Serendipity #58

Constant Craving – k.d. lang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXqPjx94YMg

Heard 3/31/2016 shortly after 10:00, at Wegman’s (Germantown)

March 29, 2016 – Phillies vs. Yankees (split squad, rainout) – Clearwater FL

Rain, rain, go away

 

Section 105, Row 15, Seats 14-18 – same section as Friday night, but several rows closer (and unfortunately no longer under cover)

 

Although the sun was out for a while in the morning, the weather forecasts for the afternoon’s game were fairly ominous, and they turned out to be pretty correct. We arrived early in search of autographs (Larry Bowa and Charlie Manuel, among others, were collected). We were somewhat encouraged because the tarp was not on the field, although it was rolled-up between first and second bases, ready for action. Although a moderate rain started falling shortly before game time, they proceeded with most of the pregame festivities, although close to the scheduled start they put on the tarp and announced that the game would be delayed. Around 1:45, to our surprise, they removed the tarp and started the game, although the rain had not let up at all. They continued to play through the bottom of the fourth inning despite deteriorating field conditions, when they halted play and announced a lightning delay. Again to our surprise, they didn’t put the tarp back on, although it was still raining as hard as before – maybe there’s no point in covering an already-wet field? We continued to wait around for a while, with the infield getting wetter and wetter, until they finally did cancel the game.

 

Our Phillies did not exactly distinguish themselves during the portion of the game that did take place. The Yanks rocked Brett Oberholtzer for 7 runs in his 4 innings, with a 3-run Dustin Ackley homer keying a 4-run top of the first and a subsequent 2-run blast by Miguel Andujar (no, I don’t know who he is either) in the 4^th. This despite the fact that Brian McCann was the only regular in the New York lineup, with almost all of the big names across the bay for a home game with the Pirates, where they did manage to finish 5 innings before calling it a day. The Phils, meanwhile, scored only once off Tanaka.

March 28, 2016 – Blue Jays 2, Phillies 1 – Dunedin FL

Another late loss (story, box)

 

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.

March 26, 2016 – Tigers 5, Phillies 4 – Clearwater FL

So close and yet so far (story, box)

 

Weather: 83 degrees, cloudy (significantly warmer where we were sitting!)

Time: 3:10

Attendance: 8,382

Section 118, Row 7, Seats 11-15 – just beyond third base, and close enough that eternal vigilance could be seen as the price of survival. While there was an occasional breeze going, the temperature display above the scoreboard was in the 89-91 degree range all afternoon with a bright sun, so sunscreen and copious beverage consumption were also essential. We weren’t complaining one bit, however.

 

Food item of the day: rice bowl with chicken (new this year) from Tijuana Flats. Quite good.

 

The game was pretty close throughout, tied 3-3 after 6 featuring a solo homer by Freddy Galvis and two by Detroit’s Justin Upton.  Verlander went 5-plus for the Tigers, giving up the first 3 Philadelphia runs. The Phils used 9 relievers for one inning each as they attempt to clarify their muddled bullpen situation. (This led to the oddity of James Russell being the starting pitcher after appearing in relief the night before.)

 

The Phils took the lead with two in the bottom of the seventh, on singles by Galvis, Blanco, and Herrera, with the second run scoring on a Ryan Howard fielder’s choice. The Tigers, however, cut the lead to one in the top of the 8^th, and won it with two more in the 9^th.