navy Yard metro station. Given the choice, I would probably visit the original Bullpen instead. The choice in beer is definitely better, but I’d like to see more German beers, since the biergarten is a German concept. And while I can’t complain about the Hoegaarden I had, I didn’t have a chance to try a bratwurst since the only food line was very slow.

The things that I loved from last night’s ballgame? My North Carolina-style pulled pork barbecue sandwich from the Teddy’s BBQ stand. As someone who spent two years in the Tar Heel state eating that style of bbq, I feel more qualified judging it’s authenticity, and the verdict is good. Just enough of that vinegar-y bite, and juicy meat that doesn’t entirely soak the bun. Definitely worth it at $9, especially since it comes with a bag of chips.

More baseball, you say? Danny Espinosa had a double in the third inning that looked like it might be the start of some offense (but was shut down when he ran on contact from J-Zimm’s infield blooper). Ramos had a pretty decent game, getting one of the few hits for the Nats early on in the game, proving that he really is as solid a player as he looks on tv. Adam LaRoche had a lovely diving/rolling catch in the 9th inning. Jerry Hairston had a terrible throw to first after just barely snagging a ball – his body was swung back, and he didn’t have a good angle to make the throw to first, instead hooking the throw just to the right of LaRoche, allowing a runner to get home. Espinosa also had a sad throwing error. Ugh. Come on guys – DEFENSE.

(full album from this game can be seen here)

(You may have noticed that our past few posts have been a different style than our usual format. What do you think? Should we go back to the old style, or stick with a more narrative format interspersed with more photos? Let us know in the comments!)

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