The Pecan Park Eagle

“I had to hit that pinch hit grand slam against the Astros last night! – With my season stats at Seattle, I was well on the way to being out the door and back to living in a van ~ down by the river!” ~ Dan Vogelbach (not Chris Farley)

The Ecstasy of Marisnick and the Agony 0f Vogelbach

That sums up how we got to feel it in Houston last night. It was Seattle’s turn to feel the happy ending version of the same script. For our rendition here, it was a tale of a few 8th inning numbered pitches.

TOP OF THE 8TH, Hector Rondon now pitching, Astros still holding on to the 1-0 lead they’ve precariously protected from the Bottom of the 4th inning ~ to this moment. ~ Here’s what happened in a nutshell of pitches:

SEATTLE BATTING …. Hector Rondon pitching his first inning in relief for Houston:

Pitch #2: Lefty Nelson Cruz laces a single to center field.

Kristopher Negron enters as a pinch runner at 1st for Cruz.

Pitch #4: RHB Ryon Kelly is retired on a diving shoestring catch in center by Jake Marisnick!

Pitch #6: LHB Kyle Seager dumps a dying quail single to left field as Negron moves to 2nd.

LHB Robinson Canoe enters as pinch hitter for Cameron Maybin.

Pitch #8: Robinson Can is retired on a second diving shoestring catch in center by Jeff Marisnick!

Pitch #12 : On a 1-2 pitch, Denard Span takes an arguably missed strike to call to go 2-2 in the count.

Pitch #14: Span walks; Seager to 2nd; Negron to 3rd; bases loaded!

LHB Dan Vogelbach enters as a pinch hitter for Guillermo Heredia.

Pitch #17: Vogelbach hits a grooved middle-of-the-plate Grand Slam HR into the Astros RCF bullpen.

The Mariners take a 4-1 that will hold up as the final, most disappointing-in-Houston final score! The fielding heroics of Jake Marisnick are wasted and lost as a legend with a happy ending! The chance for Houston to expand its lead over 2nd place Oakland is gone for the day! And now one of the club’s deadly late game relievers has to both put this game’s outcome on short memory while he tries his hardest to remember that waist-high over the middle of the plate is no place to deliver a fastball ~ especially when the other team has the bases-loaded and he’s trying to hold on to a one-run lead late in the game.

********************

Top Ten AL Batting Averages 

Through Games of Mon., 9/17/18: 

BATTING AVERAGE

1. Betts • BOS ~ .337

2. Martinez • BOS ~ .328

3. Trout • LAA ~ .3181

4. Altuve • HOU ~ .3179

********************

AL WEST SCORES, 

Thru Mon., 9/17/18:

Seattle 4 – Houston 1.

Tampa Bay 3 – Rangers 0.

 LA Angels (did not play).

Oakland (did not play).

********************

AL WEST STANDINGS

Morning of Tue., 9/18/18

********************

SCHEDULE BALANCE FOR

HOU, OAK & SEA:

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle