September 20, 2015 – Nationals 13, Marlins 3 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/150648910

 

Attendance: 28,444

Game Time: 2:57

Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 3 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Adam Hamari, First Base - Angel Hernandez, Second Base - Chris Conroy, Third Base - Ted Barrett

Seventh-inning stretch song: It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones

 

Highlights – Judy Collins did the National Anthem and God Bless America … another dominating start by Strasburg (7 IP, 2 runs, 10 Ks, 1 BB, plus a hit and run scored as a batter) … on the second Sunday of the NFL season, Nats put up 2 FGs and a TD, stranding only 4 runners in the process … 2-run double by Werth in the first … after Marlins pulled within 3-2 in the top of the sixth, Nats put it away with 7 runs in the bottom of the frame, keyed by a 3-run Tyler Moore HR and later a bases-clearing double by Escobar (both with 2 outs) … catcher Pedro Severino had a major-league debut to remember, doubling and scoring in the Nats’ 3-run 8^th

 

Other – Ichiro struck out 3 times against Stras, marking the first time since June of 2010 that he had fanned multiple times in consecutive games

 

Another blown promotion: Nats had been aggressively running ads for this series in the Post, including $1 ice cream coupons. (I cut out 4 of them.) 35 minutes before the game even started, I went to one Nats Dog stand – no ice cream. They sent me to the stand in back of Section 314, where I was informed that the ice cream (for the weekend, apparently) was “all gone”. They did give out free small bags of salty snacks on the way out, perhaps in an effort to kiss and make up.

September 18 – Rays 8, Orioles 6 – Tropicana Field

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20150918150351032?game_pk=415846

 

Attendance: 10,697

Game Time: 2:51

Weather: indoors

Umpires: Home Plate - Sean Barber, First Base - Dale Scott, Second Base - CB Bucknor, Third Base - Lance Barrett

 

Section 104, Row M, Seat 7 – just to the right of home plate, about 8 rows from the field, second row back from the obviously-retrofitted luxury seats (wider, padded, with waiters)

 

Highlights – fan favorite Carlos Pena was honored before the game, after signing an honorary contract and officially retiring earlier in the day … Tim Beckham’s two-run homer in the bottom of the second took much of the sting out of J.J. Hardy’s 3-run blast in the top of the frame … Rays took the lead for good with 6 in the bottom of the fifth, pounding Tyler Wilson and Chaz Roe with a single and 4 doubles, with the biggest blow a bases-clearing double by Grady Sizemore out of the cleanup slot … Rays bullpen held the Os to one run over the final 3.1 innings to seal the win … rookie Mikie Mahtook went 5-5 with two doubles for Tampa Bay

 

Other – after fanning the first 4 batters he faced, winning pitcher Drew Smyly gave up the 3-run homer to Hardy in the second, and was lifted after Steve Pearce belted a 2-run shot in the sixth

September 17 – Orioles 4, Rays 3 – Tropicana Field

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20150917150141360?game_pk=415836

 

Attendance: 9,617

Game Time: 2:56

Weather: indoors

Umpires: Home Plate - Lance Barrett, First Base - Sean Barber, Second Base - Dale Scott, Third Base - CB Bucknor

Musical highlight – Melting Pot by Booker T. & The MGs, played during an 8^th-inning mound conference

 

Section 102, Row Q, Seat 1 – directly behind home plate, maybe 11 rows back from the field

 

Highlights – great start by Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore (7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 9 Ks) … Rays scratched out 3 runs in the first 6 innings, including a John Jaso HR that got stuck in one of the catwalks hanging from the dome … former Nat Steven Souza Jr. played the whole game without an official at-bat, drawing 3 walks and getting hit by a pitch

 

Other – reliever Alex Colome wiped out Moore’s fine work in the eighth, giving up 4 singles with 2 out and 1 on as the Orioles took a 4-3 lead

 

Dome sweet dome -- It was good that the Rays could play ball indoors, as it was raining both when I walked to the Trop and after the game when I walked back to the hotel. The experience certainly wasn’t terrible: the seats were reasonably comfortable and the scoreboard actually provided more information (pitch counts for both pitchers visible at all times, type of pitch as well as speed) than at Nationals Park. The Cubano unfortunately was pre-made rather than grilled to order (pork BBQ Friday night was better), and the between-innings race between 3 bottles of different Pepsi products was not particularly inspiring. The fans who were there were enthusiastic; I imagine the noise level for a postseason game would be impressive.