As a fan of a wide variety of popular (and not-so-popular) music from the 1950s (and sometimes even earlier) up through the present, one of my bucket list projects for years has been to put together a list of my 100 favorite songs of all time. At some point I decided that, once I got around to figuring that out, I could put it out on a blog, for the infinitesimally small proportion of the Internet world that might be interested. So, here we are. While the Top 100 will be a major focus, I also plan to post on a variety of other musical (and occasionally non-musical) topics, in which you may or may not be interested. (If a particular posting doesn’t ring your bell, you’re only a few clicks away from a dancing cat video on YouTube.)
In terms of hit singles, Booker T. & The MG’s were in a
relatively slow period when I first got into music in 1965: after reaching #3
in 1962 with their classic “Green Onions”, they didn’t have another national
top 20 hit until 1968’s “Soul-Limbo”. For some reason, however, even their
least successful singles managed to get airplay on Harrisburg’s WFEC, and once
I heard them I was hooked. Over the next few years, I bought (and still own)
five of their LPs, including a Best-Of collection. Of course, when they weren’t
recording and releasing their own music, they backed up nearly every Memphis
soul singer of the era, including Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis
Redding (most notably his take on the old chestnut “Try
A Little Tenderness”).
#3 – Juan Soto, who accounted for Washington’s second run
with a 454-foot third-inning homer to CF.
#2 – The Nats’ much-maligned bullpen. Yes, two of their five
relievers did walk the first batter they faced, but they collectively covered
the final 3.1 innings of the game without allowing a run, highlighted by the
just-recalled Tanner Rainey fanning the side in the top of the 7th.
#1 – Paolo Espino, who pitched into the sixth while keeping
Colorado off the scoreboard, allowing just three hits and three walks while
fanning seven.
The weather was perfect, and it was good to finally see the
home team win a game. (Heading into today, our personal August-September record
had been 2-6, after having much better luck during June and July.) We ordered
takeout from the &pizza on Half Steet, enjoying our meals on one of the
many shaded tables around the corner. Traffic was heavier than usual both
coming and going, closer to 2019 levels than to those of earlier games this
season. In a possibly-related item, I was quite surprised that the Nats managed
to attract over 75,000 fans to this three-game series between two non-contenders.
Maybe the promotions had something to do with it, although many who attended
Friday’s game were vocally unhappy that the 4-hour monstrosity of a Washington
loss prevented the launch of the promised fireworks.
Seats: Section 127, Row U, Seats 6-7.Narrow pie-shaped section on the first-base
side of the lower level, just above and to the right of some of the prime (meaning
really expensive) seats. Great view, only 7 seats in our row, although
unfortunately there was no aisle on our side.
#3 – Marlins RF Jesus Sanchez, who singled in the top of the
first after Jazz Chisholm had walked and stolen second, driving in the only run
Miami would wind up needing.
#2 – Light-hitting (.133 BA, .479 OPS) catcher Alex Jackson,
whose two-run double in the top of the ninth provided the visitors with some
welcome insurance.
#1 – Sandy Alcantara, who shut out the Nats for 8 innings
after carrying a perfect game into the 6th and a no-hitter into the
7th.
Alcantara really was the story of this game. His toughest moment
came on the final pitch of the 4th, when Juan Soto took a full-count
slider and lined it off Alcantara’s left knee at 111.5 mph. The Marlins’
manager, pitching coach, and trainer joined him on the mound when he came back
to warm up for the next inning, but he continued to pitch with no apparent loss
of effectiveness. Washington finally got a baserunner leading off the 6th
when Chisholm booted a Keibert Ruiz grounder, and Josh Bell broke up the
no-hitter with two outs an inning later when he lined a single off the
right-field wall. Still unfazed, Alcantara fanned Yadiel Hernandez to end the
frame, and then retired the Nats on 6 pitches in the 8th, with his
final effort a 99.6 mph four-seamer.
Somewhat lost in Alcantara’s dominance was a solid if hectic
pitching performance by Paolo Espino, who gave up at least one hit in each of
the first five innings, but no runs after the first. Helping him out was
Alcantara’s ineptness with the bat: he fanned in all three of his plate
appearances, stranding the bases loaded in the top of the 4th.
Espino retired the side in the order in the 6th, marking his longest
major-league start. Sam Clay and Austin Voth also turned in 1-2-3 innings, but
Patrick Murphy allowed hits to the first three batters he faced in the 9th,
sending many of the fans heading for the exits. Zim provided a bit of hope when
he led off the bottom of the inning with a pinch-single off Dylan Floro, but
Lane Thomas grounded into a DP and Alcides Escobar grounded out to end the game,
leaving Soto waiting on deck and the home team deeper in the NL East basement.
Attendance-wise, the evening was somewhat of a success for
the Nats, as many of the 19000+ (including a surprising number of kids on a
school night) were presumably lured by the PenFed jacket giveaway. Since there
were 25,000 jackets available, everyone presumably went home happy with the promotion,
if not with the outcome of the game. At a brisk 2:36 – Alcantara likes to work
fast – at least it wasn’t a particularly late evening.
