Detroit Tigers |
Baltimore Orioles |
2 |
4 |
L: R. Porcello |
W: B. Matusz |
S: J. Johnson |
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Highlight: |
Raucous Crowd |
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
It was going to be hard to top the events of yesterday where I got my first official MLB baseball and watched a Miguel Cabrera grand slam sail over my head. I have learned never to doubt Showalter's Orioles when it comes to putting on a good show. Today's game was a little chillier than the day prior, both in weather and in run scoring. There was rain in the forecast, but luckily the field stayed dry for the entire nine inning game.
Before the game I met up with Doug Hackey. During yesterday's game I spoke to Mark and Alex Kopp for the podcast. Today it was Doug's turn. Doug told me all about his history of collecting game balls and the story of who hit the first ball he caught and who recently hit the 50th. It is definitely a story you will want to hear so head on over to the podcast to hear my interview with Doug.
Since I had eaten at Boog's Barbecue before yesterday's game, I decided to enjoy another Baltimore tradition and sought out a Maryland crab cake. I found the Old Bay Seafood stand and got myself a crab cake sandwich. I am glad I did because my seat for today's game was right next to this stand and the mouthwatering scent of crab cakes filled my section all game long.
After the offensive explosion 24-hours earlier I experienced a more suspenseful game today. The heralded Orioles rookie pitcher Kevin Gausman took the mound and put in a masterful performance. He pitched six innings giving up five hits and one earned run against the number one ranked offense in the league. Not only did the O's fans in attendance get to see their future ace pitch a quality start, but an electric three-run seventh secured the home team a well fought victory.
This was the experience I was looking for at Camden Yards. I have been waiting for this feeling since I used to go to games here in the early 2000s. I truly do love this ballpark. Eutaw Street is a great place to hang out, the field is beautiful and the people are generally knowledgeable baseball fans. The excitement in that stadium was palpable. The fans were on their feet singing and cheering and going absolutely nuts.
As a Tigers fan I was sad to see my team lose, but as a man who is trying to find out what is special about all 30 MLB parks this game was the perfect example of a franchise fighting their way back into the championship conversation. The stands were packed for both games I attended, which was rarely the case when I was an Orioles season ticket holder. The fans willed their team to come back in the late innings and were rewarded with a 4-2 victory over the reigning AL champs.
Next Up: Washington Nationals
Game Stats
Game Time Temp: 83
First Pitch Time: 1:35 PM
National Anthem: Lauren Brooke (Country singer)
Seventh Inning Stretch: Thank God I'm a Country Boy
Total Pitches Thrown: 279
Total Hits: 20
Total Singles: 14
Total Doubles: 4
Total Triples: 0
Total Home Runs: 2
Total Walks: 3
Total Strike Outs: 13
Total Errors: 0
Game Time: 3:06
Attendance: 39,182 (85.2% full)
Home Plate Umpire: Alan Porter
Travel Stats
Miles Traveled: 30 miles
Time in Car: 1 hour 20 minutes
Gas Money: 0.00
Sleep Time: 7 Hours
Bottles of Water: 8
Food Eaten: Home made ratatouille, brownie
Fun Stats
Ballpark Food: Crab cake sandwich
All Star Game Ballots filled out: 1
Scoreboard Cap Game: Under Crab #1
Money spent on parking: $15
Money spent on ticket: $63.95
Cost of Program: N/A
Money spent on food: $16.00
Total money spent on Merchandise: $0.00
Total Money spent at stadium: $94.95