Weather: 77 degrees, overcast (brief periods
of ominous darkness early on and sunshine a bit later, with the lights on for
for most of the afternoon. Light rain started just a few minutes before the
game ended.)
Time: 2:22
Attendance: 4,975
Section 110, Row 7, Seats 13-17 – Almost the
same relative location as Saturday’s game, so again we had to stay alert, although
no balls came particularly close to us.
Food item of the day: salmon sandwich, about
the size of a burger, and a bargain at $7.75.
Florida Auto Exchange Stadium is quite a
different experience from Bright House and Champions Stadium – older and much smaller
(actually the smallest total capacity of any spring training site in Florida,
since there’s no berm or any other general-admission area). That does give the
place a certain throwback charm, although fans have to put up with certain
limitations in the amenities (only one men’s room and women’s room). For the
most part, the Canadian hospitality was great; I met one usher originally from
Hershey PA, so we reminisced for a bit about high school basketball and the
Hershey Bears. There were a couple of exceptions; I wound up having to check my
small folding umbrella outside the gate (after a VERY thorough bag search). And
after the game, one of the staff took the “no re-entry” policy to a ridiculous
extreme, as one member of our party who wandered outside the gate for a minute
or two was almost prevented from coming back in to join the rest of us. On the
good side, it wound up being a great place for the youngest member of our crew
to get a number of autographs.
This one turned out to be a pitchers’ duel,
as well as the best-played game of the trip to date. Marcus Stroman tuned up
for his Opening Day start on Sunday by tossing four scoreless innings. Vince
Velasquez did a masterful job of blanking the powerful Blue Jays lineup for
six, giving up just two hits and three walks while fanning eight. The Phils
struck first when Darin Ruf led off the top of the seventh by homering off
lefty specialist Randy Choate, who somewhat oddly entered the game to face two
right-handed hitters, followed by a right-handed pinch-hitter and a
switch-hitter. Mujica pitched a perfect seventh, but in the bottom of the
eighth, Dalier Hinojosa grooved a 3-0 pitch to Darrell Ceciliani, which he took
out of the park for a two-run shot that gave the Jays the lead and the victory.
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