With the heavy aroma of cannabis drifting over A Diamond virtually the entire game emanating from a nearby parking lot social gathering, the Angels and Twins played baseball last evening. The Angels struck early scoring 3 runs in the top of the first on two walks and 3 singles. 3-0 Angels. That was a wake up call for the Twins who erupted for 6 runs in the bottom of the first via 1 walk and 5 singles plus an error. 6-3 Twins. Back come the Angels in the top of the second with 2 more runs. It started with a Scarsone single, then two 1-3 outs followed by strikeouts by Hinman and McQuade who both got on when their third strikes got by the Twins catcher. John Reel follows with a single to drive in 2 and the inning finally ends with Jim Edelman making a slightly awkward basket catch on a solidly hit, wind stymied, fly to right by Poleto. 5 outs to get 3. Twins 6-5 after 1 and a half. Bottom of the second the Twins strike back with 2 more runs on just 1 hit and a couple of errors. 8-5 Twins after 2 full. Things quiet down. The atmosphere turns mellow. Literally. I saw a hummingbird in right field. I think. The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer were still hanging in at Central Park. Only two more runs over the final 5 innings. Tom Maney opens the top of the 4th with a single , is moved to second on a fielders choice by Jim Wing, and scores on a Hinman single. 8-6 Twins. Bottom of the 5th up comes Joe Parker to lead off for the understaffed Twins. Joe Parker, the man who suffered an apparent season ending injury in the second game of the season but continued to come to every game and happily oversee the scorebook. Joe Parker who came to the plate earlier in the game for the first time in 2 months and to my surprise hit a hard grounder to second to drive in a run in that big first inning. Hes still a bit gimpy but he wanted to see what he might be able to do at the plate. Ok, give it a shot Joe. Youll have all winter to recover a little voice in my head said. I had my back to the plate when the pitch came in to Joe in the 5th, but I heard the unmistakable sound of excellent wood to ball contact. When I spun around I saw the ball high in the air on its way to the fence in deep left center which it hit on two bounces. A good 340 before it came back to terra firma. We all yelled for him to stop at first out of concern he would suffer a setback, but once he tentatively rounded the bag there was no stopping him as he pretty much hobbled it out to second. Thats what makes this game so great. Thats my top highlight of the 2020 season. Were alive. Were kicking.Its bizarre 2020 and were playing this beautiful game ! Eventually Joes courtesy runner scored on a wild pitch after advancing on a fielders choice. 9-6 Twins, thats the way it ended. Martin started for the Angels and went 5 allowing 9 runs (6 earned), 8 hits, 1 walk and 0 strikeouts. Jimmy K pitched the 6th retiring the Twins 2-3-4 batters in order. Wayne Methuselah Nicholsen went all the way for the Twins surrendering 6 runs (4 earned), 8 hits, 4 walks, and getting 2 strikeouts. Nicholsen improved his record to 5-1 on the season. McQuade led the Angels offense with 2 hits including an opposite field double. Joe Parker was the top story among Twins hitters rising like the mythical Phoenix hitting the ball hard in both of his plate appearances which included the previously mentioned booming opposite field double.

-- Edited by crowbait on Tuesday 15th of September 2020 12:39:59 PM

-- Edited by crowbait on Tuesday 15th of September 2020 08:59:18 PM