Baltimore-Orioles

[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=“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. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“It has nothing to do with baseball, but I hope to get to a beach this weekend.”] [/caption] Yesterday’s scores are brought to you by the warm beach weather that I crave and the letter ‘M’. NPB Off MLB Atlanta Braves (2) at Washington Nationals (3). Scott Olsen throws a near no-hitter as the Nats win yet another series pushing them to a tie for second with their 15-13 record. ...

The Lions went and slaughtered my precious Golden Eagles, leaving them with something to think about over the next two off days. It was not a great day for my favorite baseball teams. 05 May NPB Rakuten Eagles (3) at Seibu Lions (19)! The Lions really dished out some punishment. Rakuten is still miraculously in fourth place with its 16-21-0 record, but that’s no real consolation since there’s a three-way tie for first 6.5 games up. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“You’ll notice that most of this crowd leaving Nationals Park roots for the Phillies.”] [/caption] Even if the Orioles maintain their 0.259 win percentage for the year and manage to lose over 110 games, they will have something that the Nationals cannot have this year: passionate, devoted fans. It’s not their fault, they’ve only been a team for five years, after all, but I notice this distinct lack of energy when I go to the games. Sure, the crowds have been relatively thin thanks to the weather, but last night was beautiful weather combined with a home win and the crowds didn’t seem to know what to do yet. ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“I get to experience good weather at Nats Park for the first time since Opening Day above.”] [/caption] Who would have expected Liván Hernández to have a sub 1.00 ERA and one of the best records in baseball at this point in the season? Why do the Marlins seem to drop the first game of every series? Will either of these trends end? I hope one definitely does! ...

[caption id="" align=“aligncenter” width=“500” caption=“I did a search for “blooper” in Flickr to express my frustration and this unexpectedly came up. Not what I had in mind, but it relieves some of the stress.”] [/caption] My PS3 decided to stop reading discs correctly for the second time in its lifespan, temporarily halting my video game NPB season with the Carp just about to widen the gap between third and fourth by beating the Swallows. Hopefully I get the system back before next week, but it’s leaving me at a loss for stuff to play this week. Looks like L4D2 and Sam & Max will be getting my attention. ...