Sunday, July 08, 2012

Emi's First Game at the Ballpark


Any Rangers fan's first game at the Ballpark will be memorable, but this father-son outing was more than we could have imagined.
Starting Rangers pitcher Roy Oswalt throws three balls to start the game before working a full count on Twins centerfielder Denard Span. He eventually gets the out.
The score is still tied 0-0 in the top of the fourth when lightning strikes so near the stadium that players immediately sprint from the field. We stay in our seats. Click here for MLB's video account of the lightning strike. The video below shows the same.

We are on the first covered row on the first base line, which is fortunate when the rains start to fall.
The game eventually resumes after a 43-minute delay. Oswalt ends up pitching 5 and 2/3 innings and allowing one run before yielding the mound to rookie Tanner Scheppers. By the bottom of the ninth, we are down 3-0. Second baseman Ian Kinsler reaches second on a throwing error, takes third on a wild pitch to Andrus, and scores when Andrus grounds out. Hamilton pops out for the second out, and then Beltre singles on a soft fly to left field bringing up the tying run, right fielder Nelson Cruz. Cruz immediately acquires two strikes.

Down 1-2 in the count, Cruz doubles to move Beltre to third. And then, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, down 0-2 in the count after fouling off the first two pitches he sees, with the Rangers down by two, Michael Young hits a 2-RBI single to right field to tie the game.

Going, going . . .

Not gone. In the bottom of the tenth, with two outs and the score still tied, Josh Hamilton flies out to centerfield.
In the bottom of the thirteenth, Michael Young doubles on a line drive to right field and the Twins intentionally walk David Murphy (?!) Mike Napoli is up.

Napoli singles to load the bases. Craig Gentry grounds into a force out. Young is out at home. The bases are still loaded when Kinsler comes to bat and gets down 1-2 in the count.

Murphy scores on the game-winning rbi in the 13th by Ian Kinsler. Emi is wearing the right jersey.
Click here for MLB's full account of the game.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What an amazing game to see! Good choice! Aunt C