Weekend in Review: Baseball!

On Sunday my friend Cyn and I went to the Mariners-White Sox day game with our usual low expectations.  This was the third game we attended this year, and the Mariners lost the first two.  They have not had a good season.

We still enjoy the outings anyway -- a sunny afternoon at the ball park, bad but tasty food, a little shopping at the Team Store, singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in the 7th inning stretch.  It's all fun.

The forecast was for low 80s and sunshine, so we were happy to be on the shady side up in the view boxes above first base.  The intense sunshine did not really materialize, though -- yes, the sun was shining, and it was plenty light out -- but an east wind was blowing smoke from the wildfires our way and the whole city was hazy from it all day long.

The city skyline  is usually a lot clearer than that.

 Here is Robinson Cano getting a hit:

Our low expectations were greatly exceeded.  After giving up an early run, the Mariners came back strong with lots of hits, steals, and home runs, and were up 7-1 by the 5th.

Racing for home:

Stealing second:

SAFE!

Then things got a bit hairy as our starting pitcher gave up a few runs, and our first reliever gave up a home run -- pretty soon it was 7-6 and we spent a nervous 6th and 7th inning.  In the 8th the Mariners got an insurance run, and we relaxed but not too much, since our closers of late have been inconsistent.  We did get the good news that our extremely inconsistent closer, Fernando Rodney, had been designated for assignment -- finally!

Tom Wilhelmsen came in to close out the top of the 9th, and did so with great skill -- three up, three down.  Whoo hoo, we got a win!

We were happy -- if we got to see only one win this year, at least it was the last game we went to.  Third time's the charm!