Belated

I know I said I would write about my road trip, and I did... just not very much.  My summer got too busy to finish writing the recap, but here is what I did manage to finish...

It all started a few months ago when my dad came to me with a proposal:  a baseball road trip for my graduation present.  I was elated to say the least.

We started to map out the trip and throw some dates around.  The first step was to look at the schedules of teams from here to Minneapolis to see which ones were playing at home.  Early June was the obvious timeframe because it had the most teams on their home stands.  The trip was decided to start on June 3 (the day after my graduation) and we would return home on June 11.  My brother Thomas is in middle school and didn’t get out until later in June so he couldn’t join us on the trip.  However, he did come with us to the first stop: Philadelphia - June 3.

Philadelphia:  Citizens Bank Park, June 3.  Phillies v. Giants

My dad, my brother, and I hopped in the car after church in the morning rushing to Philly for the 1:35 P.M. game.  The gates open two hours prior to the game but we got there around noon.  It didn’t matter much though because batting practice was rained out.  The rain was supposed to start falling in the early innings and rain out the game but it actually held off so they could get all nine innings in.

Snagging wise, Philly was very dead.  Very few players throwing before the game + my lacking a Giants hat = no baseballs from Citizens Bank.

The game featured Tim Lincecum starting against Freddy Garcia.  The game got off to an exciting start when Randy Winn deposited the second pitch of the game into the right centerfield seats.  Garcia went on the strike out the next three hitters and sent the Phils up to bat in what became an uneventful bottom half of the first.  Bengie Molina led off the second inning with a home run and then Garcia settled down for the next few innings until the Giants put up a three run fourth then a two run fifth. 

The only real excitement for me during the game was when Barry Bonds was a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh.  We were sitting in the cheap seats over the first baseline when Bonds came up the dugout steps.  He hadn't been standing in the on deck circle so I didn't know he was going to hit, leaving me in foul territory (and two decks too high).  But the baseball gods answered my prayers and the Phillies changed pitchers, giving us enough time to run to right field in case Bonds sent one deep...

He didn’t. But it was exciting anyways.

The Phillies answered the Giants' two long balls with four of their own, including a walk off home run by Shane Victorino.  A fitting end to Shane Victorino Hula Figurine Day. 

Final score:  Giants - 8, Phillies - 9
Oh, and it was very, very rainy.

Pittsburgh:  PNC Park, June 4.  Pirates v. Dodgers

My dad and I checked into our hotel after a four hour drive across Pennsylvania’s wonderful, never ending road construction.  We headed over to the stadium as soon as we dropped our bags in the hotel room.  Parking was very easy with all of the lots right next to PNC, making for a short walk to the ticket booth.  We bought $27 tickets right behind the plate.  What a deal.  The Dodgers were on the field taking BP when we walked in so I ran out to right field to start begging for baseballs and competing for home runs.  Unfortunately only one ball made it’s way into the right field bleachers and it landed 10 rows above me and then bounced 10 feet to my left into the hands of an unsuspecting lady.  Chad Billingsly completely ignored my requests for a ball as did Rudy Seanez and Takashi Saito... if only I knew another language besides English and Spanish.  No balls from PNC.  Tragic, I know.

Derek Lowe started against Paul Maholm. Maholm wasn’t much to speak of, going 6.2 giving up four earned runs on eight hits while striking out three.  However, Derek Lowe WAS much to speak of as he carried a no hitter through the sixth inning.  He unraveled in the seventh, giving up three runs and even a home run to Xavier Nady.  The Bucs rally fell short in the end, losing six to five.

Final Score:  Dodgers - 6,  Pirates - 5

After the game we got lost for about five minutes in Pittsburgh's confusing highway jumble.  After going right to bed, we woke up early and drove to Cleveland.

That's all for now, I'll try to post the rest of the trip but I'm leaving for college in five days so I can't promise anything...

Go Twins