This weekend was the openning two games of our playdown series versus the Gent Knights. Dan Matthews, better known as D-Matt, was also in town to catch a game and seee some Belgian sights. Friday we kicked around Brussels, showing him the main tourist sights and meeting up with Joris, Winne and eventually Bram for dinner and drinks. It was a great time and great to see him. He got the Belgian experience in one day... Beer, Chocolate, frietjes, and Waffles. Fast forward to the next day and the game...
Before game one on Saturday, I told the boys to have their popcorn ready because it was about to be a show. Actually, it was more like "GETCHA POPCORN REEEADY!" but you get the point. A show is what transpired, but it was not as planned. The lovely Belgian weather decided to show up and show up in a big way. Rain and Cold. Daaaaamn.
The beginning of the game started out pretty well. All my pitches were working and other than an unearned run, I was dealing with 6Ks through 3 innings and we had a 2-1 lead. Then came the rain. I had just finished pitching the top of the third and it started pouring rain for about 20 minutes. After the 25 minute (or so) delay, our offense woke up with a 5 run inning. If you do the math, that is a lot of sitting around letting the arm get cold.
When I got back out to the mound, my arm didn't feel so great anymore and the mound had morphed into muddy swamp. No problem, time to get on the grind. It definitely was a grind. The zone was floating like a Wakefield knuckle ball, the landing was different every pitch, but I turned out a good outing... going 8 innings and giving up one earnie.
My bat was definitely not altered by the weather and with popcorn on hand, the show was delivered. My teammates set the table for me time and again with patient quality ABs and like a good Belgian guest, I cleared the table. I ended the game 4 for 6 with a double, triple, 7 rbi and 3 +/- 1 runs. My last rbi was a walkoff single (could have been double if I had ran to second) that scored Kleine and sealed the 10 run rule victory, 14-4.
Things were looking good, everyone was happy and we were contemplating not letting D-Matt leave the country before our season was over. We decided to celebrate with frietjes and a movie at the Kinopolis in Brussels. This is when our fortune started to turn.
1. We went for a drink while waiting for our movie to start. First bar we tried, we couldn't get in because Bart was wearing shorts. I guess his model legs are getting too old to show off and the bouncer wasn't feeling it.
2. We ended up in a bar with crazy decor and lights.
3. We went to see "The killer inside me"... turns out it was not the most uplifting movie ever. Intense for sure.
Fast forward to Sundays game...
4. Setting the table... It pretty much had been raining in Belgium non-stop for about 12 hours.
5. We get to Gent's cracker jack box of a ballpark and it is more like a swamp with bases and a mound. Well, kind of a mound but not really.
From there it was a story of missed opportunities, bad everything and disappointment. We started the game with bags loaded and 0 outs and only got 2 runs. Two times we had bases loaded with 1 out and hit into inning ending double plays. Not to be a Negative Nancy, but to be a Negative Nancy but we simply put blew it. We left millions of runners on base, chased bad pitches, and the list goes on. We never should have lost, but that is baseball and next week we come out swinging.
In the end, we still had a chance. Down 3 runs in top 9 with two on and me on deck, the game ended.
We never should have let D-Matt leave...
I finished the game 3 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbi, but flied out in a critical two out, two runners on situation. I want the AB back so bad, but it will have to wait til next Sat when we play the 3rd game of the best of 3. Winner stays/goes to first, lose is in 2nd Division for next year.
I am getting the ball on the bump, I hope you have your popcorn ready...
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