Game 26 - Sunday July 7, 2013

Game 26
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Kevin & Julie


Date Day at the ballpark! Well for us. Not for the 5000 kids who can run the bases today. Although I think there were definitely more kids in the bleachers yesterday than today.


It was mostly hot, sunny and very hot/humid at the game today. We got there around 1:00 or so, and it wasn’t too terribly crowded – we got an aisle seat in row 7, so all was fine. Except for the guy in row 8 who was explaining how the entire game of baseball was played. Not to foreigners or kids - to his adult kids. Oy - it was kind of annoying. We’ve gone to games with foreigners (e.g. Kev’s co-workers from India) where Kevin was doing the exact same thing (only worse cuz these guys only knew cricket!) and I can’t imagine what those poor people I front of us were thinking. (I actually apologized to them when Kevin went for beers.) But these Row 8 people were his relatives and I don’t think they needed the explanations. I’m just saying.


Cubs playing the Buccos for the rubber match. AJ Burnett making his 1st start for the Bucs after a 15-day DL stint. Villanueva was making his reappearance as a starter in this game, after the Feldman trade opened up a spot, marking his return from exile in the bullpen. His last start was May 14. He lasted 4 innings (69 pitches), striking out 5, giving up only 3 hits, and allowing 1 run on back to back doubles to baby-stealing Tabata and my FAV McCutchen.


Cubs scored 2 in the bottom of the 3rd – a leadoff hit by Villanueva started it off. He ended up scoring after an error by first baseman Garrett Jones, and Soriano hit a sac fly to score the next one. (To which we were awarded with an explanation from Row 8 about how that was really just a guy trying to hit a HR, and not a sacrifice. #earsbleeeding…).

Bucs tied it up the 5th, but the Cubs Jerry Hairston HR-Machine hit a homer in the bottom of the 7th to give the Cubs the lead 3-2. Yea for trade value going up!! So bullpen held up and our closer Kevin Gregg comes in for the 9th, gets two outs, everyone standing, cheering, yelling, clapping, and BOOM – HR by Starling Marte. Seriously??? We decided this is why Gregg sucked in 2009 – there were fans in the stadium then. In 2013, no fans, no pressure. Hmmmmm.

Free Baseball ensues!! Guerrier (pronounced career) came in for 2 scoreless innings, just like on Saturday. On to the bottom of the 11th - Rizzo & Soriano had back to back singles to get things going. Bad throw from catcher to try and pick off Rizzo failed – and both advanced after which they then intentionally walk Valbuena. Navarro to the plate – nobody out – and he hits a sacrifice fly to right to score Rizzo. No comment from 8th row on this sacrifice since they left after 9.

Yippee – Cubs win!!! There was also an awesome run-down (can’t remember which inning) that saved a run. Which Kevin totally missed while people were coming in the aisle. Does it seem weird that Cubs are winning after they start unloading their “good” players??

Recap:

Cubs Win 4-1

My season record: Visitors 16, Cubs 10
Parking update: No update…