Umpires:
HP: Adam Beck. 1B: Drew Freed.
Weather:
75 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 14
mph, L to R.
T: 2:38.
Att:
4,308. (Most appeared to be disguised as empty seats, although a lot of kids
were there for “History Day”.)
Section
203, Row I, Seat 1 – The early forecasts for the day were iffy in terms of
possible thunderstorms, so I held off on getting a ticket until Thursday
morning, when the outlook had improved. The highest aisle seat I could get in
my favorite section was four rows from the top, which unlike the top couple
rows is not in the shade. It was a warmish morning/afternoon out in the sun,
but very comfortable in the shaded part of the concourse. Fortunately, the
threatened showers didn’t materialize, at least during the game. Considering
that almost everyone in the section was either in the back row or the front
couple rows, I thought I might have an excellent opportunity to get a baseball,
but no luck; one of the two balls that found its way into the section bounced
quickly to the front of the section, while the other went to an usher in the
opposite aisle.
Grilled
chicken sandwiches were cheap at $5.50 – I’m on the fence whether having them
on pretzel rolls is a good idea or not. Bottles (20 oz.) of Orange Crush and
other soda were $3.75.
The game
itself was pretty uneventful. The Keys are largely bereft of actual major
league prospects this year, and slugging third baseman Joey Gallo didn’t play
for Myrtle Beach after being lifted early the night before. (Never found any
explanation, but I suspect a minor tweak.) Top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro
did play, but at first base. Only three half-innings saw any scoring. The
Pelicans took a 2-run lead in the top of the third (single, triple, single),
but the Keys fought back in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, three-run
homer by second baseman Sammie Starr. Former top prospect Matt Hobgood, who was
the fifth pick overall in the 2009 draft, came on in relief of starter Mark
Blackmar and retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh, but Lex
Rutledge entered in the eighth to walk the leadoff batter and then surrender a
two-run homer by designated hitter Preston Beck.
The Keys
lineup also featured another familiar name in former Nationals minor league
outfielder Michael Burgess, who the Nats drafted in the supplemental first
round of the 2007 draft and traded to the Cubs in the January 2011 Tom
Gorzelanny deal. The Pelicans pitching staff included former Phillies prospect
Jason Knapp, went to the Indians 7/29/2009 as part of the Cliff Lee trade.
Proofreaders
Needed note – the “How to Keep Score” instructions in the Frederick game
program indicate that 3B stands for “Tripple”.
