Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Indians vs Twins

What an awesome game last night! I went to the Indians game last night. I had been bugging my mom all summer about going to a game. Last Wednesday, on the way home from church, I heard on the radio, that Monday's game will be military appreciation night. I called the Indians Team Shop at Summit Mall twice on Thursday making sure I had the details I needed. Friday evening, dad, stopped at the mall to show his military I.D., he is a vet, to pick up two free tickets. Our tickets were in section 178 there at the left field. We were next door to the bleachers section, with Home Run Porch above and behind us. We had to turn to the side to see the big screen.

Grady Seizemore walked to start the bottom half of the game, and scored that inning as well. Paul Byrd was the starting pitcher for the Indians. He was great the first four innings. In the bottom of the 4th, we scored 4 runs, so Byrd had to sit a little too long. Kelly Shoppach is Byrd's personal catcher, so Victor Martinez played first, giving Ryan Garko a night off. Victor hit a 2 run home run in the third inning. Kelly hit a 2 run double in the 4th. I was so happy for him, since his previous at bats, he mostly struck out. He was due some good at-bats. I think Kelly is a good player. The score is now 5-0. Kelly and Grady are on base. Travis Hafner hits a 2 run single and the score is now 7-0. The guys had some good at-bats with men on base and in scoring position.

Paul Byrd came out the top of the fifth and was a bit rusty. He allowed 2 runs to score. The top of the sixth, he allowed a in the park home run-the ball hit the yellow line at the top of the wall in left field. At the end of the sixth, mom went to the restroom. Byrd comes back out at the top of the seventh. I wasn't expecting him to come back out. Byrd couldn't get an out. Rafael Perez warms up in the bullpen, and comes out to replace Paul Byrd. At this time, mom comes back and I head to the restroom. What I am going to share next, I missed, because I was in the restroom.

There were to men on base with no outs in the top of the seventh. The Twins players were on first and second base. Perez throws the ball, the Twins player (don't remember his name) hits the ball, and it travels towards third base. Casey Blake, third basemen, gloves the ball, steps onto third base, throws it to Cabrera, who is standing on second base, who then throws it Victor Martinez at first base. They completed an infield triple play! That was the first American League triple play made this season.

When was the last time, Indians completed a triple play? 1992, in August, in Baltimore. That time, Kenny Lofton playing in center field, gloved the ball and threw to Sandy Alamor, the catcher who then threw it to complete the triple play. The last time the Indians completed a triple play in Cleveland, was in 1976.

Cleveland Indians won the game last night with the final score of 8-3. Paul Byrd's record is now 13-5. The Indians have three pitchers with records close to 15 wins. They won 3 games in a row. The Detroit Tigers also won last night, 16-0 against "The Enemy", aka: New York Yankees. So we are still 2 1/2 games above the Detroit Tigers. We are in first place, while the Tigers are in second place.

There were times last night, when I said the pitcher needed to throw a strike, and guess what, he did. It was a great game last night! I just loved it! Can't you tell?

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