Bullpen Woes Continue

For the third time in the past five games the Asheville Tourists bullpen took their lumps and gave up leads late and lost all three. Today the Tourists bullpen gave up 8 runs in the last three innings to lose 9-7. They wasted a great start by Ryan Arrowood (5 IP, 9 K's, 1 Earned Run) and a solo homerun by Third Baseman Jason Stolz in the 8th inning.

A Rainy Night In Asheville

I got to go see my second Asheville Tourists game of the season last night and the outcome was not what I had hoped for. The Tourists took a 5-4 lead into the top of the 6th inning on the strength of a solo homerun by Shorstop Matt Wessinger and a three run homerun by Catcher Tom Murphy in a four run third inning. Starter Shane Broyles went 5 innings and gave up 4 runs but reliever Roberto Padilla could not hold the lead. He gave up 5 runs in 2/3 of an inning, including a grand slam that cleared the right field wall with room to spare by Third Baseman Shayne Houck, and the Tourists could mount any sort of a comeback after that. The play of the night had to come with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning. Tourists batter Juan Ciriaco hit a dribbler down the third base line that hugged the foul line until it slowly rolled into third base and bounced gently off the third base bag. It reminds me of the time when Lenny Randle playing third base for the Seattle Mariners, got down on his hands and knees and literally blew a ball foul when it was gently rolling down the third base line. At that time, there was not a rule in place to prevent such action by a player. It rained off and on throughtout the game, nothing torrential like the home opener, and the game was never stopped. The field conditions helped contribute to four errors by Augusta and one by Asheville. There was an announced crowd of over 3,000 and it was a great atmosphere to watch a baseball game. Hopefully I can go to a few more games on this homestand.

Baseball Is My Mistress

I hate to admit it but I have pretty much ignored the Asheville Tourists this season. I have not even looked at the stats in about two months and I am a stats freak if there ever was one. I don't even know their record. All because of a woman I was dating. She was not a big baseball fan although I was able to talk her into going to opening night which was a thirsty Thursday. She was a beer fan. We are no longer together so now it is time for me to turn my attention back to my one true love- baseball. Although I am sure I am not the first to use this phrase or analogy, baseball is my mistress and the one thing I can always depend on when things go bad and they have gotten about as bad as they could possibly get. Baseball can give you the euphoric highs and heartbreaking lows of a relationship but is always a constant. Baseball is friends and family, fathers and sons, and occasionally husbands and wives, but it is consistently there for you, season after season. I am already planning on going to tomorrow nights Asheville Tourist game and I can't wait. The anticipation is killing me.