September 20, 2015 – Nationals 13, Marlins 3 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/150648910

 

Attendance: 28,444

Game Time: 2:57

Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 3 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Adam Hamari, First Base - Angel Hernandez, Second Base - Chris Conroy, Third Base - Ted Barrett

Seventh-inning stretch song: It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones

 

Highlights – Judy Collins did the National Anthem and God Bless America … another dominating start by Strasburg (7 IP, 2 runs, 10 Ks, 1 BB, plus a hit and run scored as a batter) … on the second Sunday of the NFL season, Nats put up 2 FGs and a TD, stranding only 4 runners in the process … 2-run double by Werth in the first … after Marlins pulled within 3-2 in the top of the sixth, Nats put it away with 7 runs in the bottom of the frame, keyed by a 3-run Tyler Moore HR and later a bases-clearing double by Escobar (both with 2 outs) … catcher Pedro Severino had a major-league debut to remember, doubling and scoring in the Nats’ 3-run 8^th

 

Other – Ichiro struck out 3 times against Stras, marking the first time since June of 2010 that he had fanned multiple times in consecutive games

 

Another blown promotion: Nats had been aggressively running ads for this series in the Post, including $1 ice cream coupons. (I cut out 4 of them.) 35 minutes before the game even started, I went to one Nats Dog stand – no ice cream. They sent me to the stand in back of Section 314, where I was informed that the ice cream (for the weekend, apparently) was “all gone”. They did give out free small bags of salty snacks on the way out, perhaps in an effort to kiss and make up.

September 18 – Rays 8, Orioles 6 – Tropicana Field

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20150918150351032?game_pk=415846

 

Attendance: 10,697

Game Time: 2:51

Weather: indoors

Umpires: Home Plate - Sean Barber, First Base - Dale Scott, Second Base - CB Bucknor, Third Base - Lance Barrett

 

Section 104, Row M, Seat 7 – just to the right of home plate, about 8 rows from the field, second row back from the obviously-retrofitted luxury seats (wider, padded, with waiters)

 

Highlights – fan favorite Carlos Pena was honored before the game, after signing an honorary contract and officially retiring earlier in the day … Tim Beckham’s two-run homer in the bottom of the second took much of the sting out of J.J. Hardy’s 3-run blast in the top of the frame … Rays took the lead for good with 6 in the bottom of the fifth, pounding Tyler Wilson and Chaz Roe with a single and 4 doubles, with the biggest blow a bases-clearing double by Grady Sizemore out of the cleanup slot … Rays bullpen held the Os to one run over the final 3.1 innings to seal the win … rookie Mikie Mahtook went 5-5 with two doubles for Tampa Bay

 

Other – after fanning the first 4 batters he faced, winning pitcher Drew Smyly gave up the 3-run homer to Hardy in the second, and was lifted after Steve Pearce belted a 2-run shot in the sixth

September 17 – Orioles 4, Rays 3 – Tropicana Field

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20150917150141360?game_pk=415836

 

Attendance: 9,617

Game Time: 2:56

Weather: indoors

Umpires: Home Plate - Lance Barrett, First Base - Sean Barber, Second Base - Dale Scott, Third Base - CB Bucknor

Musical highlight – Melting Pot by Booker T. & The MGs, played during an 8^th-inning mound conference

 

Section 102, Row Q, Seat 1 – directly behind home plate, maybe 11 rows back from the field

 

Highlights – great start by Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore (7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 9 Ks) … Rays scratched out 3 runs in the first 6 innings, including a John Jaso HR that got stuck in one of the catwalks hanging from the dome … former Nat Steven Souza Jr. played the whole game without an official at-bat, drawing 3 walks and getting hit by a pitch

 

Other – reliever Alex Colome wiped out Moore’s fine work in the eighth, giving up 4 singles with 2 out and 1 on as the Orioles took a 4-3 lead

 

Dome sweet dome -- It was good that the Rays could play ball indoors, as it was raining both when I walked to the Trop and after the game when I walked back to the hotel. The experience certainly wasn’t terrible: the seats were reasonably comfortable and the scoreboard actually provided more information (pitch counts for both pitchers visible at all times, type of pitch as well as speed) than at Nationals Park. The Cubano unfortunately was pre-made rather than grilled to order (pork BBQ Friday night was better), and the between-innings race between 3 bottles of different Pepsi products was not particularly inspiring. The fans who were there were enthusiastic; I imagine the noise level for a postseason game would be impressive.

Ruthie & The Wranglers, Shenandoah Run at El Golfo Restaurant (WFMA Showcase), 9/13/2015

Another nice evening of food (Salmon Pacifico, Masitas de Puerco) at the monthly World Folk Music Association second-Sunday showcase. Had seen local country/honky-tonk band Ruthie & The Wranglers on numerous occasions at outdoor shows (mostly at Rockville Town Square), but not previously indoors – was a little worried about the volume during sound check, but worked out fine. Featuring frequent solos from pianist Bill Starks and guitarist Andy Rutherford, the band highlighted a number of their most popular songs over the course of their 45-minute set, such as “All The Honky Tonks Are Closin’ Down”, “A Dime At A Time”, and the finale “Lost Ball (In The High Weeds)”. They also did a couple strong tracks from Starks’ recent solo CD (“I See Trouble” and “300 Miles (From Memphis To New Orleans)”).

 

I hadn’t seen the 9-member (!) folk ensemble Shenandoah Run before, but was actually pretty impressed; their main problem was fitting onto the relatively small stage. Featuring a full panoply of instruments (banjo, mandolin, upright bass, fiddle, multiple guitars) and multi-part vocal harmonies on most of their material, their highlights included the opening “Power And The Glory”, “The Sound Of Silence”, “Wild Mountain Thyme”, “I’ll Never Find Another You”, “Today”, and “Charlottesville” (which I thought might have been an original, but was written by Mark Erelli).

Shuffle #71 (September 13, 2015)

Good Times – INXS

Love On The Wrong Side Of Town – Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes

10 Rocks – Shelby Lynne

Please Come Home For Christmas – The Eagles

I’ll Go Crazy – Eva Cassidy & Chuck Brown

Oh No, Not My Baby – Maxine Brown

Almost Home – Mary Chapin Carpenter

Carmelita – Warren Zevon

Live To Tell – Madonna

It Don’t Bring You – Mary Chapin Carpenter

September 7, 2015 – Mets 8, Nationals 5 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/147870556/mets-rally-tops-nats-to-extend-nl-east-lead

 

Attendance: 34,210

Game Time: 3:26

Weather: 86 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 1 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Paul Nauert, First Base - Dana DeMuth, Second Base - Mike Estabrook, Third Base - Ed Hickox

Seventh-inning stretch song: Twist & Shout – The Beatles

 

Section 416, Row E, Seat 1 – exactly two rows behind my usual seat, seemed a little less breezy and hence more stuffy

 

Highlights – in the top of the first after Granderson reached third with no outs (double on a ball Werth lost in the sun followed by a pitch that got past Ramos), Scherzer kept the Mets off the scoreboard (medium fly to right by Wright, strikeouts of Murphy and Cespedes) … Nats erased an early 3-0 deficit with a 5-run bottom of the fourth, keyed by a Ramos grand slam

 

Other – after putting the Nats in an early hole by allowing solo homers to Conforto, Kelly Johnson, and Cespedes, Scherzer couldn’t hold the lead, giving up one run each in the fifth and sixth … Nats bullpen imploded again in the seventh, as 4 relievers conspired to give up 3 runs … Nats failed to score off the Mets bullpen over the final 5 innings after knocking out Niese

September 6, 2015 – Nationals 8, Braves 4 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/147724724/nationals-sweep-braves-gain-in-nl-east-race

 

Attendance: 29,281

Game Time: 3:06

Weather: 84 degrees, sunny

Wind: 6 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Andy Fletcher, First Base - Clint Fagan, Second Base - Paul Emmel, Third Base - Jerry Meals

Seventh-inning stretch song: It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones

 

Highlights – following the bottom of the ninth in the Mets-Marlins game by cellphone, which Martin Prado won for Miami on a walk-off sac fly after fouling off 6 straight 3-2 pitches from Clippard … 5-run second inning for the Nats to take the lead for good, featuring 2-run double by Taylor and 3-run homer by Werth … solo homers by Harper in the third and Rendon in the fourth … bullpen held the Braves scoreless over the last 4 innings … tried TaKorean for the first time (half-and-half bowl with brown rice, kimchi, and pork, plus a Jarritos lime soda)

 

Other – Joe Ross, showing signs of fatigue after a long season, wasn’t able to last 5 innings to get the victory … sloppy game overall, with 4 errors charged, plus a passed ball on a third strike

Shuffle #70 (September 7, 2015)

Love’s In Need Of Love Today – Stevie Wonder

And When I Die – Blood, Sweat & Tears

A Hazy Shade Of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

Happy Hour – The Housemartins

Somewhere In America There’s A Street Named After My Dad – Was (Not Was)

So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) – The Everly Brothers

Mutineer – Warren Zevon

Back To School Days – Graham Parker

Fields Of Gold – Eva Cassidy

This Train Revised – Indigo Girls

Shuffle #69 (September 6, 2015)

These Arms Of Mine – Otis Redding

Quittin’ Time – Mary Chapin Carpenter

Hope In A Hopeless World – Phil Roy

Cheeseburger In Paradise – Jimmy Buffett

Elevation – U2

Tell Mama – Etta James

Too Nice To Talk To – The English Beat

I’ve Seen All Good People – Yes

Shining Star – Earth, Wind & Fire

Shuffle #68 (September 5, 2015)

Kid – The Pretenders

Calgary, My Home Away From Home – Schooner Fare

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Paul McCartney

Party Doll – Mary Chapin Carpenter

Love Song – Sara Bareilles

Stolen Car – Bruce Springsteen

Rosalita – Bruce Springsteen