March 26, 2018 – Phillies 6, Pirates 3 – Bradenton FL

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/phillies-vs-pirates/2018/03/26/534252#game_state=final,game_tab=,game=534252

 

Attendance: 6,529

Game Time: 3:11

Weather: 79 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 10 mph, In from CF

Umpires: Home Plate – Alex Zeigler, First Base – Sean Barber, Second Base – Javerro January, Third Base – James Hoye

Seventh-inning stretch song: Black Betty – Ram Jam

 

Section IBX3, Row 22, Seat 12 – same section (infield box) as on Thursday, but the very top row this time. This was the breeziest and hottest day so far, so being in the shade again was a definite plus.

 

The traffic down to Bradenton was pretty smooth, and I think I finally figured out how to exit reasonably quickly: park in a $5 lot on the right side of 9^th St W (and before 13^th Ave W) coming in, head west on 13^th a couple blocks to 14^th St W, turn right there and head north to 6^th Ave W (route 64), turn right there, and then left once you get back to 9^th St W.

 

I tried the “First Mate Sandwich” from Duck Deli, which was a prepackaged 6” hoagie roll well-stuffed with roast beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar. The $10 price would have been a little steep just for the sandwich, but fortunately it came with a bag of chips that served as my mid-game snack.

 

The game resembled both the Thursday matchup in Bradenton (Phils jumped out to a big lead in the early innings) and Sunday’s home game with the O’s, where things started going off the rails later. Fortunately they hung on to win this one.

 

Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first when J. P. Crawford drew a walk to lead off the game, stole second, and scored on a Nick Williams single. They added two more in the second, both of which scored on a two-out infield single by Crawford, and finished their scoring for the day with 3 in the third, on a leadoff homer by newly-minted millionaire Scott Kingery, a bunt single by Pedro Florimon, and another HR by Andrew Knapp. Kingery got 3 more ABs, beating out an infield single in the 4^th, doubling in the 7^th, and drawing a walk in the 9^th.

 

Vince Velasquez got through his 4 innings of work, giving up 3 hits and one walk, and Victor Arano kept the shutout going in the 5^th. Edubray Ramos came in with one out in the 6^th and left after facing 3 batters in the 7^th. He allowed 3 runs to cross the plate on his watch, the first of which came on a two-out steal of home when he tossed the ball several feet over the catcher’s head. Lefty Jeff Singer (from Holy Cross HS in Delran NJ) came in to put out the fire, retiring all 6 batters he faced in the 7^th and 8^th.