Jun 12, 2011

Incredible game

We've been back from the ballpark for more than four hours, and I still can't believe it.

Except for the 2008 World Series clincher and the 2007 division clincher, this might have been the most amazing game we've ever seen in person.

Despite incredible odds and a feeling of doom all day, the impossible happened - it was supposed to rain when we were at a game and it didn't!

Oh, and the Phillies came to life in the 7th inning to win a game in which they were held in check by the mediocre Doug Davis. Phillies 4, Cubs 3.

The first inning was tortuous, but Roy Oswalt shut down the Cubs for six more innings after giving up three in the first. The Phillies chipped away with a run in the 1st and 3rd, but left eight men on in the first six innings. They finally broke through with two runs in the 7th on a base hit by Ryan Howard. He had a deep double in the 1st that almost went out. (He has a tendency to come through for Trent when his parents have tickets.)

Observations from the stands: The little guy stayed home today even though it was early Father's Day at the park. Pete Schneider got to hang with his son before the game. ... They handed out a white-on-white Phillies hat, better than the hat-on-a-hat they gave away a few years ago. ... The sax player outside the ballpark has gone Hollywood. He had a stool and an amplifier. I liked acoustic stand-up guy better.

The Overbrook High School Overtones sang the National Anthem. I don't remember it. Marc Antonelli sang God Bless America. At first I thought it was long, but then I decided it was good. Everyone loved it.

There was a very special birthday on the screen today. Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz. He's 60. ... This guy in front of us is a huge Nationals fan. He had the shirt, lanyard, cap and even a backpack. ... There was a baby in front of us. Not as a cute as Trent, but made me miss him.

Ryan Madson needs better closing music. Don't Stop Believin' kind of puts the place to sleep. Besides, don't you want the other team to stop believing once you bring in your closer?

Antiquated shirts: Not very many. Most were spotted on the way out of the ballpark when I wasn't taking notes. Pat Burrell, Jim Thome, Lenny Dykstra and Jayson Werth.

Etc.: Everyone around us jumped for a hot dog even though the Phanatic's hot dog shooter couldn't reach us in the 400 level.

Oh well, pretty good game, but we've got a nerve-wracking night and morning ahead of us. Trent's been on the DL too many times this season with ear infections, so we're doing the tube thing tomorrow, but we're sure he'll be hotter than the Red Sox by the time our teams resume play on Tuesday.

1 comment:

Matty said...

It was one of the few games I didn't see on TV this year. I turned it on just as Madson was throwing the first pitch in the 9th inning. Saw the highlights later on the news.