May 15, 2019 – Nats 5, Mets 1 – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mets-vs-nationals/2019/05/15/565914#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=wrap,game=565914

 

Weather: 72 degrees, Sunny.

Wind: 6 mph, Out To RF.

Umpires: HP--Blaser, 1B--Diaz, 2B--Randazzo, 3B--Nelson.

Time: 2:28

Attendance: 29,673

 

Patrick Corbin seems to be Washington’s designated bobblehead-game pitcher this season. Like the last time we saw him pitch, he turned in a top-notch effort, both times fanning 11 while allowing only a single run. Fortunately for the Nats, a few things were different this time, resulting in a 5-1 victory instead of an agonizing extra-inning defeat.

 

While in our April encounter the Nats scored only 2 runs while Corbin was in the game (one of which he had to drive in himself), tonight they exceeded that total by the end of the first inning. Perhaps inspired by Corbin fanning the side in the top of the frame, Eaton walked, advancing to second on a Robles bunt single. That was followed by consecutive RBIs by Rendon (double), Soto (ground out), and Kendrick (single). They added two more in the third, on a Robles homer and doubles by Rendon and Kendrick.

 

Meanwhile, Corbin sailed through the Mets’ lineup, with the 3^rd inning being the only time he allowed a runner past first base. Most importantly, he had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the 7^th, allowing him to pitch the 8^th before having to turn the game over to Washington’s bullpen. With the team badly needing a victory, Davey went to Doolittle to close things out in the 9^th, despite having a 4-run lead.

Richard Thompson – Rams Head on Stage, 5/13/2019

Table 102, Seat 4 – front and center, 4-person table. Oddly, 2 of the seats remained vacant, although the show was sold out.

 

As usual, Thompson mixed it up nicely in his 21-song, 110-minute show, with just two songs from his latest album 13 Rivers (plus “They Tore The Hippodrome Down” from the slightly-less-recent Acoustic Rarities). He went back 50 years to Fairport Convention for “Genesis Hall” (which I hadn’t heard before) and Sandy Denny’s classic “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”, and did 4 songs from the Richard and Linda Thompson days, ending the main set with “Dimming Of The Day” as he did last year at The Birchmere. Naturally, the usual crowd favorites were all there as well.

 

The high point for me came with the first encore, when a guy from the next table requested my all-time favorite, “Al Bowlly’s In Heaven”. RT hedged a bit, saying that he was more used to doing it with a band, but proceeded to crank out a great rendition. I also particularly enjoyed the hilarious (but unfortunately never-recorded) “Crocodile Tears” and the somber wartime ballad “Woods Of Darney”.

 

Setlist