February 27, 2011
Spring Training Game 1!!
By
Amanda
Posted at 3:05 pm
This may be totally premature, but I’m so psyched about the first spring training game today that I’m groaning like a drug addict upon hearing Marty talk to Baker about the game.
So it seems like a game thread is in order. Hooray baseball!
Stubbsy leads off the Reds, on a day that is kinda cold, according to Marty. It’s a ground out. 1 away in the top of the first.
Kearns is on the field 🙂
Brandon Phillips up next. Strikes out on three. Two away and Votto up.
They pitch around Votto a little, but eventually he lines out to first. Three up, three down. Time to take the field!
LHP Maloney takes the mound and the first pitch is a ball. Against Bradley he delivers a strikeout. It took a lot of pitches, but he got there!
One out in the bottom of the first and Cabrera induces a high fly out to Stubbs in center. Two away.
Santana grounds out to short. Three up, three down and the good guys are coming to the plate for the second time.
Rolen gets one through on the right side and achieves first base. That Rolen is batting 1.000. 😛
Wha-wha-whaaaaa…Jay Bruce grounds into a double play. Hope you enjoyed the runner while we had it.
Gomesy to the plate.
Gomes grounds out. Slow start for our Redlegs, but the game is young.
Kearns is at the bat! Kearns is at the bat!
Orlando Cabrera is at the ba…nevermind.
Bottom of the second is in the books and the score remains nothing.
Renterria at the bat. Dude, that’s weird to have the reigning MVP and WS MVP. He singled into center.
Poops. GIDP.
Fourth inning is halfway done. LeCure is pitching and he just struck out one.
All right, the Indians have a baserunner. Let’s see if LeCure can get a DP.
Who needs a DP? Caught stealing ends the inning. I love this game. The end of the fourth has come; the game approaches the halfway point.
What the hell inning is it? I thought for sure we just finished the fourth, but now I’m hearing we’re in the fourth. Clearly, I need practice at this as well.
One out for the Reds.
OK, Stubbs, Phillips, and Votto just got out, so it must be the middle of the fourth, because I know the Indians have faced the minimum.
Damn, guys, let’s not let them face the minimum. I know this game doesn’t really matter, but hell, none of them REALLY matter. Get going!
Cabrera steals a base for Cleveland, but Haffner strikes out and ends the inning. After 4, Rolen is coming up and the middle of the game actually *is* approaching!
Rolen flies out to Kearnsy to give us the first out of the top of the fifth.
Runner! Jay Bruce is on second thanks to an error in the outfield on his long fly ball. Let’s keep it rolling.
And Bruce steals third. Cool B-)
RBI ground out by Gomes brings in Bruce and the tie is broken. Reds lead 1-0 in the top of the fifth. Well, now the middle of five because there was another out while I was typing this.
Jarod Burton takes the mound in front of an entirely new field of players. Got to get everyone their ABs, I reckon. He gets out Kearns to start the inning.
LaPorta is struck out for out #2.
At some point the Indians got a baserunner…not sure when, and since they now have a pinch runner, that’s no help. This is tough without being able to see it and out of practice.
One out in the sixth inning and Fred Lewis gets a double. Last season’s minor league hitter of the year, Sappelt, is up. While he’s there, though, Lewis is thrown out on the basepath. D’oh!
Carlos Fisher pitching and he serves up a base hit to give the Indians a potential tying run with zero outs. Gulp!
Sac bunt to move the runner over. Here’s hoping they regret giving up that out!
Drat! Donnell scores and the Ohio teams are tied again at 1s.
Fisher continues his less-than-steller outing. Blech.
Todd Frasier has a double. Heisey at the bat.
Heisey delivers a long out to take the game into the first seventh inning stretch of the spring.
I’ve been making lasagna for the Red Hot family while this game is going on, and it’s finally in the oven. Now to clean up in the final innings.
Sac fly in the bottom of the seventh gives the Indians a 1-2 lead. Poo.
Bases clearing double gives the Indians a 1-4 lead.
Oh crap. A 2-run homer makes it 1-6. It’s time for the first run-related pitching change of the spring. I’m not sure who they’re taking out, though. Did someone say “Joseph”?
Yeah, Joseph out and Darrel Thompson in.
Shoot, is this the time for a walk? There’s only one out!
OK, fly out to Heisey. Let’s get this darn inning over with, eh?
Top of the 8th inning and Putnam takes the mound for the Reds. Let’s see if he can recapture the awesomeness of the beginning of the game.
Hmmm…not so much. Kicked off the inning with a walk.
OK, now I’m lost. I thought the Reds were fielding, but apparently they have two runners. They must have been the beneficiaries of that walk, too.
Dang, I’m more out of practice than I thought. Not recognizing most of the names isn’t helping. But the Reds did score to make it 2-6.
Woo-hoo! Dave Sappelt knocks out a home run to give the team two more runs and cut the deficit to 4-6.
Back-to-back! Chris Valaika hits another one and it’s 5-6. W00t!
Well, duh, I should have realized the Reds were at the bat when it was the top of the 8th. Now it’s the middle of the 8th and the Reds trail by one. Fingers crossed for some solid pitching.
Despite allowing a base-runner on a hit to left field, Darryl Thompson got out of the eight without giving up any more runs. Now it’s last round-up time for the Reds.
And the tying run is on thanks to a walk to Chris Heisey.
Now the tying run is on second, and the go-ahead on first. Let’s see if Zach Cozart can do anything about it.
And Cozart comes through a base-hit up the middle! 6-6.