[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“I love this shot of Abe “] [/caption] Josh Johnson tosses a shutout and the Rays win, but the red teams I love (Eagles, Carp, to a certain extent, the Nats) lose. 18 May NPB Hiroshima Carp (2) at Orix Buffaloes (11). Somehow I don’t think Hiroshima is going to win the Interleague title. The Carp drop to 16-26-0 in fifth. Their only saving grace is that the Swallows have been absolutely sucking recently, keeping them out of last. ...

I’d embed it if I could, but it’s still great to see acoustic, stripped down versions of Phoenix’s latest tracks on one of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. What are you waiting for, you can see the 12 minute concert here.

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Why not put up a picture of a giant president today?”] [/caption] …you lose some. It happens. 17 May NPB Off Day MLB Kansas City Royals (4) at Baltimore Orioles (3). Baltimore’s third series against more fair teams starts off on the wrong foot. Their record falls to 12-27 in last. Arizona Diamondbacks (5) at Florida Marlins (1). Chris Volstad has a rough start and Edwin Jackson manages to perplex Marlins hitters in a real momentum killer off of the sweep. Florida stays tied with Washington in second with their 20-19 record. ...

The more of these videos they make, the better. Kevin Butler returns in a longer, but still funny video for ModNation Racers.

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“375” caption=“Let Teddy Win!”] [/caption] No, I didn’t go see the Nats this weekend, but I did finally upload this picture. 14 May NPB Rakuten Eagles (8) at Hiroshima Carp (7). Knowing how badly the Eagles have been so far this season makes this worse. I want the Carp to win! MLB Cleveland Indians (1) at Baltimore Orioles (8). My friend went to this game to see the fireworks and watch with an out-of-town friend of his. I’m glad he saw a win. ...

Went to the Orioles game last night to see King Felix and Ichiro play the Orioles. It was a great game (I’ll get into that later), but we were super amused by the fact that Ichiro’s name was listed on the All-Star ballot for the Home Run Derby. Ichiro? The Great Singles Hitter (TM)? At one at bat I motivated him by screaming “Ganbare!” and “Kettobase!”. He promptly responded by hitting a home run. You’re welcome, Ichiro. ...

The Marlins can’t quite lock down the sweep against the Cubs, but a series win is still more than they’ve done in recent history. 12 May NPB Off Day MLB Washington Nationals (6) at New York Mets (4). Tyler Clippard wins yet another as the Nats pull ahead into sole possession of second (again) with their 19-15 record, 1.5 back behind the Phils. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“375” caption=“The Marlins put together two wins against the Cubs and Coghlan is hitting again. What else to do but celebrate?”] [/caption] I listened to about half of the Marlins at Cubs game in Spanish to get some practice. It’s surprising how much I was able to understand easily despite not really knowing much about baseball in Spanish. My favorite part: the center fielder is translated as central gardener. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“It may seem unrelated to baseball, but racing a train is a lot like stealing home…”] [/caption] Cody Ross decides to steal home right after I leave to take a shower, of course, but that’s neither here nor there. I saw the replay and it was sweet. 10 May NPB Off day MLB Washington Nationals (3) at New York Mets (2). I don’t know what to say about this Nats team. They’re really something this year. This puts them in sole possession of second place with their 18-14 record. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“Dave doesn’t care much for baseball, but he loves the beach as much as the next guy.”] [/caption] The beach was a success, but I’m dead tired after my travels last weekend. Did I forget to mention that there was also a PERFECT GAME?! Too bad it was against the wrong team… 7 May NPB Hiroshima Carp (6) at Hanshin Tigers (10). Not the ideal start to a short series, but not terrible either. At least they’re scoring runs. ...